1
|
Egli L, Kaulfuss M, Mietz J, Picozzi A, Verhoeyen E, Münz C, Chijioke O. CAR T cells outperform CAR NK cells in CAR-mediated effector functions in head-to-head comparison. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:51. [PMID: 38745250 PMCID: PMC11092129 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00522-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CAR NK cells as vehicles for engineered "off-the-shelf" cellular cancer immunotherapy have attracted significant interest. Nonetheless, a comprehensive comparative assessment of the anticancer activity of CAR T cells and CAR NK cells carrying approved benchmark anti-CD19 CAR constructs is missing. Here, we report a direct head-to-head comparison of CD19-directed human T and NK cells. METHODS We generated CAR T and CAR NK cells derived from healthy donor PBMC by retroviral transduction with the same benchmark second-generation anti-CD19 CAR construct, FMC63.28z. We investigated IFN-γ secretion and direct cytotoxicity in vitro against various CD19+ cancer cell lines as well as in autologous versus allogeneic settings. Furthermore, we have assessed anticancer activity of CAR T and CAR NK cells in vivo using a xenograft lymphoma model in an autologous versus allogeneic setting and a leukemia model. RESULTS Our main findings are a drastically reduced capacity for CAR-mediated IFN-γ production and lower CAR-mediated cytotoxicity of CAR NK cells relative to CAR T cells in vitro. Consistent with these in vitro findings, we report superior anticancer activity of autologous CAR T cells compared with allogeneic CAR NK cells in vivo. CONCLUSIONS CAR T cells had significantly higher CAR-mediated effector functions than CAR NK cells in vitro against several cancer cell lines and autologous CAR T cells outperformed allogeneic CAR NK cells both in vitro and in vivo. CAR NK cells will likely benefit from further engineering to enhance anticancer activity to ultimately fulfill the promise of an effective off-the-shelf product.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Egli
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Meike Kaulfuss
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Mietz
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arianna Picozzi
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Els Verhoeyen
- International Center for Infectiology, research team Enveloped Viruses, Vectors and Innate Responses, Institut national de la Santé et de la recherche médicale, unité 1111, Unité mixte de recherche 5308, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut National de La Santé Et de La Recherche Médicale, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
| | - Christian Münz
- Viral Immunobiology, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Obinna Chijioke
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lin H, Liu C, Hu A, Zhang D, Yang H, Mao Y. Understanding the immunosuppressive microenvironment of glioma: mechanistic insights and clinical perspectives. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:31. [PMID: 38720342 PMCID: PMC11077829 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01544-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM), the predominant and primary malignant intracranial tumor, poses a formidable challenge due to its immunosuppressive microenvironment, thereby confounding conventional therapeutic interventions. Despite the established treatment regimen comprising surgical intervention, radiotherapy, temozolomide administration, and the exploration of emerging modalities such as immunotherapy and integration of medicine and engineering technology therapy, the efficacy of these approaches remains constrained, resulting in suboptimal prognostic outcomes. In recent years, intensive scrutiny of the inhibitory and immunosuppressive milieu within GBM has underscored the significance of cellular constituents of the GBM microenvironment and their interactions with malignant cells and neurons. Novel immune and targeted therapy strategies have emerged, offering promising avenues for advancing GBM treatment. One pivotal mechanism orchestrating immunosuppression in GBM involves the aggregation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), glioma-associated macrophage/microglia (GAM), and regulatory T cells (Tregs). Among these, MDSCs, though constituting a minority (4-8%) of CD45+ cells in GBM, play a central component in fostering immune evasion and propelling tumor progression, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. MDSCs deploy intricate immunosuppressive mechanisms that adapt to the dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the interplay between GBM and MDSCs provides a compelling basis for therapeutic interventions. This review seeks to elucidate the immune regulatory mechanisms inherent in the GBM microenvironment, explore existing therapeutic targets, and consolidate recent insights into MDSC induction and their contribution to GBM immunosuppression. Additionally, the review comprehensively surveys ongoing clinical trials and potential treatment strategies, envisioning a future where targeting MDSCs could reshape the immune landscape of GBM. Through the synergistic integration of immunotherapy with other therapeutic modalities, this approach can establish a multidisciplinary, multi-target paradigm, ultimately improving the prognosis and quality of life in patients with GBM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaxian Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ankang Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Duanwu Zhang
- Children's Hospital of Fudan University, and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, International Co-Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hui Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- Institute for Translational Brain Research, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ying Mao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- National Center for Neurological Disorders, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bagley SJ, Logun M, Fraietta JA, Wang X, Desai AS, Bagley LJ, Nabavizadeh A, Jarocha D, Martins R, Maloney E, Lledo L, Stein C, Marshall A, Leskowitz R, Jadlowsky JK, Christensen S, Oner BS, Plesa G, Brennan A, Gonzalez V, Chen F, Sun Y, Gladney W, Barrett D, Nasrallah MP, Hwang WT, Ming GL, Song H, Siegel DL, June CH, Hexner EO, Binder ZA, O'Rourke DM. Intrathecal bivalent CAR T cells targeting EGFR and IL13Rα2 in recurrent glioblastoma: phase 1 trial interim results. Nat Med 2024; 30:1320-1329. [PMID: 38480922 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02893-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) remains a major unmet medical need, with a median overall survival of less than 1 year. Here we report the first six patients with rGBM treated in a phase 1 trial of intrathecally delivered bivalent chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13Rα2). The study's primary endpoints were safety and determination of the maximum tolerated dose. Secondary endpoints reported in this interim analysis include the frequency of manufacturing failures and objective radiographic response (ORR) according to modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. All six patients had progressive, multifocal disease at the time of treatment. In both dose level 1 (1 ×107 cells; n = 3) and dose level 2 (2.5 × 107 cells; n = 3), administration of CART-EGFR-IL13Rα2 cells was associated with early-onset neurotoxicity, most consistent with immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and managed with high-dose dexamethasone and anakinra (anti-IL1R). One patient in dose level 2 experienced a dose-limiting toxicity (grade 3 anorexia, generalized muscle weakness and fatigue). Reductions in enhancement and tumor size at early magnetic resonance imaging timepoints were observed in all six patients; however, none met criteria for ORR. In exploratory endpoint analyses, substantial CAR T cell abundance and cytokine release in the cerebrospinal fluid were detected in all six patients. Taken together, these first-in-human data demonstrate the preliminary safety and bioactivity of CART-EGFR-IL13Rα2 cells in rGBM. An encouraging early efficacy signal was also detected and requires confirmation with additional patients and longer follow-up time. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05168423 .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Bagley
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Meghan Logun
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joseph A Fraietta
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Arati S Desai
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linda J Bagley
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ali Nabavizadeh
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Danuta Jarocha
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rene Martins
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eileen Maloney
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lester Lledo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Carly Stein
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy Marshall
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rachel Leskowitz
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julie K Jadlowsky
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shannon Christensen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bike Su Oner
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gabriela Plesa
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrea Brennan
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Vanessa Gonzalez
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fang Chen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yusha Sun
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - David Barrett
- Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - MacLean P Nasrallah
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wei-Ting Hwang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Donald L Siegel
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Carl H June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth O Hexner
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zev A Binder
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Donald M O'Rourke
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xu MY, Zeng N, Liu CQ, Sun JX, An Y, Zhang SH, Xu JZ, Zhong XY, Ma SY, He HD, Hu J, Xia QD, Wang SG. Enhanced cellular therapy: revolutionizing adoptive cellular therapy. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:47. [PMID: 38664743 PMCID: PMC11046957 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00506-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhanced cellular therapy has emerged as a novel concept following the basis of cellular therapy. This treatment modality applied drugs or biotechnology to directly enhance or genetically modify cells to enhance the efficacy of adoptive cellular therapy (ACT). Drugs or biotechnology that enhance the killing ability of immune cells include immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) / antibody drugs, small molecule inhibitors, immunomodulatory factors, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC), oncolytic virus (OV), etc. Firstly, overcoming the inhibitory tumor microenvironment (TME) can enhance the efficacy of ACT, which can be achieved by blocking the immune checkpoint. Secondly, cytokines or cytokine receptors can be expressed by genetic engineering or added directly to adoptive cells to enhance the migration and infiltration of adoptive cells to tumor cells. Moreover, multi-antigen chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) can be designed to enhance the specific recognition of tumor cell-related antigens, and OVs can also stimulate antigen release. In addition to inserting suicide genes into adoptive cells, PROTAC technology can be used as a safety switch or degradation agent of immunosuppressive factors to enhance the safety and efficacy of adoptive cells. This article comprehensively summarizes the mechanism, current situation, and clinical application of enhanced cellular therapy, describing potential improvements to adoptive cellular therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yao Xu
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Na Zeng
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Chen-Qian Liu
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jian-Xuan Sun
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ye An
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Si-Han Zhang
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jin-Zhou Xu
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Xing-Yu Zhong
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Si-Yang Ma
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Hao-Dong He
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jia Hu
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qi-Dong Xia
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Shao-Gang Wang
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hatae R, Kyewalabye K, Yamamichi A, Chen T, Phyu S, Chuntova P, Nejo T, Levine LS, Spitzer MH, Okada H. Enhancing CAR-T cell metabolism to overcome hypoxic conditions in the brain tumor microenvironment. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e177141. [PMID: 38386420 PMCID: PMC11128202 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.177141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has been limited against brain tumors to date. CAR-T cells infiltrating syngeneic intracerebral SB28 EGFRvIII gliomas revealed impaired mitochondrial ATP production and a markedly hypoxic status compared with ones migrating to subcutaneous tumors. Drug screenings to improve metabolic states of T cells under hypoxic conditions led us to evaluate the combination of the AMPK activator metformin and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (Met+Rap). Met+Rap-pretreated mouse CAR-T cells showed activated PPAR-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) through mTOR inhibition and AMPK activation, and a higher level of mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity than those pretreated with individual drugs or without pretreatment. Moreover, Met+Rap-pretreated CAR-T cells demonstrated persistent and effective antiglioma cytotoxic activities in the hypoxic condition. Furthermore, a single intravenous infusion of Met+Rap-pretreated CAR-T cells significantly extended the survival of mice bearing intracerebral SB28 EGFRvIII gliomas. Mass cytometric analyses highlighted increased glioma-infiltrating CAR-T cells in the Met+Rap group, with fewer Ly6c+CD11b+ monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumors. Finally, human CAR-T cells pretreated with Met+Rap recapitulated the observations with murine CAR-T cells, demonstrating improved functions under in vitro hypoxic conditions. These findings advocate for translational and clinical exploration of Met+Rap-pretreated CAR-T cells in human trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Su Phyu
- Department of Neurological Surgery
| | | | | | - Lauren S. Levine
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Matthew H. Spitzer
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurological Surgery
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang P, Ying P, Li H, Zhao N, Liu R, Li S, Xu W, Tang Y, Tang Y. A novel safer CD19CAR with shRNA interference of IFN-γ can reduce multiple cytokine levels without significantly compromising its killing efficacy. Apoptosis 2024; 29:556-567. [PMID: 38114800 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-023-01925-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a great challenge for the application of anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of knocking down interferon gamma (IFN-γ) by shRNA as a potential strategy to reduce the cytokine storms. A newly designed short hairpin interference RNA of IFN-γ (shIFN-γ) in CD19CAR gene was constructed. Several cellular model systems of approach using Nalm-6 cell lines including Nalm-6CD19pos and Nalm-6CD19neg with or without monocytes and endothelial cells were used to analyze the different levels of cytokines after shIFN-γ-anti-CD19CAR-T cell targeted therapy. The activity of this novel CD19CAR-T was evaluated both in vitro and in NSG mouse model. The killing efficacy of shIFN-γ-anti-CD19CAR-T at the E:T ratio of 2:1 was similar to that of regular anti-CD19CAR-T at the E:T ratio of 1:1. The IFN-γ level in the shIFN-γ-anti-CD19CAR-T cell group was (2673.1 ± 307.4) pg/ml at the E:T ratio of 2:1 which was significantly lower than that ((8261.5 ± 345.5) pg/ml) in the regular anti-CD19CAR-T group at the E:T ratio of 1:1. Cytotoxicity experiments in vitro showed significantly reduced concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNFα in the shIFN-γ-anti-CD19CAR-T cell group compared to regular anti-CD19CAR-T cell group. Both regular anti-CD19CAR and shIFN-γ-CD19CAR-T exerted bystander killing effect in vitro. We conclude that shIFN-γ-anti-CD19CAR-T cells can reduce the generation of cytokine storms without significantly compromising their therapeutic efficacy in the preclinical setting. In mouse model, 3 × 106 shIFN-γ-anti-CD19CAR-T cells/mouse generated the similar killing efficacy to that with 2 × 106 regular anti-CD19CAR-T cells/mouse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhang
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Peiting Ying
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Hongzhe Li
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Ning Zhao
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Rongrong Liu
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Sisi Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, No. 50, Huzhou Street, Gongshu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310015, PR China
| | - Weiqun Xu
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China
| | - Yang Tang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevetion and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical Sciences), The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 310009, PR China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for CANCER, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, China.
| | - Yongmin Tang
- Department/Center of Hematology-oncology, Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, PR China.
