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Lu Q, Li H, Wu Z, Zhu Z, Zhang Z, Yang D, Tong A. BCMA/CD47-directed universal CAR-T cells exhibit excellent antitumor activity in multiple myeloma. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:279. [PMID: 38783333 PMCID: PMC11112799 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02512-6] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND BCMA-directed autologous chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have shown excellent clinical efficacy in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), however, the current preparation process for autologous CAR-T cells is complicated and costly. Moreover, the upregulation of CD47 expression has been observed in multiple myeloma, and anti-CD47 antibodies have shown remarkable results in clinical trials. Therefore, we focus on the development of BCMA/CD47-directed universal CAR-T (UCAR-T) cells to improve these limitations. METHODS In this study, we employed phage display technology to screen nanobodies against BCMA and CD47 protein, and determined the characterization of nanobodies. Furthermore, we simultaneously disrupted the endogenous TRAC and B2M genes of T cells using CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate TCR and HLA double knock-out T cells, and developed BCMA/CD47-directed UCAR-T cells and detected the antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS We obtained fourteen and one specific nanobodies against BCMA and CD47 protein from the immunized VHH library, respectively. BCMA/CD47-directed UCAR-T cells exhibited superior CAR expression (89.13-98.03%), and effectively killing primary human MM cells and MM cell lines. BCMA/CD47-directed UCAR-T cells demonstrated excellent antitumor activity against MM and prolonged the survival of tumor-engrafted NCG mice in vivo. CONCLUSIONS This work demonstrated that BCMA/CD47-directed UCAR-T cells exhibited potent antitumor activity against MM in vitro and in vivo, which provides a potential strategy for the development of a novel "off-the-shelf" cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhong Lu
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hexian Li
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhiguo Wu
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhixiong Zhu
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zongliang Zhang
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Donghui Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Center of Stem Cells Engineering and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Aiping Tong
- Department of Biotherapy, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu, 610212, China.
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2
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Nakashima T, Kagoya Y. Current progress of CAR-T-cell therapy for patients with multiple myeloma. Int J Hematol 2024:10.1007/s12185-024-03794-0. [PMID: 38777913 DOI: 10.1007/s12185-024-03794-0] [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: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Currently available chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T-cell therapies targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), namely, idecabtagene vicleucel and ciltacabtagene autoleucel, have shown marked efficacy against relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. However, further improvement in CAR-T-cell function is warranted as most patients treated with these products eventually relapse due to various mechanisms such as antigen loss and T-cell dysfunction or disappearance. Strategies for improving CAR-T-cell function include targeting of dual antigens, enhancing cell longevity through genetic modification, and eliminating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Serious side effects can also occur after CAR-T-cell infusions. Although understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome is growing, the unique movement disorder caused by BCMA-targeted therapy is less understood, and its molecular mechanisms must be further elucidated to establish better management strategies. In this article, we will review the current status of BCMA-targeting CAR-T-cell therapy. We will also highlight progress in the development of CAR-T cells targeting other antigens, as well as universal allogeneic CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Nakashima
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yuki Kagoya
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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3
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Grauwet K, Berger T, Kann MC, Silva H, Larson R, Leick MB, Bailey SR, Bouffard AA, Millar D, Gallagher K, Turtle CJ, Frigault MJ, Maus MV. Stealth transgenes enable CAR-T cells to evade host immune responses. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008417. [PMID: 38724463 PMCID: PMC11086422 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008417] [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: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adoptive cell therapy, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, has improved patient outcomes for hematological malignancies. Currently, four of the six FDA-approved CAR-T cell products use the FMC63-based αCD19 single-chain variable fragment, derived from a murine monoclonal antibody, as the extracellular binding domain. Clinical studies demonstrate that patients develop humoral and cellular immune responses to the non-self CAR components of autologous CAR-T cells or donor-specific antigens of allogeneic CAR-T cells, which is thought to potentially limit CAR-T cell persistence and the success of repeated dosing. METHODS In this study, we implemented a one-shot approach to prevent rejection of engineered T cells by simultaneously reducing antigen presentation and the surface expression of both Classes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) via expression of the viral inhibitors of transporter associated with antigen processing (TAPi) in combination with a transgene coding for shRNA targeting class II MHC transactivator (CIITA). The optimal combination was screened in vitro by flow cytometric analysis and mixed lymphocyte reaction assays and was validated in vivo in mouse models of leukemia and lymphoma. Functionality was assessed in an autologous setting using patient samples and in an allogeneic setting using an allogeneic mouse model. RESULTS The combination of the Epstein-Barr virus TAPi and an shRNA targeting CIITA was efficient and effective at reducing cell surface MHC classes I and II in αCD19 'stealth' CAR-T cells while retaining in vitro and in vivo antitumor functionality. Mixed lymphocyte reaction assays and IFNγ ELISpot assays performed with T cells from patients previously treated with autologous αCD19 CAR-T cells confirm that CAR T cells expressing the stealth transgenes evade allogeneic and autologous anti-CAR responses, which was further validated in vivo. Importantly, we noted anti-CAR-T cell responses in patients who had received multiple CAR-T cell infusions, and this response was reduced on in vitro restimulation with autologous CARs containing the stealth transgenes. CONCLUSIONS Together, these data suggest that the proposed stealth transgenes may reduce the immunogenicity of autologous and allogeneic cellular therapeutics. Moreover, patient data indicate that repeated doses of autologous FMC63-based αCD19 CAR-T cells significantly increased the anti-CAR T cell responses in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Korneel Grauwet
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Trisha Berger
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael C Kann
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Harrison Silva
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca Larson
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark B Leick
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stefanie R Bailey
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda A Bouffard
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David Millar
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathleen Gallagher
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cameron J Turtle
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Matthew J Frigault
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marcela V Maus
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hosptial, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Taibi T, Cheon S, Perna F, Vu LP. mRNA-based therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Mol Ther 2024:S1525-0016(24)00299-5. [PMID: 38702886 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.04.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In the rapidly evolving landscape of medical research, the emergence of RNA-based therapeutics is paradigm shifting. It is mainly driven by the molecular adaptability and capacity to provide precision in targeting. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic crisis underscored the effectiveness of the mRNA therapeutic development platform and brought it to the forefront of RNA-based interventions. These RNA-based therapeutic approaches can reshape gene expression, manipulate cellular functions, and correct the aberrant molecular processes underlying various diseases. The new technologies hold the potential to engineer and deliver tailored therapeutic agents to tackle genetic disorders, cancers, and infectious diseases in a highly personalized and precisely tuned manner. The review discusses the most recent advancements in the field of mRNA therapeutics for cancer treatment, with a focus on the features of the most utilized RNA-based therapeutic interventions, current pre-clinical and clinical developments, and the remaining challenges in delivery strategies, effectiveness, and safety considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilelli Taibi
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Interdisciplinary Oncology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sehyun Cheon
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fabiana Perna
- Department of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ly P Vu
- Terry Fox Laboratory, British Columbia Cancer Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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5
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Martin KE, Hammer Q, Perica K, Sadelain M, Malmberg KJ. Engineering immune-evasive allogeneic cellular immunotherapies. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-01022-8. [PMID: 38658708 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-01022-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Allogeneic cellular immunotherapies hold a great promise for cancer treatment owing to their potential cost-effectiveness, scalability and on-demand availability. However, immune rejection of adoptively transferred allogeneic T and natural killer (NK) cells is a substantial obstacle to achieving clinical responses that are comparable to responses obtained with current autologous chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies. In this Perspective, we discuss strategies to confer cell-intrinsic, immune-evasive properties to allogeneic T cells and NK cells in order to prevent or delay their immune rejection, thereby widening the therapeutic window. We discuss how common viral and cancer immune escape mechanisms can serve as a blueprint for improving the persistence of off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies. The prospects of harnessing genome editing and synthetic biology to design cell-based precision immunotherapies extend beyond programming target specificities and require careful consideration of innate and adaptive responses in the recipient that may curtail the biodistribution, in vivo expansion and persistence of cellular therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Martin
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, The University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Quirin Hammer
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karlo Perica
- Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Cell Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michel Sadelain
- Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karl-Johan Malmberg
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, The University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Center for Infectious Medicine, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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6
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Degagné É, Donohoue PD, Roy S, Scherer J, Fowler TW, Davis RT, Reyes GA, Kwong G, Stanaway M, Larroca Vicena V, Mutha D, Guo R, Edwards L, Schilling B, Shaw M, Smith SC, Kohrs B, Kufeldt HJ, Churchward G, Ruan F, Nyer DB, McSweeney K, Irby MJ, Fuller CK, Banh L, Toh MS, Thompson M, Owen AL, An Z, Gradia S, Skoble J, Bryan M, Garner E, Kanner SB. High-Specificity CRISPR-Mediated Genome Engineering in Anti-BCMA Allogeneic CAR T Cells Suppresses Allograft Rejection in Preclinical Models. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:462-477. [PMID: 38345397 PMCID: PMC10985478 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0679] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies hold the potential to overcome many of the challenges associated with patient-derived (autologous) CAR T cells. Key considerations in the development of allogeneic CAR T cell therapies include prevention of graft-vs-host disease (GvHD) and suppression of allograft rejection. Here, we describe preclinical data supporting the ongoing first-in-human clinical study, the CaMMouflage trial (NCT05722418), evaluating CB-011 in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. CB-011 is a hypoimmunogenic, allogeneic anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) CAR T cell therapy candidate. CB-011 cells feature 4 genomic alterations and were engineered from healthy donor-derived T cells using a Cas12a CRISPR hybrid RNA-DNA (chRDNA) genome-editing technology platform. To address allograft rejection, CAR T cells were engineered to prevent endogenous HLA class I complex expression and overexpress a single-chain polyprotein complex composed of beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) tethered to HLA-E. In addition, T-cell receptor (TCR) expression was disrupted at the TCR alpha constant locus in combination with the site-specific insertion of a humanized BCMA-specific CAR. CB-011 cells exhibited robust plasmablast cytotoxicity in vitro in a mixed lymphocyte reaction in cell cocultures derived from patients with multiple myeloma. In addition, CB-011 cells demonstrated suppressed recognition by and cytotoxicity from HLA-mismatched T cells. CB-011 cells were protected from natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo due to endogenous promoter-driven expression of B2M-HLA-E. Potent antitumor efficacy, when combined with an immune-cloaking armoring strategy to dampen allograft rejection, offers optimized therapeutic potential in multiple myeloma. See related Spotlight by Caimi and Melenhorst, p. 385.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Suparna Roy
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Devin Mutha
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | - Raymond Guo
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | - McKay Shaw
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | - Bryan Kohrs
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | - Finey Ruan
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | | | - Lynda Banh
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | | | - Zili An
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
| | | | | | - Mara Bryan
- Caribou Biosciences, Inc., Berkeley, California
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7
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Lu Q, Yang D, Li H, Zhu Z, Zhang Z, Chen Y, Yang N, Li J, Wang Z, Niu T, Tong A. Delivery of CD47-SIRPα checkpoint blocker by BCMA-directed UCAR-T cells enhances antitumor efficacy in multiple myeloma. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216660. [PMID: 38266806 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216660] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients, BCMA-directed autologous CAR-T cells have showed excellent anti-tumor activity. However, their widespread application is limited due to the arguably cost and time-consuming. Multiple myeloma cells highly expressed CD47 molecule and interact with the SIRPα ligand on the surface of macrophages, in which evade the clearance of macrophages through the activation of "don't eat me" signal. In this study, a BCMA-directed universal CAR-T cells, BC404-UCART, secreting a CD47-SIRPα blocker was developed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system. BC404-UCART cells significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival of mice in the xenograft model. The anti-tumor activity of BC404-UCART cells was achieved via two mechanisms, on the one hand, the UCAR-T cells directly killed tumor cells, on the other hand, the BC404-UCART cells enhanced the phagocytosis of macrophages by secreting anti-CD47 nanobody hu404-hfc fusion that blocked the "don't eat me" signal between macrophages and tumor cells, which provides a potential strategy for the development of novel "off-the-shelf" cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Donghui Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Center of Stem Cells Engineering and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Hexian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhixiong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zongliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yongdong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Nian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ting Niu
- Department of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Aiping Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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8
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Ito Y, Inoue S, Kagoya Y. Gene editing technology to improve antitumor T-cell functions in adoptive immunotherapy. Inflamm Regen 2024; 44:13. [PMID: 38468282 PMCID: PMC10926667 DOI: 10.1186/s41232-024-00324-7] [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: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy, in which tumor-reactive T cells are prepared in vitro for adoptive transfer to the patient, can induce an objective clinical response in specific types of cancer. In particular, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected T-cell therapy has shown robust responses in hematologic malignancies. However, its efficacy against most of the other tumors is still insufficient, which remains an unmet medical need. Accumulating evidence suggests that modifying specific genes can enhance antitumor T-cell properties. Epigenetic factors have been particularly implicated in the remodeling of T-cell functions, including changes to dysfunctional states such as terminal differentiation and exhaustion. Genetic ablation of key epigenetic molecules prevents the dysfunctional reprogramming of T cells and preserves their functional properties.Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas)-based gene editing is a valuable tool to enable efficient and specific gene editing in cultured T cells. A number of studies have already identified promising targets to improve the therapeutic efficacy of CAR-T cells using genome-wide or focused CRISPR screening. In this review, we will present recent representative findings on molecular insights into T-cell dysfunction and how genetic modification contributes to overcoming it. We will also discuss several technical advances to achieve efficient gene modification using the CRISPR and other novel platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Ito
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Yuki Kagoya
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
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9
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Fauser F, Kadam BN, Arangundy-Franklin S, Davis JE, Vaidya V, Schmidt NJ, Lew G, Xia DF, Mureli R, Ng C, Zhou Y, Scarlott NA, Eshleman J, Bendaña YR, Shivak DA, Reik A, Li P, Davis GD, Miller JC. Compact zinc finger architecture utilizing toxin-derived cytidine deaminases for highly efficient base editing in human cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1181. [PMID: 38360922 PMCID: PMC10869815 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45100-w] [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: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Nucleobase editors represent an emerging technology that enables precise single-base edits to the genomes of eukaryotic cells. Most nucleobase editors use deaminase domains that act upon single-stranded DNA and require RNA-guided proteins such as Cas9 to unwind the DNA prior to editing. However, the most recent class of base editors utilizes a deaminase domain, DddAtox, that can act upon double-stranded DNA. Here, we target DddAtox fragments and a FokI-based nickase to the human CIITA gene by fusing these domains to arrays of engineered zinc fingers (ZFs). We also identify a broad variety of Toxin-Derived Deaminases (TDDs) orthologous to DddAtox that allow us to fine-tune properties such as targeting density and specificity. TDD-derived ZF base editors enable up to 73% base editing in T cells with good cell viability and favorable specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Garrett Lew
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Brisbane, CA, USA
| | - Danny F Xia
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Brisbane, CA, USA
| | | | - Colman Ng
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Brisbane, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Li
- Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc., Brisbane, CA, USA
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10
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Chang CR, Vykunta VS, Goodman DB, Muldoon JJ, Nyberg WA, Liu C, Allain V, Rothrock A, Wang CH, Marson A, Shy BR, Eyquem J. Ultra-high efficiency T cell reprogramming at multiple loci with SEED-Selection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.576175. [PMID: 38370809 PMCID: PMC10871224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.576175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Multiplexed reprogramming of T cell specificity and function can generate powerful next-generation cellular therapies. However, current manufacturing methods produce heterogenous mixtures of partially engineered cells. Here, we develop a one-step process to enrich for unlabeled cells with knock-ins at multiple target loci using a family of repair templates named Synthetic Exon/Expression Disruptors (SEEDs). SEED engineering associates transgene integration with the disruption of a paired endogenous surface protein, allowing non-modified and partially edited cells to be immunomagnetically depleted (SEED-Selection). We design SEEDs to fully reprogram three critical loci encoding T cell specificity, co-receptor expression, and MHC expression, with up to 98% purity after selection for individual modifications and up to 90% purity for six simultaneous edits (three knock-ins and three knockouts). These methods are simple, compatible with existing clinical manufacturing workflows, and can be readily adapted to other loci to facilitate production of complex gene-edited cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Chang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vivasvan S Vykunta
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel B Goodman
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph J Muldoon
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William A Nyberg
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Allain
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR976, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Allison Rothrock
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charlotte H Wang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian R Shy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Justin Eyquem
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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11
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Chen X, Tan B, Xing H, Zhao X, Ping Y, Zhang Z, Huang J, Shi X, Zhang N, Lin B, Cao W, Li X, Zhang X, Li L, Jiang Z, Zhang M, Li W, Liu M, Du B, Zhang Y. Allogeneic CAR-T cells with of HLA-A/B and TRAC disruption exhibit promising antitumor capacity against B cell malignancies. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:13. [PMID: 38231412 PMCID: PMC10794471 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03586-1] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have been proven to be an effective way of treating B cell malignancies, a lot of patients could not benefit from it because of failure in CAR-T cell manufacturing, disease progression, and unaffordable price. The study aimed to explore universal CAR-T cell products to extend the clinical accessibility. METHODS The antitumor activity of CRISPR/Cas9-edited allogeneic anti-CD19 CAR-T (CAR-T19) cells was assessed in vitro, in animal models, and in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute B cell lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) or diffuse large B cell lymphoma. RESULTS B2M-/TRAC- universal CAR-T19 (U-CAR-T19) cells exhibited powerful anti-leukemia abilities both in vitro and in animal models, as did primary CD19+ leukemia cells from leukemia patients. However, expansion, antitumor efficacy, or graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD) was not observed in six patients with R/R B cell malignancies after U-CAR-T19 cell infusion. Accordingly, significant activation of natural killer (NK) cells by U-CAR-T19 cells was proven both clinically and in vitro. HLA-A-/B-/TRAC- novel CAR-T19 (nU-CAR-T19) cells were constructed with similar tumoricidal capacity but resistance to NK cells in vitro. Surprisingly, robust expansion of nU-CAR-T19 cells, along with rapid eradication of CD19+ abnormal B cells, was observed in the peripheral blood and bone marrow of another three patients with R/R B-ALL. The patients achieved complete remission with no detectable minimal residual disease 14 days after the infusion of nU-CAR-T19 cells. Two of the three patients had grade 2 cytokine release syndrome, which were managed using an IL-6 receptor blocker. Most importantly, GvHD was not observed in any patient, suggesting the safety of TRAC-disrupted CAR-T cells generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 method for clinical application. CONCLUSIONS The nU-CAR-T19 cells showed a strong response in R/R B-ALL. nU-CAR-T19 cells have the potential to be a promising new approach for treating R/R B cell malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinfeng Chen
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Binghe Tan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
- BRL Medicine Inc, Shanghai, 201109, China
| | - Haizhou Xing
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Xuan Zhao
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Yu Ping
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Jianmin Huang
