• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.206-211
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• 2010

Background: Dendritic cell (DC)-based tumor vaccine is an attractive modality for the treatment of colon cancer because it has been recurred and produced few side effects in patients. Secretory glycoprotein 90K has been found at elevated level in various cancer tissues and sera. We investigated to establish a more effective DC vaccine for the treatment of colon cancer in which the levels of 90K are elevated. Methods: We obtained the concentrated 90K from 293T cells stably expressing 90K. DCs were cultured from peripheral blood monocytes, and a DC vaccine pulsed with tumor lysate was compared with a DC vaccine pulsed with 90K. We measured the functional activity for CTLs by using IFN-${\gamma}$-enzyme linked immunoabsorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay. Results: DCs pulsed with tumor lysate+90K exhibited the enhanced T cell stimulation, polarization of $\ddot{i}$ T cell toward Th1. The CTLs generated by DCs pulsed with 90K efficiently lysed HCT116 cells. The results indicate that 90K-speicifc-CTLs can recognize 90K proteins naturally presented by colon cancer cells. Conclusion: Our study suggests that 90K-specific CTLs generated by 90K-pulsed DCs could be useful effector cells for immunotherapy in colon cancer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.126-131
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• 2005

Objective : The choice of tumor antigen for dendritic cell[DC]-loading has still been an unresolved problem in the DC-based vaccine strategies against malignant gliomas that has not been found well-characterized tumor specific antigens. In this study, we compare tumor-specific T cell response induced by glioma apoptotic body[GAB]-pulsed DCs to response induced by glioma cell lysate-pulsed ones quantitatively. Methods : DCs generated in the presence of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and interleukin[IL]-4 from peripheral blood mononuclear cells[PBMCs] of HLA-A2 positive healthy donors were cultured. Each GABs and glioma cell lysate generated from HLA-A2 positive T98G glioblastoma cells were co-incubated with DCs. $CD8^+$ T lymphocytes isolated from PBMCs of same donors were cultured in media containing IL-2 and either stimulated by GAB- or lysate-pulsed DCs three times at a weekly interval. The interferon[IFN]-${\gamma}$ concentrations of each cell culture supernate were measured by enzyme immunoassay technique. Cytolytic activity of the generated cytotoxic $CD8^+$ T cells either stimulated with GAB- or lysate-pulsed DCs was determined by a standard 4-h $^{51}Cr$-release assay. Results : IFN-${\gamma}$ production and cytolytic activity of effector T cells stimulated by GAB-pulsed DCs were significantly higher than those of T cells stimulated by lysate-pulsed ones. Conclusion : These results indicate the choice of antigen is a critical determinant in the induction of antitumor immunity against malignant glioma. Antigen preparations from GABs represent a promising alternative to glioma cell lysate in DC-based glioma vaccine strategies.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.19
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• 2023

Immune diversification helps protect the host against a myriad of pathogens. CD8⁺ T cells are essential adaptive immune cells that inhibit the spread of pathogens by inducing apoptosis in infected host cells, ultimately ensuring complete elimination of infectious pathogens and suppressing disease development. Accordingly, numerous studies have been conducted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying CD8⁺ T cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation into effector and memory cells, and to identify various intrinsic and extrinsic factors regulating these processes. The current knowledge accumulated through these studies has led to a huge breakthrough in understanding the existence of heterogeneity in CD8⁺ T cell populations during immune response and the principles underlying this heterogeneity. As the heterogeneity in effector/memory phases has been extensively reviewed elsewhere, in the current review, we focus on CD8⁺ T cells in a "naive" state, introducing recent studies dealing with the heterogeneity of naive CD8⁺ T cells and discussing the factors that contribute to such heterogeneity. We also discuss how this heterogeneity contributes to establishing the immense complexity of antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cell response.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.39-47
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• 2022