- Pediatric Leukemia Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology Research Center of Zhejiang Province, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, #57 Zhuganxiang Road, Yan-an Street, Hangzhou, 310003, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Brown CE, Hibbard JC, Alizadeh D, Blanchard MS, Natri HM, Wang D, Ostberg JR, Aguilar B, Wagner JR, Paul JA, Starr R, Wong RA, Chen W, Shulkin N, Aftabizadeh M, Filippov A, Chaudhry A, Ressler JA, Kilpatrick J, Myers-McNamara P, Chen M, Wang LD, Rockne RC, Georges J, Portnow J, Barish ME, D'Apuzzo M, Banovich NE, Forman SJ, Badie B. Locoregional delivery of IL-13Rα2-targeting CAR-T cells in recurrent high-grade glioma: a phase 1 trial. Nat Med 2024; 30:1001-1012. [PMID: 38454126 PMCID: PMC11031404 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02875-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is an emerging strategy to improve treatment outcomes for recurrent high-grade glioma, a cancer that responds poorly to current therapies. Here we report a completed phase I trial evaluating IL-13Rα2-targeted CAR-T cells in 65 patients with recurrent high-grade glioma, the majority being recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM). Primary objectives were safety and feasibility, maximum tolerated dose/maximum feasible dose and a recommended phase 2 dose plan. Secondary objectives included overall survival, disease response, cytokine dynamics and tumor immune contexture biomarkers. This trial evolved to evaluate three routes of locoregional T cell administration (intratumoral (ICT), intraventricular (ICV) and dual ICT/ICV) and two manufacturing platforms, culminating in arm 5, which utilized dual ICT/ICV delivery and an optimized manufacturing process. Locoregional CAR-T cell administration was feasible and well tolerated, and as there were no dose-limiting toxicities across all arms, a maximum tolerated dose was not determined. Probable treatment-related grade 3+ toxicities were one grade 3 encephalopathy and one grade 3 ataxia. A clinical maximum feasible dose of 200 × 106 CAR-T cells per infusion cycle was achieved for arm 5; however, other arms either did not test or achieve this dose due to manufacturing feasibility. A recommended phase 2 dose will be refined in future studies based on data from this trial. Stable disease or better was achieved in 50% (29/58) of patients, with two partial responses, one complete response and a second complete response after additional CAR-T cycles off protocol. For rGBM, median overall survival for all patients was 7.7 months and for arm 5 was 10.2 months. Central nervous system increases in inflammatory cytokines, including IFNγ, CXCL9 and CXCL10, were associated with CAR-T cell administration and bioactivity. Pretreatment intratumoral CD3 T cell levels were positively associated with survival. These findings demonstrate that locoregional IL-13Rα2-targeted CAR-T therapy is safe with promising clinical activity in a subset of patients. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02208362 .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA.
| | - Jonathan C Hibbard
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Darya Alizadeh
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - M Suzette Blanchard
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Heini M Natri
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, and Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Julie R Ostberg
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jamie R Wagner
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jinny A Paul
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Robyn A Wong
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Wuyang Chen
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Noah Shulkin
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Maryam Aftabizadeh
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Aleksandr Filippov
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ammar Chaudhry
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Julie A Ressler
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Julie Kilpatrick
- Department of Clinical Research, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Paige Myers-McNamara
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Mike Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Leo D Wang
- Departments of Immuno-Oncology and Pediatrics, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Russell C Rockne
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Georges
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Jana Portnow
- Department of Medical Oncology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Michael E Barish
- Department of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Massimo D'Apuzzo
- Department of Pathology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | | | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Behnam Badie
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Gutova M, Hibbard JC, Ma E, Natri HM, Adhikarla V, Chimge NO, Qiu R, Nguyen C, Melendez E, Aguilar B, Starr R, Yin H, Rockne RC, Ono M, Banovich NE, Yuan YC, Brown CE, Kahn M. Targeting Wnt signaling for improved glioma immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1342625. [PMID: 38449858 PMCID: PMC10915090 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1342625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite aggressive standard-of-care therapy, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, glioblastoma recurrence is almost inevitable and uniformly lethal. Activation of glioma-intrinsic Wnt/β-catenin signaling is associated with a poor prognosis and the proliferation of glioma stem-like cells, leading to malignant transformation and tumor progression. Impressive results in a subset of cancers have been obtained using immunotherapies including anti-CTLA4, anti-PD-1, and anti-PD-L1 or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies. However, the heterogeneity of tumors, low mutational burden, single antigen targeting, and associated antigen escape contribute to non-responsiveness and potential tumor recurrence despite these therapeutic efforts. In the current study, we determined the effects of the small molecule, highly specific Wnt/CBP (CREB Binding Protein)/β-catenin antagonist ICG-001, on glioma tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME)-including its effect on immune cell infiltration, blood vessel decompression, and metabolic changes. Methods Using multiple glioma patient-derived xenografts cell lines and murine tumors (GL261, K-Luc), we demonstrated in vitro cytostatic effects and a switch from proliferation to differentiation after treatment with ICG-001. Results In these glioma cell lines, we further demonstrated that ICG-001 downregulated the CBP/β-catenin target gene Survivin/BIRC5-a hallmark of Wnt/CBP/β-catenin inhibition. We found that in a syngeneic mouse model of glioma (K-luc), ICG-001 treatment enhanced tumor infiltration by CD3+ and CD8+ cells with increased expression of the vascular endothelial marker CD31 (PECAM-1). We also observed differential gene expression and induced immune cell infiltration in tumors pretreated with ICG-001 and then treated with CAR T cells as compared with single treatment groups or when ICG-001 treatment was administered after CAR T cell therapy. Discussion We conclude that specific Wnt/CBP/β-catenin antagonism results in pleotropic changes in the glioma TME, including glioma stem cell differentiation, modulation of the stroma, and immune cell activation and recruitment, thereby suggesting a possible role for enhancing immunotherapy in glioma patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Gutova
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan C. Hibbard
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell transplantation (T cell Therapeutic Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Eric Ma
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell transplantation (T cell Therapeutic Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Heini M. Natri
- Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Vikram Adhikarla
- Division of Mathematical Oncology, Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Nyam-Osor Chimge
- Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Runxiang Qiu
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Cu Nguyen
- Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Melendez
- Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell transplantation (T cell Therapeutic Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell transplantation (T cell Therapeutic Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Holly Yin
- Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Russel C. Rockne
- Division of Mathematical Oncology, Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | | | | | - Yate-Ching Yuan
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Christine E. Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell transplantation (T cell Therapeutic Research Laboratories), City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Michael Kahn
- Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Liao YM, Hsu SH, Chiou SS. Harnessing the Transcriptional Signatures of CAR-T-Cells and Leukemia/Lymphoma Using Single-Cell Sequencing Technologies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2416. [PMID: 38397092 PMCID: PMC10889174 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042416] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy has greatly improved outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory hematological malignancies. However, challenges such as treatment resistance, relapse, and severe toxicity still hinder its widespread clinical application. Traditional transcriptome analysis has provided limited insights into the complex transcriptional landscape of both leukemia cells and engineered CAR-T-cells, as well as their interactions within the tumor microenvironment. However, with the advent of single-cell sequencing techniques, a paradigm shift has occurred, providing robust tools to unravel the complexities of these factors. These techniques enable an unbiased analysis of cellular heterogeneity and molecular patterns. These insights are invaluable for precise receptor design, guiding gene-based T-cell modification, and optimizing manufacturing conditions. Consequently, this review utilizes modern single-cell sequencing techniques to clarify the transcriptional intricacies of leukemia cells and CAR-Ts. The aim of this manuscript is to discuss the potential mechanisms that contribute to the clinical failures of CAR-T immunotherapy. We examine the biological characteristics of CAR-Ts, the mechanisms that govern clinical responses, and the intricacies of adverse events. By exploring these aspects, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of CAR-T therapy, which will ultimately lead to improved clinical outcomes and broader therapeutic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Mei Liao
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan;
| | - Shih-Hsien Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center of Applied Genomics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| | - Shyh-Shin Chiou
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan;
- Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Center of Applied Genomics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang X, Tokarew NJA, Borgelt N, Siemer R, Melo CC, Langer C, Kasampalidis I, Ogusuku IEY, Cathomen T, Gessner I, Dose C, Fauerbach JA, Richter A, Evaristo C. Artificial Targets: a versatile cell-free platform to characterize CAR T cell function in vitro. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1254162. [PMID: 38433827 PMCID: PMC10906080 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1254162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have tremendous potential and proven clinical efficacy against a number of malignancies. Research and development are emerging to deepen the knowledge of CAR T cell efficacy and extend the therapeutic potential of this novel therapy. To this end, functional characterization of CAR T cells plays a central role in consecutive phases across fundamental research and therapeutic development, with increasing needs for standardization. The functional characterization of CAR T cells is typically achieved by assessing critical effector functions, following co-culture with cell lines expressing the target antigen. However, the use of target cell lines poses several limitations, including alterations in cell fitness, metabolic state or genetic drift due to handling and culturing of the cells, which would increase variabilities and could lead to inconsistent results. Moreover, the use of target cell lines can be work and time intensive, and introduce significant background due to the allogenic responses of T cells. To overcome these limitations, we developed a synthetic bead-based platform ("Artificial Targets") to characterize CAR T cell function in vitro. These synthetic microparticles could specifically induce CAR T cell activation, as measured by CD69 and CD137 (4-1BB) upregulation. In addition, engagement with Artificial Targets resulted in induction of multiple effector functions of CAR T cells mimicking the response triggered by target cell lines including cytotoxic activity, as assessed by exposure of CD107a (LAMP-1), expression and secretion of cytokines, as well as cell proliferation. Importantly, in contrast to target cells, stimulation with Artificial Targets showed limited unspecific CAR T cell proliferation. Finally, Artificial Targets demonstrated flexibility to engage multiple costimulatory molecules that can synergistically enhance the CAR T cell function and represented a powerful tool for modulating CAR T cell responses. Collectively, our results show that Artificial Targets can specifically activate CAR T cells for essential effector functions that could significantly advance standardization of functional assessment of CAR T cells, from early development to clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xueting Wang
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nicholas J. A. Tokarew
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Nadine Borgelt
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Ramona Siemer
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Cristiane Casonato Melo
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), Salzburg, Austria
| | - Christian Langer
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Ioannis Kasampalidis
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Isabella E. Y. Ogusuku
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Toni Cathomen
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Gessner
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Christian Dose
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Jonathan A. Fauerbach
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Anne Richter
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - César Evaristo
