IMMUNO: Immune modulating therapies Flashcards
List 4 methods for boosting the immune response.
- Vaccination
- Replacement of missing components
- Blocking immune checkpoints
- Cytokine therapy
List 4 methods for suppressing the immune response.
- Steroids
- Anti-proliferative agents
- Plasmapheresis
- Inhibitors of cell signalling
- Agents directed at cell surface antigens
- Agents directed at cytokines
What event in history showed us that immune memory exists?
Measles and memory – a 1781 epidemic on the Faroe Islands proved immune memory existed and protected people for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t until after this generation passed away that another measles pandemic broke out
Adaptive immune response to vaccination:
- B and T cells
- Wide repertoire of antigen receptors: can create 1011 to 1012 receptors
- Exquisite specificity
- Clonal expansion
- Immunological memory
APCs
APCs present peptides to T cells to initiate an acquired immune response.
APCs include:
- DCs,
- macrophages (incl Langerhans cells, mesangial cells,Kupffer cells, osteoclasts, microglia etc),
- B cells
What are the two main components of immunological memory?
- High affinity specific antibodies - pre-formed pool
- Specific T and B cells - residual pool with enhanced capacity to respond if re-infection occurs
Describe the process of clonal expansion (including T and B cells).
T cells with appropriate specificity will proliferate and differentiate –> effector cells (cytokine secreting, cytotoxic)
B cells with appropriate specificity will proliferate –>
- T cell independent IgM plasma and memory cells
- T cell dependent IgG/A/E, memory and plasma cells in germinal centre reaction
Which cell population is most involved in immunological memory?
CD8 +ve T cells
Activated when antigen is presented to CD8 +ve T cells through APCs –> clonal expansion and one of two fates: death by apoptosis (MOST) or survival as memory cells.
In generation of immunological memory, what aids clonal expansion of CD8 +ve T cells?
IL-2 from T helper cells
B cell response
Summarise the characteristics of the T and B cell memory responses.
T cells:
- Longevity - Memory cells maintained for long time without antigen by continual low-level proliferation in response to cytokines
- Expression of different cell surface proteins involved in chemotaxis / cell adhesion - allow memory cells to access non-lymphoid tissues
- Rapid, robust response to subsequent exposure - due are more memory cells. These cells are more easily activated than naïve cells
B cell memory:
- Pre-formed antibody - Circulating high affinity IgG antibodies
- Longevity - Long lived memory B cells and plasma cells
- Rapid, robust response to subsequent exposure - Memory B cells more easily and rapidly activated than naïve
How is longevity of the T cell memory response maintained?
By continual low-level proliferation in response to cytokines
What do we want from a vaccine?
- Memory
- No adverse reactions
- Practical e.g. one shot, easy stoarge, inexpensive
- Response should be protective
What is the protective immunological factor in influenza?
Although CD8 T cells control the virus load in influenza, it is antibody which provides a protective response
What is target for vaccines in influenza and why?
HA (haemagglutinin) - this is the receptor-binding and membrane fusion glycoprotein of influenza and the target for infectivity-neutralising Abs
How do you detect antibodies to Influenza?
Antibodies can be detected using a haemagglutinin inhibition assay__: add patient’s serum (at various dilutions) to a plate of RBC and Influenza virus
- Cells clump at bottom of the plate forming a red spot = normal red cells in a dish (no HA or there are anti-HA antibodies present in the patient’s serum)
- Diffuse coloration across the well = HA of influenza virus making the RBCs haemagluttinate (no antibodies present)
What receptor on RBC is responsible for haemagluttination?
Sialic acid receprors on RBC bind to the HA of influenza virus
Inhibited by antibodies to HA
Can you measure the level of HA antibodies in influenza using this assay?
The higher the dilution with an inhibitory effect, the greater level of antibodies the patient has against HA
Higher antibody means lower risk of infection
When does protection begin and how long does it last with the influenza vaccine?
