Long-Term Antitumor CD8+ T Cell Immunity Induced by Endogenously Engineered Extracellular Vesicles.

ABSTRACT: We developed an innovative method to induce antigen-specific CD8+ T cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) immunity based on in vivo engineering of extracellular vesicles (EVs). This approach employs a DNA vector expressing a mutated HIV-1 Nef protein (Nefmut) deprived of the anti-cellular effects typical of the wild-type isoform, meanwhile showing an unusual efficiency of incorporation into EVs. This function persists even when foreign antigens are fused to its C-terminus. In this way, Nefmut traffics large amounts of antigens fused to it into EVs spontaneously released by the recipient cells. We previously provided evidence that mice injected with a DNA vector expressing the Nefmut/HPV16-E7 fusion protein developed an E7-specific CTL immune response as detected 2 weeks after the second immunization.

SUBMITTER: Ferrantelli F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8125873 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature