Design, Synthesis, and Immunological Evaluation of a Multicomponent Construct Based on a Glycotripeptoid Core Comprising B and T Cell Epitopes and a Toll-like Receptor 7 Agonist That Elicits Potent Immune Responses.

We present here for the first time the synthesis and immunological evaluation of a fully synthetic three-component anticancer vaccine candidate that consists of a β-glycotripeptoid core mimicking a cluster of Tn at the surface of tumor cells (B epitope), conjugated to the OVA 323-339 peptide (T-cell epitope) and a Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist for potent adjuvanticity. The immunological evaluation of this construct and of precursor components demonstrated the synergistic activity of the components within the conjugate to stimulate innate and adaptive immune cells (DCs, T-helper, and B-cells). Surprisingly, immunization of mice with the tricomponent GalNAc-based construct elicited a low level of anti-Tn IgG but elicited a very high level of antibodies that recognize the TLR7 agonist.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infects Regulatory B Cells in Human Neonates via Chemokine Receptor CX3CR1 and Promotes Lung Disease Severity.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants and is characterized by pulmonary infiltration of B cells in fatal cases. We analyzed the B cell compartment in human newborns and identified a population of neonatal regulatory B lymphocytes (nBreg cells) that produced interleukin 10 (IL-10) in response to RSV infection. The polyreactive B cell receptor of nBreg cells interacted with RSV protein F and induced upregulation of chemokine receptor CX3CR1.

Large-scale synthesis and structural analysis of a synthetic glycopeptide dendrimer as an anti-cancer vaccine candidate.

Herein, we report a new process that enables the gram-scale production of a fully synthetic anti-cancer vaccine for human use. This therapeutic vaccine candidate, named MAG-Tn3, is a high-molecular-weight tetrameric glycopeptide encompassing carbohydrate tumor-associated Tn antigen clusters and peptidic CD4 T-cell epitopes. The synthetic process involves (i) the stepwise solid-phase assembly of protected amino acids, including the high value-added Tn building blocks with only 1.

The fully synthetic MAG-Tn3 therapeutic vaccine containing the tetanus toxoid-derived TT830-844 universal epitope provides anti-tumor immunity.

Malignant transformations are often associated with aberrant glycosylation processes that lead to the expression of new carbohydrate antigens at the surface of tumor cells. Of these carbohydrate antigens, the Tn antigen is particularly highly expressed in many carcinomas, especially in breast carcinoma. We designed MAG-Tn3, a fully synthetic vaccine based on three consecutive Tn moieties that are O-linked to a CD4+ T cell epitope, to induce anti-Tn antibody responses that could be helpful for therapeutic vaccination against cancer.

Dectin-1 activation unlocks IL12A expression and reveals the TH1 potency of neonatal dendritic cells.

Background: Early life is characterized by a high susceptibility to infection and a TH2-biased CD4 T-cell response to vaccines. Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists are currently being implemented as new vaccine adjuvants for TH1 activation, but their translation to the field of pediatric vaccines is facing the impairment of neonatal innate TLR responses.

Objective: We sought to analyze C-type lectin receptor pathways as an alternative or a coactivator to TLRs for neonatal dendritic cell activation for TH1 polarization.

CD4 T cells with effector memory phenotype and function develop in the sterile environment of the fetus.

The T cell compartment is considered to be naïve and dedicated to the development of tolerance during fetal development. We have identified and characterized a population of fetally developed CD4 T cells with an effector memory phenotype (TEM), which are present in cord blood. This population is polyclonal and has phenotypic features similar to those of conventional adult memory T cells, such as CD45RO expression.

Intestinal CD103+ dendritic cells are key players in the innate immune control of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in neonatal mice.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite found worldwide, that develops only in the gastrointestinal epithelium and causes profuse diarrhea. Using a mouse model of C. parvum infection, we demonstrated by conditional depletion of CD11c+ cells that these cells are essential for the control of the infection both in neonates and adults.

Monoclonal antibodies toward different Tn-amino acid backbones display distinct recognition patterns on human cancer cells. Implications for effective immuno-targeting of cancer.

The Tn antigen (GalNAcα-O-Ser/Thr) is a well-established tumor-associated marker which represents a good target for the design of anti-tumor vaccines. Several studies have established that the binding of some anti-Tn antibodies could be affected by the density of Tn determinant or/and by the amino acid residues neighboring O-glycosylation sites. In the present study, using synthetic Tn-based vaccines, we have generated a panel of anti-Tn monoclonal antibodies.

Glycosidic Tn-based vaccines targeting dermal dendritic cells favor germinal center B-cell development and potent antibody response in the absence of adjuvant.

In vivo targeting of C-type lectin receptors is an effective strategy for increasing antigen uptake and presentation by dendritic cells (DCs). To induce efficient immune response, glycosylated tumor-associated Tn antigens were used to target DCs through binding to macrophage galactose-type lectin (MGL). The capacity of Tn-glycosylated antigens-and the multiple antigenic glycopeptide Tn3 therapeutic candidate vaccine-to target mouse and human MGL(+) DCs are demonstrated, especially regarding dermal DCs.

