Phenotypic and functional characterization of pharmacologically expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in pigtail macaques

While gaining interest as treatment for cancer and infectious disease, the clinical efficacy of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell-based immunotherapeutics has to date been limited. An improved understanding of γδ T cell heterogeneity across lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues, before and after pharmacological expansion, is required. Here, we describe the phenotype and tissue distribution of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells at steady state and following in vivo pharmacological expansion in pigtail macaques. Intravenous phosphoantigen administration with subcutaneous rhIL-2 drove robust expansion of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in blood and pulmonary mucosa, while expansion was confined to the pulmonary mucosa following intratracheal antigen administration. Peripheral blood Vγ9Vδ2 T cell expansion was polyclonal, and associated with a significant loss of CCR6 expression due to IL-2-mediated receptor downregulation. Overall, we show the tissue distribution and phenotype of in vivo pharmacologically expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells can be altered based on the antigen administration route, with implications for tissue trafficking and the clinical efficacy of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell immunotherapeutics.

Coformulation with Tattoo Ink for Immunological Assessment of Vaccine Immunogenicity in the Draining Lymph Node

Characterization of germinal center B and T cell responses yields critical insights into vaccine immunogenicity. Nonhuman primates are a key preclinical animal model for human vaccine development, allowing both lymph node (LN) and circulating immune responses to be longitudinally sampled for correlates of vaccine efficacy. However, patterns of vaccine Ag drainage via the lymphatics after i.m. immunization can be stochastic, driving uneven deposition between lymphoid sites and between individual LN within larger clusters. To improve the accurate isolation of Ag-exposed LN during biopsies and necropsies, we developed and validated a method for coformulating candidate vaccines with tattoo ink in both mice and pigtail macaques. This method allowed for direct visual identification of vaccine-draining LN and evaluation of relevant Ag-specific B and T cell responses by flow cytometry. This approach is a significant advancement in improving the assessment of vaccine-induced immunity in highly relevant nonhuman primate models.

Stem cell-derived CAR T cells traffic to HIV reservoirs in macaques

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) with CCR5^– donor cells is the only treatment known to cure HIV-1 in patients with underlying malignancy. This is likely due to a donor cell–mediated graft-versus-host effect targeting HIV reservoirs. Allo-HSCT would not be an acceptable therapy for most people living with HIV due to the transplant-related side effects. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapies specifically traffic to malignant lymphoid tissues (lymphomas) and, in some settings, are able to replace allo-HSCT. Here, we quantified the engraftment of HSC-derived, virus-directed CAR T cells within HIV reservoirs in a macaque model of HIV infection, using potentially novel IHC assays. HSC-derived CAR cells trafficked to and displayed multilineage engraftment within tissue-associated viral reservoirs, persisting for nearly 2 years in lymphoid germinal centers, the brain, and the gastrointestinal tract. Our findings demonstrate that HSC-derived CAR⁺ cells reside long-term and proliferate in numerous tissues relevant for HIV infection and cancer.

Understanding the Role of Mucosal-Associated Invariant T-Cells in Non-human Primate Models of HIV Infection

Chronic HIV infection causes systemic immune activation and dysregulation, resulting in the impairment of most T-cell subsets including MAIT cells. Multiple human cohort studies demonstrate MAIT cells are selectively depleted in the peripheral blood and lymphoid tissues during HIV infection, with incomplete restoration during suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Because MAIT cells play an important role in mucosal defense against a wide array of pathogens, fully reconstituting the MAIT cell compartment in ART-treated populations could improve immunity against co-infections. Non-human primates (NHPs) are a valuable, well-described animal model for HIV infection in humans. NHPs also maintain MAIT cell frequencies more comparable to humans, compared to other common animal models, and provide a unique opportunity to study MAIT cells in the circulation and mucosal tissues in a longitudinal manner. Only recently, however, have NHP MAIT cells been thoroughly characterized using macaque-specific MR1 tetramer reagents. Here we review the similarities and differences between MAIT cells in humans and NHPs as well as the impact of SIV/SHIV infection on MAIT cells and the potential implications for future research.

Long-Term Persistence of Anti-HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody-Secreting Hematopoietic Cells in Humanized Mice

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are among the most promising strategies to achieve long-term control of HIV-1 in the absence of combination antiretroviral therapy. Passive administration of such antibodies in patients efficiently decreases HIV-1 viremia, but is limited by the serum half-life of the protein. Here, we investigated whether antibody-secreting hematopoietic cells could overcome this problem. We genetically modified human CD34⁺ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to secrete bNAbs and transplanted them into immunodeficient mice. We found that the gene-modified cells engraft and stably secrete antibodies in the peripheral blood of the animals for the 9 months of the study. Antibodies were predominantly expressed by human HSPC-derived T- and B cells. Importantly, we found that secreted PGT128 was able to delay HIV-1 viremia in vivo and also prevent a decline in CD4⁺ cells. Gene-modified cells were maintained in bone marrow and were also detected in spleen, thymus, lymph nodes, and gut-associated lymphoid tissue. These data indicate that the bNAb secretion from HSPC-derived cells in mice is functional and can affect viral infection and CD4⁺ cell maintenance. This study paves the way for potential applications to other diseases requiring long-lasting protein or antibody delivery.