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | | | - Na Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Boxu Lin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Weijie Cao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Xin Li
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Xudong Zhang
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Ling Li
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Zhongxing Jiang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Mingzhi Zhang
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Wei Li
- BRL Medicine Inc, Shanghai, 201109, China
| | - Mingyao Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Bing Du
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Yi Zhang
- Biotherapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- Engineering Key Laboratory for Cell Therapy of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
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12
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Ren J, Liao X, Lewis JM, Chang J, Qu R, Carlson KR, Foss F, Girardi M. Generation and optimization of off-the-shelf immunotherapeutics targeting TCR-Vβ2+ T cell malignancy. Nat Commun 2024; 15:519. [PMID: 38225288 PMCID: PMC10789731 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44786-2] [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: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Current treatments for T cell malignancies encounter issues of disease relapse and off-target toxicity. Using T cell receptor (TCR)Vβ2 as a model, here we demonstrate the rapid generation of an off-the-shelf allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T platform targeting the clone-specific TCR Vβ chain for malignant T cell killing while limiting normal cell destruction. Healthy donor T cells undergo CRISPR-induced TRAC, B2M and CIITA knockout to eliminate T cell-dependent graft-versus-host and host-versus-graft reactivity. Second generation 4-1BB/CD3zeta CAR containing high affinity humanized anti-Vβ scFv is expressed efficiently on donor T cells via both lentivirus and adeno-associated virus transduction with limited detectable pre-existing immunoreactivity. Our optimized CAR-T cells demonstrate specific and persistent killing of Vβ2+ Jurkat cells and Vβ2+ patient derived malignant T cells, in vitro and in vivo, without affecting normal T cells. In parallel, we generate humanized anti-Vβ2 antibody with enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by Fc-engineering for NK cell ADCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Ren
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Xiaofeng Liao
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Julia M Lewis
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jungsoo Chang
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rihao Qu
- The Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kacie R Carlson
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Francine Foss
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael Girardi
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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13
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Ito Y, Inoue S, Nakashima T, Zhang H, Li Y, Kasuya H, Matsukawa T, Wu Z, Yoshikawa T, Kataoka M, Ishikawa T, Kagoya Y. Epigenetic profiles guide improved CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout in human T cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:141-153. [PMID: 37985205 PMCID: PMC10783505 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic modification of specific genes is emerging as a useful tool to enhance the functions of antitumor T cells in adoptive immunotherapy. Current advances in CRISPR/Cas9 technology enable gene knockout during in vitro preparation of infused T-cell products through transient transfection of a Cas9-guide RNA (gRNA) ribonucleoprotein complex. However, selecting optimal gRNAs remains a major challenge for efficient gene ablation. Although multiple in silico tools to predict the targeting efficiency have been developed, their performance has not been validated in cultured human T cells. Here, we explored a strategy to select optimal gRNAs using our pooled data on CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout in human T cells. The currently available prediction tools alone were insufficient to accurately predict the indel percentage in T cells. We used data on the epigenetic profiles of cultured T cells obtained from transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq). Combining the epigenetic information with sequence-based prediction tools significantly improved the gene-editing efficiency. We further demonstrate that epigenetically closed regions can be targeted by designing two gRNAs in adjacent regions. Finally, we demonstrate that the gene-editing efficiency of unstimulated T cells can be enhanced through pretreatment with IL-7. These findings enable more efficient gene editing in human T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Ito
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takahiro Nakashima
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Haosong Zhang
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
- Division of Cellular Oncology, Department of Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yang Li
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
- Division of Cellular Oncology, Department of Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hitomi Kasuya
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Matsukawa
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Zhiwen Wu
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Yoshikawa
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mirei Kataoka
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ishikawa
- Department of Extended Intelligence for Medicine, The Ishii-Ishibashi Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Advanced Data Science Project, RIKEN Information R&D and Strategy Headquarters, RIKEN, Yokohama, Japan
- Collective Intelligence Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuki Kagoya
- Division of Tumor Immunology, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
- Division of Cellular Oncology, Department of Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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14
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Moradi V, Omidkhoda A, Ahmadbeigi N. The paths and challenges of "off-the-shelf" CAR-T cell therapy: An overview of clinical trials. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 169:115888. [PMID: 37979380 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115888] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) has made a tremendous revolution in the era of cancer immunotherapy, so that since 2017 eight CAR-T cell products have been granted marketing authorization. All of these approved products are generated from autologous sources, but this strategy faces several challenges such as time-consuming and expensive manufacturing process and reduced anti-tumor potency of patients' T cells due to the disease or previous therapies. The use of an allogeneic source can overcome these issues and provide an industrial, scalable, and standardized manufacturing process that reduces costs and provides faster treatment for patients. Nevertheless, for using allogeneic CAR-T cells, we are faced with the challenge of overcoming two formidable impediments: severe life-threatening graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD) caused by allogeneic CAR-T cells, and allorejection of allogeneic CAR-T cells by host immune cells which is called "host versus graft" (HvG). In this study, we reviewed recent registered clinical trials of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy to analyze different approaches to achieve a safe and efficacious "off-the-shelf" source for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Moradi
- Hematology and blood transfusion science department, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Omidkhoda
- Hematology and blood transfusion science department, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Naser Ahmadbeigi
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Zhang Y, Fang H, Wang G, Yuan G, Dong R, Luo J, Lyu Y, Wang Y, Li P, Zhou C, Yin W, Xiao H, Sun J, Zeng X. Cyclosporine A-resistant CAR-T cells mediate antitumour immunity in the presence of allogeneic cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8491. [PMID: 38123592 PMCID: PMC10733396 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44176-0] [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: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy requires autologous T lymphocytes from cancer patients, a process that is both costly and complex. Universal CAR-T cell treatment from allogeneic sources can overcome this limitation but is impeded by graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and host versus-graft rejection (HvGR). Here, we introduce a mutated calcineurin subunit A (CNA) and a CD19-specific CAR into the T cell receptor α constant (TRAC) locus to generate cells that are resistant to the widely used immunosuppressant, cyclosporine A (CsA). These immunosuppressant-resistant universal (IRU) CAR-T cells display improved effector function in vitro and anti-tumour efficacy in a leukemia xenograft mouse model in the presence of CsA, compared with CAR-T cells carrying wild-type CNA. Moreover, IRU CAR-T cells retain effector function in vitro and in vivo in the presence of both allogeneic T cells and CsA. Lastly, CsA withdrawal restores HvGR, acting as a safety switch that can eliminate IRU CAR-T cells. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of CsA-resistant CAR-T cells as a universal, 'off-the-shelf' treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Hongyu Fang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Guocan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Guangxun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Ruoyu Dong
- Department of Hematology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Jijun Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
- Research Units of Infectious disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yu Lyu
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yajie Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital and Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Peng Li
- Puluoting Health Technology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Chun Zhou
- School of Public Health & Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Weiwei Yin
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
| | - Haowen Xiao
- Department of Hematology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
| | - Jie Sun
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital and Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121, China.
| | - Xun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- Research Units of Infectious disease and Microecology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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16
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Ma C, Cao H, Sun Z, Deng Q, Liu W, Xin Y, Qiao S, Cen J, Shu Y, Qi K, Han L, Zhang L, Pan G. CD47 and PD-L1 overexpression in proliferating human hepatocytes attenuated immune responses and ameliorated acute liver injury in mice. Am J Transplant 2023; 23:1832-1844. [PMID: 37532180 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.07.020] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocyte transplantation has the potential to treat acute liver failure and correct liver-based metabolic disorders. Proliferating human hepatocytes (ProliHHs) provide a large-scale source as an alternative to primary human hepatocytes. However, host rejection led to inefficient graft survival and function, which hindered the clinical application of cell therapy. Herein, we employed the lentiviral system to overexpress immunomodulatory factors programmed death-ligand 1 (cluster of differentiation 274) (CD274) and cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) in ProliHHs. CD47+274 overexpression inhibited macrophage and T cell responses in vitro. After transplantation into mice via the spleen without immunosuppression, CD47+274 ProliHHs accumulation in the liver significantly increased for 48 hours compared with ProliHHs. Consistent with the in vitro results, CD47+274 ProliHHs were less aggregated and infiltrated by macrophages and also recruited fewer T cells in the liver. Seven days after transplantation, the human albumin level of engineered ProliHHs doubled compared with control group. CD47+274 ProliHHs further ameliorated the liver injury induced using concanavalin A. Overall, our results suggested CD47+274 overexpression reduced innate and adaptive immune responses during hepatocyte transplantation, and the survival rate and graft function of transplanted hepatocyte-like cells were all significantly improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Ma
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiying Cao
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiangqiang Deng
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, China
| | - Yingying Xin
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shida Qiao
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Cen
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yajing Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Qi
- Shanghai Hexaell Biotech Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Han
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ludi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China.
