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Kouro T, Higashijima N, Horaguchi S, Mano Y, Kasajima R, Xiang H, Fujimoto Y, Kishi H, Hamana H, Hoshino D, Himuro H, Matsuura R, Tsuji S, Imai K, Sasada T. Novel chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T cells targeting the malignant mesothelioma-specific antigen sialylated HEG1. Int J Cancer 2024; 154:1828-1841. [PMID: 38212893 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34843] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The selection of highly specific target antigens is critical for the development of clinically efficient and safe chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). In search of diagnostic marker for malignant mesothelioma (MM), we have established SKM9-2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) which recognizes a MM-specific molecule, sialylated Protein HEG homolog 1 (HEG1), with high specificity and sensitivity. In this study, to develop a novel therapeutic approach against MM, we generated SKM9-2 mAb-derived CARs that included the CD28 (SKM-28z) or 4-1BB (SKM-BBz) costimulatory domain. SKM-28z CAR-T cells showed continuous growth and enhanced Tim-3, LAG-3, and PD-1 expression in vitro, which might be induced by tonic signaling caused by self-activation; however, these phenotypes were not observed in SKM-BBz CAR-T cells. In addition, SKM-BBz CAR-T cells exhibited slightly stronger in vitro killing activity against MM cell lines than SKM-28z CAR-T cells. More importantly, only SKM-BBz CAR-T cells, but not SKM-28z CAR-T cells, significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo in a MM cell line xenograft mouse model. Gene expression profiling and reporter assays revealed differential signaling pathway activation; in particular, SKM-BBz CAR-T cells exhibited enhanced NF-kB signaling and reduced NFAT activation. In addition, SKM-BBz CAR-T cells showed upregulation of early memory markers, such as TCF7 and CCR7, as well as downregulation of pro-apoptotic proteins, such as BAK1 and BID, which may be associated with phenotypical and functional differences between SKM-BBz and SKM-28z CAR-T cells. In conclusion, we developed novel SKM9-2-derived CAR-T cells with the 4-1BB costimulatory domain, which could provide a promising therapeutic approach against refractory MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taku Kouro
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
- Cancer Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Naoko Higashijima
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shun Horaguchi
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
- Cancer Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasunobu Mano
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
- Cancer Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Rika Kasajima
- Molecular Pathology and Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Huihui Xiang
- Molecular Pathology and Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yuki Fujimoto
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kishi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hamana
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Daisuke Hoshino
- Cancer Biology Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hidetomo Himuro
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
- Cancer Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Rieko Matsuura
- Division of Cancer Therapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Shoutaro Tsuji
- Division of Cancer Therapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Medical Technology & Clinical Engineering, Gunma University of Health and Welfare, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Kohzoh Imai
- Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Sasada
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
- Cancer Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan
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Lin X, Guan T, Li Y, Lin Y, Huang G, Lin Y, Sun P, Li C, Gu J, Zeng H, Ma C. Efficacy of MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells against human tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1337557. [PMID: 38390321 PMCID: PMC10882221 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1337557] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The clinical efficacy of CAR-NK cells against CD19-expressing blood cancers has been demonstrated, and they have shown potential for treating solid tumors as well. However, the efficacy of CAR-NK cells for treating human oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has not been examined. Methods We assessed MUC1 expression in human OTSCC tissue and a cell line using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. We constructed NK cells that express CAR targeted to MUC1 from pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells) and evaluated their effectiveness against OTSCC in vitro using the xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analysis system and CCK8 assay, and in vivo by measuring xenograft growth daily in BNDG mice treated with MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells. As controls, we used iPSC-derived NK cells and NK-free media, which were CAR-free and blank, respectively. Results MUC1 expression was detected in 79.5% (66/83) of all OTSCC patients and 72.7% (24/33) of stage III and IV. In stage III and IV MUC1 positive OTSCC, 63.6% (21/33) and 48.5% (16/33) patients had a MUC1-positive cancer cell rate of more than 50% and 80%, respectively. The iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells exhibited significant cytotoxicity against MUC1-expressing OTSCC cells in vitro, in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and showed a significant inhibitory effect on xenograft growth compared to both the iPSC-derived NK cells and the blank controls. We observed no weight loss, severe hematological toxicity or NK cell-mediated death in the BNDG mice. Conclusion The MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells had significant efficacy against human OTSCC, and their promising therapeutic response warrants further clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tian Guan
