Tumor immunology
-tumor antigen, response to tumor and evasion
of the immune system, cancer immunotherapy,
stem cell therapy
Promila Sheoran
PhD Biotechnology
GJU S&T Hisar
•Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death
globally, with an estimated 12.7 million cases around the
world affecting both sexes equally. This number is
expected to increase to 21 million by 2030.
•Appearance of a tumor (from the Latin word for
“swelling”) results from ABNORMAL
PROLIFERATION of cells, through the loss or
modification of normal growth control.
•Cells which normally do not divide (e.g. muscle or
kidney cells) may start proliferating, or cells which
normally do proliferate (e.g. basal epithelial cells or
hemopoeitic cells) may begin dividing in an uncontrolled
fashion.
Cancer
Carcinogens
• Radiation: Ultraviolet light, sunshine; X-rays,
radioactive elements induce DNA damage and
chromosome breaks.
• Chemical: smoke and tar, countless chemicals that
damage DNA (mutagens).
• Oncogenic viruses: insert DNA or cDNA copies of viral
oncogens into the genome of host target cells.
• Hereditary: certain oncogenes are inheritable.
Classification of cancer
•Carcinomas: epithelial origin involving the skin,
mucous membranes, epithelial cells in glands
•Sarcomas: cancer of connective tissue.
•Lymphomas: T- B-cell, Hodgkin’s, Burkitt’s lymhomas;
- solid tumors
•Leukemias: disseminated tumors - may be lymphoid,
myeloid, acute and chronic.
Tumor Immunology
•Tumor antigens
•Effectors mechanisms in anti-tumor immunity
•Mechanisms of tumor evasion of the Immune system
•Immunotherapy for tumors
Tumor Antigen
•Many tumors can be shown to express cell
surface antigens which are not expressed in the
normal progenitor cells before the neoplastic
transformation event.
•These antigens have been categorized based on
their nature and distribution, resulting in a
complex collection of acronyms, some of which
are defined as:
Tumor Antigen
1. Tumor-Specific Transplantation Antigens, or TSTA
Chemical or radiation-induced tumors each generally
express a unique neo-antigen, different from other
tumors induced by the same or different agent.
2. Tumor-Associated Transplantation Antigens, or
TATA
Tumors induced by the same virus express antigens
shared between different tumors. These consist of
membrane-expressed virally encoded antigens, and have
been termed Tumor-Associated Transplantation Antigens
(since they are not, strictly speaking, tumor “specific”).
Tumor Antigen
3. Oncofetal antigens:
•These are TATAs which are more or less selectively
expressed on tumors, but are also shared with some
normal fetal or embryonic tissues.
• Examples include carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA,
shared with healthy fetal gut tissue), and alpha-
fetoprotein (AFP, also present in the serum of healthy
infants, but decreasing by one year of age).
Tumors stimulate an immune response
•Animals can be immunized against tumors
•Immunity is transferable from immune to naïve animals
•Tumor specific antibodies and cell have been detected in
humans with some malignancies
proto-oncogenes
tumor
suppressor
genes
oncogenes
carcinogen
results in mutation
dysfunctional
tumor suppressor
genes
inherited
defect
increased GF
increased GF receptors
exaggerated response to GF
loss of ability to
repair damaged
cells or induce
apoptosis
Four mechanisms of oncogene activity to deregulatecell division
 Escape normal intercellular communication
 Allow for rapid growth
 Increased mobility of cells
 Invade tissues
 Metastasis
 Evade the immune system
12
EXPERIMENTALEVIDENCE FOR TUMOR ANTIGENS AND IMMUNE
RESPONSE
Immunosurveillance
• An hypothesis that states that a physiologic function of
the immune system is to recognize and destroy
malignantly transformed cells before they grow into
tumors.
• Implies that cells of the immune system recognize
something “foreign” on transformed/tumor cells.
Immune Surveillance of Tumors
Normal cell
Transformed (cancerous) but also antigenic
Mutation or virus
Dead Transformed (cancerous) but
escapes from immune response
Immune
response
Mutation
Analogous to a bacterial population being treated with antibiotics
such that antibiotics resistant mutants take over the population
Macrophage/Dendritic cell attack or
antigen presentation
CD8 cell-mediated cytotoxicity
Antibody dependent cell mediated
cytotoxicity (ADCC)
Natural killer cells
Tumors can both activate and suppress immunity
Tumors can activate the immune response (ex.
expression of foreign antigen with MHCI) or
suppress the immune response (activation of T
regulatory cells that release IL-10 and TGF) – the
balance determines whether the cancer becomes
clinically relevant or not.
Basic Tumor Immunosurveillance
1) The presence of tumor cells and tumor antigens
initiates the release of “danger” cytokines such as
IFN and heat shock proteins (HSP).
2) These cause the activation and maturation of
dendritic cells such that they present tumor antigens
to CD8 and CD4 cells
3) subsequent T cytotoxic destruction of the tumor
cells occurs
Helper T cells
CD4+ T cells: reacting to class II MHC peptide
complex, they secret cytokines.
cytotoxic T cell response (Th1 helper T cells)
antibody response (Th2 helper T cells)
Dendritic Cells
The professional antigen-presenting cells In the final
common pathway for activating naïveTcells.