- Chemical Biology Department, R&D Reagents, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ramos A, Koch CE, Liu-Lupo Y, Hellinger RD, Kyung T, Abbott KL, Fröse J, Goulet D, Gordon KS, Eidell KP, Leclerc P, Whittaker CA, Larson RC, Muscato AJ, Yates KB, Dubrot J, Doench JG, Regev A, Vander Heiden MG, Maus MV, Manguso RT, Birnbaum ME, Hemann MT. Leukemia-intrinsic determinants of CAR-T response revealed by iterative in vivo genome-wide CRISPR screening. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8048. [PMID: 38052854 PMCID: PMC10698189 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43790-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CAR-T therapy is a promising, novel treatment modality for B-cell malignancies and yet many patients relapse through a variety of means, including loss of CAR-T cells and antigen escape. To investigate leukemia-intrinsic CAR-T resistance mechanisms, we performed genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screens in an immunocompetent murine model of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) utilizing a modular guide RNA library. We identified IFNγR/JAK/STAT signaling and components of antigen processing and presentation pathway as key mediators of resistance to CAR-T therapy in vivo; intriguingly, loss of this pathway yielded the opposite effect in vitro (sensitized leukemia to CAR-T cells). Transcriptional characterization of this model demonstrated upregulation of these pathways in tumors relapsed after CAR-T treatment, and functional studies showed a surprising role for natural killer (NK) cells in engaging this resistance program. Finally, examination of data from B-ALL patients treated with CAR-T revealed an association between poor outcomes and increased expression of JAK/STAT and MHC-I in leukemia cells. Overall, our data identify an unexpected mechanism of resistance to CAR-T therapy in which tumor cell interaction with the in vivo tumor microenvironment, including NK cells, induces expression of an adaptive, therapy-induced, T-cell resistance program in tumor cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Azucena Ramos
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Catherine E Koch
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yunpeng Liu-Lupo
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Riley D Hellinger
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Taeyoon Kyung
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Keene L Abbott
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julia Fröse
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Goulet
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Khloe S Gordon
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Keith P Eidell
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Paul Leclerc
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca C Larson
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Immunology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Audrey J Muscato
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Kathleen B Yates
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Juan Dubrot
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
- Solid Tumors Program, Division of Oncology, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - John G Doench
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Matthew G Vander Heiden
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcela V Maus
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Immunology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
- Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Robert T Manguso
- Immunology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142, USA
| | - Michael E Birnbaum
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael T Hemann
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Liu L, Yoon CW, Yuan Z, Guo T, Qu Y, He P, Yu X, Zhu Z, Limsakul P, Wang Y. Cellular and molecular imaging of CAR-T cell-based immunotherapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 203:115135. [PMID: 37931847 PMCID: PMC11052581 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as a transformative therapeutic strategy for hematological malignancies. However, its efficacy in treating solid tumors remains limited. An in-depth and comprehensive understanding of CAR-T cell signaling pathways and the ability to track CAR-T cell biodistribution and activation in real-time within the tumor microenvironment will be instrumental in designing the next generation of CAR-T cells for solid tumor therapy. This review summarizes the signaling network and the cellular and molecular imaging tools and platforms that are utilized in CAR-T cell-based immune therapies, covering both in vitro and in vivo studies. Firstly, we provide an overview of the existing understanding of the activation and cytotoxic mechanisms of CAR-T cells, compared to the mechanism of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathways. We further describe the commonly employed tools for live cell imaging, coupled with recent research progress, with a focus on genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs) and biosensors. We then discuss the utility of diverse in vivo imaging modalities, including fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and photoacoustic (PA) imaging, for noninvasive monitoring of CAR-T cell dynamics within tumor tissues, thereby providing critical insights into therapy's strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges and future directions of CAR-T cell therapy from the imaging perspective. We foresee that a comprehensive and integrative approach to CAR-T cell imaging will enable the development of more effective treatments for solid tumors in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longwei Liu
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Chi Woo Yoon
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Zhou Yuan
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Tianze Guo
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Yunjia Qu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Peixiang He
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Xi Yu
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Ziyue Zhu
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Praopim Limsakul
- Division of Physical Science, Faculty of Science and Center of Excellence for Trace Analysis and Biosensor, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Yingxiao Wang
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Maura F, Boyle EM, Coffey D, Maclachlan K, Gagler D, Diamond B, Ghamlouch H, Blaney P, Ziccheddu B, Cirrincione A, Chojnacka M, Wang Y, Siegel A, Hoffman JE, Kazandjian D, Hassoun H, Guzman E, Mailankody S, Shah UA, Tan C, Hultcrantz M, Scordo M, Shah GL, Landau H, Chung DJ, Giralt S, Zhang Y, Arbini A, Gao Q, Roshal M, Dogan A, Lesokhin AM, Davies FE, Usmani SZ, Korde N, Morgan GJ, Landgren O. Genomic and immune signatures predict clinical outcome in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with immunotherapy regimens. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:1660-1674. [PMID: 37945755 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00657-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite improving outcomes, 40% of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with regimens containing daratumumab, a CD38-targeted monoclonal antibody, progress prematurely. By integrating tumor whole-genome and microenvironment single-cell RNA sequencing from upfront phase 2 trials using carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone with daratumumab ( NCT03290950 ), we show how distinct genomic drivers including high APOBEC mutational activity, IKZF3 and RPL5 deletions and 8q gain affect clinical outcomes. Furthermore, evaluation of paired bone marrow profiles, taken before and after eight cycles of carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone with daratumumab, shows that numbers of natural killer cells before treatment, high T cell receptor diversity before treatment, the disappearance of sustained immune activation (that is, B cells and T cells) and monocyte expansion over time are all predictive of sustained minimal residual disease negativity. Overall, this study provides strong evidence of a complex interplay between tumor cells and the immune microenvironment that is predictive of clinical outcome and depth of treatment response in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with highly effective combinations containing anti-CD38 antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Maura
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Eileen M Boyle
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Coffey
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kylee Maclachlan
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dylan Gagler
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Diamond
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Hussein Ghamlouch
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick Blaney
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bachisio Ziccheddu
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Anthony Cirrincione
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Monika Chojnacka
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Yubao Wang
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ariel Siegel
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - James E Hoffman
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Dickran Kazandjian
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Hani Hassoun
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily Guzman
- Genome Technology Center, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sham Mailankody
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Urvi A Shah
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carlyn Tan
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Malin Hultcrantz
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Scordo
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Hematopathology Service, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gunjan L Shah
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heather Landau
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - David J Chung
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sergio Giralt
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arnaldo Arbini
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qi Gao
- Hematopathology Service, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mikhail Roshal
- Hematopathology Service, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ahmet Dogan
- Hematopathology Service, Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander M Lesokhin
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Faith E Davies
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Saad Z Usmani
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neha Korde
- Myeloma Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gareth J Morgan
- Myeloma Research Program, NYU Langone, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ola Landgren
- Myeloma Division, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Yang Y, Louie R, Puc J, Vedvyas Y, Alcaina Y, Min IM, Britz M, Luciani F, Jin MM. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy Targeting Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule in Gastric Cancer: Mechanisms of Tumor Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5552. [PMID: 38067255 PMCID: PMC10705754 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15235552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a tumor-associated antigen that is frequently overexpressed in various carcinomas. We have developed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells specifically targeting EpCAM for the treatment of gastric cancer. This study sought to unravel the precise mechanisms by which tumors evade immune surveillance and develop resistance to CAR T cell therapy. Through a combination of whole-body CAR T cell imaging and single-cell multiomic analyses, we uncovered intricate interactions between tumors and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). In a gastric cancer model, tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells exhibited both cytotoxic and exhausted phenotypes, while CD4 T cells were mainly regulatory T cells. A T cell receptor (TCR) clonal analysis provided evidence of CAR T cell proliferation and clonal expansion within resistant tumors, which was substantiated by whole-body CAR T cell imaging. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics showed that tumor cells in mice with refractory or relapsing outcomes were enriched for genes involved in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and antigen presentation pathways, interferon-γ and interferon-α responses, mitochondrial activities, and a set of genes (e.g., CD74, IDO1, IFI27) linked to tumor progression and unfavorable disease prognoses. This research highlights an approach that combines imaging and multiomic methodologies to concurrently characterize the evolution of tumors and the differentiation of CAR T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Yang
- Department of Radiology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA (I.M.M.)
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Raymond Louie
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
| | - Janusz Puc
- AffyImmune Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
| | - Yogindra Vedvyas
- Department of Radiology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA (I.M.M.)
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Yago Alcaina
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Irene M. Min
- Department of Radiology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA (I.M.M.)
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Matt Britz
- AffyImmune Therapeutics, Inc., Natick, MA 01760, USA
| | - Fabio Luciani
- School of Medical Sciences and Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Moonsoo M. Jin
- Department of Radiology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA (I.M.M.)
- Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute, Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA;
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Hatae R, Kyewalabye K, Yamamichi A, Chen T, Phyu S, Chuntova P, Nejo T, Levine LS, Spitzer MH, Okada H. Enhancing CAR-T Cell Metabolism to Overcome Hypoxic Conditions in the Brain Tumor Microenvironment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.13.566775. [PMID: 38014236 PMCID: PMC10680638 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.566775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy has been limited against brain tumors to date. CAR-T cells infiltrating syngeneic intracerebral SB28-EGFRvIII glioma revealed impaired mitochondrial ATP production and a markedly hypoxic status compared to ones migrating to subcutaneous tumors. Drug screenings to improve metabolic states of T cells under hypoxic conditions led us to evaluate the combination of AMPK activator Metformin and the mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin (Met+Rap). Met+Rap-pretreated mouse CAR-T cells showed activated PPAR-gamma coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) through mTOR inhibition and AMPK activation, and a higher level of mitochondrial spare respiratory capacity than those pretreated with individual drugs or without pretreatment. Moreover, Met+Rap-pretreated CAR-T cells demonstrated persistent and effective anti-glioma cytotoxic activities in the hypoxic condition. Furthermore, a single intravenous infusion of Met+Rap-pretreated CAR-T cells significantly extended the survival of mice bearing intracerebral SB28-EGFRvIII gliomas. Mass cytometric analyses highlighted increased glioma-infiltrating CAR-T cells in the Met+Rap group with fewer Ly6c+ CD11b+ monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumors. Finally, human CAR-T cells pretreated with Met+Rap recapitulated the observations with murine CAR-T cells, demonstrating improved functions in vitro hypoxic conditions. These findings advocate for translational and clinical exploration of Met+Rap-pretreated CAR-T cells in human trials.
