1
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Jamali A, Ho N, Braun A, Adabi E, Thalheimer FB, Buchholz CJ. Early induction of cytokine release syndrome by rapidly generated CAR T cells in preclinical models. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:784-804. [PMID: 38514793 PMCID: PMC11018744 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00055-9] [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] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a significant side-effect of conventional chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. To facilitate patient accessibility, short-term (st) CAR T cells, which are administered to patients only 24 h after vector exposure, are in focus of current investigations. Their impact on the incidence and severity of CRS has been poorly explored. Here, we evaluated CD19-specific stCAR T cells in preclinical models. In co-culture with tumor cells and monocytes, stCAR T cells exhibited anti-tumoral activity and potent release of CRS-related cytokines (IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, GM-CSF, IL-2, IL-10). When administered to NSG-SGM3 mice, stCAR T cells, but not conventional CAR T cells, induced severe acute adverse events within 24 h, including hypothermia and weight loss, as well as high body scores, independent of the presence of tumor target cells. Human (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-10) and murine (MCP-1, IL-6, G-CSF) cytokines, typical for severe CRS, were systemically elevated. Our data highlight potential safety risks of rapidly manufactured CAR T cells and suggest NSG-SGM3 mice as sensitive model for their preclinical safety evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Jamali
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Naphang Ho
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Angela Braun
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elham Adabi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Hematology, Cell and Gene Therapy (HZG), Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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2
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Theuerkauf SA, Herrera-Carrillo E, John F, Zinser LJ, Molina MA, Riechert V, Thalheimer FB, Börner K, Grimm D, Chlanda P, Berkhout B, Buchholz CJ. AAV vectors displaying bispecific DARPins enable dual-control targeted gene delivery. Biomaterials 2023; 303:122399. [PMID: 37992599 PMCID: PMC10721713 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122399] [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] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Precise delivery of genes to therapy-relevant cells is crucial for in vivo gene therapy. Receptor-targeting as prime strategy for this purpose is limited to cell types defined by a single cell-surface marker. Many target cells are characterized by combinations of more than one marker, such as the HIV reservoir cells. Here, we explored the tropism of adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV2) displaying designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) mono- and bispecific for CD4 and CD32a. Cryo-electron tomography revealed an unaltered capsid structure in the presence of DARPins. Surprisingly, bispecific AAVs transduced CD4/CD32a double-positive cells at much higher efficiencies than single-positive cells, even if present in low amounts in cell mixtures or human blood. This preference was confirmed when vector particles were systemically administered into mice. Cell trafficking studies revealed an increased cell entry rate for bispecific over monospecific AAVs. When equipped with an HIV genome-targeting CRISPR/Cas cassette, the vectors prevented HIV replication in T cell cultures. The data provide proof-of-concept for high-precision gene delivery through tandem-binding regions on AAV. Reminiscent of biological products following Boolean logic AND gating, the data suggest a new option for receptor-targeted vectors to improve the specificity and safety of in vivo gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Theuerkauf
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Fabian John
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany; Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Luca J Zinser
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Vanessa Riechert
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany; Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kathleen Börner
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Grimm
- BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Section Viral Vector Technologies, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Petr Chlanda
- Department of Infectious Diseases/Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; BioQuant, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Schaller Research Groups, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Christian J Buchholz
- Gene Therapy and Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany; Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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3
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Charitidis FT, Adabi E, Ho N, Braun AH, Tierney C, Strasser L, Thalheimer FB, Childs L, Bones J, Clarke C, Buchholz CJ. CAR Gene Delivery by T-cell Targeted Lentiviral Vectors is Enhanced by Rapamycin Induced Reduction of Antiviral Mechanisms. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2023; 10:e2302992. [PMID: 37904721 PMCID: PMC10724389 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302992] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LV) have become the dominant tool for stable gene transfer into lymphocytes including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gene delivery to T cells, a major breakthrough in cancer therapy. Yet, room for improvement remains, especially for the latest LV generations delivering genes selectively into T cell subtypes, a key requirement for in vivo CAR T cell generation. Toward improving gene transfer rates with these vectors, whole transcriptome analyses on human T lymphocytes are conducted after exposure to CAR-encoding conventional vectors (VSV-LV) and vectors targeted to CD8+ (CD8-LV) or CD4+ T cells (CD4-LV). Genes related to quiescence and antiviral restriction are found to be upregulated in CAR-negative cells exposed to all types of LVs. Down-modulation of various antiviral restriction factors, including the interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) is achieved with rapamycin as verified by mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Strikingly, rapamycin enhances transduction by up to 7-fold for CD8-LV and CD4-LV without compromising CAR T cell activities but does not improve VSV-LV. When administered to humanized mice, CD8-LV results in higher rates of green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene delivery. Also in vivo CAR T cell generation is improved in kinetics and tumor control, however to a moderate extent, leaving room for improvement by optimizing the rapamycin administration schedule. The data favor multi-omics approaches for improvements in gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elham Adabi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene TherapyPaul‐Ehrlich‐Institut63225LangenGermany
| | - Naphang Ho
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene TherapyPaul‐Ehrlich‐Institut63225LangenGermany
| | - Angela H Braun
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene TherapyPaul‐Ehrlich‐Institut63225LangenGermany
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)69120HeidelbergGermany
| | - Ciara Tierney
- Characterisation and Comparability LaboratoryNational Institute for Bioprocessing Research and TrainingFoster Avenue, Mount Merrion, BlackrockDublinA94 X099Ireland
| | - Lisa Strasser
- Characterisation and Comparability LaboratoryNational Institute for Bioprocessing Research and TrainingFoster Avenue, Mount Merrion, BlackrockDublinA94 X099Ireland
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene TherapyPaul‐Ehrlich‐Institut63225LangenGermany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI)Goethe University60590Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Liam Childs
- Host‐Pathogen InteractionsPaul‐Ehrlich‐Institut63225LangenGermany
| | - Jonathan Bones
- Characterisation and Comparability LaboratoryNational Institute for Bioprocessing Research and TrainingFoster Avenue, Mount Merrion, BlackrockDublinA94 X099Ireland
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess EngineeringUniversity College DublinD04 V1W8BelfieldDublinIreland
| | - Colin Clarke
- Characterisation and Comparability LaboratoryNational Institute for Bioprocessing Research and TrainingFoster Avenue, Mount Merrion, BlackrockDublinA94 X099Ireland
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and TrainingA94×099Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, BlackrockDublinIreland
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene TherapyPaul‐Ehrlich‐Institut63225LangenGermany
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)69120HeidelbergGermany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI)Goethe University60590Frankfurt am MainGermany
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4
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Günther DM, Kovacs R, Wildner F, Salivara A, Thalheimer FB, Fries P, Geiger JRP, Buchholz CJ. Substantially improved gene transfer to interneurons with second-generation glutamate receptor-targeted DART-AAV vectors. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 399:109981. [PMID: 37783350 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109981] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs) are a widely used gene transfer platform in neuroscience. Although naturally AAV serotypes can have preferences for certain tissues, selectivity for particular cell types in the CNS does not exist. Towards interneuron targeting, capsid engineering of AAV2 including display of the designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin) 2K19 specific for the glutamate receptor subunit 4 (GluA4) at the N-terminus of the VP2 capsid protein has been established. The resulting AAV-VP2N is highly specific for interneurons, but exhibits rather moderate transduction efficiencies. METHODS Two alternative insertion sites for 2K19 in the GH2/GH3 loop of capsid proteins VP1 (AAV-VP1L) or VP2 (AAV-VP2L) were exploited to yield second generation GluA4-AAVs. Having packaged reporter genes under ubiquitous promoters, the vectors were characterized for biochemical properties as well as gene delivery into cell lines and rat hippocampal slice cultures. Electrophysiological recordings monitored the functional properties of transduced cells. RESULTS Compared to AAV-VP2N, the second-generation vectors, especially AAV-VP1L, achieved about 2-fold higher genomic titers as well as a substantially improved GluA4 binding. Improvements in gene transfer activities were 18-fold on GluA4-overexpressing A549 cells and five-fold on rat hippocampal organotypic slice cultures reaching approximately 60 % of all parvalbumin positive interneurons upon a single administration. The spiking behaviour of transduced cells was unaltered and characteristic for a heterogeneous group of interneurons. CONCLUSION The substantially improved gene transfer activity of the second generation GluA4-targeted AAV combined with low toxicity makes this vector an attractive tool for interneuron-directed gene transfer with unrestricted promotor and transgene choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- D M Günther
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - R Kovacs
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - F Wildner
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - A Salivara
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - F B Thalheimer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - P Fries
- Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - J R P Geiger
- Institut für Neurophysiologie, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - C J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, 63225 Langen, Germany.
