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Forbes C, Nierkens S, Cornel AM. Thymic NK-Cells and Their Potential in Cancer Immunotherapy. Immunotargets Ther 2024; 13:183-194. [PMID: 38558927 PMCID: PMC10979679 DOI: 10.2147/itt.s441639] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK)-cells are innate immune cells with potent anti-tumor capacity, capable of recognizing target cells without prior exposure. For this reason, NK-cells are recognized as a useful source of cell therapy. Although most NK-cells are derived from the bone marrow (BM), a separate developmental pathway in the thymus also exists, producing so-called thymic NK-cells. Unlike conventional NK-cells, thymic NK (tNK)-cells have a combined capacity for cytokine production and a natural ability to kill tumor cells in the presence of NK-cell receptor stimulatory ligands. Furthermore, tNK-cells are reported to express CD3 subunits intracellularly, without the presence of a rearranged T-cell receptor (TCR). This unique feature may enable harnessing of these cells with a TCR to combine NK- and T-cell effector properties in one cell type. The development, phenotype, and function of tNK-cells, and potential as a cell therapy is, however, poorly explored. In this review, we provide an overview of current literature on both murine and human tNK-cells in comparison to conventional BM-derived NK-cells, and discuss the potential applications of this cellular subset in the context of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlyn Forbes
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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2
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Cornel AM, van der Sman L, van Dinter JT, Arrabito M, Dunnebach E, van Hoesel M, Kluiver TA, Lopes AP, Dautzenberg NMM, Dekker L, van Rijn JM, van den Beemt DAMH, Buhl JL, du Chatinier A, Barneh F, Lu Y, Lo Nigro L, Krippner-Heidenreich A, Sebestyén Z, Kuball J, Hulleman E, Drost J, van Heesch S, Heidenreich OT, Peng WC, Nierkens S. Targeting pediatric cancers via T-cell recognition of the monomorphic MHC class I-related protein MR1. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e007538. [PMID: 38519054 PMCID: PMC10961533 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007538] [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: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) restriction of conventional T-cell targeting introduces complexity in generating T-cell therapy strategies for patients with cancer with diverse HLA-backgrounds. A subpopulation of atypical, major histocompatibility complex-I related protein 1 (MR1)-restricted T-cells, distinctive from mucosal-associated invariant T-cells (MAITs), was recently identified recognizing currently unidentified MR1-presented cancer-specific metabolites. It is hypothesized that the MC.7.G5 MR1T-clone has potential as a pan-cancer, pan-population T-cell immunotherapy approach. These cells are irresponsive to healthy tissue while conferring T-cell receptor(TCR) dependent, HLA-independent cytotoxicity to a wide range of adult cancers. Studies so far are limited to adult malignancies. Here, we investigated the potential of MR1-targeting cellular therapy strategies in pediatric cancer. Bulk RNA sequencing data of primary pediatric tumors were analyzed to assess MR1 expression. In vitro pediatric tumor models were subsequently screened to evaluate their susceptibility to engineered MC.7.G5 TCR-expressing T-cells. Targeting capacity was correlated with qPCR-based MR1 mRNA and protein overexpression. RNA expression of MR1 in primary pediatric tumors varied widely within and between tumor entities. Notably, embryonal tumors exhibited significantly lower MR1 expression than other pediatric tumors. In line with this, most screened embryonal tumors displayed resistance to MR1T-targeting in vitro MR1T susceptibility was observed particularly in pediatric leukemia and diffuse midline glioma models. This study demonstrates potential of MC.7.G5 MR1T-cell immunotherapy in pediatric leukemias and diffuse midline glioma, while activity against embryonal tumors was limited. The dismal prognosis associated with relapsed/refractory leukemias and high-grade brain tumors highlights the promise to improve survival rates of children with these cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelisa M Cornel
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Loutje van der Sman
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jip T van Dinter
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marta Arrabito
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ester Dunnebach
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas A Kluiver
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ana P Lopes
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Linde Dekker
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jorik M van Rijn
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Juliane L Buhl
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aimee du Chatinier
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Farnaz Barneh
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Yuyan Lu
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Luca Lo Nigro
- Center of Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Zsolt Sebestyén
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jurgen Kuball
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Esther Hulleman
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jarno Drost
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Olaf T Heidenreich
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Weng Chuan Peng
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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3