Collapse
|
16
|
Branella GM, Lee JY, Okalova J, Parwani KK, Alexander JS, Arthuzo RF, Fedanov A, Yu B, McCarty D, Brown HC, Chandrakasan S, Petrich BG, Doering CB, Spencer HT. Ligand-based targeting of c-kit using engineered γδ T cells as a strategy for treating acute myeloid leukemia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1294555. [PMID: 38022523 PMCID: PMC10679681 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1294555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy or bi-specific T cell engager (BiTE) therapy to manage myeloid malignancies has proven more challenging than for B-cell malignancies. This is attributed to a shortage of leukemia-specific cell-surface antigens that distinguish healthy from malignant myeloid populations, and the inability to manage myeloid depletion unlike B-cell aplasia. Therefore, the development of targeted therapeutics for myeloid malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), requires new approaches. Herein, we developed a ligand-based CAR and secreted bi-specific T cell engager (sBite) to target c-kit using its cognate ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). c-kit is highly expressed on AML blasts and correlates with resistance to chemotherapy and poor prognosis, making it an ideal candidate for which to develop targeted therapeutics. We utilize γδ T cells as a cytotoxic alternative to αβ T cells and a transient transfection system as both a safety precaution and switch to remove alloreactive modified cells that may hinder successful transplant. Additionally, the use of γδ T cells permits its use as an allogeneic, off-the-shelf therapeutic. To this end, we show mSCF CAR- and hSCF sBite-modified γδ T cells are proficient in killing c-kit+ AML cell lines and sca-1+ murine bone marrow cells in vitro. In vivo, hSCF sBite-modified γδ T cells moderately extend survival of NSG mice engrafted with disseminated AML, but therapeutic efficacy is limited by lack of γδ T-cell homing to murine bone marrow. Together, these data demonstrate preclinical efficacy and support further investigation of SCF-based γδ T-cell therapeutics for the treatment of myeloid malignancies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gianna M. Branella
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jasmine Y. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jennifer Okalova
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Systems Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kiran K. Parwani
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jordan S. Alexander
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Raquel F. Arthuzo
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Andrew Fedanov
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Bing Yu
- Expression Therapeutics, Inc., Tucker, GA, United States
| | - David McCarty
- Expression Therapeutics, Inc., Tucker, GA, United States
| | | | - Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Christopher B. Doering
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Systems Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - H. Trent Spencer
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Systems Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Guo Y, Tong C, Wu Z, Lu Y, Wang Y, Han W. Reciprocal activation of antigen-presenting cells and CAR T cells triggers a widespread endogenous anti-tumor immune response through sustained high-level IFNγ production. Cancer Biol Med 2023; 20:j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0324. [PMID: 37929324 PMCID: PMC10690879 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yelei Guo
- Department of Bio-therapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Chuan Tong
- Department of Bio-therapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wu
- Department of Bio-therapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Yuting Lu
- Department of Bio-therapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Bio-therapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Weidong Han
- Department of Bio-therapeutic, the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Alizadeh D, Brown CE. CAR T cells ignite antitumor immunity. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:748-750. [PMID: 37652814 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.08.002] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Broadening immune responses through antigen spreading remains the 'Holy Grail' of cancer immunotherapy. A study by Ma and colleagues reveals that vaccine boosting of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells in mice promotes endogenous immunity and elicits antigen spread to eliminate antigenically heterogenous solid tumors through a mechanism crucially dependent on interferon (IFN)γ.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Darya Alizadeh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhao H, Liu R, Wang L, Tang F, Chen W, Liu YN. Artificial Macrophage with Hierarchical Nanostructure for Biomimetic Reconstruction of Antitumor Immunity. NANO-MICRO LETTERS 2023; 15:216. [PMID: 37737506 PMCID: PMC10516848 DOI: 10.1007/s40820-023-01193-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Artificial cells are constructed from synthetic materials to imitate the biological functions of natural cells. By virtue of nanoengineering techniques, artificial cells with designed biomimetic functions provide alternatives to natural cells, showing vast potential for biomedical applications. Especially in cancer treatment, the deficiency of immunoactive macrophages results in tumor progression and immune resistance. To overcome the limitation, a BaSO4@ZIF-8/transferrin (TRF) nanomacrophage (NMΦ) is herein constructed as an alternative to immunoactive macrophages. Alike to natural immunoactive macrophages, NMΦ is stably retained in tumors through the specific affinity of TRF to tumor cells. Zn2+ as an "artificial cytokine" is then released from the ZIF-8 layer of NMΦ under tumor microenvironment. Similar as proinflammatory cytokines, Zn2+ can trigger cell anoikis to expose tumor antigens, which are selectively captured by the BaSO4 cavities. Therefore, the hierarchical nanostructure of NMΦs allows them to mediate immunogenic death of tumor cells and subsequent antigen capture for T cell activation to fabricate long-term antitumor immunity. As a proof-of-concept, the NMΦ mimics the biological functions of macrophage, including tumor residence, cytokine release, antigen capture and immune activation, which is hopeful to provide a paradigm for the design and biomedical applications of artificial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henan Zhao
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro & Nano Materials Interface Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Renyu Liu
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqiang Wang
- Henan Province Industrial Technology Research Institute of Resources and Materials, School of Material Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Feiying Tang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wansong Chen
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro & Nano Materials Interface Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - You-Nian Liu
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro & Nano Materials Interface Science, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Zhou X, Liang T, Ge Y, Wang Y, Ma W. The Crosstalk between the EGFR and IFN-γ Pathways and Synergistic Roles in Survival Prediction and Immune Escape in Gliomas. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1349. [PMID: 37759950 PMCID: PMC10526459 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13091349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor. The poor prognosis of gliomas, especially glioblastoma (GBM), is associated with their unique molecular landscape and tumor microenvironment (TME) features. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is one of the frequently altered loci in gliomas, leading to the activation of the EGFR signaling pathway and thus, promoting the genesis of gliomas. Whether there exist factors within the TME that can lead to EGFR activation in the context of gliomas is currently unexplored. In total, 702 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 325 samples from The Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) were enrolled in this study. Gene signatures related to EGFR signaling and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) response were established via the LASSO-COX algorithm. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis were applied for function exploration. Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves and single sample GSEA (ssGSEA) of immune cell subpopulations were performed to analyze the prognosis and TME characteristics of different subgroups. Moreover, Western blotting (WB) and flow cytometry (FCM) demonstrated the correlation between IFN-γ and EGFR signaling activation and the subsequent induction of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. An EGFR signaling-related risk score was established, and a higher score was correlated with poorer prognosis and a more malignant phenotype in gliomas. Biological function analysis revealed that a higher EGFR-related score was significantly associated with various cytokine response pathways, especially IFN-γ. Long-term (7 days) exposure to IFN-γ (400 ng/mL) induced the activation of EGFR signaling in the u87 cell line. Next, an IFN-γ response-related risk score was established; the combination of these two scores could be used to further reclassify gliomas into subtypes with different clinical features and TME features. Double high-risk samples tended to have a poorer prognosis and more immunosuppressive TME. Additionally, FCM discovered that the activation of EGFR signaling via EGF (100 ng/mL) could trigger PD-L1 protein expression. This research indicates that IFN-γ, an inflammatory cytokine, can activate the EGFR pathway. The combination of EGFR signaling and IFN-γ response pathway can establish a more precise classification of gliomas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingang Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100015, China;
| | - Tingyu Liang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Malignant Brain Tumors, National Glioma MDT Alliance, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yulu Ge
- Eight-Year Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China;
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Malignant Brain Tumors, National Glioma MDT Alliance, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Wenbin Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Malignant Brain Tumors, National Glioma MDT Alliance, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China; (T.L.); (Y.W.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Boulch M, Cazaux M, Cuffel A, Ruggiu M, Allain V, Corre B, Loe-Mie Y, Hosten B, Cisternino S, Auvity S, Thieblemont C, Caillat-Zucman S, Bousso P. A major role for CD4 + T cells in driving cytokine release syndrome during CAR T cell therapy. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101161. [PMID: 37595589 PMCID: PMC10518592 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represents a breakthrough for the treatment of B cell malignancies. Yet, it can lead to severe adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which may require urgent clinical management. Whether interpatient variability in CAR T cell subsets contributes to CRS is unclear. Here, we show that CD4+ CAR T cells are the main drivers of CRS. Using an immunocompetent model of anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy, we report that CD4+, but not CD8+, CAR T cells elicit physiological CRS-like manifestations associated with the release of inflammatory cytokines. In CAR T cell-treated patients, CRS occurrence and severity are significantly associated with high absolute values of CD4+ CAR T cells in the blood. CRS in mice occurs independently of CAR T cell-derived interferon γ (IFN-γ) but requires elevated tumor burden. Thus, adjusting the CD4:CD8 CAR T cell ratio to patient tumor load may help mitigate CAR T cell-associated toxicities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Boulch
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Marine Cazaux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Alexis Cuffel
- Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP Nord, Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Paris, France; INSERM UMR976, Institut de Recherche St-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Ruggiu
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Vincent Allain
- Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP Nord, Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Paris, France; INSERM UMR976, Institut de Recherche St-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Béatrice Corre
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Yann Loe-Mie
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics HUB, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Benoit Hosten
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMRS-1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, 75006 Paris, France; Service de Pharmacie, Unité Claude Kellershohn - Radiopharmacie R&D, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Louis, 75475 Paris, France
| | - Salvatore Cisternino
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMRS-1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, 75006 Paris, France; Service de Pharmacie, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Auvity
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, UMRS-1144, Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, 75006 Paris, France; Service de Pharmacie, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Catherine Thieblemont
- Hémato-Oncologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1153, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Caillat-Zucman
- Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Saint-Louis, AP-HP Nord, Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Paris, France; INSERM UMR976, Institut de Recherche St-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bousso
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1223, Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit, Équipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, 75015 Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Zhang AQ, Hostetler A, Chen LE, Mukkamala V, Abraham W, Padilla LT, Wolff AN, Maiorino L, Backlund CM, Aung A, Melo M, Li N, Wu S, Irvine DJ. Universal redirection of CAR T cells against solid tumours via membrane-inserted ligands for the CAR. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:1113-1128. [PMID: 37291434 PMCID: PMC10504084 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01048-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The effectiveness of chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for solid tumours is hindered by difficulties in the selection of an effective target antigen, owing to the heterogeneous expression of tumour antigens and to target antigen expression in healthy tissues. Here we show that T cells with a CAR specific for fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) can be directed against solid tumours via the intratumoural administration of a FITC-conjugated lipid-poly(ethylene)-glycol amphiphile that inserts itself into cell membranes. In syngeneic and human tumour xenografts in mice, 'amphiphile tagging' of tumour cells drove tumour regression via the proliferation and accumulation of FITC-specific CAR T cells in the tumours. In syngeneic tumours, the therapy induced the infiltration of host T cells, elicited endogenous tumour-specific T cell priming and led to activity against distal untreated tumours and to protection against tumour rechallenge. Membrane-inserting ligands for specific CARs may facilitate the development of adoptive cell therapies that work independently of antigen expression and of tissue of origin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Q Zhang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Hostetler
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laura E Chen
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vainavi Mukkamala
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wuhbet Abraham
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lucia T Padilla
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexandra N Wolff
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laura Maiorino
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Aereas Aung
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mariane Melo
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Na Li
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shengwei Wu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Moreno-Cortes E, Franco-Fuquen P, Garcia-Robledo JE, Forero J, Booth N, Castro JE. ICOS and OX40 tandem co-stimulation enhances CAR T-cell cytotoxicity and promotes T-cell persistence phenotype. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1200914. [PMID: 37719008 PMCID: PMC10502212 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1200914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies have emerged as an effective and potentially curative immunotherapy for patients with relapsed or refractory malignancies. Treatment with CD19 CAR T-cells has shown unprecedented results in hematological malignancies, including heavily refractory leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma cases. Despite these encouraging results, CAR T-cell therapy faces limitations, including the lack of long-term responses in nearly 50-70% of the treated patients and low efficacy in solid tumors. Among other reasons, these restrictions are related to the lack of targetable tumor-associated antigens, limitations on the CAR design and interactions with the tumor microenvironment (TME), as well as short-term CAR T-cell persistence. Because of these reasons, we developed and tested a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct with an anti-ROR1 single-chain variable-fragment cassette connected to CD3ζ by second and third-generation intracellular signaling domains including 4-1BB, CD28/4-1BB, ICOS/4-1BB or ICOS/OX40. We observed that after several successive tumor-cell in vitro challenges, ROR1.ICOS.OX40ζ continued to proliferate, produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, and induce cytotoxicity against ROR1+ cell lines in vitro with enhanced potency. Additionally, in vivo ROR1.ICOS.OX40ζ T-cells showed anti-lymphoma activity, a long-lasting central memory phenotype, improved overall survival, and evidence of long-term CAR T-cell persistence. We conclude that anti-ROR1 CAR T-cells that are activated by ICOS.OX40 tandem co-stimulation show in vitro and in vivo enhanced targeted cytotoxicity associated with a phenotype that promotes T-cell persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eider Moreno-Cortes
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Cancer Research and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Pedro Franco-Fuquen
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Cancer Research and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Juan E. Garcia-Robledo
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Cancer Research and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Jose Forero
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Cancer Research and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Division of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Natalie Booth
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Cancer Research and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Januario E. Castro
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
- Cancer Research and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Zhong W, Xiao Z, Qin Z, Yang J, Wen Y, Yu Z, Li Y, Sheppard NC, Fuchs SY, Xu X, Herlyn M, June CH, Puré E, Guo W. Tumor-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Inhibit the Efficacy of CAR T Cells against Solid Tumors. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2790-2806. [PMID: 37115855 PMCID: PMC10524031 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2220] [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: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown remarkable success in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Unfortunately, it has limited efficacy against solid tumors, even when the targeted antigens are well expressed. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of CAR T-cell therapy resistance in solid tumors is necessary to develop strategies to improve efficacy. Here we report that solid tumors release small extracellular vesicles (sEV) that carry both targeted tumor antigens and the immune checkpoint protein PD-L1. These sEVs acted as cell-free functional units to preferentially interact with cognate CAR T cells and efficiently inhibited their proliferation, migration, and function. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, blocking tumor sEV secretion not only boosted the infiltration and antitumor activity of CAR T cells but also improved endogenous antitumor immunity. These results suggest that solid tumors use sEVs as an active defense mechanism to resist CAR T cells and implicate tumor sEVs as a potential therapeutic target to optimize CAR T-cell therapy against solid tumors. SIGNIFICANCE Small extracellular vesicles secreted by solid tumors inhibit CAR T cells, which provide a molecular explanation for CAR T-cell resistance and suggests that strategies targeting exosome secretion may enhance CAR T-cell efficacy. See related commentary by Ortiz-Espinosa and Srivastava, p. 2637.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenqun Zhong
