Intratumoral injection of alpha-gal glycolipids induces xenograft-like destruction and conversion of lesions into endogenous vaccines
Galili, Uri ; Wigglesworth, Kim ; Abdel-Motal, Ussama M.
Citations
Student Authors
Faculty Advisor
Academic Program
UMass Chan Affiliations
Document Type
Publication Date
Keywords
Antigen Presentation
Antigen-Presenting Cells
Antigens, Neoplasm
Cancer Vaccines
Carbohydrate Sequence
Dendritic Cells
Erythrocyte Membrane
Galactosyltransferases
Glycolipids
Immunotherapy
Injections
Lymph Nodes
Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating
Melanoma, Experimental
Mice
Mice, Knockout
Molecular Sequence Data
Ovalbumin
Rabbits
Skin Neoplasms
Transplantation, Heterologous
Trisaccharides
Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Subject Area
Embargo Expiration Date
Link to Full Text
Abstract
This study describes a novel cancer immunotherapy treatment that exploits the natural anti-Gal Ab to destroy tumor lesions and convert them into an endogenous vaccine targeted to APC via FcgammaR. Anti-Gal constitutes 1% of immunoglobulins in humans and interacts specifically with alpha-gal epitopes (Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R). The binding of anti-Gal to alpha-gal epitopes on pig cells mediates xenograft rejection. The proposed method uses glycolipid micelles with multiple alpha-gal epitopes (alpha-gal glycolipids). These glycolipids are extracted from rabbit red cell membranes and are comprised of ceramides with carbohydrate chains containing 5-25 carbohydrates, all capped with alpha-gal epitopes. Efficacy of this treatment was demonstrated in alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout mice producing anti-Gal and bearing B16 melanoma or B16/OVA producing OVA as a surrogate tumor Ag. These mice are unique among nonprimate mammals in that, similar to humans, they lack alpha-gal epitopes and can produce the anti-Gal Ab. Intratumoral injection of alpha-gal glycolipids results in local inflammation mediated by anti-Gal binding to the multiple alpha-gal epitopes and activation of complement. These glycolipids spontaneously insert into tumor cell membranes. The binding of anti-Gal to alpha-gal expressing tumor cells induces the destruction of treated lesions as in anti-Gal-mediated xenograft rejection. Anti-Gal further opsonizes tumor cells within the lesion and, thus, targets them for effective uptake by APC that transport the tumor Ags to draining lymph nodes. APC further cross-present immunogenic tumor Ag peptides and elicit a systemic anti-tumor immune response. Similar intratumoral injection of alpha-gal glycolipids in humans is likely to induce the destruction of treated lesions and elicit a protective immune response against micrometastases.
Source
J Immunol. 2007 Apr 1;178(7):4676-87.