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Alieva M, Barrera Román M, de Blank S, Petcu D, Zeeman AL, Dautzenberg NMM, Cornel AM, van de Ven C, Pieters R, den Boer ML, Nierkens S, Calkoen FGJ, Clevers H, Kuball J, Sebestyén Z, Wehrens EJ, Dekkers JF, Rios AC. BEHAV3D: a 3D live imaging platform for comprehensive analysis of engineered T cell behavior and tumor response. Nat Protoc 2024:10.1038/s41596-024-00972-6. [PMID: 38504137 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00972-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Modeling immuno-oncology by using patient-derived material and immune cell co-cultures can advance our understanding of immune cell tumor targeting in a patient-specific manner, offering leads to improve cellular immunotherapy. However, fully exploiting these living cultures requires analysis of the dynamic cellular features modeled, for which protocols are currently limited. Here, we describe the application of BEHAV3D, a platform that implements multi-color live 3D imaging and computational tools for: (i) analyzing tumor death dynamics at both single-organoid or cell and population levels, (ii) classifying T cell behavior and (iii) producing data-informed 3D images and videos for visual inspection and further insight into obtained results. Together, this enables a refined assessment of how solid and liquid tumors respond to cellular immunotherapy, critically capturing both inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity in treatment response. In addition, BEHAV3D uncovers T cell behavior involved in tumor targeting, offering insight into their mode of action. Our pipeline thereby has strong implications for comparing, prioritizing and improving immunotherapy products by highlighting the behavioral differences between individual tumor donors, distinct T cell therapy concepts or subpopulations. The protocol describes critical wet lab steps, including co-culture preparations and fast 3D imaging with live cell dyes, a segmentation-based image processing tool to track individual organoids, tumor and immune cells and an analytical pipeline for behavioral profiling. This 1-week protocol, accessible to users with basic cell culture, imaging and programming expertise, can easily be adapted to any type of co-culture to visualize and exploit cell behavior, having far-reaching implications for the immuno-oncology field and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Alieva
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mario Barrera Román
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sam de Blank
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Diana Petcu
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Amber L Zeeman
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Cesca van de Ven
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rob Pieters
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Monique L den Boer
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Friso G J Calkoen
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hans Clevers
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Pharma, Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Kuball
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Zsolt Sebestyén
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Centre (UMC) Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen J Wehrens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Johanna F Dekkers
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anne C Rios
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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4
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Wienke J, Visser LL, Kholosy WM, Keller KM, Barisa M, Poon E, Munnings-Tomes S, Himsworth C, Calton E, Rodriguez A, Bernardi R, van den Ham F, van Hooff SR, Matser YAH, Tas ML, Langenberg KPS, Lijnzaad P, Borst AL, Zappa E, Bergsma FJ, Strijker JGM, Verhoeven BM, Mei S, Kramdi A, Restuadi R, Sanchez-Bernabeu A, Cornel AM, Holstege FCP, Gray JC, Tytgat GAM, Scheijde-Vermeulen MA, Wijnen MHWA, Dierselhuis MP, Straathof K, Behjati S, Wu W, Heck AJR, Koster J, Nierkens S, Janoueix-Lerosey I, de Krijger RR, Baryawno N, Chesler L, Anderson J, Caron HN, Margaritis T, van Noesel MM, Molenaar JJ. Integrative analysis of neuroblastoma by single-cell RNA sequencing identifies the NECTIN2-TIGIT axis as a target for immunotherapy. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:283-300.e8. [PMID: 38181797 PMCID: PMC10864003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.008] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma have poor survival rates and urgently need more effective treatment options with less side effects. Since novel and improved immunotherapies may fill this need, we dissect the immunoregulatory interactions in neuroblastoma by single-cell RNA-sequencing of 24 tumors (10 pre- and 14 post-chemotherapy, including 5 pairs) to identify strategies for optimizing immunotherapy efficacy. Neuroblastomas are infiltrated by natural killer (NK), T and B cells, and immunosuppressive myeloid populations. NK cells show reduced cytotoxicity and T cells have a dysfunctional profile. Interaction analysis reveals a vast immunoregulatory network and identifies NECTIN2-TIGIT as a crucial immune checkpoint. Combined blockade of TIGIT and PD-L1 significantly reduces neuroblastoma growth, with complete responses (CR) in vivo. Moreover, addition of TIGIT+PD-L1 blockade to standard relapse treatment in a chemotherapy-resistant Th-ALKF1174L/MYCN 129/SvJ syngeneic model induces CR. In conclusion, our integrative analysis provides promising targets and a rationale for immunotherapeutic combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Wienke
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Lindy L Visser
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Waleed M Kholosy
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kaylee M Keller
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marta Barisa
- Cancer Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Evon Poon
- Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Sophie Munnings-Tomes
- Cancer Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Courtney Himsworth
- Cancer Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Calton
- Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | | | - Ronald Bernardi
- Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Femke van den Ham
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Yvette A H Matser
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Michelle L Tas
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Philip Lijnzaad
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anne L Borst
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Elisa Zappa
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Bronte M Verhoeven
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shenglin Mei
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Amira Kramdi