MAC
MHC II
MAC
T
helper
cell
IL-2
T
helper
Memor
y cell
T
helper
effector
cell
IL-1
Interferon
Macrophages and dendritic cells
can directly attack tumor cells,
or more commonly can express
exogenous antigens (TSA’s or
bits of killed tumor cells) to
CD4 cells
Tumor cell
or tumor
derived
antigen
Dendritic and Macrophage
Presentation of Tumor
Antigen to CD4 Cells
Cytotoxic T cells (CTLs)T cells(CTLs)
CD8+ T cells: attaching to class I MHC peptide
complex, they destroy cancer cells by perforating
the membrane with enzymes or by triggering an
apoptotic pathway.
22
MAC or
B cell
(APC)
MHC 1
T
cytotoxic
cell
Perforins, apoptotic signals
Exogenous
antigen
T
cytotoxi
c
memory
cells
T
cytotoxic
effector
cells
T
Cytotoxic
Cell
Activity in
Tumor
Surveillanc
e
Cancer
Cell
T
cytotoxic
cell
Endogenous
antigen
Cytokines
• Regulating the innate immune system: NK cells, macrophages
and neutrophils; and the adaptive immune system: T and B cells
• IFN- α-- upregulating MHC class I tumor antigens and adhesion
molecules; promoting activity of B and T cells, macrophages, and
dendritic cells.
• IL-2-- T cell growth factor that binds to a specific tripartite
receptor on T cells.
• IL- 12– promoting NK and T cell activity and a growth factor
for B cells
• GM-CSF(Granulocyte-monocyte colony stimuating factor) --
reconstituting antigen-presenting cells
Antibody - produced by B cells
• Direct attack: blocking growth factor receptors, arresting
proliferation of tumor cells, or inducing apoptosis.
-- is not usually sufficient to completely protect the body.
• Indirect attack: -- major protective efforts
(1) ADCC(antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity)
-- recruiting cells that have cytotoxicity, such as monocytes and
macrophages.
(2) CDC (complement dependent cytotoxicity)
-- binding to receptor, initiating the complement system,
'complement cascade’, resulting in a membrane attack
complex causing cell lysis and death.
NK
Target cell (infected or
cancerous)
Perforin and enzymes
killer activating receptor
Do not recognize tumor cell via antigen specific
cell surface receptor, but rather through
receptors that recognize loss of expression of
MHC I molecules, therefore detect “missing
self” common in cancer.
Low immunogenicity
Antigen modulation
Immune suppression by tumor cells or T
regulatory cells
Induction of lymphocyte apoptosis
Defects in mechanisms of MHCI
production can render cancer cells
“invisible” to CD8 cells
Tumors can escape immunity(and immunotherapy) by selectingfor resistant clones
that have occurreddue to genetic instability
29
Elimination refers to
effective immune
surveillance for clones
that express TSA
Equilibrium
refers to the
selection for
resistant
clones (red)
Escape refers to the
rapid proliferation of
resistant clones in the
immunocompetent
host
1 2
Avoidance of tumor surveillance throughrelease of immune
suppressants
Tumor cells induce apoptosis in T lymphocytes via FAS activation
1)Cancer cells express FAS ligand.
2)Bind to FAS receptor on T lymphocytes leading
to apoptosis.
Cancer Immunotherapy
• Immunotherapy is the most recent advanced
technique in cancer therapy.
• Cancer Immunotherapy is the use of immune system
to reject Cancer. The main purpose of this premise is
stimulating the patient’s immune system to attack the
malignant tumour cells that are responsible for the
disease.
• Immunotherapy works to harness the innate powers of
the immune system to fight cancer.
• It fights cancer more powerfully, to offer long-term
protection, with less side effects.
• It may hold greater potential than current treatments,
due to unique properties of Immune System.
History
•Although cancer immunotherapy is being touted as a recent
breakthrough in cancer treatment, its origins at Memorial Sloan
Kettering go back more than a century. In the 1890s, William
Coley, a surgeon at New York Cancer Hospital (the predecessor to
Memorial Sloan Kettering) discovered cancer patients who suffered
from infections after surgery often fared better than those who did
not. His finding led to the development of Coley’s toxins, a cocktail
of inactive bacteria injected into tumors that occasionally resulted in
complete remission. But eventually the use of this treatment fell out
of favor.
•In the 1960s, research by Memorial Sloan
Kettering investigator Lloyd Old led to the
discovery of antibody receptors on the surface of
cancer cells, which enabled the development of the
first cancer vaccines and led to the understanding
of how certain white blood cells, known as T cells
or T lymphocytes, can be trained to recognize
cancer.
Monoclonal Antibodies
Cytokines
Adoptive cell Therapy
Cancer Vaccines
Monoclonal Antibodies
•Monoclonal antibody(mAbs) therapy, is most widely used, and a
form of Passive Immunotherapy.
•It is a targeted therapy, directed to a single target on a cancer
cell, usually an antigen or a receptor site on the cancer cell.