- Guangdong Procapzoom Bioscience Inc., Guangzhou, China
- Procapzoom - Shantou University Medical College induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) Research Center, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yun Li
- Guangdong Procapzoom Bioscience Inc., Guangzhou, China
- Procapzoom - Shantou University Medical College induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) Research Center, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanchun Lin
- Guangdong Procapzoom Bioscience Inc., Guangzhou, China
- Procapzoom - Shantou University Medical College induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) Research Center, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guowei Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Department of Medical Imaging, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Pingnan Sun
- Department of Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Congzhu Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiang Gu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Haoyu Zeng
- Guangdong Procapzoom Bioscience Inc., Guangzhou, China
- Procapzoom - Shantou University Medical College induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) Research Center, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Target & Clinical Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Changchun Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Procapzoom - Shantou University Medical College induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) Research Center, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
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Jiang YL, Mu J, Cui R, Li X, Wang J, Li Q, Li J, Mou N, Deng Q. Efficacy and side effects of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory gastrointestinal lymphoma. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7064. [PMID: 38457256 PMCID: PMC10923045 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7064] [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: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy was approved as a very effective salvage strategy in relapsed/refractory (R/R) B cell lymphoma, the experience in R/R gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma is still insufficient. METHODS We summarized the efficacy and side effects of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy in 12 patients with R/R GI lymphoma. Based on literature, the R/R GI lymphoma patients were divided into subgroups with different characteristics: Bulky/No bulky disease, Gastric/Gastrointestinal involvement, Gastrointestinal/Combined extra-gastrointestinal lesions, Ulcer/Lumps or nodules type, With/without gastrointestinal bleeding. RESULTS The objective response rate (ORR) was 66.67% in these 12 patients. The ORR was 83.33% in no bulky disease group, 80.00% in gastric involvement group, 100.00% in ulcer type group, and 80.00% in no gastrointestinal bleeding group. The CR rate was 33.33% in these 12 patients. The CR was 50.0% in no bulky disease group, 60.00% in gastric involvement group, and 80.00% in ulcer type group. The PFS and OS rate of the 12 patients at 6 months after infusion were 54.55% and 58.33%, respectively. The overall survival (OS) at 6 months was higher in no bulky disease group. There was no difference of the OS or the progression free survival (PFS) at 6 months between the other groups. The mean peak of CAR-T cells and Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) grade were higher in gastrointestinal lesions group. The mean peak of IFN-γ and CRS grade were higher in gastrointestinal bleeding group. Four out of six patients in group of gastrointestinal lesions group were patient with high tumor burden. Patients with gastrointestinal involvement only were at higher risk for gastrointestinal bleeding. CONCLUSIONS The ORR and CR of high tumor load, gastrointestinal involvement, lumps or nodules type and gastrointestinal bleeding group were lower. The CRS grade was higher in gastrointestinal lesions group and in gastrointestinal bleeding group. Patients with gastrointestinal involvement only were at higher risk for gastrointestinal bleeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Juan Mu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Rui Cui
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Jingyi Li
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Nan Mou
- Shanghai Genbase Biotechnology Co., LtdShanghaiChina
| | - Qi Deng
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of MedicineNankai UniversityTianjinChina