- Institut Curie, Inserm U830, PSL Research University, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, Paris, France; SIREDO: Care, Innovation and Research for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Restuadi Restuadi
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
| | - Alvaro Sanchez-Bernabeu
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Juliet C Gray
- Centre for Cancer Immunology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | | | - Marc H W A Wijnen
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Karin Straathof
- University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; UCL Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Sam Behjati
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK; Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wei Wu
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore, Singapore; Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Netherlands Proteomics Centre, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Koster
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Isabelle Janoueix-Lerosey
- Institut Curie, Inserm U830, PSL Research University, Diversity and Plasticity of Childhood Tumors Lab, Paris, France; SIREDO: Care, Innovation and Research for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer, Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Ronald R de Krijger
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ninib Baryawno
- Childhood Cancer Research Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Louis Chesler
- Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - John Anderson
- Cancer Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Department of Oncology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, UK
| | | | | | - Max M van Noesel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Division Imaging & Cancer, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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5
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Stip MC, Evers M, Nederend M, Chan C, Reiding KR, Damen MJ, Heck AJR, Koustoulidou S, Ramakers R, Krijger GC, de Roos R, Souteyrand E, Cornel AM, Dierselhuis MP, Jansen M, de Boer M, Valerius T, van Tetering G, Leusen JHW, Meyer-Wentrup F. IgA antibody immunotherapy targeting GD2 is effective in preclinical neuroblastoma models. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e006948. [PMID: 37479484 PMCID: PMC10364159 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-006948] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy targeting GD2 is very effective against high-risk neuroblastoma, though administration of anti-GD2 antibodies induces severe and dose-limiting neuropathic pain by binding GD2-expressing sensory neurons. Previously, the IgG1 ch14.18 (dinutuximab) antibody was reformatted into the IgA1 isotype, which abolishes neuropathic pain and induces efficient neutrophil-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via activation of the Fc alpha receptor (FcαRI/CD89). METHODS To generate an antibody suitable for clinical application, we engineered an IgA molecule (named IgA3.0 ch14.18) with increased stability, mutated glycosylation sites and substituted free (reactive) cysteines. The following mutations were introduced: N45.2G and P124R (CH1 domain), C92S, N120T, I121L and T122S (CH2 domain) and a deletion of the tail piece P131-Y148 (CH3 domain). IgA3.0 ch14.18 was evaluated in binding assays and in ADCC and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) assays with human, neuroblastoma patient and non-human primate effector cells. We performed mass spectrometry analysis of N-glycans and evaluated the impact of altered glycosylation in IgA3.0 ch14.18 on antibody half-life by performing pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in mice injected intravenously with 5 mg/kg antibody solution. A dose escalation study was performed to determine in vivo efficacy of IgA3.0 ch14.18 in an intraperitoneal mouse model using 9464D-GD2 neuroblastoma cells as well as in a subcutaneous human xenograft model using IMR32 neuroblastoma cells. Binding assays and PK studies were compared with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), ADCC and ADCP assays and in vivo tumor outgrowth with two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post-hoc test. RESULTS ADCC and ADCP assays showed that particularly neutrophils and macrophages from healthy donors, non-human primates and patients with neuroblastoma are able to kill neuroblastoma tumor cells efficiently with IgA3.0 ch14.18. IgA3.0 ch14.18 contains a more favorable glycosylation pattern, corresponding to an increased antibody half-life in mice compared with IgA1 and IgA2. Furthermore, IgA3.0 ch14.18 penetrates neuroblastoma tumors in vivo and halts tumor outgrowth in both 9464D-GD2 and IMR32 long-term tumor models. CONCLUSIONS IgA3.0 ch14.18 is a promising new therapy for neuroblastoma, showing (1) increased half-life compared to natural IgA antibodies, (2) increased protein stability enabling effortless production and purification, (3) potent CD89-mediated tumor killing in vitro by healthy subjects and patients with neuroblastoma and (4) antitumor efficacy in long-term mouse neuroblastoma models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein C Stip
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mitchell Evers
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike Nederend
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Chilam Chan
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Karli R Reiding
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam J Damen
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Proteomics Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Remmert de Roos
- Radionuclide Pharmacy, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Edouard Souteyrand
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marco Jansen
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark de Boer
- De Boer Biotech Consultancy B.V, Blaricum, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Valerius
- Section for Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunotherapy, Department of Medicine II, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Geert van Tetering
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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6