Antibody protection begins 7 days after vaccine and protection can last for around 6 months
What type of vaccine is the BCG vaccine?
Attenuated strain of bovine TB
What is the role of the BCG vaccine for TB?
- Provides some protection against primary infection
- Mainly provides protection against progression to active TB
Which cellular response is most important in the BCG vaccine?
T cell response is important in protection
Describe the use of the Mantoux test and its results. What does a wheal of >10mm indicate?
Mantoux Test – previous exposure to TB:
- Inject a small amount of liquid tuberculin (AKA purified protein derivative / PPD) intradermally
- Area of injection is examined 48-72 hours after tuberculin injection
- The reaction is an area of swelling around the injection site
Positive reaction wheal:
- >5mm (high-risk – i.e. immunocompromised, living with someone with TB)
- >10mm (medium-risk – i.e. healthcare workers)
- >15mm (low-risk)
B and T cells
Which of these vaccines should you not give to an immunosuppressed individual?
- BCG
- Diphtheria toxoid
- Influenza inactivated
- Polio injected
- mRNA COVID
BCG is live; some influenza vaccines can also be live but here it was specific that it was inactivated.
Nivolumab
List 5 different types of vaccines.
- Live vaccines
- Inactivated/Component vaccines - Conjugates+ Adjuvants increase immunogenicity
- RNA vaccines
- Adenoviral vector vaccines
- Dendritic cell vaccines
List 3 examples of live attenuated vaccines.
- MMR
- BCG
- Yellow fever
- Typhoid
- Polio (Sabin)
- Vaccinia
What are 2 advantages and disadvantages of live attenuated vaccines?
Advantages:
- INFECTION established ideally with mild symptoms
- BROAD immune response raised to multiple antigens (offer protection against different strains)
- ALL phases of immunity activated (T cells, B cells – local IgA, humoral IgG, etc.)
- LIFE-LONG immuity often conferred after one dose
Disadvantages:
- STORAGE problems
- VIRULENCE reversion is possible
- SPREAD to contacts (i.e. spread to immunocompromised/immunosuppressed)
Give an example of each of these types of vaccines:
- Inactivated
- Component/subunit
- Toxoid
- Inactivated = e.g.
- influenza,
- cholera,
- Bubonic plague
- polio (Salk),
- HAV,
- Pertussis,
- Rabies
- Component/subunit = e.g.
- HbS antigen (HBV)
- HPV (capsid),
- influenza (recombiant quadrivalent - less used now)
- Toxoids (inactivated toxin) = e.g.
- diphtheria,
- tetanus
Give 2 advantages and disadvantages of inactivated/ component/ subunit/ toxoid vaccines.
Advantages:
- NO REVERSION or mutation
- IMMUNODEFICIENT patient safe
- STORAGE easier
- COST lower
Disadvantages:
- NORMAL route of infection usually not followed
- IMMUNOGENICITY may be low
- MULTIPLE injections may be needed
- CONJUGATES or adjuvants may be necessary
What does a conjugate vaccine consist of? Give 3 examples.
Polysaccharide + protein carrier
- HiB
- meningococcus
- pneumococcus
(All polysaccharide encapsulated)
Why does a conjugate vaccine consist of both polysaccharide + protein carrier?
Polysaccharide induces a T cell-independent B cell response (transient)
Protein carrier promotes T cell-dependant B cell response (long-term)
What is the goal of adjuvants in vaccines and what natural response do they mimic?
Increase immune response without altering specificity
Mimic action of PAMPs on TLR and other PPRs
Give 3 examples of adjuvants. Which is most common, safe and effective?
- Aluminium salts/alum (used in humans) - most commonly used, safe and effective.
- Lipids (monophosphoryl lipid A, human HPV)
- Oils (Freund’s adjuvant in animals)
Which vaccines in alum used as an adjuvant in? What is its MOA?