| | - Guoyu Pan
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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17
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Chang SH, Park CG. Comparing the Benefits and Drawbacks of Stem Cell Therapy Based on the Cell Origin or Manipulation Process: Addressing Immunogenicity. Immune Netw 2023; 23:e44. [PMID: 38188600 PMCID: PMC10767552 DOI: 10.4110/in.2023.23.e44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are effective in treating autoimmune diseases and managing various conditions, such as engraftment of allogeneic islets. Additionally, autologous and HLA-matched allogeneic MSCs can aid in the engraftment of human allogeneic kidneys with or without low doses of tacrolimus, respectively. However, HLA alloantigens are problematic because cell therapy uses more HLA-mismatched allogeneic cells than autologous for convenience and standardization. In particular, HLA-mismatched MSCs showed increased Ag-specific T/B cells and reduced viability faster than HLA-matched MSCs. In CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy, Cas9 induce T cell activation in the recipient's immune system. Interestingly, despite their immunogenicity being limited to the cells with foreign Ags, the accumulation of HLA alloantigen-sensitized T/B cells may lead to allograft rejection, suggesting that alloantigens may have a greater scope of adverse effects than foreign Ags. To avoid alloantigen recognition, the β2-microglobulin knockout (B2MKO) system, eliminating class-I MHC, was able to avoid rejection by alloreactive CD8 T cells compared to controls. Moreover, universal donor cells in which both B2M and Class II MHC transactivator (CIITA) were knocked out was more effective in avoiding immune rejection than single KO. However, B2MKO and CIITA KO system remain to be controlled and validated for adverse effects such as the development of tumorigenicity due to deficient Ag recognition by CD8 T and CD4 T cells, respectively. Overall, better HLA-matching or depletion of HLA alloantigens prior to cell therapy can reduce repetitive transplantation through the long-term survival of allogeneic cell therapy, which may be especially important for patients seeking allogeneic transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Ho Chang
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Chung Gyu Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Transplantation Research Institute, Medical Research center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea
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18
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Kath J, Franke C, Drosdek V, Du W, Glaser V, Fuster-Garcia C, Stein M, Zittel T, Schulenberg S, Porter CE, Andersch L, Künkele A, Alcaniz J, Hoffmann J, Abken H, Abou-El-Enein M, Pruß A, Suzuki M, Cathomen T, Stripecke R, Volk HD, Reinke P, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Wagner DL. Integration of ζ-deficient CARs into the CD3-zeta gene conveys potent cytotoxicity in T and NK cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.10.565518. [PMID: 38116030 PMCID: PMC10729737 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.565518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-reprogrammed immune cells hold significant therapeutic potential for oncology, autoimmune diseases, transplant medicine, and infections. All approved CAR-T therapies rely on personalized manufacturing using undirected viral gene transfer, which results in non-physiological regulation of CAR-signaling and limits their accessibility due to logistical challenges, high costs and biosafety requirements. Here, we propose a novel approach utilizing CRISPR-Cas gene editing to redirect T cells and natural killer (NK) cells with CARs. By transferring shorter, truncated CAR-transgenes lacking a main activation domain into the human CD3 ζ (CD247) gene, functional CAR fusion-genes are generated that exploit the endogenous CD3 ζ gene as the CAR's activation domain. Repurposing this T/NK-cell lineage gene facilitated physiological regulation of CAR-expression and reprogramming of various immune cell types, including conventional T cells, TCRγ/δ T cells, regulatory T cells, and NK cells. In T cells, CD3 ζ in-frame fusion eliminated TCR surface expression, reducing the risk of graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic off-the-shelf settings. CD3 ζ-CD19-CAR-T cells exhibited comparable leukemia control to T cell receptor alpha constant ( TRAC )-replaced and lentivirus-transduced CAR-T cells in vivo . Tuning of CD3 ζ-CAR-expression levels significantly improved the in vivo efficacy. Compared to TRAC -edited CAR-T cells, integration of a Her2-CAR into CD3 ζ conveyed similar in vitro tumor lysis but reduced susceptibility to activation-induced cell death and differentiation, presumably due to lower CAR-expression levels. Notably, CD3 ζ gene editing enabled reprogramming of NK cells without impairing their canonical functions. Thus, CD3 ζ gene editing is a promising platform for the development of allogeneic off-the-shelf cell therapies using redirected killer lymphocytes. Key points Integration of ζ-deficient CARs into CD3 ζ gene allows generation of functional TCR-ablated CAR-T cells for allogeneic off-the-shelf use CD3 ζ-editing platform allows CAR reprogramming of NK cells without affecting their canonical functions.
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19
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Zhou X, Renauer PA, Zhou L, Fang SY, Chen S. Applications of CRISPR technology in cellular immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:199-216. [PMID: 37449673 PMCID: PMC10787818 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13241] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR technology has transformed multiple fields, including cancer and immunology. CRISPR-based gene editing and screening empowers direct genomic manipulation of immune cells, opening doors to unbiased functional genetic screens. These screens aid in the discovery of novel factors that regulate and reprogram immune responses, offering novel drug targets. The engineering of immune cells using CRISPR has sparked a transformation in the cellular immunotherapy field, resulting in a multitude of ongoing clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the development and applications of CRISPR and related gene editing technologies in immune cells, focusing on functional genomics screening, gene editing-based cell therapies, as well as future directions in this rapidly advancing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paul A. Renauer
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liqun Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shao-Yu Fang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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20
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Mittra S, Harding SM, Kaech SM. Memory T Cells in the Immunoprevention of Cancer: A Switch from Therapeutic to Prophylactic Approaches. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:907-916. [PMID: 37669503 PMCID: PMC10491418 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunoprevention, the engagement of the immune system to prevent cancer, is largely overshadowed by therapeutic approaches to treating cancer after detection. Vaccines or, alternatively, the utilization of genetically engineered memory T cells could be methods of engaging and creating cancer-specific T cells with superb memory, lenient activation requirements, potent antitumor cytotoxicity, tumor surveillance, and resilience against immunosuppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment. In this review we analyze memory T cell subtypes based on their potential utility in cancer immunoprevention with regard to longevity, localization, activation requirements, and efficacy in fighting cancers. A particular focus is on how both tissue-resident memory T cells and stem memory T cells could be promising subtypes for engaging in immunoprevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhesh Mittra
- University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shane M. Harding
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Departments of Radiation Oncology and Immunology, University of Toronto; Toronto, Canada
| | - Susan M. Kaech
- NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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21
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Abdelhady AM, Phillips JA, Xu Y, Stroh M. Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Considerations in the Development of CRISPR-Based Therapies. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2023; 114:591-603. [PMID: 37429825 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.3000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing holds the potential for curative treatments of human disease, however, clinical realization has proven to be a challenging journey with incremental progress made up until recently. Over the last decade, advances in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) systems have provided the necessary breakthrough for genome editing in the clinic. The progress of investigational CRISPR therapies from bench to bedside reflects the culmination of multiple advances occurring in parallel, several of which intersect with clinical pharmacology and translation. Directing the CRISPR therapy to the intended site of action has necessitated novel delivery platforms, and this has resulted in special considerations for the complete characterization of distribution, metabolism, and excretion, as well as immunogenicity. Once at the site of action, CRISPR therapies aim to make permanent alterations to the genome and achieve therapeutically relevant effects with a single dose. This fundamental aspect of the mechanism of action for CRISPR therapies results in new considerations for clinical translation and dose selection. Early advances in model-informed development of CRISPR therapies have incorporated key facets of the mechanism of action and have captured hallmark features of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics from phase I investigations. Given the recent emergence of CRISPR therapies in clinical development, the landscape continues to evolve rapidly with ample opportunity for continued innovation. Here, we provide a snapshot of selected topics in clinical pharmacology and translation that has supported the advance of systemically administered in vivo and ex vivo CRISPR-based investigational therapies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yuanxin Xu
- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark Stroh
- Intellia Therapeutics, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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22
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Aparicio C, Acebal C, González-Vallinas M. Current approaches to develop "off-the-shelf" chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells for cancer treatment: a systematic review. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:73. [PMID: 37605218 PMCID: PMC10440917 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00435-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is one of the most promising advances in cancer treatment. It is based on genetically modified T cells to express a CAR, which enables the recognition of the specific tumour antigen of interest. To date, CAR-T cell therapies approved for commercialisation are designed to treat haematological malignancies, showing impressive clinical efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory advanced-stage tumours. However, since they all use the patient´s own T cells as starting material (i.e. autologous use), they have important limitations, including manufacturing delays, high production costs, difficulties in standardising the preparation process, and production failures due to patient T cell dysfunction. Therefore, many efforts are currently being devoted to contribute to the development of safe and effective therapies for allogeneic use, which should be designed to overcome the most important risks they entail: immune rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). This systematic review brings together the wide range of different approaches that have been studied to achieve the production of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of every strategy. The methods were classified in two major categories: those involving extra genetic modifications, in addition to CAR integration, and those relying on the selection of alternative cell sources/subpopulations for allogeneic CAR-T cell production (i.e. γδ T cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), umbilical cord blood T cells, memory T cells subpopulations, virus-specific T cells and cytokine-induced killer cells). We have observed that, although genetic modification of T cells is the most widely used approach, new approaches combining both methods have emerged. However, more preclinical and clinical research is needed to determine the most appropriate strategy to bring this promising antitumour therapy to the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Aparicio
- Unit of Excellence Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Genetics of Valladolid (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid (UVa)-CSIC, Valladolid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Carlos Acebal
- Unit of Excellence Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Genetics of Valladolid (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid (UVa)-CSIC, Valladolid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Margarita González-Vallinas
- Unit of Excellence Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Genetics of Valladolid (IBGM), Universidad de Valladolid (UVa)-CSIC, Valladolid, Spain.
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.