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Dekkers JF, Alieva M, Cleven A, Keramati F, Wezenaar AKL, van Vliet EJ, Puschhof J, Brazda P, Johanna I, Meringa AD, Rebel HG, Buchholz MB, Barrera Román M, Zeeman AL, de Blank S, Fasci D, Geurts MH, Cornel AM, Driehuis E, Millen R, Straetemans T, Nicolasen MJT, Aarts-Riemens T, Ariese HCR, Johnson HR, van Ineveld RL, Karaiskaki F, Kopper O, Bar-Ephraim YE, Kretzschmar K, Eggermont AMM, Nierkens S, Wehrens EJ, Stunnenberg HG, Clevers H, Kuball J, Sebestyen Z, Rios AC. Uncovering the mode of action of engineered T cells in patient cancer organoids. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:60-69. [PMID: 35879361 PMCID: PMC9849137 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01397-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Extending the success of cellular immunotherapies against blood cancers to the realm of solid tumors will require improved in vitro models that reveal therapeutic modes of action at the molecular level. Here we describe a system, called BEHAV3D, developed to study the dynamic interactions of immune cells and patient cancer organoids by means of imaging and transcriptomics. We apply BEHAV3D to live-track >150,000 engineered T cells cultured with patient-derived, solid-tumor organoids, identifying a 'super engager' behavioral cluster comprising T cells with potent serial killing capacity. Among other T cell concepts we also study cancer metabolome-sensing engineered T cells (TEGs) and detect behavior-specific gene signatures that include a group of 27 genes with no previously described T cell function that are expressed by super engager killer TEGs. We further show that type I interferon can prime resistant organoids for TEG-mediated killing. BEHAV3D is a promising tool for the characterization of behavioral-phenotypic heterogeneity of cellular immunotherapies and may support the optimization of personalized solid-tumor-targeting cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna F Dekkers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Alieva
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid Cleven
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Farid Keramati
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Amber K L Wezenaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Esmée J van Vliet
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jens Puschhof
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Microbiome and Cancer Division, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Brazda
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Inez Johanna
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Angelo D Meringa
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Heggert G Rebel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maj-Britt Buchholz
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mario Barrera Román
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Amber L Zeeman
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sam de Blank
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Domenico Fasci
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten H Geurts
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Else Driehuis
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rosemary Millen
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Trudy Straetemans
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Mara J T Nicolasen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tineke Aarts-Riemens
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hendrikus C R Ariese
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah R Johnson
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ravian L van Ineveld
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Froso Karaiskaki
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Oded Kopper
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Yotam E Bar-Ephraim
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kai Kretzschmar
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center for Cancer Research Würzburg, University Hospital Würzburg, MSNZ/IZKF, Wurzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander M M Eggermont
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Comprehensive Cancer Center München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ellen J Wehrens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Pharma, Research and Early Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen Kuball
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Zsolt Sebestyen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anne C Rios
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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7
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Cornel AM, Dunnebach E, Hofman DA, Das S, Sengupta S, van den Ham F, Wienke J, Strijker JGM, van den Beemt DAMH, Essing AHW, Koopmans B, Engels SAG, Lo Presti V, Szanto CS, George RE, Molenaar JJ, van Heesch S, Dierselhuis MP, Nierkens S. Epigenetic modulation of neuroblastoma enhances T cell and NK cell immunogenicity by inducing a tumor-cell lineage switch. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-005002. [PMID: 36521927 PMCID: PMC9756225 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy in high-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NBL) does not live up to its full potential due to inadequate (adaptive) immune engagement caused by the extensive immunomodulatory capacity of HR-NBL. We aimed to tackle one of the most notable immunomodulatory processes in neuroblastoma (NBL), absence of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) surface expression, a process greatly limiting cytotoxic T cell engagement. We and others have previously shown that MHC-I expression can be induced by cytokine-driven immune modulation. Here, we aimed to identify tolerable pharmacological repurposing strategies to upregulate MHC-I expression and therewith enhance T cell immunogenicity in NBL. METHODS Drug repurposing libraries were screened to identify compounds enhancing MHC-I surface expression in NBL cells using high-throughput flow cytometry analyses optimized for adherent cells. The effect of positive hits was confirmed in a panel of NBL cell lines and patient-derived organoids. Compound-treated NBL cell lines and organoids were cocultured with preferentially expressed antigen of melanoma (PRAME)-reactive tumor-specific T cells and healthy-donor natural killer (NK) cells