•It binds to Cancer cell-surface specific antigens . When it
recognize the antigen against which it is directed, they fit together
like two pieces of a puzzle, setting of a cascade of events leading
to tumour cell death.
Examples: Avastin, Erbitux, Rituxan, Herceptin, Campath,
Zevalin, Bexxar etc.
Naked mAbs
Naked mAbs work alone, and
are referred to as "naked"
because they are unmodified.
 Mark targets for immune
system - bind to targets and
make them more visible. The
immune system is triggered
and then destroys the target.
 Attach to antigens that are
responsible for sending
important signals that
contribute to the target's
reproduction.
 Binding to cell receptors, so
that proteins that trigger
growth are blocked. Usually
used in cancer treatments.
Conjugated mAbs
Conjugated mAbs are modified
with additional material.
 Radio immunotherapy (RIT) -
These mAbs have radioactive
particles directly attached, and
deliver them directly to
cancerous cells to kill them.
 Chemolabeled - These mAbs
have a chemotherapy drug
attached to their structures,
which would normally be too
powerful if delivered by itself.
This drug kills the cancerous
cell.
Cytokines [Active Immunotherapy]
•Cytokines are a large group of proteins, that function as
short range mediators involved in essentially all
biological processes.
•Cytokines serve as molecular messengers between
cells.
•They have important rate-limiting signals.
•These are chemically made by some immune system
cells.
•They are injected, either under the skin, into a muscle,
or into a vein.
Interleukins
 They act as chemical signals between
white blood cells.
 Interlukin-2(IL-2) help immune
system cells grow and divide more
quickly.
 A man-made version of IL-2 is
approved to treat advanced kidney
cancer and metastatic melanoma.
 IL-2 can be used as a single
treatment for cancer, or can be
combined with chemotherapy or with
other cytokines such as Interferon-α
Interferons
 These interferon (IFN) are
chemicals, helping body to resist
virus infection and cancer.
 Types of (IFN) are:
1. IFN-α, 2. IFN-β, 3. IFN-γ
 Only INF- α is used to treat cancer.
 It is used to treat these cancers:
Hairy cell leukemia, Chronic
myeloid leukemia, Follicular non-
hodgkin’s lymphoma, cutaneous t-
cell lymphoma, kidney cancer,
melanoma, kaposi Sarcoma.
Adoptive Cell Therapy
•Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) is the transfer of cells into a
patient; as a form of cancer immunotherapy.
•It requires the generation of tumour-antigen-reactive-T cells.
•The cells are most commonly derived from the immune
system, with the goal of transferring improved immune
functionality and characteristics along with the cells back to
the patient.
•Interleukin-2 is normally added to the extracted T cells to
boost their effectiveness, but in high doses it can have a toxic
effect.
•The reduced number of injected T cells is accompanied by
reduced IL-2, thereby reducing side effects.
Limitations of Adoptive Cell Therapy
1. Not all tumour infiltrating lymphocytes grow well enough in
culture to generate the quantity of cells that would be required to
produce a useful anti-tumour effect when they are infused into
the patient.
2. Not all tumour infiltrating lymphocytes can be made, in culture,
to become more adept at killing the tumour upon return to the
patient.
3. Autologous therapy is cumbersome and does not easily lend
itself to the commercial scale mass production techniques
necessary to reach the multitude of cancer patients world-wide.
 Unlike other vaccines,
which defends the
immune system from
germs, Cancer
vaccines make
person’s immune
system attack cancer
cells.
1. Preventive Vaccines:
which are intended to prevent cancer from developing in healthy
people.
2. Treatment Vaccines:
which are intended to treat an existing cancer by strengthening
the body’s natural defence against the cancer.
Cancer preventive vaccines target infectious agent that cause or
contribute to the development of cancer.
Limitations of Cancer Vaccines
1. Today, most cancer vaccines are targeted: that means it made
against a specific tumour cell antigenic target. The limitations
of targeted vaccines are very similar to the limitations of other
targeted change, the target vaccine becomes ineffective.
2. Not all antigen are same
3. Autologous vaccine therapy presents many manufacturing
challenges.
4. Autologous therapy is costly
5. Many cancer vaccines are poorly immunogenic and require
the use of adjuvants to elicit an effective immune response.
The addition of adjuvants may increase immunogenicity of
vaccine, but may also increase toxicity.
1. Many mAbs are not administered as first-line therapy:
mAbs are usually administered as a second, third, or last
resort cancer treatment when the immune system is already
weakened by chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. This may
limit their effectiveness.
2. Not all antigens are the same:
All cancers may "look" the same, but they are not. Not all
patients' cancers may express the antigen against which a
specific monoclonal antibody is targeted. In general,
response rates to these "targeted therapies" appear to be
around 20 to 30 percent. To optimize this type of therapy, it
will be necessary to identify each subgroup of patients with a
specific cancer and develop therapies targeted to, or directed
specifically at, their individual cancers.
3. Tumour cells mutate:
as a result of chemotherapy and radiation
treatment, and therefore the target antigen on
the tumour cell at which the therapy is aimed
also can be changed. If the target changes, then
the mAbs, which target those specific antigens,
could become ineffective.
