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Díez-Alonso L, Falgas A, Arroyo-Ródenas J, Romencín PA, Martínez A, Gómez-Rosel M, Blanco B, Jiménez-Reinoso A, Mayado A, Pérez-Pons A, Aguilar-Sopeña Ó, Ramírez-Fernández Á, Segura-Tudela A, Perez-Amill L, Tapia-Galisteo A, Domínguez-Alonso C, Rubio-Pérez L, Jara M, Solé F, Hangiu O, Almagro L, Albitre Á, Penela P, Sanz L, Anguita E, Valeri A, García-Ortiz A, Río P, Juan M, Martínez-López J, Roda-Navarro P, Martín-Antonio B, Orfao A, Menéndez P, Bueno C, Álvarez-Vallina L. Engineered T cells secreting anti-BCMA T cell engagers control multiple myeloma and promote immune memory in vivo. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadg7962. [PMID: 38354229 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg7962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy in adults and remains an incurable disease. B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed immunotherapy, including T cells bearing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and systemically injected bispecific T cell engagers (TCEs), has shown remarkable clinical activity, and several products have received market approval. However, despite promising results, most patients eventually become refractory and relapse, highlighting the need for alternative strategies. Engineered T cells secreting TCE antibodies (STAb) represent a promising strategy that combines the advantages of adoptive cell therapies and bispecific antibodies. Here, we undertook a comprehensive preclinical study comparing the therapeutic potential of T cells either expressing second-generation anti-BCMA CARs (CAR-T) or secreting BCMAxCD3 TCEs (STAb-T) in a T cell-limiting experimental setting mimicking the conditions found in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. STAb-T cells recruited T cell activity at extremely low effector-to-target ratios and were resistant to inhibition mediated by soluble BCMA released from the cell surface, resulting in enhanced cytotoxic responses and prevention of immune escape of multiple myeloma cells in vitro. These advantages led to robust expansion and persistence of STAb-T cells in vivo, generating long-lived memory BCMA-specific responses that could control multiple myeloma progression in xenograft models, outperforming traditional CAR-T cells. These promising preclinical results encourage clinical testing of the BCMA-STAb-T cell approach in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Díez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Aïda Falgas
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Arroyo-Ródenas
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola A Romencín
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alba Martínez
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Gómez-Rosel
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anaïs Jiménez-Reinoso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea Mayado
- Cancer Research Center (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Department of Medicine and Cytometry Service (NUCLEUS), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alba Pérez-Pons
- Cancer Research Center (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Department of Medicine and Cytometry Service (NUCLEUS), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Óscar Aguilar-Sopeña
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Segura-Tudela
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lorena Perez-Amill
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Tapia-Galisteo
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Domínguez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Rubio-Pérez
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Chair for Immunology UFV/Merck, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Jara
- Cancer Research Center (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Department of Medicine and Cytometry Service (NUCLEUS), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Francesc Solé
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oana Hangiu
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Almagro
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángela Albitre
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Petronila Penela
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Princesa, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Sanz
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Majadahonda, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Anguita
- Department of Medicine, Medical School, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, IML, IdISSC, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Valeri
- H12O-CNIO Hematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena García-Ortiz
- H12O-CNIO Hematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Río
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manel Juan
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Servei d'Immunologia, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Plataforma Immunoterapia, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquín Martínez-López
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Hematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Roda-Navarro
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Martín-Antonio
- Department of Experimental Hematology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Diaz, (IIS-FJD), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Orfao
- Cancer Research Center (IBMCC, USAL-CSIC), Department of Medicine and Cytometry Service (NUCLEUS), Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Pablo Menéndez
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Bueno
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Álvarez-Vallina
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Chair for Immunology UFV/Merck, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