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23
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Zhu I, Piraner DI, Roybal KT. Synthesizing a Smarter CAR T Cell: Advanced Engineering of T-cell Immunotherapies. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1030-1043. [PMID: 37429007 PMCID: PMC10527511 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0962] [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: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The immune system includes an array of specialized cells that keep us healthy by responding to pathogenic cues. Investigations into the mechanisms behind immune cell behavior have led to the development of powerful immunotherapies, including chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Although CAR T cells have demonstrated efficacy in treating blood cancers, issues regarding their safety and potency have hindered the use of immunotherapies in a wider spectrum of diseases. Efforts to integrate developments in synthetic biology into immunotherapy have led to several advancements with the potential to expand the range of treatable diseases, fine-tune the desired immune response, and improve therapeutic cell potency. Here, we examine current synthetic biology advances that aim to improve on existing technologies and discuss the promise of the next generation of engineered immune cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iowis Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Dan I. Piraner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Kole T. Roybal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA 8Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone UCSF Institute for Genetic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
- UCSF Cell Design Institute, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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24
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Lv Z, Luo F, Chu Y. Strategies for overcoming bottlenecks in allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1199145. [PMID: 37554322 PMCID: PMC10405079 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1199145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a revolutionary breakthrough in immunotherapy and has made impressive progress in both preclinical and clinical studies. However, autologous CAR-T cells still have notable drawbacks in clinical manufacture, such as long production time, variable cell potency and possible manufacturing failures. Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy is significantly superior to autologous CAR-T cell therapy in these aspects. The use of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy may provide simplified manufacturing process and allow the creation of 'off-the-shelf' products, facilitating the treatments of various types of tumors at less delivery time. Nevertheless, severe graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) or host-mediated allorejection may occur in the allogeneic setting, implying that addressing these two critical issues is urgent for the clinical application of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we summarize the current approaches to overcome GvHD and host rejection, which empower allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy with a broader future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixin Lv
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Biotherapy Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Luo
- Biotherapy Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwei Chu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Biotherapy Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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25
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Zheng Z, Li S, Liu M, Chen C, Zhang L, Zhou D. Fine-Tuning through Generations: Advances in Structure and Production of CAR-T Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3476. [PMID: 37444586 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a promising form of immunotherapy that has seen significant advancements in the past few decades. It involves genetically modifying T cells to target cancer cells expressing specific antigens, providing a novel approach to treating various types of cancer. However, the initial success of first-generation CAR-T cells was limited due to inadequate proliferation and undesirable outcomes. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made in CAR-T cell engineering, leading to the development of the latest fifth-generation CAR-T cells that can target multiple antigens and overcome individual limitations. Despite these advancements, some shortcomings prevent the widespread use of CAR-T therapy, including life-threatening toxicities, T-cell exhaustion, and inadequate infiltration for solid tumors. Researchers have made considerable efforts to address these issues by developing new strategies for improving CAR-T cell function and reducing toxicities. This review provides an overview of the path of CAR-T cell development and highlights some of the prominent advances in its structure and manufacturing process, which include the strategies to improve antigen recognition, enhance T-cell activation and persistence, and overcome immune escape. Finally, the review briefly covers other immune cells for cancer therapy and ends with the discussion on the broad prospects of CAR-T in the treatment of various diseases, not just hematological tumors, and the challenges that need to be addressed for the widespread clinical application of CAR-T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibo Zheng
- Department of International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Siyuan Li
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mohan Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Chuyan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Daobin Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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26
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Mitra A, Barua A, Huang L, Ganguly S, Feng Q, He B. From bench to bedside: the history and progress of CAR T cell therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188049. [PMID: 37256141 PMCID: PMC10225594 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represents a major breakthrough in cancer care since the approval of tisagenlecleucel by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for the treatment of pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia. As of April 2023, six CAR T cell therapies have been approved, demonstrating unprecedented efficacy in patients with B-cell malignancies and multiple myeloma. However, adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity pose significant challenges to CAR T cell therapy. The severity of these adverse events correlates with the pretreatment tumor burden, where a higher tumor burden results in more severe consequences. This observation is supported by the application of CD19-targeted CAR T cell therapy in autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus and antisynthetase syndrome. These results indicate that initiating CAR T cell therapy early at low tumor burden or using debulking strategy prior to CAR T cell infusion may reduce the severity of adverse events. In addition, CAR T cell therapy is expensive and has limited effectiveness against solid tumors. In this article, we review the critical steps that led to this groundbreaking therapy and explore ongoing efforts to overcome these challenges. With the promise of more effective and safer CAR T cell therapies in development, we are optimistic that a broader range of cancer patients will benefit from this revolutionary therapy in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aroshi Mitra
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Amrita Barua
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Luping Huang
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center, Departments of Surgery and Urology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Siddhartha Ganguly
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
- Section of Hematology, Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Qin Feng
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Bin He
- Immunobiology and Transplant Science Center, Departments of Surgery and Urology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States
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27
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Mazinani M, Rahbarizadeh F. New cell sources for CAR-based immunotherapy. Biomark Res 2023; 11:49. [PMID: 37147740 PMCID: PMC10163725 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-023-00482-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, in which a patient's own T lymphocytes are engineered to recognize and kill cancer cells, has achieved striking success in some hematological malignancies in preclinical and clinical trials, resulting in six FDA-approved CAR-T products currently available in the market. Despite impressive clinical outcomes, concerns about treatment failure associated with low efficacy or high cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells remain. While the main focus has been on improving CAR-T cells, exploring alternative cellular sources for CAR generation has garnered growing interest. In the current review, we comprehensively evaluated other cell sources rather than conventional T cells for CAR generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Mazinani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-111, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rahbarizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-111, Tehran, Iran.
- Research and Development Center of Biotechnology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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28
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Glaser V, Flugel C, Kath J, Du W, Drosdek V, Franke C, Stein M, Pruß A, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Volk HD, Reinke P, Wagner DL. Combining different CRISPR nucleases for simultaneous knock-in and base editing prevents translocations in multiplex-edited CAR T cells. Genome Biol 2023; 24:89. [PMID: 37095570 PMCID: PMC10123993 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02928-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple genetic modifications may be required to develop potent off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies. Conventional CRISPR-Cas nucleases install sequence-specific DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), enabling gene knock-out or targeted transgene knock-in. However, simultaneous DSBs provoke a high rate of genomic rearrangements which may impede the safety of the edited cells. RESULTS Here, we combine a non-viral CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease-assisted knock-in and Cas9-derived base editing technology for DSB free knock-outs within a single intervention. We demonstrate efficient insertion of a CAR into the T cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC) gene, along with two knock-outs that silence major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) class I and II expression. This approach reduces translocations to 1.4% of edited cells. Small insertions and deletions at the base editing target sites indicate guide RNA exchange between the editors. This is overcome by using CRISPR enzymes of distinct evolutionary origins. Combining Cas12a Ultra for CAR knock-in and a Cas9-derived base editor enables the efficient generation of triple-edited CAR T cells with a translocation frequency comparable to unedited T cells. Resulting TCR- and MHC-negative CAR T cells resist allogeneic T cell targeting in vitro. CONCLUSIONS We outline a solution for non-viral CAR gene transfer and efficient gene silencing using different CRISPR enzymes for knock-in and base editing to prevent translocations. This single-step procedure may enable safer multiplex-edited cell products and demonstrates a path towards off-the-shelf CAR therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor Glaser
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Flugel
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Kath
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Weijie Du
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vanessa Drosdek
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Clemens Franke
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Stein
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Schmueck-Henneresse
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- CheckImmune GmbH, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Petra Reinke
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitrios L Wagner
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
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29
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Hu X, Manner K, DeJesus R, White K, Gattis C, Ngo P, Bandoro C, Tham E, Chu EY, Young C, Wells F, Basco R, Friera A, Kangeyan D, Beauchesne P, Dowdle WE, Deuse T, Fry TJ, Foster AE, Schrepfer S. Hypoimmune anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells provide lasting tumor control in fully immunocompetent allogeneic humanized mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2020. [PMID: 37037829 PMCID: PMC10086027 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37785-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Manufacturing autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapeutics is complex, and many patients experience treatment delays or cannot be treated at all. Although current allogeneic CAR products have the potential to overcome manufacturing bottlenecks, they are subject to immune rejection and failure to persist in the host, and thus do not provide the same level of efficacy as their autologous counterparts. Here, we aimed to develop universal allogeneic CAR T cells that evade the immune system and produce a durable response. We generated human hypoimmune (HIP) T cells with disrupted B2M, CIITA, and TRAC genes using CRISPR-Cas9 editing. In addition, CD47 and anti-CD19 CAR were expressed using lentiviral transduction. These allogeneic HIP CD19 CAR T cells were compared to allogeneic CD19 CAR T cells that only expressed the anti-CD19 CAR (allo CAR T). In vitro assays for cancer killing and exhaustion revealed no differences between allo CAR T and HIP CAR T cells, confirming that the HIP edits did not negatively affect T cell performance. Clearance of CD19+ tumors by HIP CAR T cells in immunodeficient NSG mice was comparable to that of allo CAR T cells. In fully immunocompetent humanized mice, HIP CAR T cells significantly outperformed allo CAR T cells, showed improved persistence and expansion, and provided lasting cancer clearance. Furthermore, CD47-targeting safety strategies reliably and specifically eliminated HIP CAR T cells. These findings suggest that universal allogeneic HIP CAR T cell-based therapeutics might overcome the limitations associated with poor persistence of allogeneic CAR T cells and exert durable anti-tumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomeng Hu
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Karl Manner
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rowena DeJesus
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kathy White
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Corie Gattis
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Priscilla Ngo
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Eleonore Tham
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elaine Y Chu
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chi Young
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frank Wells
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ronald Basco
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Annabelle Friera
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Divy Kangeyan
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Pascal Beauchesne