4. Toxicity:
associated with some targeted therapies can be
significant.
What are stem cells ?
•Stem cells are unspecialized cells that
continually renew themselves through cell
division. Unlike other cells, stem cells begin as
"blanks" without a dedicated task, but with an
ability to become specialized.
•Just like the stem of a plant will produce
branches, leaves, and flowers, so stem cells can
usually produce many different kinds of cells.
StemCell Therapy
ADULT STEM CELLS
• Are stem cells found in the umbilical cord (after live
birth), fat, bone marrow, tissue, organs, blood, etc. of a
human being. These cells are removed from the body of
the patient and manipulated in the laboratory.
• After the cells multiply, the healthy cells are
separated from the diseased cells and reinserted back into
the body of the patient.
• Human clinical trials show that these new cells go to the
diseased or injured body part and begin to generate healthy
cells and tissue; the cells are especially successful because
they contain the exact DNA of the patient, preventing cell
rejection.
FETAL STEM CELLS
•Are stem cells taken from the tissues of aborted or
miscarried fetuses. The stem cells are extracted from
the fetus, treated in the laboratory, and then inserted
into the body of the suffering patient.
•No medical treatment derived from fetal stem cells has
successfully treated a human disease.
• In one of the most well-known human clinical trials
using fetal stem cells, the cells were inserted into the
brains of Parkinson’s patients.
• Unfortunately, the unpredictable young cells created
terratomas (masses of tissue with hair and teeth) and
tumors, and the majority of patients experienced
increased symptoms.
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS
•Are stem cells derived from human embryos created
through in vitro fertilization (the union of sperm and
egg in the laboratory).
•Couples can legally donate their unborn embryonic
children to research by signing consent forms.
•Embryonic stem cells extracted from donated embryos
are used to start stem cell lines, and these stem cells are
used for clinical trials.
No animal or human clinical trials have shown
improvement or recovery from illness or disease
through the use of embryonic stem cells; in fact,
embryonic stem cells are known to create tumors
-because of their young and unpredictable nature
-and are often rejected due to the DNA mismatch.
The obvious ethical issue
•Extracting stem cells from embryos remaining from
in vitro fertilization does result in the death of those
embryos and, consequently, has severe ethical
implications.
•During development, cells derived from these stem
cells become progressively more specialized. It's
normally a one-way street -- in the body, embryonic
stem cells don't stick around long.
National Institute of Health
Placentaa Source of StemCells
Placental stem cells, like
umbilical cord blood and bone
marrow stem cells, can be used
to cure chronic blood-related
disorders such as sickle cell
disease, Thalasemia, and
leukaemia.
 Umbilical cord blood stem
cell transplants are less
prone to rejection than
either bone marrow or
peripheral blood stem cells.
This is probably because
the cells have not yet
developed the features that
can be recognized and
attacked by the recipient's
immune system
 Sources of the patient's
own stem cells
(autologous) are either the
cells from patient's own
body or his or her cord
blood. For autologous
transplants physicians now
usually collect stem cells
from the peripheral blood
rather than the marrow
 This procedure is easier,
unlike a bone marrow
harvest, it can take place
outside of an operating
room and the patient does
not have to be under
general anaesthesia.
 Sources of stem cells from
another donor (allogeneic)
are primarily relatives
(familial-allogeneic) or
completely unrelated
donors (unrelated-
allogeneic). The stem cells
in this situation are
extracted from either the
donor's body or cord blood
 In this stem cells from
different species are
transplanted, e.g. striatal
porcine fetal ventral
mesencephalic (FVM)
xenotransplants for
Parkinson's disease. This
has no major ethical
concerns and a large
amount of tissue is
available, however life long
immunosupression and risk
of rejection are the major
limitations
 Stem cells can be used
to generate healthy and
functioning specialized
cells, which can then
replace diseased or
dysfunctional cells.
 It is similar to the
process of organ
transplantation only the
treatment consists of
transplanting cells
instead of organs.
Diseases Cured by Stem Cell Therapies
Any disease in which there is tissue degeneration can be a
potential candidate for stem cell therapies.
Major Progress in Several Important Health problems
 Alzheimer’s disease
 Parkinson’s disease
 Spinal cord injury
 Heart disease
 Severe burns
 Diabetes
 Cell Replacement Therapies
• Cells could be stimulated to develop into specialized
cells that represent renewable sources of cells and tissue
for transplantation.
• Cell replacement therapy could treat injuries and various
genetic and degenerative conditions including muscular
dystrophies, retinal degeneration, Alzheimer disease,
Parkinson's disease, arthritis, diabetes, spinal cord
injuries, and blood disorders such as hemophilia.
Cont..
 Bone marrow transplants are an example of
cell therapy in which the stem cells in a donor's
marrow are used to replace the blood cells of
the victims of leukemia.
 Cell therapy is also being used in experiments
to graft new skin cells to treat serious burn
victims, and to grow new corneas for the sight-
impaired.
 In all of these uses, the goal is for the healthy
cells to become integrated into the body and
begin to function like the patient's own cells.
How to find the right type of stem cells?
How to put the stem cells into the right place?
Will the stem cells perform the desired function
in the body?