to determine the in vitro effect on T cell and NK cell cytotoxicity. Additional immunomodulatory effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) were identified by transcriptome and translatome analysis of treated organoids. RESULTS Drug library screening revealed MHC-I upregulation by inhibitor of apoptosis inhibitor (IAPi)- and HDACi drug classes. The effect of IAPi was limited due to repression of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) pathway activity in NBL, while the MHC-I-modulating effect of HDACi was widely translatable to a panel of NBL cell lines and patient-derived organoids. Pretreatment of NBL cells with the HDACi entinostat enhanced the cytotoxic capacity of tumor-specific T cells against NBL in vitro, which coincided with increased expression of additional players regulating T cell cytotoxicity (eg, TAP1/2 and immunoproteasome subunits). Moreover, MICA and MICB, important in NK cell cytotoxicity, were also increased by entinostat exposure. Intriguingly, this increase in immunogenicity was accompanied by a shift toward a more mesenchymal NBL cell lineage. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates the potential of combining (immuno)therapy with HDACi to enhance both T cell-driven and NKcell-driven immune responses in patients with HR-NBL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelisa M Cornel
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Center for Translational Immunology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ester Dunnebach
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Center for Translational Immunology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Damon A Hofman
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sanjukta Das
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Satyaki Sengupta
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Femke van den Ham
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Wienke
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Denise A M H van den Beemt
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Center for Translational Immunology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anke H W Essing
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca Koopmans
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sem A G Engels
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Vania Lo Presti
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Center for Translational Immunology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Celina S Szanto
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rani E George
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - S Nierkens
- Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Center for Translational Immunology, Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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8
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Sengupta S, Das S, Crespo AC, Cornel AM, Patel AG, Mahadevan NR, Campisi M, Ali AK, Sharma B, Rowe JH, Versteeg R, Jaenisch R, Spranger S, Romee R, Miller BC, Barbie DA, Nierkens S, Dyer MA, Lieberman J, George RE. Abstract A08: Divergent tumor cell states in neuroblastoma possess distinct immunogenic phenotypes. Cancer Immunol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/2326-6074.tumimm22-a08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Active immunotherapy approaches for neuroblastoma (NB), a pediatric cancer of the sympathetic nervous system, has met with limited success. Especially challenging is the genetic heterogeneity of NB which makes it difficult to identify factors that consistently indicate the likelihood of an effective immune response and thereby select patients who are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy. Hence, we undertook an unbiased analysis of gene expression signatures from >500 well-annotated primary NBs representing diverse clinical and genetic subtypes to identify of predictors of immune response. Using clustering analysis of bulk transcriptomic signatures from these tumors, we identified a subset of NBs that was notable for the high expression of genes associated with anti-tumor immune response. These “immunogenic” tumors showed a predominance of gene expression signatures derived from malignant cells with primitive neural crest-like or mesenchymal properties, one of the two cell states that shape intratumoral heterogeneity in NB. In contrast, tumors that expressed committed, adrenergic neuron-like signatures were less immunogenic. Single-cell (sc) RNA-seq and immunohistochemistry analysis further confirmed that NBs comprise both adrenergic and mesenchymal tumor cells, and that the presence of mesenchymal cells positively associated with immune cell infiltration into the TME. scRNA-seq also revealed that mesenchymal NB cells were enriched for inflammatory gene signature. Gene expression analysis of isogenic pairs of adrenergic and mesenchymal cells showed that mesenchymal NBs differentially upregulate genes involved in regulating antigen processing and presentation, MHC class I expression, type-I interferon and TLR3 signaling, and NK cell activation. This is achieved through a permissive chromatin landscape at the promoters of these immune regulatory genes that support their high expression in mesenchymal cells. By contrast, in adrenergic cells, tumor-intrinsic immune genes are epigenetically silenced by the PRC2 complex and PRC2 inhibition leads to increased immune cell activation. Remarkably, induction of the mesenchymal state in adrenergic cells through transcriptional reprogramming by PRRX1 or therapy resistance is accompanied by the epigenetic activation of innate and adaptive immune response genes. Functionally, the inherent immunogenicity of mesenchymal cells promotes T cell infiltration by secreting inflammatory cytokines, enables efficient targeting by antigen-specific cytotoxic T and NK cells, and imparts responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade in a syngeneic NB model. In conclusion, our study uncovers an unappreciated link between immunogenicity and tumor lineage state in NB, and rationalizes future interrogations into (i) avenues through which the vulnerability of mesenchymal cells to immune-mediated targeting could be harnessed clinically and (ii) how perturbation of epigenetically-regulated cell states could be harnessed to promote anti-tumor immune response.