Coactivation of Syk kinase and MyD88 adaptor protein pathways by bacteria promotes regulatory properties of neutrophils.

Neutrophils are one of the first lines of defense against microbial pathogens and are rapidly recruited at the infection site upon inflammatory conditions. We show here that after bacterial stimulation, and in contrast to monocytes and macrophages, murine neutrophils contributed poorly to inflammatory responses; however, they secreted high amounts of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in a DAP12 adaptor-Syk kinase and MyD88 adaptor-dependent manner. Cotriggering of TLR-MyD88- and C-type lectin receptor (CLR)-Syk-dependent pathways led to a quick and sustained phosphorylation of p38 MAP and Akt kinases in neutrophils.

Type I interferons protect neonates from acute inflammation through interleukin 10-producing B cells.

Newborns and infants are highly susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. We show that neonatal B cells effectively control the production of proinflammatory cytokines by both neonatal plasmacytoid and conventional dendritic cells, in an interleukin (IL) 10-dependent manner, after Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9 triggering. This antiinflammatory property of neonatal B cells may extend to other TLR agonists (Pam3CSK4, lipopolysaccharide, and R848) and viruses.

Chemoselective assembly and immunological evaluation of multiepitopic glycoconjugates bearing clustered Tn antigen as synthetic anticancer vaccines.

In this paper we investigated the use of regioselectively addressable functionalized templates (RAFTs) as new scaffolds for the design of anticancer vaccine candidates. We report the synthesis of well-defined multiepitopic RAFT scaffolds and their immunological evaluation. These conjugates exhibit clustered Tn analogue as tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen (TACA, B-cell epitope) and the CD4+ helper T-cell peptide from the type 1 poliovirus.

Upon TLR9 signaling, CD5+ B cells control the IL-12-dependent Th1-priming capacity of neonatal DCs.

The susceptibility to infections and the strong Th2 bias observed in neonates are thought to be due to the immaturity of the dendritic cell (DC) compartment. We show that neonatal DCs, like their adult counterparts, elicit Th1 responses. We also demonstrate that during potentially harmful systemic inflammation, after Toll-like receptor (TLR) 9 triggering, neonatal B cells produce high concentrations of IL-10, preventing optimal IL-12 secretion by neonatal DCs and, thus, Th1 priming.

A fully synthetic therapeutic vaccine candidate targeting carcinoma-associated Tn carbohydrate antigen induces tumor-specific antibodies in nonhuman primates.

We recently developed an efficient strategy based on a fully synthetic dendrimeric carbohydrate display (multiple antigenic glycopeptide; MAG) to induce anticarbohydrate antibody responses for therapeutic vaccination against cancer. Here, we show the superior efficacy of the MAG strategy over the traditional keyhole limpet hemocyanin glycoconjugate to elicit an anticarbohydrate IgG response against the tumor-associated Tn antigen. We highlight the influence of the aglyconic carrier elements of such a tumor antigen for their recognition by the immune system.

Synthesis and immunological evaluation of an antitumor neoglycopeptide vaccine bearing a novel homoserine Tn antigen.

As part of our program on Tn-specific anti-tumor immunotherapy, our aim was to vary the nature of the aglyconic part of the tumor-associated Tn antigen (alpha-d-GalNAc-Ser/Thr). This report describes the synthesis of Fmoc-hSer-(alpha-d-GalNAc)-OH (4) in 19% overall yield from protected aspartic acid. The building block 4 was incorporated as trimeric clusters into a glycopeptide vaccine [MAG:Tn(hSer)3-PV], using solid-phase peptide synthesis.

The shift of Th1 to Th2 immunodominance associated with the chronicity of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin infection does not affect the memory response.

In the present study we investigated the shaping and evolution of the immunodominance of the T cell response during a chronic mycobacterial infection. Using a recombinant bacille Calmette-Guérin expressing a reporter Ag, the Escherichia coli MalE protein, we analyzed the peptide specificity and the cytokine profile of the T cell response to the reporter Ag by ELISPOT. During the early steps of infection, the T cell response was focused on two dominant MalE epitopes and was characterized by a pure IFN-gamma response.

Induction of protective antiviral cytotoxic T cells by a tubular structure capable of carrying large foreign sequences.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) produces large numbers of tubules during infection which are formed by a single virus coded non-structural protein, NS1. The NS1 protein has been fused with full length green fluorescent protein (GFP) and was shown to retain the capacity to form tubules when expressed in heterologous expression systems. Moreover, recombinant purified chimeric tubules were demonstrated to be internalized by macrophages and dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells are host cells for mycobacteria in vivo that trigger innate and acquired immunity.

In the present study, we investigated in vivo the infection and APC functions of dendritic cells (DC) and macrophages (Mphi) after administration of live mycobacteria to mice. Experiments were conducted with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) or a rBCG expressing a reporter Ag. Following infection of mice, DC and Mphi were purified and the presence of immunogenic peptide/MHC class II complexes was detected ex vivo on sorted cells, as was the secretion of IL-12 p40.