Differentiation protocols for many cell types
have not been developed.
Possible Uses of StemCell Technology
1. Replaceable tissues/organs
2. Repair of defective cell types
3. Delivery of genetic therapies
4. Delivery chemotherapeutic agents
Thank you

Tumor immunology

  • 1.
    Tumor immunology -tumor antigen,response to tumor and evasion of the immune system, cancer immunotherapy, stem cell therapy Promila Sheoran PhD Biotechnology GJU S&T Hisar
  • 2.
    •Cancer remains oneof the leading causes of death globally, with an estimated 12.7 million cases around the world affecting both sexes equally. This number is expected to increase to 21 million by 2030. •Appearance of a tumor (from the Latin word for “swelling”) results from ABNORMAL PROLIFERATION of cells, through the loss or modification of normal growth control. •Cells which normally do not divide (e.g. muscle or kidney cells) may start proliferating, or cells which normally do proliferate (e.g. basal epithelial cells or hemopoeitic cells) may begin dividing in an uncontrolled fashion. Cancer
  • 3.
    Carcinogens • Radiation: Ultravioletlight, sunshine; X-rays, radioactive elements induce DNA damage and chromosome breaks. • Chemical: smoke and tar, countless chemicals that damage DNA (mutagens). • Oncogenic viruses: insert DNA or cDNA copies of viral oncogens into the genome of host target cells. • Hereditary: certain oncogenes are inheritable.
  • 4.
    Classification of cancer •Carcinomas:epithelial origin involving the skin, mucous membranes, epithelial cells in glands •Sarcomas: cancer of connective tissue. •Lymphomas: T- B-cell, Hodgkin’s, Burkitt’s lymhomas; - solid tumors •Leukemias: disseminated tumors - may be lymphoid, myeloid, acute and chronic.
  • 5.
    Tumor Immunology •Tumor antigens •Effectorsmechanisms in anti-tumor immunity •Mechanisms of tumor evasion of the Immune system •Immunotherapy for tumors
  • 6.
    Tumor Antigen •Many tumorscan be shown to express cell surface antigens which are not expressed in the normal progenitor cells before the neoplastic transformation event. •These antigens have been categorized based on their nature and distribution, resulting in a complex collection of acronyms, some of which are defined as:
  • 7.
    Tumor Antigen 1. Tumor-SpecificTransplantation Antigens, or TSTA Chemical or radiation-induced tumors each generally express a unique neo-antigen, different from other tumors induced by the same or different agent. 2. Tumor-Associated Transplantation Antigens, or TATA Tumors induced by the same virus express antigens shared between different tumors. These consist of membrane-expressed virally encoded antigens, and have been termed Tumor-Associated Transplantation Antigens (since they are not, strictly speaking, tumor “specific”).
  • 8.
    Tumor Antigen 3. Oncofetalantigens: •These are TATAs which are more or less selectively expressed on tumors, but are also shared with some normal fetal or embryonic tissues. • Examples include carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA, shared with healthy fetal gut tissue), and alpha- fetoprotein (AFP, also present in the serum of healthy infants, but decreasing by one year of age).
  • 9.
    Tumors stimulate animmune response •Animals can be immunized against tumors •Immunity is transferable from immune to naïve animals •Tumor specific antibodies and cell have been detected in humans with some malignancies
  • 10.
    proto-oncogenes tumor suppressor genes oncogenes carcinogen results in mutation dysfunctional tumorsuppressor genes inherited defect increased GF increased GF receptors exaggerated response to GF loss of ability to repair damaged cells or induce apoptosis
  • 11.
    Four mechanisms ofoncogene activity to deregulatecell division
  • 12.
     Escape normalintercellular communication  Allow for rapid growth  Increased mobility of cells  Invade tissues  Metastasis  Evade the immune system 12
  • 13.
    EXPERIMENTALEVIDENCE FOR TUMORANTIGENS AND IMMUNE RESPONSE
  • 14.
    Immunosurveillance • An hypothesisthat states that a physiologic function of the immune system is to recognize and destroy malignantly transformed cells before they grow into tumors. • Implies that cells of the immune system recognize something “foreign” on transformed/tumor cells.
  • 15.
    Immune Surveillance ofTumors Normal cell Transformed (cancerous) but also antigenic Mutation or virus Dead Transformed (cancerous) but escapes from immune response Immune response Mutation Analogous to a bacterial population being treated with antibiotics such that antibiotics resistant mutants take over the population
  • 16.
    Macrophage/Dendritic cell attackor antigen presentation CD8 cell-mediated cytotoxicity Antibody dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) Natural killer cells
  • 17.
    Tumors can bothactivate and suppress immunity Tumors can activate the immune response (ex. expression of foreign antigen with MHCI) or suppress the immune response (activation of T regulatory cells that release IL-10 and TGF) – the balance determines whether the cancer becomes clinically relevant or not.
  • 18.
    Basic Tumor Immunosurveillance 1)The presence of tumor cells and tumor antigens initiates the release of “danger” cytokines such as IFN and heat shock proteins (HSP). 2) These cause the activation and maturation of dendritic cells such that they present tumor antigens to CD8 and CD4 cells 3) subsequent T cytotoxic destruction of the tumor cells occurs
  • 19.
