Draghi, A. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2024

Immune-profiling of T helper 1 (Th1), Th2 and Th17 signatures in murine splenocytes by targeting intracellular cytokines

Functional cytokines shape both innate and adaptive immune responses in the host after infection or immunization. Deep immunophenotyping of the key functional cytokine signatures associated with T cells in murine lymphoid tissue, especially in the spleen, is challenging. Using spectral flow cytometry, we developed a 17-parameter panel to profile major immune cell subsets along with T cells, memory phenotypes and functional cytokines in murine splenocytes in steady state as well as in stimulated conditions. This panel dissects the memory T cell compartment via CD62L and CD44 expression after mitogen stimulation. To profile T helper (Th) cells distribution after mitogen stimulation, established Th1 markers IFN{gamma}, TNF and IL-2; Th2 markers IL-4/5 and the Th17 marker, IL-17, are included. This optimized multicolor spectral flow panel allows a detailed immune profiling of functional cytokines in the murine T cell compartment and might be useful for exploratory analysis of how these functional cytokines shape host immunity after infection or vaccination. Our panel could be easily modified, if researchers wish to tailor the panel to their specific needs.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2018

Differential effects of corticosteroids and anti-TNF on tumor-specific immune responses - implications for the management of irAEs

Up to 60% of patients treated with cancer immunotherapy develop severe or life threatening immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Immunosuppression with high doses of corticosteroids or, in refractory cases, with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists, are the mainstay of treatment for irAEs. It is currently unknown what is the impact of corticosteroids and anti-TNF on the activity of antitumor T cells. In this study, the influences of clinically relevant doses of dexamethasone (corresponding to an oral dose of 10 to 125 mg prednisolone) and infliximab (anti-TNF) on the activation and killing ability of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was tested in vitro. Overall, dexamethasone at low or intermediate/high dose impaired the activation (respectively -46% and -62%) and tumor-killing ability (respectively -48% and -53%) of tumor-specific TILs. In contrast, a standard clinical dose of infliximab only had a minor effect on T cell activation (-20%) and tumor killing (-10%). A brief resting following exposure to dexamethasone was sufficient to rescue the in vitro activity of TILs. In conclusion, clinically-relevant doses of infliximab only influenced to a lesser extent the activity of tumor-specific TILs in vitro, whereas even low doses of corticosteroids markedly impaired the antitumor activity of TILs. These data support steroid-sparing strategies and early initiation of anti-TNF for the treatment of irAEs in immuno-oncology.

cancer biology↗