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Mogens H Claesson

Publications and source records attributed to Mogens H Claesson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Reactivity of naive CD4+CD25- T cells against gut microflora in healthy mice.

We have previously shown that conventional as well as germ-free CD4+ T cells depleted of CD25+ cells from the gut-associated lymphoid tissue and the periphery proliferate specifically in response to enterobacterial antigen exposure whereas unfractionated CD4+ T cells are not reactive under these conditions. Here we show that the majority of the enteroantigen-specific CD4+ CD25- T cells are naive cells expressing a CD45RB high, CD62L high and CD44 low phenotype. These cells are also present in the thymus and data from adult thymectomized mice show that they represent late (>6 weeks) thymic emigrants. Upon enteroantigen activation, the CD4+ CD25- T cells secrete IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IFN-gamma. Clonotype mapping of the TCRBV regions 1-18 of enteroantigen-reactive CD4+ CD25- T cells by TCR clonotype mapping revealed the polyclonal nature of this subset. In conclusion, we have for the first time demonstrated the presence of an evolutionary, functionally conserved subset of CD4+ T cells, which are reactive against enterobacterial antigens. This subset resides both in the thymus and the periphery; it is not dependent on previous antigen experience and represents late thymic emigrants, which by enteroantigen-induced activation express a mixed Th 1-Th 2 phenotype. At homeostatic conditions, CD25+ T cells maintain peripheral tolerance in this CD4+ T cell subset.

Animals↗

The effect of a therapeutic dendritic cell-based cancer vaccination depends on the blockage of CTLA-4 signaling.

Dendritic cells (DCs) were pulsed with the H-2K(b) binding OVA(257-264)-peptide (SIINFEKL), and used as one single-injection vaccine in combination with anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to treat mice inoculated 3 days previously with 3x10(5) E.G7-OVA lymphoma cells. Neither DC vaccination nor CTLA-4 blockage alone prevented tumor growth in tumor challenged mice. In contrast, the combination of one vaccination and injection of anti-CTLA-4 mAb lead to rejection or retarded tumor growth in more than 60% of the mice. The OVA-transgene or the SIINFEKL-epitope was not lost in the progressing tumors of vaccinated mice, however, the highest degree of anti-SIINFEKL reactivity of host CTLs in an IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay was found only in mice showing complete tumor rejection. Vaccinated mice having rejected E.G7-OVA tumors were capable of rejecting subsequent challenges with 1x10(6) E.G7-OVA tumor cells, and later on these mice even rejected wild-type EL-4 tumor cells indicating that tumor epitope spreading takes place during the process of vaccination-induced E.G7-OVA rejection. In agreement with these observations, mice having rejected E.G7-OVA tumors showed long lasting CTL memory in spleen and bone marrow towards both the SIINFEKL-peptide and other EL-4-derived tumor rejecting epitopes.

Animals↗

Vaccination with p53-peptide-pulsed dendritic cells, of patients with advanced breast cancer: report from a phase I study.

Peptides derived from over-expressed p53 protein are presented by class I MHC molecules and may act as tumour-associated epitopes. Due to the diversity of p53 mutations, immunogenic peptides representing wild-type sequences are preferable as a basis for a broad-spectrum p53-targeting cancer vaccine. Our preclinical studies have shown that wild-type p53-derived HLA-A2-binding peptides are able to activate human T cells and that the generated effector T cells are cytotoxic to human HLA-A2+, p53+ tumour cells. In this phase I pilot study, the toxicity and efficacy of autologous dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with a cocktail of three wild-type and three modified p53 peptides are being analysed in six HLA-A2+ patients with progressive advanced breast cancer. Vaccinations were well tolerated and no toxicity was observed. Disease stabilisation was seen in two of six patients, one patient had a transient regression of a single lymph node and one had a mixed response. ELISpot analyses showed that the p53-peptide-loaded DCs were able to induce specific T-cell responses against modified and unmodified p53 peptides in three patients, including two of the patients with a possible clinical benefit from the treatment. In conclusion, the strategy for p53-DC vaccination seems safe and without toxicity. Furthermore, indications of both immunologic and clinical effect were found in heavily pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer. An independent clinical effect of repeated administration of DCs and IL-2 can not of course be excluded; further studies are necessary to answer these questions.

Adult↗

Demonstration of strong enterobacterial reactivity of CD4+CD25- T cells from conventional and germ-free mice which is counter-regulated by CD4+CD25+ T cells.

