• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2017

It has well reported that host immune system is closely related to cancer growth and eradication. Among cancer immunotherapy, cancer vaccine is focused on this review. Cancer vaccine is using host immune system against various tumor antigens to treat cancer. We discuss the classification and characteristics of the preventive vaccine, therapeutic vaccine and combination cancer immunotherapy.

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2022

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) secreted by most cells carry bioactive macromolecules including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids for intercellular communication. Given that some immune cell-derived sEVs exhibit anti-cancer properties, these sEVs have received scientific attention for the development of novel anti-cancer immunotherapeutic agents. In this paper, we reviewed the latest advances concerning the biological roles of immune cell-derived sEVs for cancer therapy. sEVs derived from immune cells including dendritic cells (DCs), T cells, natural-killer (NK) cells, and macrophages are good candidates for sEV-based cancer therapy. Besides their role of cancer vaccines, DC-shed sEVs activated cytotoxic lymphocytes and killed tumor cells. sEVs isolated from NK cells and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells exhibited cytotoxicity against cancer cells. sEVs derived from CD8⁺ T and CD4⁺ T cells inhibited cancer-associated cells in tumor microenvironment (TME) and activated B cells, respectively. M1-macrophage-derived sEVs induced M2 to M1 repolarization and also created a pro-inflammatory environment. Hence, these sEVs, via mono or combination therapy, could be considered in the treatment of cancer patients in the future. In addition, sEVs derived from cytokine-stimulated immune cells or sEV engineering could improve their anti-tumor potency.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6257-6261
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• 2014

Background: HPV related cervical cancer as one of the most common women cancers in developing countries. Regarding accessibility of commercial vaccines, any long or short term modality for integrating preventive immunization against HPV in a national program needs comprehensive information about HPV prevalence and its genotypes. The important role of selecting most accurate diagnostic technologies for obtaining relevant data is underlined by different assays proposed in the literature. The main objective of the present study was to introduce an in-house HPV typing assay using multiplex real time PCR with reliable results and affordable cost for molecular epidemiology surveys and diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 112 samples of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues and liquid based cytology specimens from patients with known different grades of cervical dysplasia and invasive cancer, were examined by this method and the result were verified by WHO HPV LabNet proficiency program in 2013. RESULTS: HPV was detected in 105 (93.7%) out of 112 samples. The dominant types were HPV 18 (61.6%) and HPV 16 (42.9%). Among the mixed genotypes, HPV 16 and 18 in combination were seen in 12.4% of specimens. CONCLUSIONS: According to acceptable performance, easy access to primers, probes and other consumables, affordable cost per test, this method can be used as a diagnostic assay in molecular laboratories and for further planning of cervical carcinoma prevention programs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3053-3059
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• 2012

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor family of receptor tyrosine kinases that plays important roles in all processes of cell development. Their overexpression is related to many cancers, including examples in the breast, ovaries and stomach. Anticancer therapies targeting the HER2 receptor have shown promise, and monoclonal antibodies against subdomains II and IV of the HER2 extra-cellular domain (ECD), Pertuzumab and Herceptin, are currently used in treatments for some types of breast cancers. Since anti HER2 antibodies targeting distinct epitopes have different biological effects on cancer cells; in this research linear and conformational B cell epitopes of HER2 ECD, subdomain III, were identified by bioinformatics analyses using a combination of linear B cell epitope prediction web servers such as ABCpred, BCPREDs, Bepired, Bcepred and Elliprro. Then, Discotope, CBtope and SUPERFICIAL software tools were employed for conformational B cell epitope prediction. In contrast to previously reported epitopes of HER2 ECD we predicted conformational B cell epitopes $P1_C$: 378-393 (PESFDGDPASNTAPLQ) and $P2_C$: 500-510 (PEDECVGEGLA) by the integrated strategy and P4: PESFDGD-X-TAPLQ; P5: PESFDGDP X TAPLQ; P6: ESFDGDP X NTAPLQP; P7: PESFDGDP-X-NTAPLQ; P8: ESFDG-XX-TAPLQPEQL and P9: ESFDGDP-X-NTAPLQP by SUPERFICIAL software. These epitopes could be further used as peptide antigens to actively immune mice for development of new monoclonal antibodies and peptide cancer vaccines that target different epitopes or structural domains of HER2 ECD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1444-1452
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• 2019

The conventional prophylactic vaccines for human papillomavirus (HPV) efficiently prevent infection with high-risk HPV types, but they do not promote therapeutic effects against cervical cancer. Previously, we developed HPV16 E7-expressing Lactobacillus casei (L. casei-E7) as a therapeutic vaccine candidate for cervical cancer, which induces antitumor therapeutic effects in a TC-1 murine cancer model. To improve the therapeutic effect of L. casei-E7, we performed co-treatment with poly-gamma-glutamic acid (${\gamma}-PGA$), a safe and edible biomaterial naturally secreted by Bacillus subtilis. We investigated their synergistic effect to improve antitumor efficacy in a murine cancer model. The treatment with ${\gamma}-PGA$ did not show in vitro cytotoxicity against TC-1 tumor cells; however, an enhanced innate immune response including activation of dendritic cells was observed. Mice co-administered with ${\gamma}-PGA$ and L. casei-E7 showed significantly suppressed growth of TC-1 tumor cells and an increased survival rate in TC-1 mouse models compared to those of mice vaccinated with L. casei-E7 alone. The administration of ${\gamma}-PGA$ markedly enhanced the activation of natural killer (NK) cells but did not increase the E7-specific cytolytic activity of $CD8^+$ T lymphocytes in mice vaccinated with L. casei-E7. Overall, our results suggest that oral administration of ${\gamma}-PGA$ induces a synergistic antitumor effect in combination with L. casei-E7.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4945-4950
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• 2014

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) could affect genesis of both cervical and esophageal cancers. The type-specific distribution of HPV in cervical cytology abnormalities of women has remained unclear in Shantou, an esophageal cancer high-incidence area of China. Data from 22,617 women who were subjected to cervical HPV DNA testing with simultaneous cervical cytological examination during 2009-2013 were therefore here retrospectively evaluated in a hospital-based study. Overall, 16.2% (3,584/22,114)of women with normal cytology were HR-HPV positive, with HPV-52 (4.07%) as the most common type followed by -16 (3.63%), and -58 (2.46%). Prevalence of HR-HPV was 50.3% (253/503) in women with cervical cytological abnormalities, of which in ASC-H 71.4%, ASC-US 39.1%, HSIL 80.3% and LSIL 73.7%. HPV-58 (14.12%) was the most common type for all cervical cytological abnormalities, followed by HPV-16 (13.72%), and -52 (12.72%), while the more common HPV-16 type in ASC-H (42.9%) and HSIL (36.1%), HPV-52 and -58 were the most common types for ASC-US (10.3%) and LSIL (25%), respectively. Multiple HPV co-infections were identified in 33.2% (84/253) cytology abnormalities with positive HR-HPV, and the highest prevalence of HPV-58/16 combination in HSIL (28.6%, 6/21) was observed. Our data indicated a relative high prevalence of HPV-58 and -52 in women with cervical cytological abnormalities, which should be considered in the development of next-generation vaccines for Shantou.