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5
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Kapitza L, Ho N, Kerzel T, Frank AM, Thalheimer FB, Jamali A, Schaser T, Buchholz CJ, Hartmann J. CD62L as target receptor for specific gene delivery into less differentiated human T lymphocytes. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1183698. [PMID: 37646032 PMCID: PMC10461316 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1183698] [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] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells are a complex and heterogeneous gene therapy product with variable phenotype compositions. A higher proportion of less differentiated CAR T cells is usually associated with improved antitumoral function and persistence. We describe in this study a novel receptor-targeted lentiviral vector (LV) named 62L-LV that preferentially transduces less differentiated T cells marked by the L-selectin receptor CD62L, with transduction rates of up to 70% of CD4+ and 50% of CD8+ primary T cells. Remarkably, higher amounts of less differentiated T cells are transduced and preserved upon long-term cultivation using 62L-LV compared to VSV-LV. Interestingly, shed CD62L neither altered the binding of 62L-LV particles to T cells nor impacted their transduction. The incubation of 2 days of activated T lymphocytes with 62L-LV or VSV-LV for only 24 hours was sufficient to generate CAR T cells that controlled tumor growth in a leukemia tumor mouse model. The data proved that potent CAR T cells can be generated by short-term ex vivo exposure of primary cells to LVs. As a first vector type that preferentially transduces less differentiated T lymphocytes, 62L-LV has the potential to circumvent cumbersome selections of T cell subtypes and offers substantial shortening of the CAR T cell manufacturing process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kapitza
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Naphang Ho
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kerzel
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Annika M. Frank
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Arezoo Jamali
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schaser
- Research & Development, Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Christian J. Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jessica Hartmann
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
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6
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Ho N, Agarwal S, Milani M, Cantore A, Buchholz CJ, Thalheimer FB. In vivo generation of CAR T cells in the presence of human myeloid cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:144-156. [PMID: 35795778 PMCID: PMC9249670 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.06.004] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Pre-clinical humanized mouse models are a powerful tool to evaluate immunotherapies. NSG-SGM3 mice reconstituted with human stem cells (huSGM3) develop pronounced human myeloid cells due to transgenic expression of stem cell factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and interleukin-3 (IL-3) compared with the widely used humanized NSG (huNSG) model. We assessed in vivo generation of CD19-CAR T cells in huSGM3 mice upon single intravenous injection of the T cell-specific lentiviral vectors (LVs) CD4-LV and CD8-LV. While in vivo CAR T cell generation was clearly detectable in individual mice, generation appeared less efficient than previously observed for huNSG mice. Especially for the CD4-LV group, this correlated with increased IL-15 and decreased GM-CSF levels, indicating activation of monocytes and macrophages. Co-culture assays identified macrophages as a potential barrier for gene transfer. Refining CD4-LV and CD8-LV with a less immunogenic surface by using modified packaging cells substantially improved the transduction of lymphocytes in vitro in the presence of macrophages, as well in vivo in huSGM3 mice. Notably, two mice that developed less CAR T cells showed high interferon-α or -β levels before vector injection. Our data emphasize the relevance of innate immune responses for in vivo generation of CAR T cells, which can be overcome by vector surface engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naphang Ho
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shiwani Agarwal
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Michela Milani
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Cantore
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 51-59, 63225 Langen, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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7
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Charitidis FT, Adabi E, Thalheimer FB, Clarke C, Buchholz CJ. Erratum: Monitoring CAR T cell generation with a CD8-targeted lentiviral vector by single-cell transcriptomics. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 24:207-209. [PMID: 35141349 PMCID: PMC8800011 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Charitidis FT, Adabi E, Thalheimer FB, Clarke C, Buchholz CJ. Monitoring CAR T cell generation with a CD8-targeted lentiviral vector by single-cell transcriptomics. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 23:359-369. [PMID: 34729382 PMCID: PMC8546366 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.09.019] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying gene expression in individual cells can substantially improve our understanding about complex genetically engineered cell products such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Here we designed a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approach to monitor the delivery of a CD19-CAR gene via lentiviral vectors (LVs), i.e., the conventional vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-LV and the CD8-targeted CD8-LV. LV-exposed human donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated for a panel of 400 immune response-related genes including LV-specific probes. The resulting data revealed a trimodal expression for the CAR and CD8A, demanding a careful distribution-based identification of CAR T cells and CD8+ lymphocytes in scRNA-seq analysis. The fraction of T cells expressing high CAR levels was in concordance with flow cytometry results. More than 97% of the cells hit by CD8-LV expressed the CD8A gene. Remarkably, the majority of the potential off-target cells were in fact on-target cells, resulting in a target cell selectivity of more than 99%. Beyond that, differential gene expression analysis revealed the upregulation of restriction factors in CAR-negative cells, thus explaining their protection from CAR gene transfer. In summary, we provide a workflow and subsetting approach for scRNA-seq enabling reliable distinction between transduced and untransduced cells during CAR T cell generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippos T Charitidis
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen (Hessen), Germany
| | - Elham Adabi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen (Hessen), Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen (Hessen), Germany
| | - Colin Clarke
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Blackrock, A94 X099 Co. Dublin, Ireland.,School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen (Hessen), Germany.,Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 51-59, 63225 Langen (Hessen), Germany
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9
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Jamali A, Hadjati J, Madjd Z, Mirzaei HR, Thalheimer FB, Agarwal S, Bonig H, Ullrich E, Hartmann J. Highly Efficient Generation of Transgenically Augmented CAR NK Cells Overexpressing CXCR4. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2028. [PMID: 32983147 PMCID: PMC7483584 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [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: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are a noteworthy lymphocyte subset in cancer adoptive cell therapy. NK cells initiate innate immune responses against infections and malignancies with natural cytotoxicity, which is independent of foreign antigen recognition. Based on these substantive features, genetically modifying NK cells is among the prime goals in immunotherapy but is currently difficult to achieve. Recently, we reported a fully human CAR19 construct (huCAR19) with remarkable function in gene-modified T-cells. Here, we show efficient and stable gene delivery of huCAR19 to primary human NK cells using lentiviral vectors with transduction efficiencies comparable to those achieved with NK cell lines. These huCAR19 NK cells display specific and potent cytotoxic activity against target cells. To improve homing of NK cells to the bone marrow, we augmented huCAR19 NK cells with the human CXCR4 gene, resulting in transgenically augmented CAR NK cells (TRACKs). Compared to conventional CAR NK cells, TRACKs exhibit enhanced migration capacity in response to recombinant SDF-1 or bone marrow stromal cells while retaining functional and cytolytic activity against target cells. Based on these promising findings, TRACKs may become a novel candidate for immunotherapeutic strategies in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arezoo Jamali
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Department of Molecular Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.,Experimental Immunology, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Childrens Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jamshid Hadjati
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Department of Molecular Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Mirzaei
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Shiwani Agarwal
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Halvard Bonig
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Evelyn Ullrich
- Experimental Immunology, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Childrens Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jessica Hartmann
- Division of Molecular Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
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10
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Agarwal S, Weidner T, Thalheimer FB, Buchholz CJ. In vivo generated human CAR T cells eradicate tumor cells. Oncoimmunology 2019; 8:e1671761. [PMID: 31741773 PMCID: PMC6844313 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2019.1671761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [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: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are in prime focus of current research in cancer immunotherapy. Facilitating CAR T cell generation is among the top goals. We have recently demonstrated direct in vivo generation of human CD19-CAR T cells by targeting CD8+ cells using lentiviral vectors (LVs). The anti-tumor potency of in vivo generated CAR T cells was assessed in human PBMC-transplanted NSG mice carrying i.v. injected CD19+ Nalm-6 tumor cells. A single injection of CD8-targeted LV delivering CD19-CAR was sufficient to completely eliminate the tumor cells from bone marrow and spleen, whereas control animals contained high levels of CD19+ cells. Tumor elimination was due to in vivo generated CAR+ cells. Notably, these were not only composed of T lymphocytes but also included CAR+ natural killer cells (NK and NKT). This is the first demonstration of tumor elimination by in vivo generated human CAR T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwani Agarwal