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Rubio-Pérez L, Lázaro-Gorines R, Harwood SL, Compte M, Navarro R, Tapia-Galisteo A, Bonet J, Blanco B, Lykkemark S, Ramírez-Fernández Á, Ferreras-Gutiérrez M, Domínguez-Alonso C, Díez-Alonso L, Segura-Tudela A, Hangiu O, Erce-Llamazares A, Blanco FJ, Santos C, Rodríguez-Peralto JL, Sanz L, Álvarez-Vallina L. A PD-L1/EGFR bispecific antibody combines immune checkpoint blockade and direct anti-cancer action for an enhanced anti-tumor response. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2205336. [PMID: 37114242 PMCID: PMC10128431 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2205336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) with antibodies has shown durable clinical responses in a wide range of cancer types, but the overall response rate is still limited. Other effective therapeutic modalities to increase the ICB response rates are urgently needed. New bispecific antibody (bsAb) formats combining the ICB effect and a direct action on cancer cells could improve the efficacy of current immunotherapies. Here, we report the development of a PD-L1/EGFR symmetric bsAb by fusing a dual-targeting tandem trimmer body with the human IgG1 hinge and Fc regions. The bsAb was characterized in vitro and the antitumor efficacy was evaluated in humanized mice bearing xenografts of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer and lung cancer. The IgG-like hexavalent bsAb, designated IgTT-1E, was able to simultaneously bind both EGFR and PD-L1 antigens, inhibit EGF-mediated proliferation, effectively block PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, and induce strong antigen-specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity in vitro. Potent therapeutic efficacies of IgTT-1E in two different humanized mouse models were observed, where tumor growth control was associated with a significantly increased proportion of CD8+ T cells. These results support the development of IgTT-1E for the treatment of EGFR+ cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rubio-Pérez
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
- Chair for Immunology UFV/Merck, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Lázaro-Gorines
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Seandean L. Harwood
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Marta Compte
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, QUBE Technology Park, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Navarro
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, QUBE Technology Park, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Tapia-Galisteo
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaume Bonet
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Simon Lykkemark
- Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ángel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Domínguez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Díez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Segura-Tudela
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Oana Hangiu
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, QUBE Technology Park, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ainhoa Erce-Llamazares
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Antibody Engineering, Leadartis SL, QUBE Technology Park, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco J. Blanco
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cruz Santos
- Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Madrid, Spain
| | - José L. Rodríguez-Peralto
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pathology, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Cutaneous Oncology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Sanz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Oncología (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Álvarez-Vallina
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- H12O-CNIO Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
- Chair for Immunology UFV/Merck, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Madrid, Spain
- CONTACT Luis Álvarez-Vallina Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Avda. Cordoba s/n, Madrid28041, Spain
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3
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Blanco B, Ramírez-Fernández Á, Bueno C, Argemí-Muntadas L, Fuentes P, Aguilar-Sopeña Ó, Gutierrez-Agüera F, Zanetti SR, Tapia-Galisteo A, Díez-Alonso L, Segura-Tudela A, Castellà M, Marzal B, Betriu S, Harwood SL, Compte M, Lykkemark S, Erce-Llamazares A, Rubio-Pérez L, Jiménez-Reinoso A, Domínguez-Alonso C, Neves M, Morales P, Paz-Artal E, Guedan S, Sanz L, Toribio ML, Roda-Navarro P, Juan M, Menéndez P, Álvarez-Vallina L. Overcoming CAR-Mediated CD19 Downmodulation and Leukemia Relapse with T Lymphocytes Secreting Anti-CD19 T-cell Engagers. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:498-511. [PMID: 35362043 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells have revolutionized the treatment of CD19-positive hematologic malignancies. Although anti-CD19 CAR-engineered autologous T cells can induce remission in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a large subset relapse, most of them with CD19-positive disease. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are clearly needed. Here, we report a comprehensive study comparing engineered T cells either expressing a second-generation anti-CD19 CAR (CAR-T19) or secreting a CD19/CD3-targeting bispecific T-cell engager antibody (STAb-T19). We found that STAb-T19 cells are more effective than CAR-T19 cells at inducing cytotoxicity, avoiding leukemia escape in vitro, and preventing relapse in vivo. We observed that leukemia escape in vitro is associated with rapid and drastic CAR-induced internalization of CD19 that is coupled with lysosome-mediated degradation, leading to the emergence of transiently CD19-negative leukemic cells that evade the immune response of engineered CAR-T19 cells. In contrast, engineered STAb-T19 cells induce the formation of canonical immunologic synapses and prevent the CD19 downmodulation observed in anti-CD19 CAR-mediated interactions. Although both strategies show similar efficacy in short-term mouse models, there is a significant difference in a long-term patient-derived xenograft mouse model, where STAb-T19 cells efficiently eradicated leukemia cells, but leukemia relapsed after CAR-T19 therapy. Our findings suggest that the absence of CD19 downmodulation in the STAb-T19 strategy, coupled with the continued antibody secretion, allows an efficient recruitment of the endogenous T-cell pool, resulting in fast and effective elimination of cancer cells that may prevent CD19-positive relapses frequently associated with CAR-T19 therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Bueno
