Immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoint molecules, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1), using therapeutic antibodies has been widely used for some human malignancies in the last 5 years. A costimulatory receptor, PD-1, is expressed on T cells and suppresses effector functions when it binds to its ligand, PD-L1. Aberrant PD-L1 expression is reported in various human cancers and is considered an immune escape mechanism. Antibodies blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis induce antitumour responses in patients with malignant melanoma and other cancers. In dogs, no such clinical studies have been performed to date because of the lack of therapeutic antibodies that can be used in dogs. In this study, the immunomodulatory effects of c4G12, a canine-chimerised anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, were evaluated in vitro, demonstrating significantly enhanced cytokine production and proliferation of dog peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A pilot clinical study was performed on seven dogs with oral malignant melanoma (OMM) and two with undifferentiated sarcoma. Objective antitumour responses were observed in one dog with OMM (14.3%, 1/7) and one with undifferentiated sarcoma (50.0%, 1/2) when c4G12 was given at 2 or 5 mg/kg, every 2 weeks. c4G12 could be a safe and effective treatment option for canine cancers.

Spontaneous cancers are common diseases in dogs. Among these, some malignant cancers such as oral melanoma, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mast cell tumor are often recognized as clinical problems because, despite their high frequencies, current treatments for these cancers may not always achieve satisfying outcomes. The absence of effective systemic therapies against these cancers leads researchers to investigate novel therapeutic modalities, including immunotherapy. Programmed death 1 (PD-1) is a costimulatory receptor with immunosuppressive function. When it binds its ligands, PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) or PD-L2, PD-1 on T cells negatively regulates activating signals from the T cell receptor, resulting in the inhibition of the effector function of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Aberrant PD-L1 expression has been reported in many human cancers and is considered an immune escape mechanism for cancers. In clinical trials, anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibodies induced tumor regression for several malignancies, including advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma. In this study, to assess the potential of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis as a novel therapeutic target for canine cancer immunotherapy, immunohistochemical analysis of PD-L1 expression in various malignant cancers of dogs was performed. Here, we show that dog oral melanoma, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, mast cell tumor, mammary adenocarcinoma, and prostate adenocarcinoma expressed PD-L1, whereas some other types of cancer did not. In addition, PD-1 was highly expressed on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes obtained from oral melanoma, showing that lymphocytes in this cancer type might have been functionally exhausted. These results strongly encourage the clinical application of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors as novel therapeutic agents against these cancers in dogs.

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Johne's disease, caused by subsp., is a bovine chronic infection that is endemic in Japan and many other countries. The expression of immunoinhibitory molecules is upregulated in cattle with Johne's disease, but the mechanism of immunosuppression is poorly understood. Prostaglandin E (PGE) is immunosuppressive in humans, but few veterinary data are available. In this study, functional and kinetic analyses of PGE were performed to investigate the immunosuppressive effect of PGE during Johne's disease. PGE treatment decreased T-cell proliferation and Th1 cytokine production and upregulated the expression of immunoinhibitory molecules such as interleukin-10 and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy cattle. PGE was upregulated in sera and intestinal lesions of cattle with Johne's disease. stimulation with Johnin purified protein derivative (J-PPD) induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) transcription, PGE production, and upregulation of PD-L1 and immunoinhibitory receptors in PBMCs from cattle infected with subsp. Therefore, Johnin-specific Th1 responses could be limited by the PGE pathway in cattle. In contrast, downregulation of PGE with a COX-2 inhibitor promoted J-PPD-stimulated CD8 T-cell proliferation and Th1 cytokine production in PBMCs from the experimentally infected cattle. PD-L1 blockade induced J-PPD-stimulated CD8 T-cell proliferation and interferon gamma production Combined treatment with a COX-2 inhibitor and anti-PD-L1 antibodies enhanced J-PPD-stimulated CD8 T-cell proliferation , suggesting that the blockade of both pathways is a potential therapeutic strategy to control Johne's disease. The effects of COX-2 inhibition warrant further study as a novel treatment of Johne's disease.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection is a chronic viral infection of cattle and endemic in many countries, including Japan. Our previous study demonstrated that PGE 2 , a product of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2, suppresses Th1 responses in cattle and contributes to the progression of Johne disease, a chronic bacterial infection in cattle. However, little information is available on the association of PGE 2 with chronic viral infection. Thus, we analyzed the changes in plasma PGE 2 concentration during BLV infection and its effects on proviral load, viral gene transcription, Th1 responses, and disease progression. Both COX2 expression by PBMCs and plasma PGE 2 concentration were higher in the infected cattle compared with uninfected cattle, and plasma PGE 2 concentration was positively correlated with the proviral load. BLV Ag exposure also directly enhanced PGE 2 production by PBMCs. Transcription of BLV genes was activated via PGE 2 receptors EP2 and EP4, further suggesting that PGE 2 contributes to disease progression. In contrast, inhibition of PGE 2 production using a COX-2 inhibitor activated BLV-specific Th1 responses in vitro, as evidenced by enhanced T cell proliferation and Th1 cytokine production, and reduced BLV proviral load in vivo. Combined treatment with the COX-2 inhibitor meloxicam and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 Ab significantly reduced the BLV proviral load, suggesting a potential as a novel control method against BLV infection. Further studies using a larger number of animals are required to support the efficacy of this treatment for clinical application.