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Tatjana Weidner
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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11
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Reul J, Frisch J, Engeland CE, Thalheimer FB, Hartmann J, Ungerechts G, Buchholz CJ. Tumor-Specific Delivery of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors by Engineered AAV Vectors. Front Oncol 2019; 9:52. [PMID: 30838171 PMCID: PMC6382738 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can block distinct receptors on T cells or tumor cells thus preventing T cell inactivation and tumor immune escape. While the clinical response to treatment with ICIs in cancer patients is impressive, this therapy is often associated with a number of immune-related adverse events. There is therefore a need to explore innovative strategies of tumor-specific delivery of ICIs. Delivery of therapeutic proteins on a genetic level can be accomplished with viral vectors including those derived from adeno-associated virus (AAV). Here, we assessed the tumor-targeted Her2-AAV, a receptor-targeted AAV vector binding to the tumor antigen Her2/neu for cell entry, as vehicle for ICI gene delivery. Initially, we packaged the coding sequence of a scFv-Fc fusion protein directed against mouse programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) into Her2-AAV. Upon transduction of Her2/neu+ RENCA cells, AAV-encoded αPD-1 was readily detectable in the cell culture supernatant and revealed specific binding to its target antigen. In vivo, in BALB/c mice bearing subcutaneous RENCA-Her2/neu tumors, Her2-AAV mediated specific gene delivery into tumor tissue upon intravenous administration as verified by luciferase gene transfer and in vivo imaging thus demonstrating unimpaired tumor-targeting by Her2-AAV vectors in immunocompetent animals. When delivering the αPD-1 gene, levels of ICI were similar in tumor tissue for Her2-AAV and AAV2 but substantially reduced in liver for Her2-AAV. When combined with chemotherapy a tendency for reduced progression of tumor growth was documented for Her2-AAV treated mice. To get closer to the clinical situation, AAV constructs that deliver the complete coding sequence of the therapeutic antibody nivolumab which is directed against human PD-1 were generated next. The AAV-Nivolumab constructs were expressed and released from transduced MDA-MB-453 cells in vitro and from RENCA-Her2/neu cells upon intratumoral as well as intravenous administration in vivo. Antibody processing and expression levels were further improved through optimization of construct design. In conclusion, we provide proof-of-principle for redirecting the biodistribution of ICIs from liver and serum to tumor tissue by the use of engineered AAV vectors. This strategy can be easily combined with other types of immunotherapeutic concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Reul
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Janina Frisch
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | | | - Jessica Hartmann
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
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12
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Pfeiffer A, Thalheimer FB, Hartmann S, Frank AM, Bender RR, Danisch S, Costa C, Wels WS, Modlich U, Stripecke R, Verhoeyen E, Buchholz CJ. In vivo generation of human CD19-CAR T cells results in B-cell depletion and signs of cytokine release syndrome. EMBO Mol Med 2018; 10:e9158. [PMID: 30224381 PMCID: PMC6220327 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201809158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells brought substantial benefit to patients with B-cell malignancies. Notwithstanding, CAR T-cell manufacturing requires complex procedures impeding the broad supply chain. Here, we provide evidence that human CD19-CAR T cells can be generated directly in vivo using the lentiviral vector CD8-LV specifically targeting human CD8+ cells. Administration into mice xenografted with Raji lymphoma cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells led to CAR expression solely in CD8+ T cells and efficacious elimination of CD19+ B cells. Further, upon injection of CD8-LV into mice transplanted with human CD34+ cells, induction of CAR T cells and CD19+ B-cell depletion was observed in 7 out of 10 treated animals. Notably, three mice showed elevated levels of human cytokines in plasma. Tissue-invading CAR T cells and complete elimination of the B-lymphocyte-rich zones in spleen were indicative of a cytokine release syndrome. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of in vivo reprogramming of human CD8+ CAR T cells active against CD19+ cells, yet with similar adverse effects currently notorious in the clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anett Pfeiffer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | | | - Sylvia Hartmann
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Annika M Frank
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Ruben R Bender
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Simon Danisch
- Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Laboratory of Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Excellence Cluster REBIRTH and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Caroline Costa