Citation Format: Satyaki Sengupta, Sanjukta Das, Angela C. Crespo, Annelisa M. Cornel, Anand G. Patel, Navin R. Mahadevan, Marco Campisi, Alaa K. Ali, Bandana Sharma, Jared H. Rowe, Rogier Versteeg, Rudolf Jaenisch, Stefani Spranger, Rizwan Romee, Brian C. Miller, David A. Barbie, Stefan Nierkens, Michael A. Dyer, Judy Lieberman, Rani E. George. Divergent tumor cell states in neuroblastoma possess distinct immunogenic phenotypes [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2022 Oct 21-24; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2022;10(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A08.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Annelisa M. Cornel
- 3Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands,
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rudolf Jaenisch
- 6Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA,
| | | | | | | | | | - Stefan Nierkens
- 3Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands,
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9
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Lo Presti V, Cutilli A, Dogariu Y, Müskens KF, Dünnebach E, van den Beemt DAMH, Cornel AM, Plantinga M, Nierkens S. Gene Editing of Checkpoint Molecules in Cord Blood-Derived Dendritic Cells and CD8 + T Cells Using CRISPR-Cas9. CRISPR J 2022; 5:435-444. [PMID: 35686979 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies targeting checkpoint inhibition and cell therapies are considered breakthroughs for cancer therapy. However, only a part of patients benefit from these treatments and resistance has been observed. Combining both approaches can potentially further enhance their efficacy. With the advent of gene editing techniques, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9), the elimination of checkpoint molecules became available as an option in good manufacturing practice conditions to improve persistence and efficacy. However, no data of CRISPR-Cas9 application have been reported in cord blood (CB)-derived immune cells, potentially usable for allogeneic cell therapy purposes. In this article, we describe the optimization of a protocol to deplete checkpoint molecules at the genomic level using CRISPR-Cas9 technology from CB-dendritic cells (DCs) and CB-CD8+ T cells. The protocol is based on the electroporation of a ribonucleoprotein complex, easily translatable to clinical settings. In both cell types, the knock-out (KO) was successful and did not affect cell viability. CB-DCs showed a decrease in expression of the targeted protein ranging from 50% to 95%, while CB-CD8+ T cells showed a reduction in the range of 25-45%. The procedure did not affect the stimulatory function of the CB-DCs or the response of CB-CD8+ T cells (proliferation or TNF-α production). In conclusion, we optimized a protocol to eliminate checkpoint molecules from CB-derived DCs and CD8+ T cells, with the aim to further implement allogeneic cell therapies for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vania Lo Presti
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alessandro Cutilli
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne Dogariu
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Konradin F Müskens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ester Dünnebach
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maud Plantinga
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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10
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Lo Presti V, Cornel AM, Plantinga M, Dünnebach E, Kuball J, Boelens JJ, Nierkens S, van Til NP. Efficient lentiviral transduction method to gene modify cord blood CD8 + T cells for cancer therapy applications. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 21:357-368. [PMID: 33898633 PMCID: PMC8056177 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapy utilizing tumor-specific autologous T cells has shown promising results for cancer treatment. However, the limited numbers of autologous tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific T cells and the functional aberrancies, due to disease progression or treatment, remain factors that may significantly limit the success of the therapy. The use of allogeneic T cells, such as umbilical cord blood (CB) derived, overcomes these issues but requires gene modification to induce a robust and specific anti-tumor effect. CB T cells are readily available in CB banks and show low toxicity, high proliferation rates, and increased anti-leukemic effect upon transfer. However, the combination of anti-tumor gene modification and preservation of advantageous immunological traits of CB T cells represent major challenges for the harmonized production of T cell therapy products. In this manuscript, we optimized a protocol for expansion and lentiviral vector (LV) transduction of CB CD8+ T cells, achieving a transduction efficiency up to 83%. Timing of LV treatment, selection of culture media, and the use of different promoters were optimized in the transduction protocol. LentiBOOST was confirmed as a non-toxic transduction enhancer of CB CD8+ T cells, with minor effects on the proliferation capacity and cell viability of the T cells. Positively, the use of LentiBOOST does not affect the functionality of the cells, in the context of tumor cell recognition. Finally, CB CD8+ T cells were more amenable to LV transduction than peripheral blood (PB) CD8+ T cells and maintained a more naive phenotype. In conclusion, we show an efficient method to genetically modify CB CD8+ T cells using LV, which is especially useful for off-the-shelf adoptive cell therapy products for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vania Lo Presti