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Harfmann M, Schröder T, Głów D, Jung M, Uhde A, Kröger N, Horn S, Riecken K, Fehse B, Ayuk FA. CD45-Directed CAR-T Cells with CD45 Knockout Efficiently Kill Myeloid Leukemia and Lymphoma Cells In Vitro Even after Extended Culture. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:334. [PMID: 38254824 PMCID: PMC10814116 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020334] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CAR-T cell therapy has shown impressive results and is now part of standard-of-care treatment of B-lineage malignancies, whereas the treatment of myeloid diseases has been limited by the lack of suitable targets. CD45 is expressed on almost all types of blood cells including myeloid leukemia cells, but not on non-hematopoietic tissue, making it a potential target for CAR-directed therapy. Because of its high expression on T and NK cells, fratricide is expected to hinder CD45CAR-mediated therapy. Due to its important roles in effector cell activation, signal transduction and cytotoxicity, CD45 knockout aimed at preventing fratricide in T and NK cells has been expected to lead to considerable functional impairment. METHODS CD45 knockout was established on T and NK cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9-RNPs and electroporation, and the successful protocol was transferred to primary T cells. A combined protocol was developed enabling CD45 knockout and retroviral transduction with a third-generation CAR targeting CD45 or CD19. The functionality of CD45ko effector cells, CD45ko/CD45CAR-T and CD45ko/CD19CAR-T cells was studied using proliferation as well as short- and long-term cytotoxicity assays. RESULTS As expected, the introduction of a CD45-CAR into T cells resulted in potent fratricide that can be avoided by CD45 knockout. Unexpectedly, the latter had no negative impact on T- and NK-cell proliferation in vitro. Moreover, CD45ko/CD45CAR-T cells showed potent cytotoxicity against CD45-expressing AML and lymphoma cell lines in short-term and long-term co-culture assays. A pronounced cytotoxicity of CD45ko/CD45CAR-T cells was maintained even after four weeks of culture. In a further setup, we confirmed the conserved functionality of CD45ko cells using a CD19-CAR. Again, the proliferation and cytotoxicity of CD45ko/CD19CAR-T cells showed no differences from those of their CD45-positive counterparts in vitro. CONCLUSIONS We report the efficient production of highly and durably active CD45ko/CAR-T cells. CD45 knockout did not impair the functionality of CAR-T cells in vitro, irrespective of the target antigen. If their activity can be confirmed in vivo, CD45ko/CD45CAR-T cells might, for example, be useful as part of conditioning regimens prior to stem cell transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maraike Harfmann
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Tanja Schröder
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Dawid Głów
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Maximilian Jung
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Almut Uhde
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Nicolaus Kröger
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Horn
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Kristoffer Riecken
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Boris Fehse
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany (A.U.)
| | - Francis A. Ayuk
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Wang CQ, Lim PY, Tan AHM. Gamma/delta T cells as cellular vehicles for anti-tumor immunity. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1282758. [PMID: 38274800 PMCID: PMC10808317 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1282758] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cellular immunotherapy as a new paradigm to treat cancers is exemplified by the FDA approval of six chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapies targeting hematological malignancies in recent years. Conventional αβ T cells applied in these therapies have proven efficacy but are confined almost exclusively to autologous use. When infused into patients with mismatched human leukocyte antigen, αβ T cells recognize tissues of such patients as foreign and elicit devastating graft-versus-host disease. Therefore, one way to overcome this challenge is to use naturally allogeneic immune cell types, such as γδ T cells. γδ T cells occupy the interface between innate and adaptive immunity and possess the capacity to detect a wide variety of ligands on transformed host cells. In this article, we review the fundamental biology of γδ T cells, including their subtypes, expression of ligands, contrasting roles in and association with cancer prognosis or survival, as well as discuss the gaps in knowledge pertaining to this cell type which we currently endeavor to elucidate. In addition, we propose how to harness the unique properties of γδ T cells for cellular immunotherapy based on lessons gleaned from past clinical trials and provide an update on ongoing trials involving these cells. Lastly, we elaborate strategies that have been tested or can be explored to improve the anti-tumor activity and durability of γδ T cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsia Qiuxia Wang
- Immune Cell Manufacturing, Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pei Yu Lim
- Immune Cell Manufacturing, Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andy Hee-Meng Tan
- Immune Cell Manufacturing, Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Food, Chemical and Biotechnology Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore, Singapore
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Blunt MD, Khakoo SI. Harnessing natural killer cell effector function against cancer. Immunother Adv 2023; 4:ltad031. [PMID: 38223411 PMCID: PMC10787374 DOI: 10.1093/immadv/ltad031] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic innate lymphoid cells that participate in anti-tumour and anti-viral immune responses. Their ability to rapidly destroy abnormal cells and to enhance the anti-cancer function of dendritic cells, CD8+ T cells, and macrophages makes them an attractive target for immunotherapeutic strategies. The development of approaches that augment NK-cell activation against cancer is currently under intense preclinical and clinical research and strategies include chimeric antigen receptor NK cells, NK-cell engagers, cytokines, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this review, we highlight recent advances in NK-cell therapeutic development and discuss their potential to add to our armamentarium against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Blunt
