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Yang Y, Huang Q, Cheng M, Deng L, Liu X, Zheng X, Wei J, Lei Y, Li X, Guo F, Deng Y, Zheng Y, Bi F, Wang G, Liu M. Efficacy and advantage of immunotherapy for melanoma via intramuscular co-expression of plasmid-encoded PD-1 and CTLA-4 scFvs. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:2626-2642. [PMID: 38859854 PMCID: PMC11162689 DOI: 10.62347/ljnc8404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, in the shape of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has completely changed the treatment of cancer. However, the increasing expense of treatment and the frequency of immune-related side effects, which are frequently associated with combination antibody therapies and Fc fragment of antibody, have limited the patient's ability to benefit from these treatments. Herein, we presented the therapeutic effects of the plasmid-encoded PD-1 and CTLA-4 scFvs (single-chain variable fragment) for melanoma via an optimized intramuscular gene delivery system. After a single injection, the plasmid-encoded ICI scFv in mouse sera continued to be above 150 ng/mL for 3 weeks and reached peak amounts of 600 ng/mL. Intramuscular delivery of plasmid encoding PD-1 and CTLA-4 scFvs significantly changed the tumor microenvironment, delayed tumor growth, and prolonged survival in melanoma-bearing mice. Furthermore, no significant toxicity was observed, suggesting that this approach could improve the biosafety of ICIs combination therapy. Overall, the expression of ICI scFvs in vivo using intramuscular plasmid delivery could potentially develop into a reliable, affordable, and safe immunotherapy technique, expanding the range of antibody-based gene therapy systems that are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyao Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- Department of Oncology, The Third People’s Hospital of ChengduChengdu 255415, Sichuan, China
| | - Mo Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Lu Deng
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
| | - Xun Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiufeng Zheng
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanna Lei
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaoyin Li
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Fukun Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Yu Deng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu UniversityChengdu 610106, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Feng Bi
- Department of Medical Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Gang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610064, Sichuan, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
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Yuan G, Ye M, Zhang Y, Zeng X. Challenges and strategies in relation to effective CAR-T cell immunotherapy for solid tumors. Med Oncol 2024; 41:126. [PMID: 38652178 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02310-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but its application to solid tumors is limited. CAR-T cells have poor incapability of entering, surviving, proliferating, and finally exerting function in the tumor microenvironment. This review summarizes the main strategies related to enhancing the infiltration, efficacy, antigen recognition, and production of CAR-T in solid tumors. Additional applications of CAR-γδ T and macrophages are also discussed. We believe CAR-T will be a milestone in treating solid tumors once these problems are solved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Mengke Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yixi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Xun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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Song Z, Liu P, Zhang D, Wang T, Yue W, Geng Y, Liu N, Wang Y, Yang J. In vivo expression of anti-CD19/CD3 BiTE by liver-targeted AAV for the treatment of B cell malignancies. Blood Cancer J 2024; 14:46. [PMID: 38485926 PMCID: PMC10940594 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-024-01036-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Song
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongliang Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqin Yue
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuke Geng
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jianmin Yang
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, China.
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Rojsajjakul T, Hordeaux JJ, Choudhury GR, Hinderer CJ, Mesaros C, Wilson JM, Blair IA. Quantification of human mature frataxin protein expression in nonhuman primate hearts after gene therapy. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1093. [PMID: 37891254 PMCID: PMC10611776 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05472-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Deficiency in human mature frataxin (hFXN-M) protein is responsible for the devastating neurodegenerative and cardiodegenerative disease of Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA). It results primarily through epigenetic silencing of the FXN gene by GAA triplet repeats on intron 1 of both alleles. GAA repeat lengths are most commonly between 600 and 1200 but can reach 1700. A subset of approximately 3% of FRDA patients have GAA repeats on one allele and a mutation on the other. FRDA patients die most commonly in their 30s from heart disease. Therefore, increasing expression of heart hFXN-M using gene therapy offers a way to prevent early mortality in FRDA. We used rhesus macaque monkeys to test the pharmacology of an adeno-associated virus (AAV)hu68.CB7.hFXN therapy. The advantage of using non-human primates for hFXN-M gene therapy studies is that hFXN-M and monkey FXN-M (mFXN-M) are 98.5% identical, which limits potential immunologic side-effects. However, this presented a formidable bioanalytical challenge in quantification of proteins with almost identical sequences. This could be overcome by the development of a species-specific quantitative mass spectrometry-based method, which has revealed for the first time, robust transgene-specific human protein expression in monkey heart tissue. The dose response is non-linear resulting in a ten-fold increase in monkey heart hFXN-M protein expression with only a three-fold increase in dose of the vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teerapat Rojsajjakul