Hep A, hep B and HiB
MOA not understood but may cause slow antigen release over time to prolong stimulation or induce inflammation to trigger a greater immune response. May also activate Gr1+IL4+ eosinophils to prime naive B cells and produce an antibody response.
Which part of SARS-CoV2 binds to ACE2?
Spike protein - this mediates infection of cells
Describe the process of creating a mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV.
- E coli is infected with plasmids containing DNA for spike protein
- Plasmids are harvested from the E coli cultures
- DNA is excised from plasmids using enzymes and transcribed to mRNA
- mRNA is complexed with lipids to envelope the mRNA into lipid nanoparticles to the to create the vaccine
How do mRNA vaccines work?
- mRNA/lipid complexes are injected into muscle where it enters cells e.g. muscle, endothelial, fibroblasts, DCs
- mRNA is translated and spike protein synthesised/expressed on surface of these cells
- Stimulates immune response including B cells/antibodies and T cells
What do adenoviral vector vaccines consist of? Give 2 examples.
DNA of relevant protein (e.g. COVID spike protein) inserted into viral vector to produce vaccine
- AZ COVID vaccine - vector: ChAdOx1-S +COVID spike protein DNA
- Sputnik COVID vaccine - vector: adenovirus types 26 and 5 + COVID spike protein DNA
How do adenoviral vector vaccines work?
- Adenovirus with specific DNA infects cells in vivo
- This causes transcription/translation of proteins
- Stimulates immune response including B cells, antibodies and T cells
What is the rationale for using dendritic cell vaccines?
Acquired defects in DCs (maturation and function) sometimes cause malignancy
So perhaps using ex-vivo-generated DCs pulse with tumour antigens may be good as vaccines aimed at tumour associated antigens or mutational antigens
i.e. DCs used as APCs to present tumour antigens to immune cells
Give an example of a DC vaccine and its use.
Sipuleucel-T Provenge
- Personalised
- Used as immunotherapy for prostatic cancer
- Leukaphoresis followed by harvesting APCs and incubating them with recombinant PAP-GMCSF
- APCs are infused back into the patient
- Stimulates patient’s own immune response
*PAP-GMCSF = Prostatic acid phosphatase-granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor
List 5 different therapies used to replace missing components of the immune system.
HSCT
Specific immunoglobulin
Adoptive cell transfer - T cells
- Virus specific T cells
- Tumour infiltrating T cells (TIL – T cell therapy)
- T cell receptor T cells (TCR - T cell therapy)
- Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR – T cell therapy)
What are the indications for HSCT as a means of replacing missing components of the immune system?
Life-threatening primary immunodeficiencies e.g. SCID (Severe combined immunodeficiency) and Leukocyte adhesion defects
Haematological malignancy
How are human normal immunoglobulin therapies prepared?
- From pools of >1000 donors
- Pre-formed IgG to a wide range of unspecified organisms
- Blood products are screened for HBV, HCV and HIV and further treated to kill any live virus
- Administered IV/SC
e.g. Sandoglobulin, Gammar PIV, Panglobulin
What are the indications for antobody replacement therapy?
Primary antibody deficiency
- X linked agammaglobulinaemia
- X linked hyper IgM syndrome
- Common variable immune deficiency (CVID)
Secondary antibody deficiency
- Haematological malignancies e.g. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, Multiple myeloma
- After bone marrow transplantation
Give 4 examples of specific human immunoglobulins.
- HBV Ig– needle stick/bite/sexual contact – from HepBSag+ve individual
- Rabies Ig– to bite site following potential rabies exposure
- VZV Ig– women <20 weeks pregnancy or immunosuppressed where aciclovir or valaciclovir is contraindicated
- Tetanus Ig– no specific preparation available in UK – use IVIG for suspected tetanus
What are the indications for specific immunoglobulin use?
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis)
NB: the Ig is derived from donors with high tires of IgG antibodies to specific pathogens