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Annelisa M Cornel
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maud Plantinga
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ester Dünnebach
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jurgen Kuball
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Department of Hematology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jaap Jan Boelens
- Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapies, MSK Kids, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Niek P van Til
- Center for Translational Immunology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.,AVROBIO, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA.,Child Neurology, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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11
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Cornel AM, van der Burght CAJ, Nierkens S, van Velzen JF. FACSCanto II and LSRFortessa flow cytometer instruments can be synchronized utilizing single-fluorochrome-conjugated surface-dyed beads for standardized immunophenotyping. J Clin Lab Anal 2020; 34:e23361. [PMID: 32430992 PMCID: PMC7521264 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Multiparameter flow cytometry is the preferred method to determine immunophenotypic features of cells present in a wide variety of sample types. Standardization is key to avoid inconsistencies and subjectivity of interpretations between clinical diagnostic laboratories. Among these standardization requirements, synchronization between different flow cytometer instruments is indispensable to obtain comparable results. This study aimed to investigate whether two widely used flow cytometers, the FACSCanto II and LSRFortessa, can be effectively synchronized utilizing calibration bead–based synchronization. Method Two FACSCanto II and two LSRFortessa flow cytometers were synchronized with both multicolor hard‐dyed and single‐fluorochrome–conjugated surface‐dyed beads according to the manufacturer's instructions. Cell staining was performed on five whole‐blood samples obtained from healthy controls and were analyzed upon synchronization with the respective synchronization protocols. Results Comparability criteria (defined as <15% deviation from the reference instrument) were met with both bead sets when synchronizing different FACSCanto II or LSRFortessa instruments. However, we observed that the criteria could not be met when synchronizing FACSCanto II with LSRFortessa instruments with multicolor hard‐dyed beads. By utilizing single‐fluorochrome–conjugated surface‐dyed beads to determine and adjust PMT voltages, the accepted comparability criteria were successfully met. The protocol has been validated using five different eight‐parameter stained samples. Conclusion We show that FACSCanto II and LSRFortessa instruments can effectively be synchronized using single‐fluorochrome–conjugated surface‐dyed beads in case deviation criteria cannot be met using multicolor hard‐dyed beads. Synchronization with single‐fluorochrome–conjugated surface‐dyed beads results in decreased deviations between instruments, allowing comparability criteria to become stricter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelisa M Cornel
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine A J van der Burght
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen F van Velzen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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12
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Cornel AM, Szanto CL, van Til NP, van Velzen JF, Boelens JJ, Nierkens S. A "No-Touch" Antibody-Staining Method of Adherent Cells for High-Throughput Flow Cytometry in 384-Well Microplate Format for Cell-Based Drug Library Screening. Cytometry A 2019; 97:845-851. [PMID: 31876358 PMCID: PMC7496799 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, screening compound libraries on live cells has become an important step in drug discovery. The abundance of compounds in these libraries requires effective high‐throughput (HT) analyzing methods. Although current cell‐based assay protocols are suitable for HT analyses, the analysis itself is often restrained to simple, singular outcomes. Incorporation of HT samplers on flow cytometers has provided an interesting approach to increase the number of measurable parameters and increase the sensitivity and specificity of analyses. Nonetheless, to date, the labor intensive and time‐consuming strategies to detach and stain adherent cells before flow cytometric analysis has restricted use of HT flow cytometry (HTFC) to suspension cells. We have developed a universal “no‐touch” HTFC antibody staining protocol in 384‐well microplates to bypass washing and centrifuging steps of conventional flow cytometry protocols. Optimizing culture conditions, cell‐detachment and staining strategies in 384‐well microplates resulted in an HTFC protocol with an optimal stain index with minimal background staining. The method has been validated using six adherent cell lines and simultaneous staining of four parameters. This HT screening protocol allows for effective monitoring of multiple cellular markers simultaneously, thereby increasing informativity and cost‐effectiveness of drug screening. © 2019 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelisa M Cornel