- Penn/CHOP Friedreich's Ataxia Center of Excellence and Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Juliette J Hordeaux
- Gene Therapy Program, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Gourav R Choudhury
- Gene Therapy Program, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Christian J Hinderer
- Gene Therapy Program, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Clementina Mesaros
- Penn/CHOP Friedreich's Ataxia Center of Excellence and Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - James M Wilson
- Gene Therapy Program, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Ian A Blair
- Penn/CHOP Friedreich's Ataxia Center of Excellence and Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Blair I, Rojsajjakul T, Hordeaux J, Chaudhary G, Hinderer C, Mesaros C, Wilson J. Quantification of human mature frataxin protein expression in nonhuman primate hearts after gene therapy. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3121549. [PMID: 37461697 PMCID: PMC10350221 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3121549/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Deficiency in human mature frataxin (hFXN-M) protein is responsible for the devastating neurodegenerative and cardiodegenerative disease of Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA). It results primarily by epigenetic silencing the FXN gene due to up to 1400 GAA triplet repeats in intron 1 of both alleles of the gene; a subset of approximately 3% of FRDA patients have a mutation on one allele. FRDA patients die most commonly in their 30s from heart disease. Therefore, increasing expression of heart hFXN-M using gene therapy offers a way to prevent early mortality in FRDA. We used rhesus macaque monkeys to test the pharmacology of an adeno-associated virus (AAV)hu68.CB7.hFXN therapy. The advantage of using non-human primates for hFXN-M gene therapy studies is that hFXN-M and monkey FXN-M (mFXN-M) are 98.5% identical, which limits potential immunologic side-effects. However, this presented a formidable bioanalytical challenge in quantification of proteins with almost identical sequences. This was overcome by development of a species-specific quantitative mass spectrometry-based method, which revealed for the first time, robust transgene-specific human protein expression in monkey heart tissue. The dose response was non-linear resulting in a ten-fold increase in monkey heart hFXN-M protein expression with only a three-fold increase in dose of the vector.
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Gene-based delivery of immune-activating cytokines for cancer treatment. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:329-342. [PMID: 36828711 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Tumors evolve together with the tumor microenvironment (TME) and reshape it towards immunosuppression. Immunostimulating cytokines can be used to revert this state leading to effective antitumor immune responses, but their exploitation as anticancer drugs has been hampered by severe toxicity associated with systemic administration. Local, TME-targeted delivery of immune activating cytokines can deploy their antitumoral function more effectively than systemic administration while, at the same time, avoiding exposure of healthy organs and limiting toxicity. Here, we review different gene and cell therapy platforms developed for tumor-directed cytokine delivery highlighting their potential for clinical translation.
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Abstract
Gene therapy is a powerful biological tool that is reshaping therapeutic landscapes for several diseases. Researchers are using both non-viral and viral-based gene therapy methods with success in the lab and the clinic. In the cancer biology field, gene therapies are expanding treatment options and the possibility of favorable outcomes for patients. While cellular immunotherapies and oncolytic virotherapies have paved the way in cancer treatments based on genetic engineering, recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV), a viral-based module, is also emerging as a potential cancer therapeutic through its malleability, specificity, and broad application to common as well as rare tumor types, tumor microenvironments, and metastatic disease. A wide range of AAV serotypes, promoters, and transgenes have been successful at reducing tumor growth and burden in preclinical studies, suggesting more groundbreaking advances using rAAVs in cancer are on the horizon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L. Mulcrone
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Roland W. Herzog
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Weidong Xiao
- Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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Mansouri V. X-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa Gene Therapy: Preclinical Aspects. Ophthalmol Ther 2022; 12:7-34. [PMID: 36346573 PMCID: PMC9641696 DOI: 10.1007/s40123-022-00602-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common inherited eye disease is retinitis pigmentosa (RP). X-linked RP (XLRP) is one of the most severe types of RP, with a considerable disease burden. Patients with XLRP experience a decrease in their vision and become blind in their 4th decade of life, causing much morbidity after starting a rather normal life. Treatment of XLRP remains challenging, and current treatments are not effective enough in restoring vision. Gene therapy of XLRP, capable of restoring the functional RPGR gene, showed promising results in preclinical studies and clinical trials; however, to date, no approved product has entered the market. The development of a gene therapy product needs through preliminary assessment of the drug in animal models before administration to humans. In this article, we reviewed the genetic pathology of XLRP, along with the preclinical aspects of the XLRP gene therapy, animal models, associated assessments, and future challenges and directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Mansouri
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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