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Song X, Zhang Y, Lv X, Xu Z, Long Y, Gai Y, Jiang D, Lei P, Lan X. Noninvasive longitudinal PET/CT imaging of CAR T cells using PSMA reporter gene. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024; 51:965-977. [PMID: 37971500 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-023-06508-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has achieved great success in treating hematologic malignancies. However, it is yet to prove effective in the treatment of solid tumors. Thus, it is necessary to develop appropriate methodology for the long-term, accurate, and quantitative evaluation of the distribution and activities of CAR T cells in solid tumors. In the present study, we engineered TfR ΔPSMA CAR (CAR-ΔPSMA) T cells, which targeted the transferrin receptor (TfR) expressed by tumor cells and could be tracked in vivo via a reporter gene encoding the truncated prostate specific membrane antigen (ΔPSMA). We then quantitatively monitored these CAR T cells in vitro and in vivo using [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). METHODS The CAR-ΔPSMA T cells were genetically engineered by transducing T cells with a lentiviral vector encoding TfR41BBζ-T2A-ΔPSMA. Firstly, the target expression, activation, and cytotoxicity of CAR-ΔPSMA T cells were validated in vitro. Secondly, the minimum thresholds of CAR-ΔPSMA T cells detection for [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/CT were also determined in vitro and in vivo respectively. Lastly, the feasibility of monitoring the biodistribution and infiltration of CAR-ΔPSMA T cells after systematic administration was evaluated in the breast cancer subcutaneous xenograft model. RESULTS The CAR-ΔPSMA T cells retained activation and tumor killing capacity after transduction of the ΔPSMA-encoding reporter gene. Next, the CAR-ΔPSMA T cells could be reliably tracked by [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/CT, the detection sensitivity of which was 250 cells/mm3 in vitro and 100 cells/mm3 in vivo. Next, the sequential imaging assays revealed that [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/CT could be used to specifically visualize ΔPSMA+ CAR T cells at the tumor site. The increase in the [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 signal intensity over time allowed us to effectively detect CAR T cells in vivo. CONCLUSION Our findings preliminarily confirmed that [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/CT could reliably detect CAR-ΔPSMA T cells in vitro and in vivo in solid tumors, laying the foundation for the monitoring CAR T cell therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangming Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Yirui Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoying Lv
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhuoshuo Xu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Long
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongkang Gai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Dawei Jiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Lei
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoli Lan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei Province, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy, The Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China.
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Zhang Y, Song X, Xu Z, Lv X, Long Y, Lan X, Lei P. Construction of truncated PSMA as a PET reporter gene for CAR T cell trafficking. J Leukoc Biol 2024; 115:476-482. [PMID: 37943840 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad127] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In solid tumors, there are multiple barriers for a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell to surmount in order to reach the tumor site. For better understanding whether CAR T cells effectively infiltrate into tumor site, and simultaneously, whether there are off-target effects, real-time monitoring technologies need to be established. Cell-based positron emission tomography reporter genes have been developed to monitor engineered cells in living subjects. In this study, we reported the construction of a novel reporter gene truncated prostate-specific membrane antigen (ΔPSMA) pending for monitoring CAR T cells using 68Ga-PSMA-617 and a method for tracking the distribution of CAR T cells in vivo was developed. Data were provided to demonstrate that ΔPSMA was predominantly localized on the plasma membrane and could take up 68Ga-PSMA-617 in vitro in a time-dependent manner. And the expression of ΔPSMA did not affect CAR expression and cytolytic capacity of CAR T cells. CAR-ΔPSMA T cell xenografts in nude mice were clearly imaged by positron emission tomography 60 min after injection of 68Ga-PSMA-617. PSMA paired with 68Ga-PSMA-617 was capable of identifying approximately 1 × 104 engineered CAR T cells. The ability to image small numbers of CAR T cells in vivo would be helpful to accelerate the translation of cell-based therapies into the clinic, and it may reinforce our understanding of treatment success, failure, and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirui Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Xiangming Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zhuoshuo Xu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Xiaoying Lv
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yu Long
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xiaoli Lan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, No. 1277 Jiefang Ave, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ping Lei
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 13, Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
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