Depletion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells during interleukin-12 immunogene therapy does not confer a survival advantage in experimental malignant glioma

B. Thaci, A. U. Ahmed, I. V. Ulasov, D. A. Wainwright, P. Nigam, B. Auffinger, A. L. Tobias, Y. Han, L. Zhang, K. S. Moon, M. S. Lesniak*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accumulate in the glioma microenvironment during tumor progression and promote immunosuppression. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) immunogene therapy can alter MDSCs toward an antigen-presenting cell phenotype and these mature cells can have a central role in antigen presentation. It remains unclear, however, how MDSC depletion can affect glioma immunotherapy. In this study, we generated a replication-deficient adenoviral vector, Ad.5/3.cRGD-mIL12p70, that transduces the GL261-based murine glioma cell line, resulting in the induction of biologically active, murine IL12p70 expression. Ex vivo, IL-12 expressed by GL261 cells induced interferon-γ synthesis in CD8 + T cells (P<0.001), CD4 + T cells (P=0.009) and natural killer cells (P=0.036). When injected 1 week after tumor implantation, Ad.5/3.cRGD-mIL12p70 successfully prolonged the survival of glioma-bearing mice. Sixty percent of animals treated with IL-12 immunotherapy were long-term survivors over 175 days, whereas all the control group animals expired by 40 days after tumor implantation (P=0.026). Mice receiving Ad.5/3.cRGD-mIL12p70 also accumulated 50% less MDSCs in the brain than the control group (P=0.007). Moreover, in the IL-12 group, MDSCs significantly overexpressed CD80 and major histocompatibility complex class II molecules (P=0.041). Depletion of MDSCs with Gr1 + antibody had no survival benefit induced by IL-12-mediated immunotherapy. Of note, IL-12 therapy increased the presence of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) in the glioma microenvironment (P=0.0069). Ultimately, the data show that in the context of IL-12 immunogene therapy, MDSCs are dispensable and mDCs may provide the majority of antigen presentation in the brain.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)38-44
Number of pages7
JournalCancer Gene Therapy
Volume21
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2014

Funding

This work was supported by the NCI (R01CA122930, R01CA138587) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U01NS069997, F32NS073366, K99NS082381).

Keywords

  • glioblastoma
  • immunotherapy
  • interleukin-12
  • myeloid dendritic cells
  • myeloid-derived suppressor cells
  • plasmacytoid dendritic cells

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

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