Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Therapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) have yielded promising albeit limited results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Vaccines have been proposed as combination partners to enhance response rates to ICPI. Thus, we analyzed the combined effect of a vaccine based on the...

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Main Authors: Leyre Silva, Josune Egea, Lorea Villanueva, Marta Ruiz, Diana Llopiz, David Repáraz, Belén Aparicio, Aritz Lasarte-Cia, Juan José Lasarte, Marina Ruiz de Galarreta, Amaia Lujambio, Bruno Sangro, Pablo Sarobe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
Series:Cancers
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/11/3397
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author Leyre Silva
Josune Egea
Lorea Villanueva
Marta Ruiz
Diana Llopiz
David Repáraz
Belén Aparicio
Aritz Lasarte-Cia
Juan José Lasarte
Marina Ruiz de Galarreta
Amaia Lujambio
Bruno Sangro
Pablo Sarobe
author_facet Leyre Silva
Josune Egea
Lorea Villanueva
Marta Ruiz
Diana Llopiz
David Repáraz
Belén Aparicio
Aritz Lasarte-Cia
Juan José Lasarte
Marina Ruiz de Galarreta
Amaia Lujambio
Bruno Sangro
Pablo Sarobe
author_sort Leyre Silva
collection DOAJ
description Therapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) have yielded promising albeit limited results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Vaccines have been proposed as combination partners to enhance response rates to ICPI. Thus, we analyzed the combined effect of a vaccine based on the TLR4 ligand cold-inducible RNA binding protein (CIRP) plus ICPI. Mice were immunized with vaccines containing ovalbumin linked to CIRP (OVA-CIRP), with or without ICPI, and antigen-specific responses and therapeutic efficacy were tested in subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models of liver cancer. OVA-CIRP elicited polyepitopic T-cell responses, which were further enhanced when combined with ICPI (anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4). Combination of OVA-CIRP with ICPI enhanced ICPI-induced therapeutic responses when tested in subcutaneous and intrahepatic B16-OVA tumors, as well as in the orthotopic PM299L HCC model. This effect was associated with higher OVA-specific T-cell responses in the periphery, although many tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes still displayed an exhausted phenotype. Finally, a new vaccine containing human glypican-3 linked to CIRP (GPC3-CIRP) induced clear responses in humanized HLA-A2.01 transgenic mice, which increased upon combination with ICPI. Therefore, CIRP-based vaccines may generate anti-tumor immunity to enhance ICPI efficacy in HCC, although blockade of additional checkpoint molecules and immunosuppressive targets should be also considered.
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spelling doaj.art-76d8c721affa49cd8f1fbe9a8b8dedbb2023-11-20T21:11:03ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942020-11-011211339710.3390/cancers12113397Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular CarcinomaLeyre Silva0Josune Egea1Lorea Villanueva2Marta Ruiz3Diana Llopiz4David Repáraz5Belén Aparicio6Aritz Lasarte-Cia7Juan José Lasarte8Marina Ruiz de Galarreta9Amaia Lujambio10Bruno Sangro11Pablo Sarobe12Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainDepartment of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USADepartment of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USAIdiSNA, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainCentro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, SpainTherapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) have yielded promising albeit limited results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Vaccines have been proposed as combination partners to enhance response rates to ICPI. Thus, we analyzed the combined effect of a vaccine based on the TLR4 ligand cold-inducible RNA binding protein (CIRP) plus ICPI. Mice were immunized with vaccines containing ovalbumin linked to CIRP (OVA-CIRP), with or without ICPI, and antigen-specific responses and therapeutic efficacy were tested in subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models of liver cancer. OVA-CIRP elicited polyepitopic T-cell responses, which were further enhanced when combined with ICPI (anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4). Combination of OVA-CIRP with ICPI enhanced ICPI-induced therapeutic responses when tested in subcutaneous and intrahepatic B16-OVA tumors, as well as in the orthotopic PM299L HCC model. This effect was associated with higher OVA-specific T-cell responses in the periphery, although many tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes still displayed an exhausted phenotype. Finally, a new vaccine containing human glypican-3 linked to CIRP (GPC3-CIRP) induced clear responses in humanized HLA-A2.01 transgenic mice, which increased upon combination with ICPI. Therefore, CIRP-based vaccines may generate anti-tumor immunity to enhance ICPI efficacy in HCC, although blockade of additional checkpoint molecules and immunosuppressive targets should be also considered.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/11/3397cold-inducible RNA binding proteintherapeutic vaccinationhepatocellular carcinomaimmune checkpoint inhibitors
spellingShingle Leyre Silva
Josune Egea
Lorea Villanueva
Marta Ruiz
Diana Llopiz
David Repáraz
Belén Aparicio
Aritz Lasarte-Cia
Juan José Lasarte
Marina Ruiz de Galarreta
Amaia Lujambio
Bruno Sangro
Pablo Sarobe
Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Cancers
cold-inducible RNA binding protein
therapeutic vaccination
hepatocellular carcinoma
immune checkpoint inhibitors
title Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
title_full Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
title_fullStr Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
title_short Cold-Inducible RNA Binding Protein as a Vaccination Platform to Enhance Immunotherapeutic Responses against Hepatocellular Carcinoma
title_sort cold inducible rna binding protein as a vaccination platform to enhance immunotherapeutic responses against hepatocellular carcinoma
topic cold-inducible RNA binding protein
therapeutic vaccination
hepatocellular carcinoma
immune checkpoint inhibitors
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/12/11/3397
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