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Salim I Khakoo
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Majumder A. Evolving CAR-T-Cell Therapy for Cancer Treatment: From Scientific Discovery to Cures. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 16:39. [PMID: 38201467 PMCID: PMC10777914 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010039] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy has emerged as the most promising immunotherapy for cancer that typically uses patients' T cells and genetically engineered them to target cancer cells. Although recent improvements in CAR-T-cell therapy have shown remarkable success for treating hematological malignancies, the heterogeneity in tumor antigens and the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) limits its efficacy in solid tumors. Despite the enormous efforts that have been made to make CAR-T-cell therapy more effective and have minimal side effects for treating hematological malignancies, more research needs to be conducted regarding its use in the clinic for treating various other types of cancer. The main concern for CAR-T-cell therapy is severe toxicities due to the cytokine release syndrome, whereas the other challenges are associated with complexity and immune-suppressing TME, tumor antigen heterogeneity, the difficulty of cell trafficking, CAR-T-cell exhaustion, and reduced cytotoxicity in the tumor site. This review discussed the latest discoveries in CAR-T-cell therapy strategies and combination therapies, as well as their effectiveness in different cancers. It also encompasses ongoing clinical trials; current challenges regarding the therapeutic use of CAR-T-cell therapy, especially for solid tumors; and evolving treatment strategies to improve the therapeutic application of CAR-T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avisek Majumder
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Ou L, Su C, Liang L, Duan Q, Li Y, Zang H, He Y, Zeng R, Li Y, Zhou H, Xiao L. Current status and future prospects of chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy in lymphoma research: A bibliometric analysis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2023; 19:2267865. [PMID: 37846106 PMCID: PMC10583622 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2023.2267865] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
CAR-T cell therapy, a novel therapeutic approach that has attracted much attention in the field of cancer treatment at present, has become the subject of many studies and has shown great potential in the treatment of hematological malignancies, such as leukemia and lymphoma. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of articles published on CAR-T cell therapy in the lymphoma field and explore the existing hotspots and frontiers. The relevant articles published from 2013 to 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Bibliometric online analysis platform, Microsoft Excel, and R software were used for bibliometric analysis and visualization. The number of publications related to the research has been increasing year by year, including 1023 articles and 760 reviews from 62 countries and regions, 2092 institutions, 1040 journals, and 8727 authors. The United States, China, and Germany are the main publishing countries in this research field. The top 10 institutions are all from the United States, the journal with the highest impact factor is BLOOD, the author with the most publications is Frederick L Locke, and the most influential author is Carl H June. The top three keywords are "Lymphoma," "Immunotherapy," and "Therapy." "Maude (2014)" is the most cited and strongest burstiness reference over the past decade. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of CAR-T cell therapy in lymphoma, which can help researchers understand the current research hotspots in this field, explore potential research directions, and identify future development trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijia Ou
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chang Su
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liang Liang
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Graduate Collaborative Training Base of Hunan Cancer Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Qintong Duan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yufeng Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Zang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology of School of Basic Medical Sciences, Yiyang Medical College, Yiyang, Hunan, China
| | - Yizi He
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ruolan Zeng
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yajun Li
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of Lymphoma & Hematology, The Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Graham LV, Fisher JG, Khakoo SI, Blunt MD. Targeting KIR as a novel approach to improve CAR-NK cell function. J Transl Genet Genom 2023; 7:230-235. [PMID: 38229912 PMCID: PMC7615527 DOI: 10.20517/jtgg.2023.25] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells are demonstrating promising activity in clinical trials and possess a favorable safety profile compared to CAR-T cells. The Killer cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) have a critical role in the control of NK cell function, and recently, this family of activating and inhibitory receptors have been targeted to improve CAR-NK function. These strategies include the utilisation of inhibitory KIR to reduce trogocytosis-associated NK cell fratricide, the downregulation of inhibitory KIR on CAR-NK cells to alleviate HLA mediated suppression, the selection of CAR-NK cell donors enriched for activating KIR, and the use of activating KIR intracellular domains within novel CAR constructs. These pre-clinical studies demonstrate the potential utility of targeting the KIR to improve CAR-NK cell efficacy and patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara V Graham
