Z01 BC 010952 (Z01) | |||
Title | Cytokines to control the immune response in cancer vaccine development | ||
Institution | NCI, Bethesda, MD | ||
Principal Investigator | Sabzevari, Helen | NCI Program Director | N/A |
Cancer Activity | N/A | Division | CCR |
Funded Amount | $256,705 | Project Dates | 10/01/2007 - N/A |
Fiscal Year | 2008 | Project Type | Intramural |
Research Topics (SICs) w/ Percent Relevance | Cancer Types (Disease Sites) w/ Percent Relevance | ||
Biological Response Modifiers (100.0%) Breast Cancer - Treatment (20.0%) Digestive Diseases (20.0%) |
Breast Cancer (20.0%) Colon/Rectum (20.0%) Genital System - Male Other (20.0%) Lung (10.0%) Prostate (20.0%) |
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Common Scientific Outline | |||
Systemic Therapies - Discovery and Development Vaccines |
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Abstract | Interleukin-2 (IL-2)/anti-IL-2 antibody complex enhances vaccine-mediated antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and increases the ratio of effector/memory CD8+ T cells to T regulatory cells (Treg cells). IL-2 is well described as a cytokine with two markedly distinct functionalities: as a necessary signal during CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation/expansion and as an essential cytokine for the maintenance of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cells (T regulatory cells) during homeostasis. In this study we demonstrate for the first time that, compared with the use of IL-2 alone, a complex of IL-2 and anti-IL-2 Ab (IL-2 complex) enhances the effectiveness of a viral vaccine in a mouse model with known Ag specificity. IL-2 complex led to an increase in the number of antigen-specific effector/memory CD8+ T cells, cytokine production, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lysis following antigen-specific restimulation in a vaccination setting. Our results further demonstrate that this effect is temporary and declines over the course of a few days after the IL-2 complex treatment cycle. Moreover, in contrast to the use of IL-2 alone, IL-2 complex greatly increased the ratio of effector/memory CD8+ T cells to Treg cells. This phenomenon can thus potentially be used in the enhancement of immune responses to vaccination. |