Unfractionated CD4+ T cells from the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) and peripheral lymph nodes are unresponsive when exposed to enterobacterial antigens in vitro. Under similar conditions, CD4+ T cells depleted in vivo or in vitro of CD4+CD25+ T cells proliferate extensively. The CD4+CD25- T cell reactivity depends on MHC class II presentation, specific TCR stimulation, CD4 ligation, and antigen processing by antigen-presenting cells. The CD4+CD25- T cells respond to autologous and heterologous enterobacterial antigens, but not to antigens from the feces of germ-free mice. Surprisingly, CD4+CD25- T cells obtained from the GALT of germ-free mice also proliferate when exposed to enterobacterial antigens, and adding back the conventional or germ-free CD4+CD25+ T cells to the enteroantigen-stimulated CD4+CD25- T cells abolishes proliferation. As judged from carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester-labeling experiments, 4-5% of the CD4+CD25- T cells respond to enteroantigen. The data show for the first time that CD4+CD25- T cells with reactivity towards the enterobacterial flora and regulatory CD4+CD25- T cells are present in both conventional and germ-free mice. The data suggest that a significant proportion of the peripheral pool of CD4+CD25- T cells express anti-enterobacterial reactivity, which, due to the presence of regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells, is kept in a quiescent state.

Animals↗

Characterization of T-regulatory cells, induced by immature dendritic cells, which inhibit enteroantigen-reactive colitis-inducing T-cell responses in vitro and in vivo.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells, derived from co-cultures of unfractionated CD4(+) T cells and immature dendritic cells (DC), suppress enteroantigen-induced proliferation of CD4(+) CD25(-) T cells. The DC-induced Treg cells are a mixture of CD25(+) (10-20%) and CD25(-) (80-90%) T cells. However, all the suppressor activity in vitro and in vivo resides in the CD25(+) T-cell subset. The CD25(+) DC-induced Treg cells can inhibit enteroantigen-induced proliferation in vitro through a transwell membrane, and their function does not appear to depend on previous activation. DC-induced CD25(+) Treg cells display a naive phenotype, expressing high levels of CD45RB and l-selectin (CD62L). In addition, the DC-induced Treg cells mediate a stronger suppressive activity than prototype CD25(+) regulatory T cells. The DC-induced Treg cells, and hereof purified CD25(+) and CD25(-) T-cell fractions, were co-injected into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with colitis-inducing CD4(+) CD25(-) T cells. Both unfractionated CD4(+) and purified CD25(+) Treg cells fully protected the recipients against the development of colitis. In contrast, co-transfer of fractionated CD25(-) T cells offered no protection against disease development. Enterobacterial antigen-exposed CD4(+) T cells of the protected mice secreted higher levels of interleukin-10 and lower levels of interferon-gamma than the unprotected mice. The present data demonstrate DC-induced CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg cells, which phenotypically and functionally differ from the generally accepted prototype of CD25(+) Treg cells. These data may initiate new procedures for the expansion of Treg cells for clinical use.

Animals↗

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells: I. Phenotype and physiology.

The immune system protects us against foreign pathogens. However, if fine discrimination between self and non-self is not carried out properly, immunological attacks against self may be launched leading to autoimmune diseases, estimated to afflict up to 5% of the population. During the last decade it has become increasingly clear that regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells (Treg cells) play an important role in the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance, and that this cell subset exerts its function by suppressing the proliferation or function of autoreactive T cells. Based on human and murine observations, this review presents a characterization of the phenotype and functions of the Treg cells in vitro and in vivo. An overview of the surface molecules associated with and the cytokines produced by the Treg cells is given and the origin, activation requirements and mode of action of the Treg cells are discussed. Finally, we address the possibility that Treg cells may play a central role in immune homeostasis, regulating not only autoimmune responses, but also immune responses toward foreign antigens.

Animals↗

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells: II. Origin, disease models and clinical aspects.

Autoimmune diseases afflict approximately 5% of the population and reflect a failure in the immune system to discriminate between self and non-self resulting in the breakdown of self-tolerance. Regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells (Treg cells) have been shown to play an important role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and self-tolerance by counteracting the development and effector functions of potentially autoreactive T cells. We have in the previous APMIS review described the phenotype and physiology of Treg cells. The present overview deals with the thymic origin of Treg cells and their role in disease models such as autoimmune gastritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Finally, we will consider some aspects of the therapeutic potential of Treg cells.