- Department of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Zebin Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Zhiyuan Qin
- Department of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Jingbo Yang
- Department of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Yi Wen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Ziyan Yu
- Department of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Yumei Li
- Department of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Neil C. Sheppard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Serge Y. Fuchs
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Meenhard Herlyn
- Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program and Melanoma Research Center, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Carl H. June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Ellen Puré
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lee EHJ, Murad JP, Christian L, Gibson J, Yamaguchi Y, Cullen C, Gumber D, Park AK, Young C, Monroy I, Yang J, Stern LA, Adkins LN, Dhapola G, Gittins B, Chang WC, Martinez C, Woo Y, Cristea M, Rodriguez-Rodriguez L, Ishihara J, Lee JK, Forman SJ, Wang LD, Priceman SJ. Antigen-dependent IL-12 signaling in CAR T cells promotes regional to systemic disease targeting. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4737. [PMID: 37550294 PMCID: PMC10406808 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40115-1] [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: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapeutic responses are hampered by limited T cell trafficking, persistence, and durable anti-tumor activity in solid tumors. However, these challenges can be largely overcome by relatively unconstrained synthetic engineering strategies. Here, we describe CAR T cells targeting tumor-associated glycoprotein-72 (TAG72), utilizing the CD28 transmembrane domain upstream of the 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain as a driver of potent anti-tumor activity and IFNγ secretion. CAR T cell-mediated IFNγ production facilitated by IL-12 signaling is required for tumor cell killing, which is recapitulated by engineering an optimized membrane-bound IL-12 (mbIL12) molecule in CAR T cells. These T cells show improved antigen-dependent T cell proliferation and recursive tumor cell killing in vitro, with robust in vivo efficacy in human ovarian cancer xenograft models. Locoregional administration of mbIL12-engineered CAR T cells promotes durable anti-tumor responses against both regional and systemic disease in mice. Safety and efficacy of mbIL12-engineered CAR T cells is demonstrated using an immunocompetent mouse model, with beneficial effects on the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Collectively, our study features a clinically-applicable strategy to improve the efficacy of locoregionally-delivered CAR T cells engineered with antigen-dependent immune-modulating cytokines in targeting regional and systemic disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Hee Jun Lee
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - John P Murad
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Lea Christian
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Jackson Gibson
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Yukiko Yamaguchi
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Cody Cullen
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Diana Gumber
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Anthony K Park
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Cari Young
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Isabel Monroy
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Jason Yang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Lawrence A Stern
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Lauren N Adkins
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Gaurav Dhapola
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Brenna Gittins
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Catalina Martinez
- Department of Clinical and Translational Project Development, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Yanghee Woo
- Department of Surgery, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Mihaela Cristea
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | | | - Jun Ishihara
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London, W120BZ, UK
| | - John K Lee
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, 98019, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Leo D Wang
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Saul J Priceman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Ma L, Hostetler A, Morgan DM, Maiorino L, Sulkaj I, Whittaker CA, Neeser A, Pires IS, Yousefpour P, Gregory J, Qureshi K, Dye J, Abraham W, Suh H, Li N, Love JC, Irvine DJ. Vaccine-boosted CAR T crosstalk with host immunity to reject tumors with antigen heterogeneity. Cell 2023; 186:3148-3165.e20. [PMID: 37413990 PMCID: PMC10372881 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy effectively treats human cancer, but the loss of the antigen recognized by the CAR poses a major obstacle. We found that in vivo vaccine boosting of CAR T cells triggers the engagement of the endogenous immune system to circumvent antigen-negative tumor escape. Vaccine-boosted CAR T promoted dendritic cell (DC) recruitment to tumors, increased tumor antigen uptake by DCs, and elicited the priming of endogenous anti-tumor T cells. This process was accompanied by shifts in CAR T metabolism toward oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and was critically dependent on CAR-T-derived IFN-γ. Antigen spreading (AS) induced by vaccine-boosted CAR T enabled a proportion of complete responses even when the initial tumor was 50% CAR antigen negative, and heterogeneous tumor control was further enhanced by the genetic amplification of CAR T IFN-γ expression. Thus, CAR-T-cell-derived IFN-γ plays a critical role in promoting AS, and vaccine boosting provides a clinically translatable strategy to drive such responses against solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leyuan Ma
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Alexander Hostetler
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Duncan M Morgan
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Laura Maiorino
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ina Sulkaj
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Charles A Whittaker
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alexandra Neeser
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ivan Susin Pires
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Parisa Yousefpour
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Justin Gregory
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kashif Qureshi
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jonathan Dye
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wuhbet Abraham
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Heikyung Suh
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Na Li
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - J Christopher Love
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA; Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Darrell J Irvine
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Deol S, Donahue PS, Mitrut RE, Hammitt-Kess IJ, Ahn J, Zhang B, Leonard JN. Comparative Evaluation of Synthetic Cytokines for Enhancing Production and Performance of NK92 Cell-Based Therapies. GEN BIOTECHNOLOGY 2023; 2:228-246. [PMID: 37363412 PMCID: PMC10286265 DOI: 10.1089/genbio.2023.0024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Off-the shelf immune cell therapies are potentially curative and may offer cost and manufacturing advantages over autologous products, but further development is needed. The NK92 cell line has a natural killer-like phenotype, has efficacy in cancer clinical trials, and is safe after irradiation. However, NK92 cells lose activity post-injection, limiting efficacy. This may be addressed by engineering NK92 cells to express stimulatory factors, and comparative analysis is needed. Thus, we systematically explored the expression of synthetic cytokines for enhancing NK92 cell production and performance. All synthetic cytokines evaluated (membrane-bound IL2 and IL15, and engineered versions of Neoleukin-2/15, IL15, IL12, and decoy resistant IL18) enhanced NK92 cell cytotoxicity. Engineered cells were preferentially expanded by expressing membrane-bound but not soluble synthetic cytokines, without compromising the radiosensitivity required for safety. Some membrane-bound cytokines conferred cell-contact independent paracrine activity, partly attributable to extracellular vesicles. Finally, we characterized interactions within consortia of differently engineered NK92 cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simrita Deol
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Patrick S. Donahue
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Roxana E. Mitrut
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Iva J. Hammitt-Kess
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Jihae Ahn
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Joshua N. Leonard
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Huang S, Wang X, Wang Y, Wang Y, Fang C, Wang Y, Chen S, Chen R, Lei T, Zhang Y, Xu X, Li Y. Deciphering and advancing CAR T-cell therapy with single-cell sequencing technologies. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:80. [PMID: 37149643 PMCID: PMC10163813 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01783-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has made remarkable progress in cancer immunotherapy, but several challenges with unclear mechanisms hinder its wide clinical application. Single-cell sequencing technologies, with the powerful unbiased analysis of cellular heterogeneity and molecular patterns at unprecedented resolution, have greatly advanced our understanding of immunology and oncology. In this review, we summarize the recent applications of single-cell sequencing technologies in CAR T-cell therapy, including the biological characteristics, the latest mechanisms of clinical response and adverse events, promising strategies that contribute to the development of CAR T-cell therapy and CAR target selection. Generally, we propose a multi-omics research mode to guide potential future research on CAR T-cell therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengkang Huang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Wang
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yajing Wang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chenglong Fang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yazhuo Wang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sifei Chen
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Runkai Chen
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Lei
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuchen Zhang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinjie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
| | - Yuhua Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Frieling JS, Tordesillas L, Bustos XE, Ramello MC, Bishop RT, Cianne JE, Snedal SA, Li T, Lo CH, de la Iglesia J, Roselli E, Benzaïd I, Wang X, Kim Y, Lynch CC, Abate-Daga D. γδ-Enriched CAR-T cell therapy for bone metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf0108. [PMID: 37134157 PMCID: PMC10156127 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade has been largely unsuccessful for the treatment of bone metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Here, we report a combinatorial strategy to treat mCRPC using γδ-enriched chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and zoledronate (ZOL). In a preclinical murine model of bone mCRPC, γδ CAR-T cells targeting prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) induced a rapid and significant regression of established tumors, combined with increased survival and reduced cancer-associated bone disease. Pretreatment with ZOL, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved bisphosphonate prescribed to mitigate pathological fracture in mCRPC patients, resulted in CAR-independent activation of γδ CAR-T cells, increased cytokine secretion, and enhanced antitumor efficacy. These data show that the activity of the endogenous Vγ9Vδ2 T cell receptor is preserved in CAR-T cells, allowing for dual-receptor recognition of tumor cells. Collectively, our findings support the use of γδ CAR-T cell therapy for mCRPC treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy S. Frieling
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Leticia Tordesillas
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Xiomar E. Bustos
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Maria Cecilia Ramello
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ryan T. Bishop
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Junior E. Cianne
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sebastian A. Snedal
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Chen Hao Lo
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Janis de la Iglesia
- Department of Pathology Research, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Emiliano Roselli
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ismahène Benzaïd
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Youngchul Kim
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Conor C. Lynch
- Department of Tumor Biology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Daniel Abate-Daga
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Guarini A, Radice G, Peragine N, Buracchi C, De Propris MS, Di Rocco A, Di Rocco A, Chiaretti S, Moretti A, Napolitano S, Martelli M, Balduzzi A, Gaipa G, Biondi A, Foà R. Long-Term Host Immune Modulation Following Tisagenlecleucel Administration in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and B-Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092411. [PMID: 37173879 PMCID: PMC10177375 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells represent a potentially curative strategy for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell malignancies. To elucidate a possible host immune activation following CAR-T-cell infusion, we investigated the effects of tisagenlecleucel administration on the patients' immune populations in 25 patients with R/R diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Methods: The modulation of CAR-T cells over time, the numeric changes, as well as the cytokine production capability of different lymphocyte populations and circulating cytokine levels, were analyzed. Results: Our results confirmed the ability of tisagenlecleucel to control the disease, with an overall response observed in 84.6% of DLBCL and in 91.7% of B-ALL patients at 1-month post-infusion, and showed that most patients who subsequently relapsed could undergo further treatment. Interestingly, we could document a significant increase in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and NK cells over time, as well as a decrease in Treg cells, and an increased IFNγ and TNFα production by T lymphocytes. Conclusions: Taken together, our results indicate that in patients with DLBCL and B-ALL, the administration of tisagenlecleucel is capable of inducing a marked and prolonged in vivo modulation/reshaping of the host immune system, both in children and adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Guarini
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Radice
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Peragine
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Buracchi
- Tettamanti Center, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Maria Stefania De Propris
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alice Di Rocco
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Arianna Di Rocco
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Sabina Chiaretti
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alex Moretti
- Tettamanti Center, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Sara Napolitano
- Pediatrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Maurizio Martelli
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Adriana Balduzzi
- Pediatrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gaipa
- Tettamanti Center, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Andrea Biondi
- Pediatrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Robin Foà
- Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wang C, Li Y, Gu L, Chen R, Zhu H, Zhang X, Zhang Y, Feng S, Qiu S, Jian Z, Xiong X. Gene Targets of CAR-T Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15082351. [PMID: 37190280 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary brain tumor with a poor prognosis following conventional therapeutic interventions. Moreover, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) severely impedes the permeation of chemotherapy drugs, thereby reducing their efficacy. Consequently, it is essential to develop novel GBM treatment methods. A novel kind of pericyte immunotherapy known as chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell treatment uses CAR-T cells to target and destroy tumor cells without the aid of the antigen with great specificity and in a manner that is not major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted. It has emerged as one of the most promising therapy techniques with positive clinical outcomes in hematological cancers, particularly leukemia. Due to its efficacy in hematologic cancers, CAR-T cell therapy could potentially treat solid tumors, including GBM. On the other hand, CAR-T cell treatment has not been as therapeutically effective in treating GBM as it has in treating other hematologic malignancies. CAR-T cell treatments for GBM have several challenges. This paper reviewed the use of CAR-T cell therapy in hematologic tumors and the selection of targets, difficulties, and challenges in GBM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqun Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Huzhou Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Huzhou 310009, China
| | - Yuntao Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Huzhou Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Huzhou 310009, China
| | - Lijuan Gu
- Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Ran Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Yonggang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Shi Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Sheng Qiu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Huzhou Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Huzhou 310009, China
- Huzhou Key Laboratory of Basic Research and Clinical Translation for Neuromodulation, Huzhou 313003, China
| | - Zhihong Jian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Xiaoxing Xiong
- Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huzhou Central Hospital, Affiliated Huzhou Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Huzhou 310009, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Chen Y, Shen X, Tang Y, Weng Y, Yang W, Liu M, Xu D, Shi J, Yang X, Yu F, Xu J, Zhang Z, Lu P, Sun Y, Xue J, Niu N. The diverse pancreatic tumor cell-intrinsic response to IFNγ is determined by epigenetic heterogeneity. Cancer Lett 2023; 562:216153. [PMID: 37023939 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
IFNγ signaling is mainly mediated through the activation of the canonical JAK-STAT signaling pathway, transcription factors, and epigenetic modifications. The activation of IFNγ signaling pathway may provide a novel option for tumor immunotherapy, but the outcomes remain controversial. In fact, recent studies suggest that the resistance to IFNγ-dependent immunotherapies is commonly derived from the tumor cell-intrinsic heterogeneity, the molecular mechanism of which remains elusive. Therefore, elucidating the tumor cell-intrinsic heterogeneity in response to IFNγ would be beneficial to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. Here, we first delineated the epigenetic redistribution and transcriptome alteration in response to IFNγ stimulation, and demonstrated that ectopic gain of H3K4me3 and H3K27Ac at the promoter region mainly contributed to the enhancement of IFNγ-mediated transcriptional activity of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Furthermore, we found that the cellular heterogeneity of PD-L1 expression in response to IFNγ was mainly attributed to cell-intrinsic H3K27me3 levels. Enhancement of H3K27me3 by GSK-J4 limited PD-L1hi tumor growth by salvaging the intratumoral cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, which may provide therapeutic strategies to overcome immune escape and resistance to IFNγ-based immunotherapies in pancreatic cancer.