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William E Dowdle
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tobias Deuse
- Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Transplant and Stem Cell Immunobiology (TSI)-Lab, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Terry J Fry
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aaron E Foster
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sonja Schrepfer
- Sana Biotechnology Inc., 1 Tower Place, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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30
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Chen Y, Zhu Y, Kramer A, Fang Y, Wilson M, Li YR, Yang L. Genetic engineering strategies to enhance antitumor reactivity and reduce alloreactivity for allogeneic cell-based cancer therapy. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1135468. [PMID: 37064017 PMCID: PMC10090359 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1135468] [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: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The realm of cell-based immunotherapy holds untapped potential for the development of next-generation cancer treatment through genetic engineering of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T (CAR-T) cell therapies for targeted eradication of cancerous malignancies. Such allogeneic "off-the-shelf" cell products can be advantageously manufactured in large quantities, stored for extended periods, and easily distributed to treat an exponential number of cancer patients. At current, patient risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and host-versus-graft (HvG) allorejection severely restrict the development of allogeneic CAR-T cell products. To address these limitations, a variety of genetic engineering strategies have been implemented to enhance antitumor efficacy, reduce GvHD and HvG onset, and improve the overall safety profile of T-cell based immunotherapies. In this review, we summarize these genetic engineering strategies and discuss the challenges and prospects these approaches provide to expedite progression of translational and clinical studies for adoption of a universal cell-based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuning Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yichen Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Adam Kramer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Matthew Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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31
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Qasim W. Genome-edited allogeneic donor "universal" chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Blood 2023; 141:835-845. [PMID: 36223560 PMCID: PMC10651779 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
αβ T cell receptor (TCRαβ) T cells modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), are now available as authorized therapies for certain B-cell malignancies. However the process of autologous harvest and generation of patient-specific products is costly, with complex logistics and infrastructure requirements. Premanufactured banks of allogeneic donor-derived CAR T cells could help widen applicability if the challenges of HLA-mismatched T-cell therapy can be addressed. Genome editing is being applied to overcome allogeneic barriers, most notably, by disrupting TCRαβ to prevent graft-versus-host disease, and multiple competing editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9 and base editing, have reached clinical phase testing. Improvements in accuracy and efficiency have unlocked applications for a wider range of blood malignancies, with multiplexed editing incorporated to target HLA molecules, shared antigens and checkpoint pathways. Clinical trials will help establish safety profiles and determine the durability of responses as well as the role of consolidation with allogeneic transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Qasim
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Zayed Centre for Research, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Quach DH, Lulla P, Rooney CM. Banking on virus-specific T cells to fulfill the need for off-the-shelf cell therapies. Blood 2023; 141:877-885. [PMID: 36574622 PMCID: PMC10023738 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptively transferred virus-specific T cells (VSTs) have shown remarkable safety and efficacy for the treatment of virus-associated diseases and malignancies in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, for whom VSTs are derived from the HSCT donor. Autologous VSTs have also shown promise for the treatment of virus-driven malignancies outside the HSCT setting. In both cases, VSTs are manufactured as patient-specific products, and the time required for procurement, manufacture, and release testing precludes their use in acutely ill patients. Further, Good Manufacturing Practices-compliant products are expensive, and failures are common in virus-naive HSCT donors and patient-derived VSTs that are rendered anergic by immunosuppressive tumors. Hence, highly characterized, banked VSTs (B-VSTs) that can be used for multiple unrelated recipients are highly desirable. The major challenges facing B-VSTs result from the inevitable mismatches in the highly polymorphic and immunogenic human leukocyte antigens (HLA) that present internally processed antigens to the T-cell receptor, leading to the requirement for partial HLA matching between the B-VST and recipient. HLA mismatches lead to rapid rejection of allogeneic T-cell products and graft-versus-host disease induced by alloreactive T cells in the infusion product. Here, we summarize the clinical outcomes to date of trials of B-VSTs used for the treatment of viral infections and malignancies and their potential as a platform for chimeric antigen receptors targeting nonviral tumors. We will highlight the properties of VSTs that make them attractive off-the-shelf cell therapies, as well as the challenges that must be overcome before they can become mainstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H. Quach
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Premal Lulla
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Cliona M. Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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33
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Schaible P, Bethge W, Lengerke C, Haraszti RA. RNA Therapeutics for Improving CAR T-cell Safety and Efficacy. Cancer Res 2023; 83:354-362. [PMID: 36512627 PMCID: PMC7614194 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have recently emerged as potent tools in the fight against cancer, with promising therapeutic efficacy against hematological malignancies. However, several limitations hamper their widespread clinical use, including availability of target antigen, severe toxic effects, primary and secondary resistance, heterogeneous quality of autologous T cells, variable persistence, and low activity against solid tumors. Development of allogeneic off-the-shelf CAR T cells could help address some of these limitations but is impeded by alloimmunity with either rejection and limited expansion of allo-CAR T cells or CAR T cells versus host reactions. RNA therapeutics, such as small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, and antisense oligonucleotides, are able to silence transcripts in a sequence-specific and proliferation-sensitive way, which may offer a way to overcome some of the challenges facing CAR T-cell development and clinical utility. Here, we review how different RNA therapeutics or a combination of RNA therapeutics and genetic engineering could be harnessed to improve the safety and efficacy of autologous and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Schaible
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Bethge
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Lengerke
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Reka Agnes Haraszti
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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34
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Labanieh L, Mackall CL. CAR immune cells: design principles, resistance and the next generation. Nature 2023; 614:635-648. [PMID: 36813894 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05707-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 86.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable clinical activity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapies in B cell and plasma cell malignancies has validated the use of this therapeutic class for liquid cancers, but resistance and limited access remain as barriers to broader application. Here we review the immunobiology and design principles of current prototype CARs and present emerging platforms that are anticipated to drive future clinical advances. The field is witnessing a rapid expansion of next-generation CAR immune cell technologies designed to enhance efficacy, safety and access. Substantial progress has been made in augmenting immune cell fitness, activating endogenous immunity, arming cells to resist suppression via the tumour microenvironment and developing approaches to modulate antigen density thresholds. Increasingly sophisticated multispecific, logic-gated and regulatable CARs display the potential to overcome resistance and increase safety. Early signs of progress with stealth, virus-free and in vivo gene delivery platforms provide potential paths for reduced costs and increased access of cell therapies in the future. The continuing clinical success of CAR T cells in liquid cancers is driving the development of increasingly sophisticated immune cell therapies that are poised to translate to treatments for solid cancers and non-malignant diseases in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louai Labanieh
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Crystal L Mackall
- Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA. .,Division of Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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35
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Rodrigo S, Senasinghe K, Quazi S. Molecular and therapeutic effect of CRISPR in treating cancer. Med Oncol 2023; 40:81. [PMID: 36650384 PMCID: PMC9845174 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-022-01930-6] [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: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cancer has become one of the common causes of mortality around the globe due to mutations in the genome which allows rapid growth of cells uncontrollably without repairing DNA errors. Cancers could arise due alterations in DNA repair mechanisms (errors in mismatch repair genes), activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Each cancer type is different and each individual has a unique genetic change which leads them to cancer. Studying genetic and epigenetic alterations in the genome leads to understanding the underlying features. CAR T therapy over other immunotherapies such as monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines and adoptive cell therapies has been widely used to treat cancer in recent days and gene editing has now become one of the promising treatments for many genetic diseases. This tool allows scientists to change the genome by adding, removing or altering genetic material of an organism. Due to advance in genetics and novel molecular techniques such as CRISPR, TALEN these genes can be edited in such a way that their original function could be replaced which in turn improved the treatment possibilities and can be used against malignancies and even cure cancer in future along with CAR T cell therapy due to the specific recognition and attacking of tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sawani Rodrigo
- Human Genetics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Kaveesha Senasinghe
- Human Genetics Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Sameer Quazi
- GenLab Biosolutions Private Limited, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560043, India.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.
- School of Health Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- SCAMT Institute, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
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36
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El-Tanani M, Al Khatib AO, Al-Najjar BO, Shakya AK, El-Tanani Y, Lee YF, Serrano-Aroca Á, Mishra V, Mishra Y, Aljabali AA, Goyal R, Negi P, Farani MR, Binabaj MM, Gholami A, Binabaj MM, Charbe NB, Tambuwala MM. Cellular and molecular basis of therapeutic approaches to breast cancer. Cell Signal 2023; 101:110492. [PMID: 36241056 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been a significant amount of research into breast cancer, with some important breakthroughs in the treatment of both primary and metastatic breast cancers. It's a well-known fact that treating breast cancer is still a challenging endeavour even though physicians have a fantastic toolset of the latest treatment options at their disposal. Due to limitations of current clinical treatment options, traditional chemotherapeutic drugs, and surgical options are still required to address this condition. In recent years, there have been several developments resulting in a wide range of treatment options. This review article discusses the cellular and molecular foundation of chemotherapeutic drugs, endocrine system-based treatments, biological therapies, gene therapy, and innovative techniques for treating breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed El-Tanani
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Amman, Jordan; Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BJ, Northern Ireland, UK; Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK.
| | - Arwa Omar Al Khatib
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Amman, Jordan
| | - Belal O Al-Najjar
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Amman, Jordan
| | - Ashok K Shakya
- Pharmacological and Diagnostic Research Centre, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Amman, Jordan
| | - Yahia El-Tanani
- Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology, Queen's University Belfast, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BJ, Northern Ireland, UK; Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Yin-Fai Lee
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK; School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK; Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK
| | - Ángel Serrano-Aroca
- Biomaterials and Bioengineering Laboratory, Centro de Investigación Traslacional San Alberto Magno, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, c/Guillem de Castro 94, 46001 Valencia, Spain
| | - Vijay Mishra
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Yachana Mishra
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Alaa A Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Yarmouk University, Irbid 566, Jordan
| | - Rohit Goyal
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology & Management Sciences, Solan 173229, India
| | - Poonam Negi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology & Management Sciences, Solan 173229, India
| | - Marzieh Ramezani Farani
- Toxicology and Diseases Group (TDG), Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center (PSRC), the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), 1417614411 Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maryam Moradi Binabaj
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Amir Gholami
- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Maryam Moradi Binabaj
- Student Research Committee, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Nitin B Charbe
- Center for pharmacometrics and system pharmacology, department of pharmaceutics, college of pharmacy, University of Florida, FL, USA
| | - Murtaza M Tambuwala
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK; Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK.