Adoptive cell transfer (ACT), a form of cell-based immunotherapy that eliminates cancer by restoring and strengthening the body's immune system, has revolutionized cancer treatment. ACT entails intravenous transfer of either tumor-resident or peripheral blood-modified immune cells into cancer patients to mediate anti-tumor response. Although these immune cells control and eradicate cancer via enhanced cytotoxicity against specific tumor antigens, several side effects have been frequently reported in clinical trials. Recently, exosomes, potential cell-free therapeutics, have emerged as an alternative to cell-based immunotherapies, due to their higher stability under same storage condition, lower risk of GvHD and CRS, and higher resistance to immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Exosomes, which are nano-sized lipid vesicles, are secreted by living cells, including immune cells. Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, and the functional role of each exosome is determined by the specific cargo derived from parental cells. Exosomes derived from cytotoxic effectors including T cells and NK cells exert anti-tumor effects via proteins such as granzyme B and FasL. In this mini-review, we describe the current understanding of the ACT and immune cell-derived exosomes and discuss the limitations of ACT and the opportunities for immune cell-derived exosomes as immune therapies.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2011

Background: Epstein-Barr virus associated gastric lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is characterized by the intensive infiltration of lymphoid cells, the presence of EBV, and the better prognosis over typical adenocarcinoma. Thus, it was assumable that viral latent proteins may be responsible for the recruitment of a certain T cell repertoire to EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. Methods: To examine above possibility, EBV gene expression in gastric carcinoma tissues and usage of TCR among the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes were analyzed. Results: EBV specific DNA and EBERs RNA were detected in 4 out of 30 patients. RT-PCR analysis revealed that all 4 of EBV-positive tumor tissues expressed EBNA1 mRNA and BARTs and LMP2a was detected only one sample out of 4. However, the EBNA2 and LMP-1 transcripts were not detected in these tissues. $CD8^+$ T cells were the predominant population of infiltrating lymphocytes in the EBV-positive gastric carcinoma. According to spectra type analysis of infiltrating T cells, 10 predominant bands were detected by TCR $V{\beta}$ CDR3 specific RT-PCR from 4 EBV-positive tumor tissues. Sequence analysis of these bands revealed oligoclonal expansion of T cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that clonally expanded T cells in vivo might be a population of cytotoxic T cells reactive to EBV-associated gastric carcinoma.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.102-110
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• 2006

Background: Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells in the immune system and can induce T cell response against virus infections, microbial pathogens, and tumors. Therefore, immunization using DC loaded with tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) is a powerful method of inducing anti-tumor immunity. For induction of effective anti-tumor immunity, antigens should be efficiently introduced into DC and presented on MHC class I molecules at high levels to activate antigen-specific $CD8^+$ T cells. We have been exploring methods for loading exogenous antigens into APC with high efficiency of Ag presentation. In this study, we tested the effect of the cationic liposome (Lipofectin) for transferring and loading exogenous model antigen (OVA protein) into BM-DC. Methods: Bone marrow-derived DC (EM-DC) were incubated with OVA-Lipofectin complexes and then co-cultured with B3Z cells. B3Z activation, which is expressed as the amount of ${\beta}$-galactosidase induced by TCR stimulation, was determined by an enzymatic assay using ${\beta}$-gal assay system. C57BL/6 mice were immunized with OVA-pulsed DC to monitor the in vivo vaccination effect. After vaccination, mice were inoculated with EG7-OVA tumor cells. Results: BM-DC pulsed with OVA-Lipofectin complexes showed more efficient presentation of OVA-peptide on MHC class I molecules than soluble OVA-pulsed DC. OVA-Lipofectin complexes-pulsed DC pretreated with an inhibitor of MHC class I-mediated antigen presentation, brefeldin A, showed reduced ability in presenting OVA peptide on their surface MHC class I molecules. Finally, immunization of OVA-Lipofectin complexes-pulsed DC protected mice against subsequent tumor challenge. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence that antigen-loading into DC using Lipofectin can promote MHC class I- restricted antigen presentation. Therefore, antigen-loading into DC using Lipofectin can be one of several useful tools for achieving efficient induction of antigen-specific immunity in DC-based immunotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.265-271
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• 2014

