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Baugh R, Khalique H, Page E, Lei-Rossmann J, Wan PKT, Johanssen T, Ebner D, Ansorge O, Seymour LW. Targeting NKG2D ligands in glioblastoma with a bispecific T-cell engager is augmented with conventional therapy and enhances oncolytic virotherapy of glioma stem-like cells. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008460. [PMID: 38724464 PMCID: PMC11086472 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) almost invariably becomes resistant towards conventional treatment of radiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy, partly due to subpopulations of intrinsically resistant glioma stem-like cells (GSC). The oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 G207 is a promising approach for GBM virotherapy although its efficacy in patients with GBM is often limited. Natural killer group 2 member D ligands (NKG2DLs) are minimally expressed by healthy cells but are upregulated by the DNA damage response (DDR) and in malignant cells with chronic DDR signaling, resulting in innate immune activation. METHODS We have designed a bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) capable of cross-linking CD3 on T cells with NKG2DL-expressing GBM cells. We then engineered the G207 virus to express the NKG2D BiTE and secrete it from infected cells. The efficacy of the free BiTE and BiTE delivered by G207 was evaluated in combination with conventional therapies in GBM cells and against patient-derived GSCs in the context of T-cell activation and target cell viability. RESULTS NKG2D BiTE-mediated cross-linking of GBM cells and T cells causes antigen-independent T-cell activation, pro-inflammatory cytokine release, and tumor cell death, thereby combining direct viral oncolysis with BiTE-mediated cytotoxicity. Surface NKG2DL expression was further elevated on GBM cells following pretreatment with sublethal doses of TMZ and radiation to induce the DDR, increasing sensitivity towards G207-NKG2D BiTE and achieving synergistic cytotoxicity. We also demonstrate a novel strategy for targeting GSCs that are non-permissive to G207 infection but remain sensitive to NKG2D BiTE. CONCLUSIONS We propose a potential model for targeting GSCs in heterogeneous tumors, whereby differentiated GBM cells infected with G207-NKG2D BiTE produce NKG2D BiTE locally, directing T-cell cytotoxicity towards the GSC subpopulations in the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Baugh
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hena Khalique
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emma Page
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Timothy Johanssen
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel Ebner
- Target Discovery Institute, University of Oxford Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Olaf Ansorge
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Dong S, Liu X, Bi Y, Wang Y, Antony A, Lee D, Huntoon K, Jeong S, Ma Y, Li X, Deng W, Schrank BR, Grippin AJ, Ha J, Kang M, Chang M, Zhao Y, Sun R, Sun X, Yang J, Chen J, Tang SK, Lee LJ, Lee AS, Teng L, Wang S, Teng L, Kim BYS, Yang Z, Jiang W. Adaptive design of mRNA-loaded extracellular vesicles for targeted immunotherapy of cancer. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6610. [PMID: 37857647 PMCID: PMC10587228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42365-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent success of mRNA therapeutics against pathogenic infections has increased interest in their use for other human diseases including cancer. However, the precise delivery of the genetic cargo to cells and tissues of interest remains challenging. Here, we show an adaptive strategy that enables the docking of different targeting ligands onto the surface of mRNA-loaded small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). This is achieved by using a microfluidic electroporation approach in which a combination of nano- and milli-second pulses produces large amounts of IFN-γ mRNA-loaded sEVs with CD64 overexpressed on their surface. The CD64 molecule serves as an adaptor to dock targeting ligands, such as anti-CD71 and anti-programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies. The resulting immunogenic sEVs (imsEV) preferentially target glioblastoma cells and generate potent antitumour activities in vivo, including against tumours intrinsically resistant to immunotherapy. Together, these results provide an adaptive approach to engineering mRNA-loaded sEVs with targeting functionality and pave the way for their adoption in cancer immunotherapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyan Dong
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xuan Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Chemical Engineering, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
| | - Ye Bi
- Practice Training Center, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Abin Antony
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - DaeYong Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kristin Huntoon
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Seongdong Jeong
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yifan Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Xuefeng Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Weiye Deng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin R Schrank
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Adam J Grippin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - JongHoon Ha
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Minjeong Kang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Mengyu Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yarong Zhao
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Rongze Sun
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Xiangshi Sun
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Jie Yang
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Sarah K Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - L James Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
- Spot Biosystems Ltd., Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Andrew S Lee
- Institute for Cancer Research, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lirong Teng
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Shengnian Wang
- Chemical Engineering, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.
| | - Lesheng Teng
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
| | - Betty Y S Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Zhaogang Yang
- School of Life Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Brain Tumor Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Lerner EC, Woroniecka KI, D'Anniballe VM, Wilkinson DS, Mohan AA, Lorrey SJ, Waibl-Polania J, Wachsmuth LP, Miggelbrink AM, Jackson JD, Cui X, Raj JA, Tomaszewski WH, Cook SL, Sampson JH, Patel AP, Khasraw M, Gunn MD, Fecci PE. CD8 + T cells maintain killing of MHC-I-negative tumor cells through the NKG2D-NKG2DL axis. Nat Cancer 2023; 4:1258-1272. [PMID: 37537301 PMCID: PMC10518253 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The accepted paradigm for both cellular and anti-tumor immunity relies upon tumor cell killing by CD8+ T cells recognizing cognate antigens presented in the context of target cell major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I (MHC-I) molecules. Likewise, a classically described mechanism of tumor immune escape is tumor MHC-I downregulation. Here, we report that CD8+ T cells maintain the capacity to kill tumor cells that are entirely devoid of MHC-I expression. This capacity proves to be dependent instead on interactions between T cell natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) and tumor NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs), the latter of which are highly expressed on MHC-loss variants. Necessarily, tumor cell killing in these instances is antigen independent, although prior T cell antigen-specific activation is required and can be furnished by myeloid cells or even neighboring MHC-replete tumor cells. In this manner, adaptive priming can beget innate killing. These mechanisms are active in vivo in mice as well as in vitro in human tumor systems and are obviated by NKG2D knockout or blockade. These studies challenge the long-advanced notion that downregulation of MHC-I is a viable means of tumor immune escape and instead identify the NKG2D-NKG2DL axis as a therapeutic target for enhancing T cell-dependent anti-tumor immunity against MHC-loss variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Lerner
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Daniel S Wilkinson
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Aditya A Mohan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Selena J Lorrey
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Lucas P Wachsmuth
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Joshua D Jackson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xiuyu Cui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jude A Raj
- Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Sarah L Cook
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John H Sampson
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anoop P Patel
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mustafa Khasraw
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael D Gunn
- Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Peter E Fecci
- Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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