    Helper T cells CD4+T cells: reacting to class II MHC peptide complex, they secret cytokines. cytotoxic T cell response (Th1 helper T cells) antibody response (Th2 helper T cells) Dendritic Cells The professional antigen-presenting cells In the final common pathway for activating naïveTcells.
  • 20.
    MAC MHC II MAC T helper cell IL-2 T helper Memor y cell T helper effector cell IL-1 Interferon Macrophagesand dendritic cells can directly attack tumor cells, or more commonly can express exogenous antigens (TSA’s or bits of killed tumor cells) to CD4 cells Tumor cell or tumor derived antigen Dendritic and Macrophage Presentation of Tumor Antigen to CD4 Cells
  • 21.
    Cytotoxic T cells(CTLs)T cells(CTLs) CD8+ T cells: attaching to class I MHC peptide complex, they destroy cancer cells by perforating the membrane with enzymes or by triggering an apoptotic pathway.
  • 22.
    22 MAC or B cell (APC) MHC1 T cytotoxic cell Perforins, apoptotic signals Exogenous antigen T cytotoxi c memory cells T cytotoxic effector cells T Cytotoxic Cell Activity in Tumor Surveillanc e Cancer Cell T cytotoxic cell Endogenous antigen
  • 23.
    Cytokines • Regulating theinnate immune system: NK cells, macrophages and neutrophils; and the adaptive immune system: T and B cells • IFN- α-- upregulating MHC class I tumor antigens and adhesion molecules; promoting activity of B and T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. • IL-2-- T cell growth factor that binds to a specific tripartite receptor on T cells. • IL- 12– promoting NK and T cell activity and a growth factor for B cells • GM-CSF(Granulocyte-monocyte colony stimuating factor) -- reconstituting antigen-presenting cells
  • 24.
    Antibody - producedby B cells • Direct attack: blocking growth factor receptors, arresting proliferation of tumor cells, or inducing apoptosis. -- is not usually sufficient to completely protect the body. • Indirect attack: -- major protective efforts (1) ADCC(antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity) -- recruiting cells that have cytotoxicity, such as monocytes and macrophages. (2) CDC (complement dependent cytotoxicity) -- binding to receptor, initiating the complement system, 'complement cascade’, resulting in a membrane attack complex causing cell lysis and death.
  • 25.
    NK Target cell (infectedor cancerous) Perforin and enzymes killer activating receptor Do not recognize tumor cell via antigen specific cell surface receptor, but rather through receptors that recognize loss of expression of MHC I molecules, therefore detect “missing self” common in cancer.
  • 26.
    Low immunogenicity Antigen modulation Immunesuppression by tumor cells or T regulatory cells Induction of lymphocyte apoptosis
  • 27.
    Defects in mechanismsof MHCI production can render cancer cells “invisible” to CD8 cells
  • 28.
    Tumors can escapeimmunity(and immunotherapy) by selectingfor resistant clones that have occurreddue to genetic instability
  • 29.
    29 Elimination refers to effectiveimmune surveillance for clones that express TSA Equilibrium refers to the selection for resistant clones (red) Escape refers to the rapid proliferation of resistant clones in the immunocompetent host
  • 30.
    1 2 Avoidance oftumor surveillance throughrelease of immune suppressants
  • 31.
    Tumor cells induceapoptosis in T lymphocytes via FAS activation 1)Cancer cells express FAS ligand. 2)Bind to FAS receptor on T lymphocytes leading to apoptosis.
  • 32.
    Cancer Immunotherapy • Immunotherapyis the most recent advanced technique in cancer therapy. • Cancer Immunotherapy is the use of immune system to reject Cancer. The main purpose of this premise is stimulating the patient’s immune system to attack the malignant tumour cells that are responsible for the disease. • Immunotherapy works to harness the innate powers of the immune system to fight cancer. • It fights cancer more powerfully, to offer long-term protection, with less side effects. • It may hold greater potential than current treatments, due to unique properties of Immune System.
  • 33.
    History •Although cancer immunotherapyis being touted as a recent breakthrough in cancer treatment, its origins at Memorial Sloan Kettering go back more than a century. In the 1890s, William Coley, a surgeon at New York Cancer Hospital (the predecessor to Memorial Sloan Kettering) discovered cancer patients who suffered from infections after surgery often fared better than those who did not. His finding led to the development of Coley’s toxins, a cocktail of inactive bacteria injected into tumors that occasionally resulted in complete remission. But eventually the use of this treatment fell out of favor.
  • 34.
    •In the 1960s,research by Memorial Sloan Kettering investigator Lloyd Old led to the discovery of antibody receptors on the surface of cancer cells, which enabled the development of the first cancer vaccines and led to the understanding of how certain white blood cells, known as T cells or T lymphocytes, can be trained to recognize cancer.
  • 35.
  • 36.