Animals↗

Tumor-associated antigens identified by mRNA expression profiling as tumor rejection epitopes.

Thirteen H-2b-binding peptides derived from six potentially overexpressed proteins in p53-/- thymoma (SM7) cells were studied for immunogenecity and vaccine-induced prevention of tumor growth in mice inoculated with SM7 tumor cells. Six of the peptides generated specific CTL responses after immunization, but only two of these peptides (RAD23-31 and RAD24-31) were capable of generating a weak vaccination-induced protection against adoptive tumor growth. SM7 inoculated mice treated with a blocking antibody against the inhibitory T cell signal transducing molecule CTLA4 appeared to delay tumor take, suggesting that SM7 thymoma cells are recognized by the adaptive immune system of the host. However, prophylactic vaccination with RAD23-31 and RAD24-31 peptides combined with anti-CTLA4 Ab treatment and did not improve tumor resistance. Our data would indicate that vaccination with immunogenic peptides derived from potentially overexpressed tumor proteins, as identified by mRNA expression profiling of p53-/- thymoma cells, at best results in a weak tumor protection thus questioning this way of detection of new tumor rejection epitopes.

Journal Article↗

Peptide-loaded dendritic cells prime and activate MHC-class I-restricted T cells more efficiently than protein-loaded cross-presenting DC.

Undifferentiated and differentiated dendritic cells (uDC and dDC, respectively), derived from the bone marrow, were studied in vitro and in vivo. Ovalbumin (OVA) and two OVA-derived peptides binding to H-2K(b) and I-A(b), respectively, were used. Two IL-2 secreting T cell hybridomas specific for the OVA-derived epitopes were used in the in vitro read-out. The ability to cross-present the H-2K(b) binding OVA(257-264)-peptide (SIINFEKL) was restricted to dDC, which express CD11c(+), CD86(+), and MHC-II(+). In vitro, the antigenicity of SIINFEKL-loaded DC declined at a slower rate than that of OVA-pulsed DC. Moreover, SIINFEKL-loaded DC were up to 50 times more efficient than DC-pulsed with OVA-protein for generation of an H-2K(b)-restricted response. Immunization of mice with SIINFEKL-loaded DC resulted in a much stronger H-2K(b)-restricted response than immunization with OVA-pulsed DC. These data might have important implications for the choice of antigen source in the design of DC-based vaccines.

Animals↗

[Inflammatory bowel disease--do microorganisms play a role?].

This review focuses on the potential pathogenic role of microorganisms in relation to inflammatory bowel diseases, i.e. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Pathogenic microorganism such as Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, measles and mumps viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, and Listeria monocytogenes are discussed, as well as involvement of the normal intestinal flora. Furthermore, the influence of microorganisms in experimental animal colitis models is discussed. The available results are inconclusive, but there seems to be basis for proposing the hypothesis that the inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease reflects an immune imbalance with loss of tolerance for normally harmless antigens in the mucosal microflora.

Animals↗

A HLA-A2 restricted human CTL line recognizes a novel tumor cell expressed p53 epitope.

A p53 peptide-specific CTL line was generated through stimulation with autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) pulsed with wild-type HLA-A2 binding p53 derived peptides. A p53 peptide-specific CD8(+) CTL line was established from a healthy HLA-A2 positive donor. The CTL line was characterized with respect to specificity, affinity and killing of cell lines derived from p53 mutated spontaneous tumors. The CTL line demonstrated lysis of p53(139-147) pulsed target cells and cold target inhibition experiments as well as antibody blocking confirmed that the killing was epitope-specific, HLA-A2 restricted and dependent on CD8-binding. Interestingly, the affinity of the CTL line was only in the micromole per liter range and target cells pulsed with less than 0.01 microM peptide were not recognized. Furthermore, 3 HLA-A2(+) p53 mutated tumor cell lines were efficiently lysed by the CTL line, indicating that this novel p53 peptide epitope is endogenously processed and presented by the HLA-A2 molecules of the tumor cells. In conclusion, CTL reactivity towards a wild-type p53 peptide was revealed through induction with DC pulsed with a pool of HLA-A2 binding p53 peptides. In addition, the CTL line, which expressed relatively low affinity for the HLA-A2/peptide complex, was able to kill 3 different HLA-A2(+) p53 mutated tumor cell lines. The present and our previous observations expand the number of p53-derived peptides suitable for vaccination protocols for cancer patients with p53 positive tumors.

CD8 Antigens↗