Protective immunity elicited by measles vaccine exerts anti-tumor effects on measles virus hemagglutinin gene-modified cancer cells in a mouse model.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Measles vaccine is widely used in China to prevent the measles virus (MV) infection. People immunized with measles vaccine can obtain long-term protective immunity. Measles virus surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (H) can also induce MV-specific immune responses. However, little is known about whether the existence of the protective immune system against MV in the host can exert anti-tumor effects and whether the MV-H gene can serve as a therapeutic gene.

METHODS:

We first vaccinated mice with measles vaccine, then inoculated them with MV-H protein-expressing tumor cells and observed the rate of tumor formation. We also treated mice with H protein-expressing tumor cells with measles vaccine and assessed tumor size and overall survival.

RESULTS:

Active vaccination using measles vaccine not only protected mice from developing tumors, but also eradicated established tumors. Measles vaccine elicited H-specific IFN-γ, TNF-α and granzyme B-producing CD8+ T cells and increased cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity specific for H antigen, which provided a strong therapeutic benefit against H protein-expressing tumors. In addition, measles vaccine decreased the population of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study demonstrated that tumor cells expressing H protein could activate the immune memory response against MV, which exerted specific anti-tumor effects, and indicated that the MV-H gene can be used as a potential therapeutic gene for cancer gene therapy.

• Authors: Yuan Qi, Kailin Xing, Lanlin Zhang, Fangyu Zhao, Ming Yao, Aiqun Hu, Xianghua Wu
• Journal: Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology (J Cancer Res Clin Oncol) Vol. 144 Issue 10 Pg. 1945-1957 (Oct 2018) ISSN: 1432-1335 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 30090962 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Hemagglutinins, Viral
• Measles Vaccine
• hemagglutinin protein G, measles virus
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Animals
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Hemagglutinins, Viral (genetics, immunology)
• Humans
• Interferon-gamma (metabolism)
• Measles Vaccine (immunology, therapeutic use)
• Measles virus (immunology)
• Melanoma, Experimental (genetics, immunology, pathology, prevention & control)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Transgenic
• Tumor Cells, Cultured
• Vaccination