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Squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx (SCCO) are often infected with oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) subtype 16. To determine the frequency of T cells specific for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2.1 restricted HPV16 E7 protein-derived epitopes, tetramer analysis was performed using peripheral blood lymphocytes of 20 HLA-A2.1 1 patients and 20 HLA-A2.1 1 healthy individuals. Tetramers specific for 3 HPV16 peptides (E7 11-20 , E7 82-90 and E7 86-93) , an influenza matrix peptide (a model recall antigen) or an HIV reverse transcriptase peptide (a model novel antigen) were used in multicolor flow analysis. The HPV-specific T-cell frequencies were correlated with the HPV16 E7 and p16 status in tumor sections. In vitro stimulation (IVS) with autologous dendritic cells (DC) pulsed with HPV16 E7 epitopes was performed to demonstrate proliferation and antitumor activity of the HPV-responsive T cells. Frequencies of CD8 1 T cells specific for HPV16 E7 peptides were not significantly different in patients with SCCO relative to normal donors. However, patients with tumors expressing HPV16 E7 (60%) and p16 (50%) had an increased frequency (p < 0.05) of T cells specific for the E7 11-20 epitope compared to those with tumors negative for both markers. HPV16 E7 11-20 and HPV16 E7 86-93 specific T cells were expandable upon IVS with cognate peptide-pulsed DC and were reactive against peptide-pulsed targets or, in case of the E7 11-20 epitopespecific T cells, against HPV16 E7 expressing CaSki cell line. Thus, in patients with HPV16 1 SCCO, precursor T cells specific for E7 [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] epitope are present (1/3,947) in the circulation, are responsive to stimulation with the cognate viral peptide and recognize in vitro HPV16 E7 1 tumor cells. Further studies have to elucidate why those T cells are unable to eliminate the tumor in vivo and this might also allow for finding potential strategies that will increase the chances of developing a future HPV-based vaccine in patients with SCCO. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: HPV; specific T cells; head and neck cancer; tetramer Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) represent the most common type of head and neck cancer, accounting for 6% of all new cancer cases. 1 Typical risk factors include alcohol and nicotine consumption. However, a significant proportion of the patients do not have these risk factors, and recent studies have suggested an association of SCC to viral pathogens such as high risk (oncogenic) human papilloma virus (HPV) types, particularly HPV16 or 18. These viruses are frequently found in squamous carcinoma of the head and neck. 2-11 HPV16 infections have been observed in approximately one half of squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx (SCCO). 7,[10][11][12] The HPV16 1 SCCO have a good prognosis and are not associated with conventional risk factors, suggesting they may represent a separate tumor entity. 3,7,10,11 The HPV-derived oncoproteins E6 and E7 are mainly responsible for both the onset and maintenance of malignant transforma...

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited disorder clinically characterized by congenital malformations, progressive bone marrow failure and cancer susceptibility. At the cellular level, FA is associated with hypersensitivity to DNA-crosslinking genotoxins. Eight of 17 known FA genes assemble the FA E3 ligase complex, which catalyzes monoubiquitination of FANCD2 and is essential for replicative DNA crosslink repair. Here, we identify the first FA patient with biallelic germline mutations in the ubiquitin E2 conjugase UBE2T. Both mutations were aluY-mediated: a paternal deletion and maternal duplication of exons 2–6. These loss-of-function mutations in UBE2T induced a cellular phenotype similar to biallelic defects in early FA genes with the absence of FANCD2 monoubiquitination. The maternal duplication produced a mutant mRNA that could encode a functional protein but was degraded by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. In the patient's hematopoietic stem cells, the maternal allele with the duplication of exons 2–6 spontaneously reverted to a wild-type allele by monoallelic recombination at the duplicated aluY repeat, thereby preventing bone marrow failure. Analysis of germline DNA of 814 normal individuals and 850 breast cancer patients for deletion or duplication of UBE2T exons 2–6 identified the deletion in only two controls, suggesting aluY-mediated recombinations within the UBE2T locus are rare and not associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Finally, a loss-of-function germline mutation in UBE2T was detected in a high-risk breast cancer patient with wild-type BRCA1/2. Cumulatively, we identified UBE2T as a bona fide FA gene (FANCT) that also may be a rare cancer susceptibility gene.

Engineering autologous or allogeneic T cells to express a suicide gene can control potential toxicity in adoptive T-cell therapies. We recently reported the development of a novel human suicide gene system that is based on an orphan human cytochrome P450 enzyme, CYP4B1, and the naturally occurring alkylator prodrug 4-ipomeanol. The goal of this study was to systematically develop a clinically applicable self-inactivating lentiviral vector for efficient co-expression of CYP4B1 as an ER-located protein with two distinct types of cell surface proteins, either MACS selection genes for donor lymphocyte infusions after allogeneic stem cell transplantation or chimeric antigen receptors for retargeting primary T cells. The U3 region of the myeloproliferative sarcoma virus in combination with the T2A site was found to drive high-level expression of our CYP4B1 mutant with truncated CD34 or CD271 as MACS suitable selection markers. This lentiviral vector backbone was also well suited for co-expression of CYP4B1 with a codon-optimized CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct. Finally, 4-ipomeanol efficiently induced apoptosis in primary T cells that co-express mutant CYP4B1 and the divergently located MACS selection and CAR genes. In conclusion, we here developed a clinically suited lentiviral vector that supports high-level co-expression of cell surface proteins with a potent novel human suicide gene.

Nasal IL-17, MCP-4, and, possibly, eotaxin-3 may aggravate and IL-10 may alleviate nasal mucosal allergy.