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a potent anti-apoptotic cytokine that enhances immune effector cell functions and is essential for lymphocyte survival. While it known to induce differentiation and proliferation in some haematological malignancies, including certain types of leukaemias and lymphomas, little is known about its role in solid tumours, including breast cancer. In the current study, we investigated whether IL-7 could enhance the in vivo antitumor activity of tumor-reactive $CD8^+$ T cells with induction of IFN-${\gamma}$ in a murine breast cancer model. Human IL-7 cDNA was constructed into the eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1, and then the recombinational pcDNA3.1-IL-7 was intratumorally injected in the TM40D BALB/C mouse graft model. Serum and intracellular IFN-${\gamma}$ levels were measured by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. $CD8^+$ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity was analyzed using the MTT method. Our results showed that IL-7 administration significantly inhibited tumor growth from day 15 after direct intratumoral injection of pcDNA3.1-IL-7. The anti-tumor effect correlated with a marked increase in the level of IFN-${\gamma}$ and breast cancer cells-specific CTL cytotoxicity. In vitro cytotoxicity assays showed that IL-7-treatment could augment cytolytic activity of $CD8^+$ T cells from tumor bearing mice, while anti-IFN-${\gamma}$ blocked the function of $CD8^+$ T cells, suggesting that IFN-${\gamma}$ mediated the cytolytic activity of $CD8^+$ T cells. Furthermore, in vivo neutralization of $CD8^+$ T lymphocytes by CD8 antibodies reversed the antitumor benefit of IL-7. Thus, we demonstrated that IL-7 exerts anti-tumor activity mainly through activating $CD8^+$ T cells and stimulating them to secrete IFN-${\gamma}$ in a murine breast tumor model. Based on these results, our study points to a potential novel way to treat breast cancer and may have important implications for clinical immunotherapy.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.38 no.2 s.149
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• pp.117-122
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• 2007

The specific activation of the immune system to control cancer growth in vivo has been a long-standing goal in cancer immunology. Whole tumor Iysates have been used either alone or combined with adjuvants to induce specific immune response in vivo. Here, we examined whether freezing/thawing (F/T) colon26-M3.1 tumor cell admixed with EN-3, glycoprotein purified from Acanthopanx Senticosus, could stimulate in vivo immunity by using a murine experimental tumor metastasis model produced by colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells. Vaccination of mice with F/T treated colon26-M3.1 carcinoma cells in combination with EN-3 as an adjuvant resulted in a significant inhibition in tumor metastasis of mice against live colon26-M3.1 carcinoma challenge. In addition, the splenocytes from vaccinated mice exhibited a higher proliferating activity and secreted interferon-${\gamma}$. These results suggest that EN-3 can be applied to immunoadjuvant to enhance the antitumor immunity in vivo.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.373-380
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• 2001

Marek's disease virus (MDV) can cause skin lesions including inflammatory to tumorous. The phenotypical changes of lymphocytes infiltrating in the skin lesions induced by MDV were not clear. Therefore, the skin biopsies taken at weekly intervals for 8 weeks from the same specific-pathogen free chickens inoculated with Md/5 MDV were examined to analysis the phenotypical changes of lymphocytes. Histologically skin lesions progressed from initial inflammatory to late tumorous. Sequentially CD4+ T lymphocytes increased gradually in number from initial skin lesions and were major composition cells in the tumor lesions. Regardless of inflammatory or tumor lesions, CD8+ T cells and ${\gamma}{\delta}$ T cells infiltrated particularly in the dermis and subcutaneous on which MDV was actively replicated in the feather follicle epithelium(FFE). In addition, IgG bearing B lymphocytes in considerable number infiltrated in the dermis and subcutaneous tissues. From these results, the development of MDV-induced skin lesions was inflammatory following tumorous. In addition, each CD8+, ${\gamma}{\delta}$ and CD4+ T cells and B cell might act to protect MDV replication in the FFE or tumor cells which turned on lytic cycle.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.6.1-6.19
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• 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, which express a synthetic receptor engineered to target specific antigens, have demonstrated remarkable potential to treat haematological malignancies. However, their transition beyond haematological malignancy has so far been unsatisfactory. Here, we discuss recent challenges and improvements for CAR T cell therapy against solid tumors: Antigen heterogeneity which provides an effective escape mechanism against conventional mono-antigen-specific CAR T cells; and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment which provides physical and molecular barriers that respectively prevent T cell infiltration and drive T cell dysfunction and hypoproliferation. Further, we discuss the application of CAR T cells in infectious disease and autoimmunity.