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Jack G Fisher
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Salim I Khakoo
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Matthew D Blunt
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
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10
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Branella GM, Lee JY, Okalova J, Parwani KK, Alexander JS, Arthuzo RF, Fedanov A, Yu B, McCarty D, Brown HC, Chandrakasan S, Petrich BG, Doering CB, Spencer HT. Ligand-based targeting of c-kit using engineered γδ T cells as a strategy for treating acute myeloid leukemia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1294555. [PMID: 38022523 PMCID: PMC10679681 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1294555] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy or bi-specific T cell engager (BiTE) therapy to manage myeloid malignancies has proven more challenging than for B-cell malignancies. This is attributed to a shortage of leukemia-specific cell-surface antigens that distinguish healthy from malignant myeloid populations, and the inability to manage myeloid depletion unlike B-cell aplasia. Therefore, the development of targeted therapeutics for myeloid malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), requires new approaches. Herein, we developed a ligand-based CAR and secreted bi-specific T cell engager (sBite) to target c-kit using its cognate ligand, stem cell factor (SCF). c-kit is highly expressed on AML blasts and correlates with resistance to chemotherapy and poor prognosis, making it an ideal candidate for which to develop targeted therapeutics. We utilize γδ T cells as a cytotoxic alternative to αβ T cells and a transient transfection system as both a safety precaution and switch to remove alloreactive modified cells that may hinder successful transplant. Additionally, the use of γδ T cells permits its use as an allogeneic, off-the-shelf therapeutic. To this end, we show mSCF CAR- and hSCF sBite-modified γδ T cells are proficient in killing c-kit+ AML cell lines and sca-1+ murine bone marrow cells in vitro. In vivo, hSCF sBite-modified γδ T cells moderately extend survival of NSG mice engrafted with disseminated AML, but therapeutic efficacy is limited by lack of γδ T-cell homing to murine bone marrow. Together, these data demonstrate preclinical efficacy and support further investigation of SCF-based γδ T-cell therapeutics for the treatment of myeloid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianna M. Branella
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jasmine Y. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jennifer Okalova
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Systems Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Kiran K. Parwani
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jordan S. Alexander
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Raquel F. Arthuzo
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Andrew Fedanov
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Bing Yu
- Expression Therapeutics, Inc., Tucker, GA, United States
| | - David McCarty
- Expression Therapeutics, Inc., Tucker, GA, United States
| | | | - Shanmuganathan Chandrakasan
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Christopher B. Doering
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Systems Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - H. Trent Spencer
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Molecular Systems Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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11
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Garg S, Ni W, Griffin JD, Sattler M. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Trials and Tribulations. Hematol Rep 2023; 15:608-626. [PMID: 37987319 PMCID: PMC10660693 DOI: 10.3390/hematolrep15040063] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy that is often associated with relapse and drug resistance after standard chemotherapy or targeted therapy, particularly in older patients. Hematopoietic stem cell transplants are looked upon as the ultimate salvage option with curative intent. Adoptive cell therapy using chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) has shown promise in B cell malignancies and is now being investigated in AML. Initial clinical trials have been disappointing in AML, and we review current strategies to improve efficacy for CAR approaches. The extensive number of clinical trials targeting different antigens likely reflects the genetic heterogeneity of AML. The limited number of patients reported in multiple early clinical studies makes it difficult to draw conclusions about CAR safety, but it does suggest that the efficacy of this approach in AML lags behind the success observed in B cell malignancies. There is a clear need not only to improve CAR design but also to identify targets in AML that show limited expression in normal myeloid lineage cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Garg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (W.N.); (J.D.G.); (M.S.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wei Ni
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (W.N.); (J.D.G.); (M.S.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James D. Griffin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (W.N.); (J.D.G.); (M.S.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Martin Sattler
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (W.N.); (J.D.G.); (M.S.)
