Immunostimulatory effects of CpG-ODN upon dendritic cell-based immunotherapy in a murine melanoma model

J Immunother. 2006 Jul-Aug;29(4):381-7. doi: 10.1097/01.cji.0000199199.20717.67.

Abstract

In this study, we examined the protective and therapeutic efficacy of the immunoadjuvant CpG in combination with dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy in a murine melanoma model. We found that murine bone-marrow derived DC stimulated in vitro with CpG displayed both enhanced expression of maturation markers and secretion of IL-12p70 and IL-10. In addition, these matured DC demonstrated enhanced ability to stimulate antigen specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in vitro. In a protection model, C57BL/6 mice vaccinated with either antigen-pulsed immature or CpG matured DC were unable to reject a lethal B16 melanoma challenge. In contrast, long-term protection was achieved in mice vaccinated with both CpG and antigen-pulsed DC, which correlated with an enhanced antigen specific T cell immune response. In a therapeutic model of established subcutaneous B16 melanoma, C57BL/6 mice treated intratumorally with CpG and B16 lysate-pulsed DC demonstrated a reduced tumor burden and prolonged survival. In a similar model of established subcutaneous tumor, mice treated with CpG-matured DC pulsed with a melanoma peptide, TRP-2, alone were unable to achieve tumor regression. Conversely, mice that received the combined vaccine of CpG and peptide-pulsed DC displayed a reduced tumor burden. These experiments provide evidence that combined immunization with both antigen-pulsed DC and the immunoadjuvant, CpG, can lead to tumor regression and long-term survival in a murine B16 melanoma model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Antigen Presentation
  • Cancer Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Dendritic Cells / drug effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive*
  • Melanoma, Experimental / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • CPG-oligonucleotide
  • Cancer Vaccines
  • Oligodeoxyribonucleotides