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Argemí-Muntadas
- Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Patricia Fuentes
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar Aguilar-Sopeña
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Gutierrez-Agüera
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Tapia-Galisteo
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Díez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Segura-Tudela
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Castellà
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Berta Marzal
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Betriu
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Seandean L Harwood
- Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marta Compte
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Simon Lykkemark
- Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ainhoa Erce-Llamazares
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Rubio-Pérez
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.,Chair for Immunology UFV/Merck, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Anaïs Jiménez-Reinoso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Domínguez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Neves
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Morales
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Estela Paz-Artal
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Guedan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Sanz
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - María L Toribio
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Roda-Navarro
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manel Juan
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Servei d'Immunologia, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Plataforma Immunoteràpia Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Menéndez
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Oncología (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Álvarez-Vallina
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain.,Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain.,Immunotherapy and Cell Engineering Laboratory, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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4
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Ramírez-Fernández Á, Aguilar-Sopeña Ó, Díez-Alonso L, Segura-Tudela A, Domínguez-Alonso C, Roda-Navarro P, Álvarez-Vallina L, Blanco B. Synapse topology and downmodulation events determine the functional outcome of anti-CD19 T cell-redirecting strategies. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2054106. [PMID: 35355682 PMCID: PMC8959521 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2054106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy strategies based on the endogenous secretion of T cell-redirecting bispecific antibodies by engineered T lymphocytes (STAb-T) are emerging as alternative or complementary approaches to those based on chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T). The antitumor efficacy of bispecific anti-CD19 × anti-CD3 (CD19×CD3) T cell engager (BiTE)-secreting STAb-T cells has been demonstrated in several mouse models of B-cell acute leukemia. Here, we have investigated the spatial topology and downstream signaling of the artificial immunological synapses (IS) that are formed by CAR-T or STAb-T cells. Upon interaction with CD19-positive target cells, STAb-T cells form IS with structure and signal transduction, which more closely resemble those of physiological cognate IS, compared to IS formed by CAR-T cells expressing a second-generation CAR bearing the same CD19-single-chain variable fragment. Importantly, while CD3 is maintained at detectable levels on the surface of STAb-T cells, indicating sustained activation mediated by the secreted BiTE, the anti-CD19 CAR was rapidly downmodulated, which correlated with a more transient downstream signaling. Furthermore, CAR-T cells, but not STAb-T cells, provoke an acute loss of CD19 in target cells. Such differences might represent advantages of the STAb-T strategy over the CAR-T approach and should be carefully considered in order to develop more effective and safer treatments for hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar Aguilar-Sopeña
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Díez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Segura-Tudela
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Domínguez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Roda-Navarro
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Álvarez-Vallina
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain
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5
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Blanco B, Ramírez-Fernández Á, Alvarez-Vallina L. Engineering Immune Cells for in vivo Secretion of Tumor-Specific T Cell-Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1792. [PMID: 32903593 PMCID: PMC7438551 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapeutic approaches based on the redirection of T cell activity toward tumor cells are actively being investigated. The impressive clinical success of the continuously intravenously infused T cell-redirecting bispecific antibody (T-bsAb) blinatumomab (anti-CD19 x anti-CD3), and of engineered T cells expressing anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T cells) in hematological malignancies, has led to renewed interest in a novel cancer immunotherapy strategy that combines features of antibody- and cell-based therapies. This emerging approach is based on the endogenous secretion of T-bsAbs by engineered T cells (STAb-T cells). Adoptive transfer of genetically modified STAb-T cells has demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity in both solid tumor and hematologic preclinical xenograft models. We review here the potential benefits of the STAb-T strategy over similar approaches currently being used in clinic, and we discuss the potential combination of this promising strategy with the well-established CAR-T cell approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Alvarez-Vallina
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
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