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Celina L Szanto
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Niek P van Til
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen F van Velzen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap J Boelens
- Stem Cell transplantation and Cellular Therapies Program, Department Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Cornel AM, van Til NP, Boelens JJ, Nierkens S. Strategies to Genetically Modulate Dendritic Cells to Potentiate Anti-Tumor Responses in Hematologic Malignancies. Front Immunol 2018; 9:982. [PMID: 29867960 PMCID: PMC5968097 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cell (DC) vaccination has been investigated as a potential strategy to target hematologic malignancies, while generating sustained immunological responses to control potential future relapse. Nonetheless, few clinical trials have shown robust long-term efficacy. It has been suggested that a combination of surmountable shortcomings, such as selection of utilized DC subsets, DC loading and maturation strategies, as well as tumor-induced immunosuppression may be targeted to maximize anti-tumor responses of DC vaccines. Generation of DC from CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) may provide potential in patients undergoing allogeneic HSPC transplantations for hematologic malignancies. CD34+ HSPC from the graft can be genetically modified to optimize antigen presentation and to provide sufficient T cell stimulatory signals. We here describe beneficial (gene)-modifications that can be implemented in various processes in T cell activation by DC, among which major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and MHC class II presentation, DC maturation and migration, cross-presentation, co-stimulation, and immunosuppression to improve anti-tumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annelisa M Cornel
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Niek P van Til
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Jaap Jan Boelens
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program, Princess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stefan Nierkens
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Abstract
Inadequate zinc intake may lead to poor growth and developmental outcome in very-low-birth-weight (VLBW; < 1,500 g) infants. Fifty-two infants (mean birth weight, 1,117 +/- 287 g; mean gestational age, 29 +/- 2.9 weeks) were randomly allocated to two groups. SUPP infants received a regular term formula plus zinc supplements (4.4 mg/L; final content, 11 mg/L); PLAC infants received the same formula plus placebo (final content, 6.7 mg/L). Infants started their formula at 1,853 +/- 109 g and consumed the formula for 6 months. All subjects were evaluated at 3, 6, 9, and 12 +/- 0.75 months corrected-for-gestational-age. At each evaluation, weight, length, and head circumference were measured, a Griffiths developmental assessment was performed, and a blood sample was taken. Higher plasma zinc levels (p < 0.05) were found in the SUPP group at 1 and 3 months, and improved linear growth velocity was found in the SUPP group over the study period for the whole group as well as for girls alone. Maximum motor development scores were higher (p = 0.018) in the SUPP (98 +/- 10) than the PLAC (90 +/- 8) group, indicating that increased zinc intake in early infancy may be beneficial to VLBW infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Friel
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
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Friel JK, Andrews WL, Matthew JD, Long DR, Cornel AM, Cox M, Skinner CT. Iron status of very-low-birth-weight infants during the first 15 months of infancy. CMAJ 1990; 143:733-7. [PMID: 2207936 PMCID: PMC1452387] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The adequacy of iron stores in infants of very low birth weight (defined as less than 1500 g) in Canada is unknown. We monitored the iron status of 81 such infants at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months of age. All of the infants were fed formula fortified with iron (13 mg/L) for at least 6 months, starting at 2 months of age. The plasma ferritin level decreased after the formula was no longer used. Although 90% of the infants were given cereal fortified with iron (30 mg of iron per 100 g) by 9 months of age, the plasma ferritin level continued to decrease. The level was less than 10 micrograms/L in 54% of the infants at 12 months of age and in 74% at 15 months; this indicated depleted iron stores. Because of delayed development very-low-birth-weight infants eat small amounts of cereal and therefore require iron-fortified formula throughout infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Friel
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's
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