Quantitative temporal in vivo proteomics (QTiPs) deciphers the transition of virus-driven myeloid cells into M2 macrophages

Myeloid cells play a central role in the context of viral eradication, yet precisely how these cells differentiate throughout the course of acute infections is poorly understood. In this study, we have developed a novel quantitative temporal in vivo proteomics (QTiPs) platform to capture proteomic signatures of temporally transitioning virus-driven myeloid cells directly in situ, thus taking into consideration host–virus interactions throughout the course of an infection. QTiPs, in combination with phenotypic, functional, and metabolic analyses, elucidated a pivotal role for inflammatory CD11b⁺, Ly6G‾, Ly6C^high-low cells in antiviral immune response and viral clearance. Most importantly, the time-resolved QTiPs data set showed the transition of CD11b⁺, Ly6G‾, Ly6C^high-low cells into M2-like macrophages, which displayed increased antigen-presentation capacities and bioenergetic demands late in infection. We elucidated the pivotal role of myeloid cells in virus clearance and show how these cells phenotypically, functionally, and metabolically undergo a timely transition from inflammatory to M2-like macrophages in vivo. With respect to the growing appreciation for in vivo examination of viral–host interactions and for the role of myeloid cells, this study elucidates the use of quantitative proteomics to reveal the role and response of distinct immune cell populations throughout the course of virus infection.This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) to S.G. and P.W.L. Authors D.R.C., Y.K., and T.S. are supported by the CIHR. J.P.M. and B.E.K. are supported through the Cancer Research Training Program (CRTP) of BHCRI. D.R.C. was supported previously by CRTP from BHCRI and the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (NSHRF). Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarships fund both N.H. and P.K. Work by J.A.P. was funded in part by NIH/NIDDK grant K01 DK098285. M.P.W. was supported by a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship (108070/Z/15/Z). We acknowledge Devanand Pinto and Ken Chisholm (National Research Council) as well as Alejandro Cohen at the Dalhousie Proteomics Core Facility and Derek Rowter and Renee Raudonis at Dalhousie Flow cytometry suites

Dendritic Cells in Oncolytic Virus-Based Anti-Cancer Therapy

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells that have a notable role in the initiation and regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. In the context of cancer, appropriately activated DCs can induce anti-tumor immunity by activating innate immune cells and tumor-specific lymphocytes that target cancer cells. However, the tumor microenvironment (TME) imposes different mechanisms that facilitate the impairment of DC functions, such as inefficient antigen presentation or polarization into immunosuppressive DCs. These tumor-associated DCs thus fail to initiate tumor-specific immunity, and indirectly support tumor progression. Hence, there is increasing interest in identifying interventions that can overturn DC impairment within the TME. Many reports thus far have studied oncolytic viruses (OVs), viruses that preferentially target and kill cancer cells, for their capacity to enhance DC-mediated anti-tumor effects. Herein, we describe the general characteristics of DCs, focusing on their role in innate and adaptive immunity in the context of the TME. We also examine how DC-OV interaction affects DC recruitment, OV delivery, and anti-tumor immunity activation. Understanding these roles of DCs in the TME and OV infection is critical in devising strategies to further harness the anti-tumor effects of both DCs and OVs, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of OV-based oncotherapy