    Monoclonal Antibodies •Monoclonal antibody(mAbs)therapy, is most widely used, and a form of Passive Immunotherapy. •It is a targeted therapy, directed to a single target on a cancer cell, usually an antigen or a receptor site on the cancer cell. •It binds to Cancer cell-surface specific antigens . When it recognize the antigen against which it is directed, they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, setting of a cascade of events leading to tumour cell death. Examples: Avastin, Erbitux, Rituxan, Herceptin, Campath, Zevalin, Bexxar etc.
  • 38.
    Naked mAbs Naked mAbswork alone, and are referred to as "naked" because they are unmodified.  Mark targets for immune system - bind to targets and make them more visible. The immune system is triggered and then destroys the target.  Attach to antigens that are responsible for sending important signals that contribute to the target's reproduction.  Binding to cell receptors, so that proteins that trigger growth are blocked. Usually used in cancer treatments. Conjugated mAbs Conjugated mAbs are modified with additional material.  Radio immunotherapy (RIT) - These mAbs have radioactive particles directly attached, and deliver them directly to cancerous cells to kill them.  Chemolabeled - These mAbs have a chemotherapy drug attached to their structures, which would normally be too powerful if delivered by itself. This drug kills the cancerous cell.
  • 39.
    Cytokines [Active Immunotherapy] •Cytokinesare a large group of proteins, that function as short range mediators involved in essentially all biological processes. •Cytokines serve as molecular messengers between cells. •They have important rate-limiting signals. •These are chemically made by some immune system cells. •They are injected, either under the skin, into a muscle, or into a vein.
  • 40.
    Interleukins  They actas chemical signals between white blood cells.  Interlukin-2(IL-2) help immune system cells grow and divide more quickly.  A man-made version of IL-2 is approved to treat advanced kidney cancer and metastatic melanoma.  IL-2 can be used as a single treatment for cancer, or can be combined with chemotherapy or with other cytokines such as Interferon-α Interferons  These interferon (IFN) are chemicals, helping body to resist virus infection and cancer.  Types of (IFN) are: 1. IFN-α, 2. IFN-β, 3. IFN-γ  Only INF- α is used to treat cancer.  It is used to treat these cancers: Hairy cell leukemia, Chronic myeloid leukemia, Follicular non- hodgkin’s lymphoma, cutaneous t- cell lymphoma, kidney cancer, melanoma, kaposi Sarcoma.
  • 41.
    Adoptive Cell Therapy •Adoptivecell transfer (ACT) is the transfer of cells into a patient; as a form of cancer immunotherapy. •It requires the generation of tumour-antigen-reactive-T cells. •The cells are most commonly derived from the immune system, with the goal of transferring improved immune functionality and characteristics along with the cells back to the patient. •Interleukin-2 is normally added to the extracted T cells to boost their effectiveness, but in high doses it can have a toxic effect. •The reduced number of injected T cells is accompanied by reduced IL-2, thereby reducing side effects.
  • 43.
    Limitations of AdoptiveCell Therapy 1. Not all tumour infiltrating lymphocytes grow well enough in culture to generate the quantity of cells that would be required to produce a useful anti-tumour effect when they are infused into the patient. 2. Not all tumour infiltrating lymphocytes can be made, in culture, to become more adept at killing the tumour upon return to the patient. 3. Autologous therapy is cumbersome and does not easily lend itself to the commercial scale mass production techniques necessary to reach the multitude of cancer patients world-wide.
  • 44.
     Unlike othervaccines, which defends the immune system from germs, Cancer vaccines make person’s immune system attack cancer cells.
  • 45.
    1. Preventive Vaccines: whichare intended to prevent cancer from developing in healthy people. 2. Treatment Vaccines: which are intended to treat an existing cancer by strengthening the body’s natural defence against the cancer. Cancer preventive vaccines target infectious agent that cause or contribute to the development of cancer.
  • 46.
    Limitations of CancerVaccines 1. Today, most cancer vaccines are targeted: that means it made against a specific tumour cell antigenic target. The limitations of targeted vaccines are very similar to the limitations of other targeted change, the target vaccine becomes ineffective. 2. Not all antigen are same 3. Autologous vaccine therapy presents many manufacturing challenges. 4. Autologous therapy is costly 5. Many cancer vaccines are poorly immunogenic and require the use of adjuvants to elicit an effective immune response. The addition of adjuvants may increase immunogenicity of vaccine, but may also increase toxicity.
  • 47.
    1. Many mAbsare not administered as first-line therapy: mAbs are usually administered as a second, third, or last resort cancer treatment when the immune system is already weakened by chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. This may limit their effectiveness. 2. Not all antigens are the same: All cancers may "look" the same, but they are not. Not all patients' cancers may express the antigen against which a specific monoclonal antibody is targeted. In general, response rates to these "targeted therapies" appear to be around 20 to 30 percent. To optimize this type of therapy, it will be necessary to identify each subgroup of patients with a specific cancer and develop therapies targeted to, or directed specifically at, their individual cancers.
  • 48.
    3. Tumour cellsmutate: as a result of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and therefore the target antigen on the tumour cell at which the therapy is aimed also can be changed. If the target changes, then the mAbs, which target those specific antigens, could become ineffective. 4. Toxicity: associated with some targeted therapies can be significant.
  • 49.