Collapse
|
33
|
Summers SE, Salih V, Foey AD. ErbB- and MUC1-targetted CAR-T cell immunotherapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma. FRONTIERS IN DENTAL MEDICINE 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fdmed.2023.1116402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has shown great success in treating B cell malignancies however, there are many challenges which limit their therapeutic efficacy in solid tumours. Immunotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and in particular, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), presents a unique set of challenges including lack of consistently expressed tumour associated antigens (TAAs) and the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME). Currently, there are few clinical trials investigating the use of CAR-T cells in HNSCC/OSCC however results from trials investigating similar solid tumours, such as breast cancer, can be adopted to help evaluate the use of CAR-T in this cancer. In this review, the process of CAR-T cell engineering, and different generations of these cells will be summarised, highlighting their potential use in treating HNSCC through targeting ErbB and MUC1; TAAs highly expressed by this solid tumour. Potential strategies including combination therapy, utilising both TAA-targeting CAR-Ts and immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-L1, has been discussed, in an attempt to develop synergistic anti-tumour responses. In addition to this, the use of dual-targeting CAR-T cells, synthetic NOTCH (synNOTCH) receptors and alternative non-tumour targets of the TME have been reviewed. Such combination therapies have been shown to help limit solid tumour progression and enhance both the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell immunotherapy, which may be adopted for the treatment and management of OSCC.
Collapse
|
34
|
Ma B, Liu X, Zhang Z, Ma C, Chand R, Patwardhan S, Wang C, Thamphiwatana SD, Chen P, Chen W. A digital nanoplasmonic microarray immunosensor for multiplexed cytokine monitoring during CAR T-cell therapy from a leukemia tumor microenvironment model. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 230:115247. [PMID: 37023552 PMCID: PMC10103176 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023]
Abstract
The release of cytokines by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells and tumor resident immune cells defines a significant part of CAR T-cell functional activity and patient immune responses during CAR T-cell therapy. However, few studies have so far precisely characterized the cytokine secretion dynamics in the tumor niche during CAR T-cell therapy, which requires multiplexed, and timely biosensing platforms and integration with biomimetic tumor microenvironment. Herein, we implemented a digital nanoplasmonic microarray immunosensor with a microfluidic biomimetic Leukemia-on-a-Chip model to monitor cytokine secretion dynamics during CD19 CAR T-cell therapy against precursor B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL). The integrated nanoplasmonic biosensors achieved precise multiplexed cytokine measurements with low operating sample volume, short assay time, heightened sensitivity, and negligible sensor crosstalk. Using the digital nanoplasmonic biosensing approach, we measured the concentrations of six cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, MCP-1, GM-CSF, IL-1β, and IL-6) during first 5 days of CAR T-cell treatment in the microfluidic Leukemia-on-a-Chip model. Our results revealed a heterogeneous secretion profile of various cytokines during CAR T-cell therapy and confirmed a correlation between the cytokine secretion profile and the CAR T-cell cytotoxic activity. The capability to monitor immune cell cytokine secretion dynamics in a biomimetic tumor microenvironment could further help in study of cytokine release syndrome during CAR T-cell therapy and in development of more efficient and safer immunotherapies.
Collapse
|
35
|
Patra T, Cunningham DM, Meyer K, Toth K, Ray RB, Heczey A, Ray R. Targeting Lin28 axis enhances glypican-3-CAR T cell efficacy against hepatic tumor initiating cell population. Mol Ther 2023; 31:715-728. [PMID: 36609146 PMCID: PMC10014222 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of Lin28 is detected in various cancers with involvement in the self-renewal process and cancer stem cell generation. In the present study, we evaluated how the Lin28 axis plays an immune-protective role for tumor-initiating cancer cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our result using HCC patient samples showed a positive correlation between indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1), a kynurenine-producing enzyme with effects on tumor immune escape, and Lin28B. Using in silico prediction, we identified a Sox2/Oct4 transcriptional motif acting as an enhancer for IDO1. Knockdown of Lin28B reduced Sox2/Oct4 and downregulated IDO1 in tumor-initiating hepatic cancer cells. We further observed that inhibition of Lin28 by a small-molecule inhibitor (C1632) suppressed IDO1 expression. Suppression of IDO1 resulted in a decline in kynurenine production from tumor-initiating cells. Inhibition of the Lin28 axis also impaired PD-L1 expression in HCC cells. Consequently, modulating Lin28B enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity of glypican-3 (GPC3)-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and NK cells. Next, we observed that GPC3-CAR T cell treatment together with C1632 in a HCC xenograft mouse model led to enhanced anti-tumor activity. In conclusion, our results suggest that inhibition of Lin28B reduces IDO1 and PD-L1 expression and enhances immunotherapeutic potential of GPC3-CART cells against HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tapas Patra
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA.
| | - David M Cunningham
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Keith Meyer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Karoly Toth
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Ratna B Ray
- Department of Pathology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Andras Heczey
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ranjit Ray
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
CAR-T-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: A Promising Development of CAR-T Anti-Tumor Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041052. [PMID: 36831396 PMCID: PMC9954490 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogenous population of plasma membrane-surrounded particles that are released in the extracellular milieu by almost all types of living cells. EVs are key players in intercellular crosstalk, both locally and systemically, given that they deliver their cargoes (consisting of proteins, lipids, mRNAs, miRNAs, and DNA fragments) to target cells, crossing biological barriers. Those mechanisms further trigger a wide range of biological responses. Interestingly, EV phenotypes and cargoes and, therefore, their functions, stem from their specific parental cells. For these reasons, EVs have been proposed as promising candidates for EV-based, cell-free therapies. One of the new frontiers of cell-based immunotherapy for the fight against refractory neoplastic diseases is represented by genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) lymphocytes, which in recent years have demonstrated their effectiveness by reaching commercialization and clinical application for some neoplastic diseases. CAR-T-derived EVs represent a recent promising development of CAR-T immunotherapy approaches. This crosscutting innovative strategy is designed to exploit the advantages of genetically engineered cell-based immunotherapy together with those of cell-free EVs, which in principle might be safer and more efficient in crossing biological and tumor-associated barriers. In this review, we underlined the potential of CAR-T-derived EVs as therapeutic agents in tumors.
Collapse
|
37
|
Jun Lee EH, Cullen C, Murad JP, Gumber D, Park AK, Yang J, Stern LA, Adkins LN, Dhapola G, Gittins B, Chung-Chang W, Martinez C, Woo Y, Cristea M, Rodriguez-Rodriguez L, Ishihara J, Lee JK, Forman SJ, Wang LD, Priceman SJ. Antigen-dependent IL-12 signaling in CAR T cells promotes regional to systemic disease targeting. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.06.522784. [PMID: 36711615 PMCID: PMC9881930 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.06.522784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapeutic responses are hampered by limited T cell trafficking, persistence, and durable anti-tumor activity in solid tumor microenvironments. However, these challenges can be largely overcome by relatively unconstrained synthetic engineering strategies, which are being harnessed to improve solid tumor CAR T cell therapies. Here, we describe fully optimized CAR T cells targeting tumor-associated glycoprotein-72 (TAG72) for the treatment of solid tumors, identifying the CD28 transmembrane domain upstream of the 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain as a driver of potent anti-tumor activity and IFNγ secretion. These findings have culminated into a phase 1 trial evaluating safety, feasibility, and bioactivity of TAG72-CAR T cells for the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer ( NCT05225363 ). Preclinically, we found that CAR T cell-mediated IFNγ production facilitated by IL-12 signaling was required for tumor cell killing, which was recapitulated by expressing an optimized membrane-bound IL-12 (mbIL12) molecule on CAR T cells. Critically, mbIL12 cell surface expression and downstream signaling was induced and sustained only following CAR T cell activation. CAR T cells with mbIL12 demonstrated improved antigen-dependent T cell proliferation and potent cytotoxicity in recursive tumor cell killing assays in vitro and showed robust in vivo anti-tumor efficacy in human xenograft models of ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis. Further, locoregional administration of TAG72-CAR T cells with antigen-dependent IL-12 signaling promoted durable anti-tumor responses against both regional and systemic disease in mice and was associated with improved systemic T cell persistence. Our study features a clinically-applicable strategy to improve the overall efficacy of locoregionally-delivered CAR T cells engineered with antigen-dependent immune-modulating cytokines in targeting both regional and systemic disease.