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37
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de Lima SCG, Fantacini DMC, Furtado IP, Rossetti R, Silveira RM, Covas DT, de Souza LEB. Genome Editing for Engineering the Next Generation of Advanced Immune Cell Therapies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1429:85-110. [PMID: 37486518 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-33325-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Our current genetic engineering capacity through synthetic biology and genome editing is the foundation of a revolution in biomedical science: the use of genetically programmed cells as therapeutics. The prime example of this paradigm is the adoptive transfer of genetically engineered T cells to express tumor-specific receptors, such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or engineered T-cell receptors (TCR). This approach has led to unprecedented complete remission rates in patients with otherwise incurable hematological malignancies. However, this approach is still largely ineffective against solid tumors, which comprise the vast majority of neoplasms. Also, limitations associated with the autologous nature of this therapy and shared markers between cancer cells and T cells further restrict the access to these therapies. Here, we described how cutting-edge genome editing approaches have been applied to unlock the full potential of these revolutionary therapies, thereby increasing therapeutic efficacy and patient accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Caroline Gomes de Lima
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Izadora Peter Furtado
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Rossetti
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberta Maraninchi Silveira
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Dimas Tadeu Covas
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas Eduardo Botelho de Souza
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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Tamura R, Kamiyama D. CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Knock-In Approach to Insert the GFP 11 Tag into the Genome of a Human Cell Line. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2564:185-201. [PMID: 36107342 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2667-2_8] [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] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The protocol in this chapter describes a method to label endogenous proteins using a self-complementing split green fluorescent protein (split GFP1-10/11) in a human cell line. By directly delivering Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes through nucleofection, this protocol allows for the efficient integration of GFP11 into a specific genomic locus via CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair (HDR). We use the GFP11 sequence in the form of a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) as an HDR template. Because the ssDNA with less than 200 nucleotides used here is commercially synthesized, this approach remains cloning-free. The integration of GFP11 is performed in cells stably expressing GFP1-10, thereby inducing fluorescence reconstitution. Subsequently, such a reconstituted signal is analyzed using fluorescence flow cytometry for estimating knock-in efficiencies and enriching the GFP-positive cell population. Finally, the enriched cells can be visualized using fluorescence microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Tamura
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Daichi Kamiyama
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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Li W, Zhu X, Xu Y, Chen J, Zhang H, Yang Z, Qi Y, Hong J, Li Y, Wang G, Shen J, Qian C. Simultaneous editing of TCR, HLA-I/II and HLA-E resulted in enhanced universal CAR-T resistance to allo-rejection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1052717. [PMID: 36532006 PMCID: PMC9757162 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1052717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The major challenge for universal chimeric antigen receptor T cell (UCAR-T) therapy is the inability to persist for a long time in patients leading to inferior efficacy clinically. The objective of this study was to design a novel UCAR-T cell that could avoid the occurrence of allo-rejection and provide effective resistance to allogeneic Natural Killer (NK) cell rejection, together with the validation of its safety and efficacy ex vivo and in vivo. Methods We prepared T-cell receptor (TCR), Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-I/II triple-edited (TUCAR-T) cells and evaluated the anti-tumor efficacy ex vivo and in vivo. We measured the resistance of exogenous HLA-E expressing TUCAR-T (ETUCAR-T) to NK rejection by using an enhanced NK. Furthermore, we established the safety and efficacy of this regimen by treating Nalm6 tumor-bearing mice with a repeated high-dose infusion of ETUCAR-T. Moreover, we analyzed the effects of individual gene deficiency CAR-T on treated mice and the changes in the transcriptional profiles of different gene-edited T cells via RNA-Seq. Results Data showed that HLA-II editing didn't impair the anti-tumor efficacy of TUCAR-T ex vivo and in vivo and we found for the first time that HLA-II deficiency could facilitate the persistence of CAR-T. Contrastively, as the most commonly eliminated target in UCAR-T, TCR deficiency was found to be a key disadvantageous factor for the shorter-term anti-tumor efficacy in vivo. Our study demonstrated ETUCAR-T could effectively resist allogeneic NK rejection ex vivo and in vivo. Discussion Our research provided a potential and effective strategy for promoting the persistence of UCAR-T cells in clinical application. And it reveals the potential key factors of the poor persistence of UCAR-T along with new insights for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuling Li
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Center for Precision Medicine of Cancer, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiuxiu Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Center for Precision Medicine of Cancer, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Yanmin Xu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Hongtao Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Yanan Qi
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Juan Hong
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Yunyan Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Guixue Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Bioengineering College of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junjie Shen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Gene and Cell Therapy, Institute of Precision Medicine and Biotechnology, Chongqing Precision Biotech Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Key Laboratory for Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Center for Precision Medicine of Cancer, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
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Murata K, Ly D, Saijo H, Matsunaga Y, Sugata K, Ihara F, Oryoji D, Ohashi Y, Saso K, Wang CH, Zheng EY, Burt BD, Butler MO, Hirano N. Modification of the HLA-A*24:02 Peptide Binding Pocket Enhances Cognate Peptide-Binding Capacity and Antigen-Specific T Cell Activation. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 209:1481-1491. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The immunogenicity of a T cell Ag is correlated with the ability of its antigenic epitope to bind HLA and be stably presented to T cells. This presents a challenge for the development of effective cancer immunotherapies, as many self-derived tumor-associated epitopes elicit weak T cell responses, in part due to weak binding affinity to HLA. Traditional methods to increase peptide–HLA binding affinity involve modifying the peptide to reflect HLA allele binding preferences. Using a different approach, we sought to analyze whether the immunogenicity of wild-type peptides could be altered through modification of the HLA binding pocket. After analyzing HLA class I peptide binding pocket alignments, we identified an alanine 81 to leucine (A81L) modification within the F binding pocket of HLA-A*24:02 that was found to heighten the ability of artificial APCs to retain and present HLA-A*24:02–restricted peptides, resulting in increased T cell responses while retaining Ag specificity. This modification led to increased peptide exchange efficiencies for enhanced detection of low-avidity T cells and, when expressed on artificial APCs, resulted in greater expansion of Ag-specific T cells from melanoma-derived tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Our study provides an example of how modifications to the HLA binding pocket can enhance wild-type cognate peptide presentation to heighten T cell activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Murata
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dalam Ly
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Saijo
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yukiko Matsunaga
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenji Sugata
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fumie Ihara
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daisuke Oryoji
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yota Ohashi
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
| | - Kayoko Saso
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chung-Hsi Wang
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
| | - Evey Y.F. Zheng
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
| | - Brian D. Burt
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marcus O. Butler
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
- ‡Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Naoto Hirano
- *Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- †Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
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Tipanee J, Samara-Kuko E, Gevaert T, Chuah MK, VandenDriessche T. Universal allogeneic CAR T cells engineered with Sleeping Beauty transposons and CRISPR-CAS9 for cancer immunotherapy. Mol Ther 2022; 30:3155-3175. [PMID: 35711141 PMCID: PMC9552804 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Allogeneic CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells with inactivated donor T cell receptor (TCR) expression can be used as an "off-the-shelf" therapeutic modality for lymphoid malignancies, thus offering an attractive alternative to autologous, patient-derived T cells. Current approaches for T cell engineering mainly rely on the use of viral vectors. Here, we optimized and validated a non-viral genetic modification platform based on Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposons delivered with minicircles to express CD19-28z.CAR and CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoparticles to inactivate allogeneic TCRs. Efficient TCR gene disruption was achieved with minimal cytotoxicity and with attainment of robust and stable CD19-28z.CAR expression. The CAR T cells were responsive to CD19+ tumor cells with antitumor activities that induced complete tumor remission in NALM6 tumor-bearing mice while significantly reducing TCR alloreactivity and GvHD development. Single CAR signaling induced the similar T cell signaling signatures in TCR-disrupted CAR T cells and control CAR T cells. In contrast, TCR disruption inhibited T cell signaling/protein phosphorylation compared with the control CAR T cells during dual CAR/TCR signaling. This non-viral SB transposon-CRISPR-Cas9 combination strategy serves as an alternative for generating next-generation CD19-specific CAR T while reducing GvHD risk and easing potential manufacturing constraints intrinsic to viral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaitip Tipanee
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Building D, Room D365, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ermira Samara-Kuko
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Building D, Room D365, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Gevaert
- Department of Radiotherapy, Oncology Centre University Hospital Brussels (Universitair Ziekenhuis (UZ) Brussel), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marinee K Chuah
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Building D, Room D365, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Thierry VandenDriessche
- Department of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Building D, Room D365, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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Sun W, Jiang Z, Jiang W, Yang R. Universal chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy - The future of cell therapy: A review providing clinical evidence. Cancer Treat Res Commun 2022; 33:100638. [PMID: 36184307 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctarc.2022.100638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Autologous CAR-T therapy has shown promising outcomes in the treatment of tumors, particularly hematological malignancies over the past years. However, the application of autologous CAR-T therapy is limited, due to undesirable patient and/or peripheral blood characteristics, the high cost and long time period of manufacturing, and other challenges. Universal CAR-T therapy could overcome major limitations of autologous CAR-T therapy. In this review, we described the research and development status of universal CAR-T therapy for hematological malignancies. In addition, we also summarized the challenges had been encountered and the current solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Wen Jiang
- Gobroad Healthcare Group, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Gobroad Healthcare Group, Beijing, China.
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Ottaviano G, Qasim W. Genome-Edited T Cell Therapies. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am 2022; 36:729-744. [PMID: 35773047 DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2022.03.006] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are widely being investigated against malignancies, and allogeneic 'universal donor' CAR-T cells offer the possibility of widened access to pre-manufactured, off-the-shelf therapies. Different genome-editing platforms have been used to address human leukocyte antigen (HLA) barriers to generate universal CAR-T cell therapy and early applications have been reported in children and adults against B cell malignancies. Recently developed Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-based systems and related technologies offer the prospect of enhanced cellular immunotherapies for a wider range of hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Ottaviano
- Infection, Immunity & Inflammation Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Waseem Qasim
- Infection, Immunity & Inflammation Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK.
