Immunization with antigen in the presence of agonists for both a Toll Like Receptor (TLR) and CD40 (combined TLR/CD40 immunization) elicits a vigorous expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells that is exponentially greater than the response elicited by either agonist alone. In the process of investigating our originally funded aims directed toward the role of type I IFN (IFN) in TLR/CD40 vaccination, we made the surprising discovery that the T cell response to any adjuvant containing a TLR-agonist is unexpectedly and completely dependent on IL-27. This is in sharp contrast to immunization with infectious vectors such as vaccinia or Listeria monocytogenes (LM) where the impact of IL-27 is negligible. Our data thus reveal a specific, obligate, and previously unappreciated role for IL-27 in non-infectious, subunit vaccine elicited cellular responses. Given the potency with which our combination adjuvant elicits cellular immunity, the obligate role of IL-27 in the cellular response to combined innate/CD40 vaccination is reason enough for further examination. The additional and unexpected reality that essentially all molecularly defined vaccine adjuvants require the participation of IL-27 for eliciting cellular responses only adds to the importance of the studies proposed in this application. To fully understand the role of IL-27 in vaccine-elicited cellular immunity, we will clarify i) the sites and magnitude of IL-27 production, ii) the required pattern f IL-27R expression, iii) the role of IL-27 elicited STAT1 and STAT3 activation in DCs and T cells, and iv) the mechanisms by which vaccination and infectious processes diverge in their degree of IL-27 dependency.

Public Health Relevance

The need for effective therapeutic vaccines has never been greater and yet none currently exist, at least with respect to therapeutic intervention in the majority of infectious diseases and cancers. The need is great for vaccines against chronic infectious agents such as HIV, malaria, TB and HCV. What is needed is a non- infectious vaccine capable of producing the kind of immunity that can be useful against these infectious agents, especially in patients whose immune systems are already compromised such as those infected with HIV. After a single immunization, our vaccine produces the most potent cellular immune response yet observed of any non-infectious vaccine. As a testament to its potency, our vaccine produces robust immunity capable of protecting against infectious challenge, even in mice whose immune system is compromised in the same way as an HIV infected patient's. In the process of investigating this and other vaccination strategies, we made the surprising discovery that the T cell response to any adjuvant containing an innate receptor agonist (TLRs, RLRs etc.) is unexpectedly and completely dependent on IL-27. This is in sharp contrast to immunization with infectious vectors such as vaccinia or Listeria monocytogenes where the impact of IL-27 is negligible. Thus IL- 27 plays a very different role in the T cell response to defined adjuvants than it does in response to infection. The studies proposed in this application will explore the underlying mechanisms of the IL-27 dependence of vaccine-elicited cellular responses so we can use that knowledge to further manipulate immune responses to our advantage.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01AI066121-09
Application #
8976141
Study Section
Immunity and Host Defense (IHD)
Program Officer
Singleton, Kentner L
Project Start
2005-07-01
Project End
2017-11-30
Budget Start
2015-12-01
Budget End
2016-11-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Colorado Denver
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
041096314
City
Aurora
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80045
Kilgore, Augustus M; Welsh, Seth; Cheney, Elizabeth E et al. (2018) IL-27p28 Production by XCR1+ Dendritic Cells and Monocytes Effectively Predicts Adjuvant-Elicited CD8+ T Cell Responses. Immunohorizons 2:1-11
Klarquist, Jared; Chitrakar, Alisha; Pennock, Nathan D et al. (2018) Clonal expansion of vaccine-elicited T cells is independent of aerobic glycolysis. Sci Immunol 3:
Homann, Dirk; Kedl, Ross M (2018) Dimensions of immunologic memory. Immunol Rev 283:5-6
Kedl, Ross M; White, Jason T (2018) Foreign antigen-independent memory-phenotype CD4+ T cells: a new player in innate immunity? Nat Rev Immunol 18:1
White, Jason T; Cross, Eric W; Kedl, Ross M (2017) Antigen-inexperienced memory CD8+ T cells: where they come from and why we need them. Nat Rev Immunol 17:391-400
Kedl, Ross M; Seder, Robert (2017) Editorial overview: Vaccines. Curr Opin Immunol 47:A1-A2
Pritchard, Gretchen Harms; Cross, Eric W; Strobel, Marjorie et al. (2017) Corrigendum: Spontaneous partial loss of the OT-I transgene. Nat Immunol 18:951
White, Jason T; Cross, Eric W; Burchill, Matthew A et al. (2016) Virtual memory T cells develop and mediate bystander protective immunity in an IL-15-dependent manner. Nat Commun 7:11291
Pennock, Nathan D; Kedl, Justin D; Kedl, Ross M (2016) T Cell Vaccinology: Beyond the Reflection of Infectious Responses. Trends Immunol 37:170-180
Pritchard, Gretchen Harms; Cross, Eric W; Strobel, Marjorie et al. (2016) Spontaneous partial loss of the OT-I transgene. Nat Immunol 17:471

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