Collapse
|
38
|
Zhao K, Ren C, Tang D, Zhao L, Chen X, Wang Y, Xu K. The altering cellular components and function in tumor microenvironment during remissive and relapsed stages of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell treated lymphoma mice. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1101769. [PMID: 36761733 PMCID: PMC9905118 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1101769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells represent a highly promising strategy for B-cell malignancies. Despite the inspiring initial achievement, remission in a notable fraction of subjects is short-lived, and relapse remains a major challenge. Tumor microenvironment (TME) was proved to be aroused by CAR T cells; however, little is known about the dynamic characteristics of cellular components in TME especially during the different phases of disease after anti-CD19 CAR T-cell treatment. We took advantage of an immunocompetent model receiving syngeneic A20 lymphoma cells to dissect the changes in TME with or without CAR T-cell injection. We found that anti-CD19 CAR T-cell treatment attenuated the symptoms of lymphoma and significantly prolonged mice survival through eradicating systemic CD19+ cells. Increased myeloid subsets, including CD11c+ DCs and F4/80+ macrophages with higher MHC II and CD80 expression in bone marrow, spleen, and liver, were detected when mice reached remission after anti-CD19 CAR T treatment. Compared to mice without anti-CD19 CAR T administration, intrinsic T cells were triggered to produce more IFN-γ and TNF-α. However, some lymphoma mice relapsed by day 42 after therapy, which coincided with CAR T-cell recession, decreased myeloid cell activation and increased Treg cells. Elevated intrinsic T cells with high PD-1 and TIGIT exhaust signatures and attenuated cytotoxicity in TME were associated with the late-stage relapse of CAR T-cell treatment. In summary, the cellular compositions of TME as allies of CAR T cells may contribute to the anti-tumor efficacy at the initial stage, whereas anti-CD19 CAR T-cell disappearance and host response immunosuppression may work together to cause lymphoma relapse after an initial, near-complete elimination phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhao
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.,The Key Lab of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunxiao Ren
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Donghai Tang
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xianxian Chen
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kailin Xu
- Blood Diseases Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.,Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.,The Key Lab of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Starr R, Aguilar B, Gumber D, Maker M, Huard S, Wang D, Chang WC, Brito A, Chiu V, Ostberg JR, Badie B, Forman SJ, Alizadeh D, Wang LD, Brown CE. Inclusion of 4-1BB Costimulation Enhances Selectivity and Functionality of IL13Rα2-Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:66-79. [PMID: 36968221 PMCID: PMC10035515 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy is emerging as a powerful strategy for cancer therapy; however, an important safety consideration is the potential for off-tumor recognition of normal tissue. This is particularly important as ligand-based CARs are optimized for clinical translation. Our group has developed and clinically translated an IL13(E12Y) ligand-based CAR targeting the cancer antigen IL13Rα2 for treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). There remains limited understanding of how IL13-ligand CAR design impacts the activity and selectivity for the intended tumor-associated target IL13Rα2 versus the more ubiquitous unintended target IL13Rα1. In this study, we functionally compared IL13(E12Y)-CARs incorporating different intracellular signaling domains, including first-generation CD3ζ-containing CARs (IL13ζ), second-generation 4-1BB (CD137)-containing or CD28-containing CARs (IL13-BBζ or IL13-28ζ), and third-generation CARs containing both 4-1BB and CD28 (IL13-28BBζ). In vitro coculture assays at high tumor burden establish that second-generation IL13-BBζ or IL13-28ζ outperform first-generation IL13ζ and third-generation IL13-28BBζ CAR designs, with IL13-BBζ providing superior CAR proliferation and in vivo antitumor potency in human xenograft mouse models. IL13-28ζ displayed a lower threshold for antigen recognition, resulting in higher off-target IL13Rα1 reactivity both in vitro and in vivo. Syngeneic mouse models of GBM also demonstrate safety and antitumor potency of murine IL13-BBζ CAR T cells delivered systemically after lymphodepletion. These findings support the use of IL13-BBζ CARs for greater selective recognition of IL13Rα2 over IL13Rα1, higher proliferative potential, and superior antitumor responsiveness. This study exemplifies the potential of modulating factors outside the antigen targeting domain of a CAR to improve selective tumor recognition. Significance This study reveals how modulating CAR design outside the antigen targeting domain improves selective tumor recognition. Specifically, this work shows improved specificity, persistence, and efficacy of 4-1BB-based IL13-ligand CARs. Human clinical trials evaluating IL13-41BB-CAR T cells are ongoing, supporting the clinical significance of these findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Diana Gumber
- Department of Immuno-oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Madeleine Maker
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Stephanie Huard
- Department of Immuno-oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Alfonso Brito
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Vivian Chiu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Julie R. Ostberg
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Benham Badie
- Department of Neurosurgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Stephen J. Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Darya Alizadeh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Leo D. Wang
- Department of Immuno-oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
- Department of Pediatrics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Christine E. Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Swan SL, Mehta N, Ilich E, Shen SH, Wilkinson DS, Anderson AR, Segura T, Sanchez-Perez L, Sampson JH, Bellamkonda RV. IL7 and IL7 Flt3L co-expressing CAR T cells improve therapeutic efficacy in mouse EGFRvIII heterogeneous glioblastoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1085547. [PMID: 36817432 PMCID: PMC9936235 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1085547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in glioblastoma faces many challenges including insufficient CAR T cell abundance and antigen-negative tumor cells evading targeting. Unfortunately, preclinical studies evaluating CAR T cells in glioblastoma focus on tumor models that express a single antigen, use immunocompromised animals, and/or pre-treat with lymphodepleting agents. While lymphodepletion enhances CAR T cell efficacy, it diminishes the endogenous immune system that has the potential for tumor eradication. Here, we engineered CAR T cells to express IL7 and/or Flt3L in 50% EGFRvIII-positive and -negative orthotopic tumors pre-conditioned with non-lymphodepleting irradiation. IL7 and IL7 Flt3L CAR T cells increased intratumoral CAR T cell abundance seven days after treatment. IL7 co-expression with Flt3L modestly increased conventional dendritic cells as well as the CD103+XCR1+ population known to have migratory and antigen cross-presenting capabilities. Treatment with IL7 or IL7 Flt3L CAR T cells improved overall survival to 67% and 50%, respectively, compared to 9% survival with conventional or Flt3L CAR T cells. We concluded that CAR T cells modified to express IL7 enhanced CAR T cell abundance and improved overall survival in EGFRvIII heterogeneous tumors pre-conditioned with non-lymphodepleting irradiation. Potentially IL7 or IL7 Flt3L CAR T cells can provide new opportunities to combine CAR T cells with other immunotherapies for the treatment of glioblastoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheridan L Swan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Nalini Mehta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ekaterina Ilich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Steven H Shen
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Daniel S Wilkinson
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Alexa R Anderson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Tatiana Segura
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Clinical Science Departments of Neurology and Dermatology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Luis Sanchez-Perez
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - John H Sampson
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ravi V Bellamkonda
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Overcoming on-target, off-tumour toxicity of CAR T cell therapy for solid tumours. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:49-62. [PMID: 36418477 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-022-00704-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Therapies with genetically modified T cells that express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for CD19 or B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) are approved to treat certain B cell malignancies. However, translating these successes into treatments for patients with solid tumours presents various challenges, including the risk of clinically serious on-target, off-tumour toxicity (OTOT) owing to CAR T cell-mediated cytotoxicity against non-malignant tissues expressing the target antigen. Indeed, severe OTOT has been observed in various CAR T cell clinical trials involving patients with solid tumours, highlighting the importance of establishing strategies to predict, mitigate and control the onset of this effect. In this Review, we summarize current clinical evidence of OTOT with CAR T cells in the treatment of solid tumours and discuss the utility of preclinical mouse models in predicting clinical OTOT. We then describe novel strategies being developed to improve the specificity of CAR T cells in solid tumours, particularly the role of affinity tuning of target binders, logic circuits and synthetic biology. Furthermore, we highlight control strategies that can be used to mitigate clinical OTOT following cell infusion such as regulating or eliminating CAR T cell activity, exogenous control of CAR expression, and local administration of CAR T cells.
Collapse
|
42
|
Laurent PA, Morel D, Meziani L, Depil S, Deutsch E. Radiotherapy as a means to increase the efficacy of T-cell therapy in solid tumors. Oncoimmunology 2022; 12:2158013. [PMID: 36567802 PMCID: PMC9788698 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2158013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have demonstrated significant improvements in the treatment of refractory B-cell malignancies that previously showed limited survival. In contrast, early-phase clinical studies targeting solid tumors have been disappointing. This may be due to both a lack of specific and homogeneously expressed targets at the surface of tumor cells, as well as intrinsic properties of the solid tumor microenvironment that limit homing and activation of adoptive T cells. Faced with these antagonistic conditions, radiotherapy (RT) has the potential to change the overall tumor landscape, from depleting tumor cells to reshaping the tumor microenvironment. In this article, we describe the current landscape and discuss how RT may play a pivotal role for enhancing the efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapies in solid tumors. Indeed, by improving homing, expansion and activation of infused T cells while reducing tumor volume and heterogeneity, the use of RT could help the implementation of engineered T cells in the treatment of solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre-Antoine Laurent
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; UNICANCER, Villejuif, France,INSERM U1030, Molecular Radiation Therapy and Therapeutic Innovation, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, University of Paris-Saclay, SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France,CONTACT Pierre-Antoine Laurent Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, UNICANCER, Villejuif94805, France; INSERM U1030, Molecular Radiation Therapy and Therapeutic Innovation, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, University of Paris-Saclay; SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France
| | - Daphne Morel
- Drug Development Department (D.I.T.E.P), Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; UNICANCER, Villejuif, France
| | - Lydia Meziani
- INSERM U1030, Molecular Radiation Therapy and Therapeutic Innovation, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, University of Paris-Saclay, SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France
| | | | - Eric Deutsch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus; UNICANCER, Villejuif, France,INSERM U1030, Molecular Radiation Therapy and Therapeutic Innovation, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, University of Paris-Saclay, SIRIC SOCRATE, Villejuif, France
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Lu Y, Huntoon K, Lee D, Wang Y, Ha J, Qie Y, Li X, Schrank BR, Dong S, Gallup TD, Kang M, Zhao H, An Y, Yang Z, Li J, Kim BYS, Jiang W. Immunological conversion of solid tumours using a bispecific nanobioconjugate for cancer immunotherapy. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 17:1332-1341. [PMID: 36357792 PMCID: PMC10036139 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-022-01245-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Solid tumours display a limited response to immunotherapies. By contrast, haematological malignancies exhibit significantly higher response rates to immunotherapies as compared with solid tumours. Among several microenvironmental and biological disparities, the differential expression of unique immune regulatory molecules contributes significantly to the interaction of blood cancer cells with immune cells. The self-ligand receptor of the signalling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 7 (SLAMF7), a molecule that is critical in promoting the body's innate immune cells to detect and engulf cancer cells, is expressed nearly exclusively on the cell surface of haematologic tumours, but not on solid ones. Here we show that a bispecific nanobioconjugate that enables the decoration of SLAMF7 on the surface of solid tumours induces robust phagocytosis and activates the phagocyte cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, sensitizing the tumours to immune checkpoint blockade. Our findings support an immunological conversion strategy that uses nano-adjuvants to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies for solid tumours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kristin Huntoon
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - DaeYong Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - JongHoon Ha
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yaqing Qie
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Benjamin R Schrank
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shiyan Dong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Thomas D Gallup
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Minjeong Kang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hai Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yi An
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zhaogang Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Betty Y S Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Qu C, Zhang H, Cao H, Tang L, Mo H, Liu F, Zhang L, Yi Z, Long L, Yan L, Wang Z, Zhang N, Luo P, Zhang J, Liu Z, Ye W, Liu Z, Cheng Q. Tumor buster - where will the CAR-T cell therapy 'missile' go? Mol Cancer 2022; 21:201. [PMID: 36261831 PMCID: PMC9580202 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01669-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy based on gene editing technology represents a significant breakthrough in personalized immunotherapy for human cancer. This strategy uses genetic modification to enable T cells to target tumor-specific antigens, attack specific cancer cells, and bypass tumor cell apoptosis avoidance mechanisms to some extent. This method has been extensively used to treat hematologic diseases, but the therapeutic effect in solid tumors is not ideal. Tumor antigen escape, treatment-related toxicity, and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) limit their use of it. Target selection is the most critical aspect in determining the prognosis of patients receiving this treatment. This review provides a comprehensive summary of all therapeutic targets used in the clinic or shown promising potential. We summarize CAR-T cell therapies’ clinical trials, applications, research frontiers, and limitations in treating different cancers. We also explore coping strategies when encountering sub-optimal tumor-associated antigens (TAA) or TAA loss. Moreover, the importance of CAR-T cell therapy in cancer immunotherapy is emphasized.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunrun Qu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hui Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province, The Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China.,The School of Clinical Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lanhua Tang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haoyang Mo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fangkun Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liyang Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhenjie Yi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lifu Long