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Ren P, Zhang C, Li W, Wang X, Liang A, Yang G, Xu H, Ma P. CAR-T Therapy in Clinical Practice: Technical Advances and Current Challenges. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2022; 6:e2101262. [PMID: 35652169 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202101262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) redirect T cells to specifically recognize and eliminate tumor cells. CAR-T therapy has achieved successful clinical outcomes, and it has been transformed into commercially available products to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and B cell lymphoma. These breakthroughs have motivated hundreds of CAR-T clinical trials initiated each year, with ≈900 cases registered on the ClinicalTrials website till 2021. Accumulating clinical experiences have highlighted some limitations of this strategy, e.g., relapse after complete response, poor efficacy in solid tumors, on-target off-tumor toxicities, lack of persistence, and tumor resistance. These challenges limit the therapeutic application of CAR-T cells. Multidisciplinary approaches are actively investigated to address these issues. In this review, the antigens, CAR designs, and cell sources are summarized in clinical trials from 2020 to 2021. The innovative modular and programmable designs in CAR-T cells, including advances in signaling domains, antigen-recognition domains, T cell engineering, and cell resources, are further discussed. Integrative genetic and chemical engineering strategies are promising to improve the versatility, antitumor efficacy, persistence, and safety of CAR-T cells. In the future, the next generation of CAR-T cell therapies will offer more options for patients who are refractory to standard tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Ren
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Chuyue Zhang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Wenping Li
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Xian Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Aibing Liang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Guang Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Hongtao Xu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Peixiang Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China.,Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, P. R. China
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Jogalekar MP, Rajendran RL, Khan F, Dmello C, Gangadaran P, Ahn BC. CAR T-Cell-Based gene therapy for cancers: new perspectives, challenges, and clinical developments. Front Immunol 2022; 13:925985. [PMID: 35936003 PMCID: PMC9355792 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.925985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a progressive new pillar in immune cell therapy for cancer. It has yielded remarkable clinical responses in patients with B-cell leukemia or lymphoma. Unfortunately, many challenges remain to be addressed to overcome its ineffectiveness in the treatment of other hematological and solidtumor malignancies. The major hurdles of CAR T-cell therapy are the associated severe life-threatening toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome and limited anti-tumor efficacy. In this review, we briefly discuss cancer immunotherapy and the genetic engineering of T cells and, In detail, the current innovations in CAR T-cell strategies to improve efficacy in treating solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Furthermore, we also discuss the current challenges in CAR T-cell therapy and new CAR T-cell-derived nanovesicle therapy. Finally, strategies to overcome the current clinical challenges associated with CAR T-cell therapy are included as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasi P. Jogalekar
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ramya Lakshmi Rajendran
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Fatima Khan
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Crismita Dmello
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Prakash Gangadaran
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea
- BK21 FOUR KNU Convergence Educational Program of Biomedical Sciences for Creative Future Talents, Department of Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Prakash Gangadaran, ; Byeong-Cheol Ahn,
| | - Byeong-Cheol Ahn
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea
- BK21 FOUR KNU Convergence Educational Program of Biomedical Sciences for Creative Future Talents, Department of Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Prakash Gangadaran, ; Byeong-Cheol Ahn,
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Endowing universal CAR T-cell with immune-evasive properties using TALEN-gene editing. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3453. [PMID: 35773273 PMCID: PMC9247096 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30896-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Universal CAR T-cell therapies are poised to revolutionize cancer treatment and to improve patient outcomes. However, realizing these advantages in an allogeneic setting requires universal CAR T-cells that can kill target tumor cells, avoid depletion by the host immune system, and proliferate without attacking host tissues. Here, we describe the development of a novel immune-evasive universal CAR T-cells scaffold using precise TALEN-mediated gene editing and DNA matrices vectorized by recombinant adeno-associated virus 6. We simultaneously disrupt and repurpose the endogenous TRAC and B2M loci to generate TCRαβ- and HLA-ABC-deficient T-cells expressing the CAR construct and the NK-inhibitor named HLA-E. This highly efficient gene editing process enables the engineered T-cells to evade NK cell and alloresponsive T-cell attacks and extend their persistence and antitumor activity in the presence of cytotoxic levels of NK cell in vivo and in vitro, respectively. This scaffold could enable the broad use of universal CAR T-cells in allogeneic settings and holds great promise for clinical applications.
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Kath J, Du W, Pruene A, Braun T, Thommandru B, Turk R, Sturgeon ML, Kurgan GL, Amini L, Stein M, Zittel T, Martini S, Ostendorf L, Wilhelm A, Akyüz L, Rehm A, Höpken UE, Pruß A, Künkele A, Jacobi AM, Volk HD, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Stripecke R, Reinke P, Wagner DL. Pharmacological interventions enhance virus-free generation of TRAC-replaced CAR T cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:311-330. [PMID: 35573047 PMCID: PMC9062427 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.018] [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: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) redirected T cells are potent therapeutic options against hematological malignancies. The current dominant manufacturing approach for CAR T cells depends on retroviral transduction. With the advent of gene editing, insertion of a CD19-CAR into the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha constant (TRAC) locus using adeno-associated viruses for gene transfer was demonstrated, and these CD19-CAR T cells showed improved functionality over their retrovirally transduced counterparts. However, clinical-grade production of viruses is complex and associated with extensive costs. Here, we optimized a virus-free genome-editing method for efficient CAR insertion into the TRAC locus of primary human T cells via nuclease-assisted homology-directed repair (HDR) using CRISPR-Cas and double-stranded template DNA (dsDNA). We evaluated DNA-sensor inhibition and HDR enhancement as two pharmacological interventions to improve cell viability and relative CAR knockin rates, respectively. While the toxicity of transfected dsDNA was not fully prevented, the combination of both interventions significantly increased CAR knockin rates and CAR T cell yield. Resulting TRAC-replaced CD19-CAR T cells showed antigen-specific cytotoxicity and cytokine production in vitro and slowed leukemia progression in a xenograft mouse model. Amplicon sequencing did not reveal significant indel formation at potential off-target sites with or without exposure to DNA-repair-modulating small molecules. With TRAC-integrated CAR+ T cell frequencies exceeding 50%, this study opens new perspectives to exploit pharmacological interventions to improve non-viral gene editing in T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kath
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Weijie Du
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alina Pruene
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | - Tobias Braun
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | | | - Rolf Turk
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | | | - Gavin L. Kurgan
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | - Leila Amini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Stein
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatiana Zittel
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefania Martini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lennard Ostendorf
- Department of Nephrology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Armin Rehm
- Department of Translational Tumorimmunology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Uta E. Höpken
- Department of Microenvironmental Regulation in Autoimmunity and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Künkele
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Schmueck-Henneresse
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, Cancer Center Cologne Essen, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Reinke
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitrios L. Wagner
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Corresponding author Dimitrios Laurin Wagner, MD, PhD, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT) BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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Yu J, Li T, Han H, Zeng F, Wu Z, Zhang J, Chen Y, Sheng B, Deng S, Zhu P. Establishment of a 10-gene prognostic model for gastric cancer based on the tumor immune microenvironment. Anal Biochem 2022; 654:114794. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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CRISPR/Cas9 application in cancer therapy: a pioneering genome editing tool. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2022; 27:35. [PMID: 35508982 PMCID: PMC9066929 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-022-00336-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The progress of genetic engineering in the 1970s brought about a paradigm shift in genome editing technology. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system is a flexible means to target and modify particular DNA sequences in the genome. Several applications of CRISPR/Cas9 are presently being studied in cancer biology and oncology to provide vigorous site-specific gene editing to enhance its biological and clinical uses. CRISPR's flexibility and ease of use have enabled the prompt achievement of almost any preferred alteration with greater efficiency and lower cost than preceding modalities. Also, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has recently been applied to improve the safety and efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies and defeat tumor cell resistance to conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The current review summarizes the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in cancer therapy. We also discuss the present obstacles and contemplate future possibilities in this context.
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Vasic D, Lee JB, Leung Y, Khatri I, Na Y, Abate-Daga D, Zhang L. Allogeneic double-negative CAR-T cells inhibit tumor growth without off-tumor toxicities. Sci Immunol 2022; 7:eabl3642. [PMID: 35452255 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abl3642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The development of autologous chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapies has revolutionized cancer treatment. Nevertheless, the delivery of CAR-T cell therapy faces challenges, including high costs, lengthy production times, and manufacturing failures. To overcome this, attempts have been made to develop allogeneic CAR-T cells using donor-derived conventional CD4+ or CD8+ T cells (Tconvs), but severe graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and host immune rejection have made this challenging. CD3+CD4-CD8- double-negative T cells (DNTs) are a rare subset of mature T cells shown to fulfill the requirements of an off-the-shelf cellular therapy, including scalability, cryopreservability, donor-independent anticancer function, resistance to rejection, and no observed off-tumor toxicity including GvHD. To overcome the challenges faced with CAR-Tconvs, we evaluated the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of using healthy donor-derived allogeneic DNTs as a CAR-T cell therapy platform. We successfully transduced DNTs with a second-generation anti-CD19-CAR (CAR19) without hampering their endogenous characteristics or off-the-shelf properties. CAR19-DNTs induced antigen-specific cytotoxicity against B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). In addition, CAR19-DNTs showed effective infiltration and tumor control against lung cancer genetically modified to express CD19 in xenograft models. CAR19-DNT efficacy was comparable with that of CAR19-Tconvs. However, unlike CAR19-Tconvs, CAR19-DNTs did not cause alloreactivity or xenogeneic GvHD-related mortality in xenograft models. These studies demonstrate the potential of using allogeneic DNTs as a platform for CAR technology to provide a safe, effective, and patient-accessible CAR-T cell treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Vasic
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jong Bok Lee
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yuki Leung
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ismat Khatri
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yoosu Na
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Abate-Daga
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Li Zhang
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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