    What are stemcells ? •Stem cells are unspecialized cells that continually renew themselves through cell division. Unlike other cells, stem cells begin as "blanks" without a dedicated task, but with an ability to become specialized. •Just like the stem of a plant will produce branches, leaves, and flowers, so stem cells can usually produce many different kinds of cells. StemCell Therapy
  • 50.
    ADULT STEM CELLS •Are stem cells found in the umbilical cord (after live birth), fat, bone marrow, tissue, organs, blood, etc. of a human being. These cells are removed from the body of the patient and manipulated in the laboratory. • After the cells multiply, the healthy cells are separated from the diseased cells and reinserted back into the body of the patient. • Human clinical trials show that these new cells go to the diseased or injured body part and begin to generate healthy cells and tissue; the cells are especially successful because they contain the exact DNA of the patient, preventing cell rejection.
  • 51.
    FETAL STEM CELLS •Arestem cells taken from the tissues of aborted or miscarried fetuses. The stem cells are extracted from the fetus, treated in the laboratory, and then inserted into the body of the suffering patient. •No medical treatment derived from fetal stem cells has successfully treated a human disease.
  • 52.
    • In oneof the most well-known human clinical trials using fetal stem cells, the cells were inserted into the brains of Parkinson’s patients. • Unfortunately, the unpredictable young cells created terratomas (masses of tissue with hair and teeth) and tumors, and the majority of patients experienced increased symptoms.
  • 53.
    EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS •Arestem cells derived from human embryos created through in vitro fertilization (the union of sperm and egg in the laboratory).
  • 54.
    •Couples can legallydonate their unborn embryonic children to research by signing consent forms. •Embryonic stem cells extracted from donated embryos are used to start stem cell lines, and these stem cells are used for clinical trials.
  • 55.
    No animal orhuman clinical trials have shown improvement or recovery from illness or disease through the use of embryonic stem cells; in fact, embryonic stem cells are known to create tumors -because of their young and unpredictable nature -and are often rejected due to the DNA mismatch.
  • 56.
    The obvious ethicalissue •Extracting stem cells from embryos remaining from in vitro fertilization does result in the death of those embryos and, consequently, has severe ethical implications. •During development, cells derived from these stem cells become progressively more specialized. It's normally a one-way street -- in the body, embryonic stem cells don't stick around long. National Institute of Health
  • 57.
    Placentaa Source ofStemCells Placental stem cells, like umbilical cord blood and bone marrow stem cells, can be used to cure chronic blood-related disorders such as sickle cell disease, Thalasemia, and leukaemia.
  • 58.
     Umbilical cordblood stem cell transplants are less prone to rejection than either bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. This is probably because the cells have not yet developed the features that can be recognized and attacked by the recipient's immune system
  • 59.
     Sources ofthe patient's own stem cells (autologous) are either the cells from patient's own body or his or her cord blood. For autologous transplants physicians now usually collect stem cells from the peripheral blood rather than the marrow  This procedure is easier, unlike a bone marrow harvest, it can take place outside of an operating room and the patient does not have to be under general anaesthesia.
  • 60.
     Sources ofstem cells from another donor (allogeneic) are primarily relatives (familial-allogeneic) or completely unrelated donors (unrelated- allogeneic). The stem cells in this situation are extracted from either the donor's body or cord blood
  • 61.
     In thisstem cells from different species are transplanted, e.g. striatal porcine fetal ventral mesencephalic (FVM) xenotransplants for Parkinson's disease. This has no major ethical concerns and a large amount of tissue is available, however life long immunosupression and risk of rejection are the major limitations
  • 62.
     Stem cellscan be used to generate healthy and functioning specialized cells, which can then replace diseased or dysfunctional cells.  It is similar to the process of organ transplantation only the treatment consists of transplanting cells instead of organs.
  • 63.
    Diseases Cured byStem Cell Therapies Any disease in which there is tissue degeneration can be a potential candidate for stem cell therapies. Major Progress in Several Important Health problems  Alzheimer’s disease  Parkinson’s disease  Spinal cord injury  Heart disease  Severe burns  Diabetes
  • 64.
     Cell ReplacementTherapies • Cells could be stimulated to develop into specialized cells that represent renewable sources of cells and tissue for transplantation. • Cell replacement therapy could treat injuries and various genetic and degenerative conditions including muscular dystrophies, retinal degeneration, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and blood disorders such as hemophilia. Cont..
  • 65.
     Bone marrowtransplants are an example of cell therapy in which the stem cells in a donor's marrow are used to replace the blood cells of the victims of leukemia.  Cell therapy is also being used in experiments to graft new skin cells to treat serious burn victims, and to grow new corneas for the sight- impaired.  In all of these uses, the goal is for the healthy cells to become integrated into the body and begin to function like the patient's own cells.
  • 66.
    How to findthe right type of stem cells? How to put the stem cells into the right place? Will the stem cells perform the desired function in the body? Differentiation protocols for many cell types have not been developed.
  • 67.
    Possible Uses ofStemCell Technology 1. Replaceable tissues/organs 2. Repair of defective cell types 3. Delivery of genetic therapies 4. Delivery chemotherapeutic agents
  • 68.