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Luzhe Yan
- XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,One-third Lab, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Weijie Ye
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhixiong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ribas A, Haining WN, Schumacher TNM. When Cancer Cells Become the Enablers of an Antitumor Immune Response. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:2244-2248. [PMID: 36196573 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-22-0706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells unleashed by the blockade of immune checkpoints have to overcome a hostile tumor microenvironment (TME). They start from very small numbers of T cells with tumor antigen specificity and, despite expansion, likely remain at a numerical disadvantage to the tumor cells they target. To overcome these obstacles, we propose that T cells need to change the TME to make it permissive for their antitumor effects by altering the phenotype of cells beyond the cancer cells they are in physical contact with. In this process, IFNγ secreted by tumor-specific T cells plays a critical role, as it changes the expression of hundreds of genes in cancer cells and other immune cells in the TME up to 40 layers of cells away from their location, effectively turning these cells into enablers of the antitumor immune response. In this perspective, we postulate that the clinical activity of cancer immunotherapy with immune-checkpoint blocking antibodies and adoptively transferred T cells requires that cancer cells facilitate the antitumor immune response. IFNγ effectively changes the balance of power in the TME to enable the antitumor activity of tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoni Ribas
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | | | - Ton N M Schumacher
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Jiang VC, Hao D, Jain P, Li Y, Cai Q, Yao Y, Nie L, Liu Y, Jin J, Wang W, Lee HH, Che Y, Dai E, Han G, Wang R, Rai K, Futreal A, Flowers C, Wang L, Wang M. TIGIT is the central player in T-cell suppression associated with CAR T-cell relapse in mantle cell lymphoma. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:185. [PMID: 36163179 PMCID: PMC9513944 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01655-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy using brexucabtagene autoleucel (BA) induces remission in many patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and BA is the only CAR T-cell therapy approved by the FDA for MCL. However, development of relapses to BA is recognized with poor patient outcomes. Multiple CAR T-cell therapies have been approved for other lymphomas and the resistance mechanisms have been investigated. However, the mechanisms underlying BA relapse in MCL have not been investigated and whether any previously reported resistance mechanisms apply to BA-relapsed patients with MCL is unknown. METHODS To interrogate BA resistance mechanisms in MCL, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on 39 longitudinally collected samples from 15 BA-treated patients, and multiplex cytokine profiling on 80 serial samples from 20 patients. RESULTS We demonstrate that after BA relapse, the proportion of T cells, especially cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), decreased among non-tumor cells, while the proportion of myeloid cells correspondingly increased. TIGIT, LAG3, and CD96 were the predominant checkpoint molecules expressed on exhausted T cells and CTLs; only TIGIT was significantly increased after relapse. CTLs expanded during remission, and then contracted during relapse with upregulated TIGIT expression. Tumor cells also acquired TIGIT expression after relapse, leading to the enhanced interaction of tumor cell TIGIT with monocyte CD155/PVR. In myeloid cells, post-relapse HLA-II expression was reduced relative to pretreatment and during remission. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) were enriched after relapse with elevated expression of activation markers, including CLU (clusterin) and VCAN (versican). Extracellular chemokines (CCL4, CXCL9, CXCL13), soluble checkpoint inhibitors (sPD-L1, sTIM3, s4-1BB), and soluble receptors (sIL-2R, sTNFRII) were decreased during remission but elevated after relapse. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that multiple tumor-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors are associated with T-cell suppression and BA relapse. Among these, TIGIT appears to be the central player given its elevated expression after BA relapse in not only CTLs but also MCL cells. The acquisition of TIGIT expression on tumor cells is MCL-specific and has not been reported in other CAR T-treated diseases. Together, our data suggest that co-targeting TIGIT may prevent CAR T relapses and thus promote long-term progression-free survival in MCL patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Changying Jiang
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dapeng Hao
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Preetesh Jain
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yijing Li
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Qingsong Cai
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yixin Yao
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lei Nie
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Jingling Jin
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Heng-Huan Lee
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yuxuan Che
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Enyu Dai
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Guangchun Han
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ruiping Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kunal Rai
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Andrew Futreal
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christopher Flowers
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Linghua Wang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Michael Wang
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Understanding CAR T cell-tumor interactions: Paving the way for successful clinical outcomes. MED 2022; 3:538-564. [PMID: 35963235 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
Since their approval 5 years ago, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have gained great importance in the daily clinical practice and treatment of hematological malignancies, although many challenges to their use remain, such as limited long-term CAR T cell efficacy due to disease resistance or recurrence. After a brief overview of CAR T cells, their approval, therapeutic successes, and ongoing limitations, this review discusses what is known about CAR T cell activation, their expansion and persistence, their mechanisms of cytotoxicity, and how the CAR design and/or tumor-intrinsic factors influence these functions. This review also examines the role of cytokines in CAR T cell-associated toxicity and their effects on CAR T cell function. Furthermore, we discuss several resistance mechanisms, including obstacles associated with CAR treatment of solid tumors. Finally, we provide a future outlook on next-generation strategies to further optimize CARs and improve clinical outcomes.
Collapse
|
48
|
Jain MD, Ziccheddu B, Coughlin CA, Faramand R, Griswold AJ, Reid KM, Menges M, Zhang Y, Cen L, Wang X, Hussaini M, Landgren O, Davila ML, Schatz JH, Locke FL, Maura F. Whole-genome sequencing reveals complex genomic features underlying anti-CD19 CAR T-cell treatment failures in lymphoma. Blood 2022; 140:491-503. [PMID: 35476848 PMCID: PMC9353150 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021015008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-19) T cells are groundbreaking immunotherapies approved for use against large B-cell lymphomas. Although host inflammatory and tumor microenvironmental markers associate with efficacy and resistance, the tumor-intrinsic alterations underlying these phenomena remain undefined. CD19 mutations associate with resistance but are uncommon, and most patients with relapsed disease retain expression of the wild-type receptor, implicating other genomic mechanisms. We therefore leveraged the comprehensive resolution of whole-genome sequencing to assess 51 tumor samples from 49 patients with CAR-19-treated large B-cell lymphoma. We found that the pretreatment presence of complex structural variants, APOBEC mutational signatures, and genomic damage from reactive oxygen species predict CAR-19 resistance. In addition, the recurrent 3p21.31 chromosomal deletion containing the RHOA tumor suppressor was strongly enriched in patients for whom CAR T-cell therapy failed. Pretreatment reduced expression or monoallelic loss of CD19 did not affect responses, suggesting CAR-19 therapy success and resistance are related to multiple mechanisms. Our study showed that tumor-intrinsic genomic alterations are key among the complex interplay of factors that underlie CAR-19 efficacy and resistance for large B-cell lymphomas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Jain
- Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Bachisio Ziccheddu
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Caroline A Coughlin
- Medical Scientist Training Program
- Sheila and David Fuente Graduate Program in Cancer Biology, and
| | - Rawan Faramand
- Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Anthony J Griswold
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
| | - Kayla M Reid
- Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Meghan Menges
- Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | | | - Ling Cen
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and
| | - Mohammad Hussaini
- Department of Pathology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Ola Landgren
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Marco L Davila
- Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Jonathan H Schatz
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Frederick L Locke
- Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL
| | - Francesco Maura
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Romain G, Strati P, Rezvan A, Fathi M, Bandey IN, Adolacion JR, Heeke DS, Liadi I, Marques-Piubelli ML, Solis Soto LM, Mahendra A, Vega F, Cooper LJ, Singh H, Mattie M, Bot A, Neelapu S, Varadarajan N. Multidimensional single-cell analysis identifies a role for CD2-CD58 interactions in clinical antitumor T cell responses. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:159402. [PMID: 35881486 PMCID: PMC9433104 DOI: 10.1172/jci159402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The in vivo persistence of adoptively transferred T cells is predictive of antitumor response. Identifying functional properties of infused T cells that lead to in vivo persistence and tumor eradication has remained elusive. We profiled CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells as the infusion products used to treat large B cell lymphomas using high-throughput single-cell technologies based on time-lapse imaging microscopy in nanowell grids (TIMING), which integrates killing, cytokine secretion, and transcriptional profiling. Our results show that the directional migration of CD19-specific CAR T cells is correlated with multifunctionality. We showed that CD2 on T cells is associated with directional migration and that the interaction between CD2 on T cells and CD58 on lymphoma cells accelerates killing and serial killing. Consistent with this, we observed that elevated CD58 expression on pretreatment tumor samples in patients with relapsed or refractory large B cell lymphomas treated with CD19-specific CAR T cell therapy was associated with complete clinical response and survival. These results highlight the importance of studying dynamic T cell–tumor cell interactions in identifying optimal antitumor responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Romain
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| | - Paolo Strati
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Ali Rezvan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| | | | - Irfan N Bandey
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| | - Jay Rt Adolacion
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| | - Darren S Heeke
- Kite, Gilead company, Santa Monica, United States of America
| | - Ivan Liadi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| | - Mario L Marques-Piubelli
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Luisa M Solis Soto
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Ankit Mahendra
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| | - Francisco Vega
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | | | - Harjeet Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Mike Mattie
- Kite, a Gilead company, Santa Monica, United States of America
| | - Adrian Bot
- Chief Scientific Officer, Kite, a Gilead company, Santa Monica, United States of America
| | - Sattva Neelapu
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, United States of America
| | - Navin Varadarajan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Gordon KS, Kyung T, Perez CR, Holec PV, Ramos A, Zhang AQ, Agarwal Y, Liu Y, Koch C, Starchenko A, Joughin BA, Lauffenburger DA, Irvine DJ, Hemann MT, Birnbaum ME. Screening for CD19-specific chimaeric antigen receptors with enhanced signalling via a barcoded library of intracellular domains. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:855-866. [PMID: 35710755 PMCID: PMC9389442 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00896-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The immunostimulatory intracellular domains (ICDs) of chimaeric antigen receptors (CARs) are essential for converting antigen recognition into antitumoural function. Although there are many possible combinations of ICDs, almost all current CARs rely on combinations of CD3𝛇, CD28 and 4-1BB. Here we show that a barcoded library of 700,000 unique CD19-specific CARs with diverse ICDs cloned into lentiviral vectors and transduced into Jurkat T cells can be screened at high throughput via cell sorting and next-generation sequencing to optimize CAR signalling for antitumoural functions. By using this screening approach, we identified CARs with new ICD combinations that, compared with clinically available CARs, endowed human primary T cells with comparable tumour control in mice and with improved proliferation, persistence, exhaustion and cytotoxicity after tumour rechallenge in vitro. The screening strategy can be adapted to other disease models, cell types and selection conditions, and could be used to improve adoptive cell therapies and to expand their utility to new disease indications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khloe S. Gordon
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Taeyoon Kyung
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Caleb R. Perez
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Patrick V. Holec
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Azucena Ramos
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Angela Q. Zhang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Health, Science, and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Yash Agarwal
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Yunpeng Liu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Catherine Koch
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alina Starchenko
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Brian A. Joughin
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Douglas A. Lauffenburger
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Darrell J. Irvine
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Michael T. Hemann
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Michael E. Birnbaum
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore 138602, Singapore,Ragon Institute of MIT, MGH, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA,Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to M.E.B.
| |
Collapse
|