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Winfried S Wels
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ute Modlich
- Division of Veterinary Medicine, Research Group for Gene Modification in Stem Cells, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Laboratory of Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Excellence Cluster REBIRTH and German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Els Verhoeyen
- CIRI - International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, UMR5308, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- INSERM, C3M, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Christian J Buchholz
- Molecular Biotechnology and Gene Therapy, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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13
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Cabezas-Wallscheid N, Buettner F, Sommerkamp P, Klimmeck D, Ladel L, Thalheimer FB, Pastor-Flores D, Roma LP, Renders S, Zeisberger P, Przybylla A, Schönberger K, Scognamiglio R, Altamura S, Florian CM, Fawaz M, Vonficht D, Tesio M, Collier P, Pavlinic D, Geiger H, Schroeder T, Benes V, Dick TP, Rieger MA, Stegle O, Trumpp A. Vitamin A-Retinoic Acid Signaling Regulates Hematopoietic Stem Cell Dormancy. Cell 2017; 169:807-823.e19. [PMID: 28479188 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2017.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 288] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dormant hematopoietic stem cells (dHSCs) are atop the hematopoietic hierarchy. The molecular identity of dHSCs and the mechanisms regulating their maintenance or exit from dormancy remain uncertain. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis to show that the transition from dormancy toward cell-cycle entry is a continuous developmental path associated with upregulation of biosynthetic processes rather than a stepwise progression. In addition, low Myc levels and high expression of a retinoic acid program are characteristic for dHSCs. To follow the behavior of dHSCs in situ, a Gprc5c-controlled reporter mouse was established. Treatment with all-trans retinoic acid antagonizes stress-induced activation of dHSCs by restricting protein translation and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Myc. Mice maintained on a vitamin A-free diet lose HSCs and show a disrupted re-entry into dormancy after exposure to inflammatory stress stimuli. Our results highlight the impact of dietary vitamin A on the regulation of cell-cycle-mediated stem cell plasticity. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Florian Buettner
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Pia Sommerkamp
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Klimmeck
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luisa Ladel
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniel Pastor-Flores
- Division of Redox Regulation, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leticia P Roma
- Division of Redox Regulation, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simon Renders
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Petra Zeisberger
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Adriana Przybylla
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina Schönberger
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roberta Scognamiglio
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandro Altamura
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carolina M Florian
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Stem Cells and Aging, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Malak Fawaz
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dominik Vonficht
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melania Tesio
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paul Collier
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dinko Pavlinic
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hartmut Geiger
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Stem Cells and Aging, Ulm University, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Timm Schroeder
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vladimir Benes
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tobias P Dick
- Division of Redox Regulation, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael A Rieger
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oliver Stegle
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Andreas Trumpp
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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14
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Wingert S, Thalheimer FB, Haetscher N, Rehage M, Schroeder T, Rieger MA. DNA-damage response gene GADD45A induces differentiation in hematopoietic stem cells without inhibiting cell cycle or survival. Stem Cells 2016; 34:699-710. [PMID: 26731607 PMCID: PMC4832267 DOI: 10.1002/stem.2282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) maintain blood cell production life-long by their unique abilities of self-renewal and differentiation into all blood cell lineages. Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible 45 alpha (GADD45A) is induced by genotoxic stress in HSCs. GADD45A has been implicated in cell cycle control, cell death and senescence, as well as in DNA-damage repair. In general, GADD45A provides cellular stability by either arresting the cell cycle progression until DNA damage is repaired or, in cases of fatal damage, by inducing apoptosis. However, the function of GADD45A in hematopoiesis remains controversial. We revealed the changes in murine HSC fate control orchestrated by the expression of GADD45A at single cell resolution. In contrast to other cellular systems, GADD45A expression did not cause a cell cycle arrest or an alteration in the decision between cell survival and apoptosis in HSCs. Strikingly, GADD45A strongly induced and accelerated the differentiation program in HSCs. Continuous tracking of individual HSCs and their progeny via time-lapse microscopy elucidated that once GADD45A was expressed, HSCs differentiate into committed progenitors within 29 hours. GADD45A-expressing HSCs failed to long-term reconstitute the blood of recipients by inducing multilineage differentiation in vivo. Importantly, γ-irradiation of HSCs induced their differentiation by upregulating endogenous GADD45A. The differentiation induction by GADD45A was transmitted by activating p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and allowed the generation of megakaryocytic-erythroid, myeloid, and lymphoid lineages. These data indicate that genotoxic stress-induced GADD45A expression in HSCs prevents their fatal transformation by directing them into differentiation and thereby clearing them from the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Wingert
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nadine Haetscher
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Maike Rehage
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Timm Schroeder
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael A Rieger
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Haetscher N, Feuermann Y, Wingert S, Rehage M, Thalheimer FB, Weiser C, Bohnenberger H, Jung K, Schroeder T, Serve H, Oellerich T, Hennighausen L, Rieger MA. STAT5-regulated microRNA-193b controls haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell expansion by modulating cytokine receptor signalling. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8928. [PMID: 26603207 PMCID: PMC4674773 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) require the right composition of microRNAs (miR) for proper life-long balanced blood regeneration. Here we show a regulatory circuit that prevents excessive HSC self-renewal by upregulation of miR-193b upon self-renewal promoting thrombopoietin (TPO)-MPL-STAT5 signalling. In turn, miR-193b restricts cytokine signalling, by targeting the receptor tyrosine kinase c-KIT. We generated a miR-193b knockout mouse model to unravel the physiological function of miR-193b in haematopoiesis. MiR-193b−/− mice show a selective gradual enrichment of functional HSCs, which are fully competent in multilineage blood reconstitution upon transplantation. The absence of miR-193b causes an accelerated expansion of HSCs, without altering cell cycle or survival, but by decelerating differentiation. Conversely, ectopic miR-193b expression restricts long-term repopulating HSC expansion and blood reconstitution. MiR-193b-deficient haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells exhibit increased basal and cytokine-induced STAT5 and AKT signalling. This STAT5-induced microRNA provides a negative feedback for excessive signalling to restrict uncontrolled HSC expansion. MicroRNAs regulate haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) development to ensure the correct generation of blood cells. Haetscher et al. show in mice that miR-193b controls the life-long self-renewal ability of HSCs via AKT and STAT5 pathways, with loss of miR-193b accelerating HSC expansion and reducing differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Haetscher
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Paul-Ehrlich-Street 42-44, Frankfurt 60596, Germany
| | - Yonatan Feuermann
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Susanne Wingert
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Paul-Ehrlich-Street 42-44, Frankfurt 60596, Germany
| | - Maike Rehage
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Paul-Ehrlich-Street 42-44, Frankfurt 60596, Germany
| | - Frederic B Thalheimer
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Paul-Ehrlich-Street 42-44, Frankfurt 60596, Germany
| | - Christian Weiser
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Paul-Ehrlich-Street 42-44, Frankfurt 60596, Germany
| | - Hanibal Bohnenberger
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Street 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Klaus Jung
- Department of Medical Statistics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 32, Goettingen 37073, Germany
| | - Timm Schroeder
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, Basel 4058, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Serve
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Thomas Oellerich
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Lothar Hennighausen
- Laboratory of Genetics and Physiology, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
| | - Michael A Rieger
- LOEWE Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt 60590, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Paul-Ehrlich-Street 42-44, Frankfurt 60596, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
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16
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Rengstl B, Newrzela S, Heinrich T, Weiser C, Thalheimer FB, Schmid F, Warner K, Hartmann S, Schroeder T, Küppers R, Rieger MA, Hansmann ML. Re-fusion of Small Mononucleated Hodgkin Cells Leads to Multinucleated Reed-Sternberg Cells. Klin Padiatr 2014. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1371097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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