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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12
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Li Y, Rezvani K, Rafei H. Next-generation chimeric antigen receptors for T- and natural killer-cell therapies against cancer. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:217-235. [PMID: 37548050 PMCID: PMC10841677 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cellular therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of various hematologic malignancies. However, the broad application of this approach for myeloid malignancies and solid cancers has been limited by the paucity and heterogeneity of target antigen expression, and lack of bona fide tumor-specific antigens that can be targeted without cross-reactivity against normal tissues. This may lead to unwanted on-target off-tumor toxicities that could undermine the desired antitumor effect. Recent advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering have enabled reprogramming of immune effector cells to enhance their selectivity toward tumors, thus mitigating on-target off-tumor adverse effects. In this review, we outline the current strategies being explored to improve CAR selectivity toward tumor cells with a focus on natural killer (NK) cells, and the progress made in translating these strategies to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Li
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katayoun Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hind Rafei
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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13
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Giordano Attianese GMP, Ash S, Irving M. Coengineering specificity, safety, and function into T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:166-198. [PMID: 37548063 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) therapies, including of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T cells gene-modified to express either a T cell receptor (TCR) or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), have demonstrated clinical efficacy for a proportion of patients and cancer-types. The field of ACT has been driven forward by the clinical success of CD19-CAR therapy against various advanced B-cell malignancies, including curative responses for some leukemia patients. However, relapse remains problematic, in particular for lymphoma. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, relative limited efficacy has been demonstrated for ACT of non-hematological solid tumors. Indeed, in addition to pre-infusion challenges including lymphocyte collection and manufacturing, ACT failure can be attributed to several biological processes post-transfer including, (i) inefficient tumor trafficking, infiltration, expansion and retention, (ii) chronic antigen exposure coupled with insufficient costimulation resulting in T-cell exhaustion, (iii) a range of barriers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated by both tumor cells and suppressive immune infiltrate, (iv) tumor antigen heterogeneity and loss, or down-regulation of antigen presentation machinery, (v) gain of tumor intrinsic mechanisms of resistance such as to apoptosis, and (vi) various forms of toxicity and other adverse events in patients. Affinity-optimized TCRs can improve T-cell function and innovative CAR designs as well as gene-modification strategies can be used to coengineer specificity, safety, and function into T cells. Coengineering strategies can be designed not only to directly support the transferred T cells, but also to block suppressive barriers in the TME and harness endogenous innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we review a selection of the remarkable T-cell coengineering strategies, including of tools, receptors, and gene-cargo, that have been developed in recent years to augment tumor control by ACT, more and more of which are advancing to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Maria Paola Giordano Attianese
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Ash
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melita Irving
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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14
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Requejo Cier CJ, Valentini N, Lamarche C. Unlocking the potential of Tregs: innovations in CAR technology. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1267762. [PMID: 37900916 PMCID: PMC10602912 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1267762] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) adoptive immunotherapy is emerging as a viable treatment option for both autoimmune and alloimmune diseases. However, numerous challenges remain, including limitations related to cell number, availability of target-specific cells, stability, purity, homing ability, and safety concerns. To address these challenges, cell engineering strategies have emerged as promising solutions. Indeed, it has become feasible to increase Treg numbers or enhance their stability through Foxp3 overexpression, post-translational modifications, or demethylation of the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR). Specificity can be engineered by the addition of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), with new techniques designed to fine-tune specificity (tandem chimeric antigen receptors, universal chimeric antigen receptors, synNotch chimeric antigen receptors). The introduction of B-cell targeting antibody receptor (BAR) Tregs has paved the way for effective regulation of B cells and plasma cells. In addition, other constructs have emerged to enhance Tregs activation and function, such as optimized chimeric antigen receptors constructs and the use of armour proteins. Chimeric antigen receptor expression can also be better regulated to limit tonic signaling. Furthermore, various opportunities exist for enhancing the homing capabilities of CAR-Tregs to improve therapy outcomes. Many of these genetic modifications have already been explored for conventional CAR-T therapy but need to be further considered for CAR-Tregs therapies. This review highlights innovative CAR-engineering strategies that have the potential to precisely and efficiently manage immune responses in autoimmune diseases and improve transplant outcomes. As these strategies are further explored and optimized, CAR-Treg therapies may emerge as powerful tools for immune intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Requejo Cier
- Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Research Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Valentini
- Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Research Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Caroline Lamarche
- Department of Medicine, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Research Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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15
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Lahimchi MR, Maroufi F, Maali A. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells: The Intersection of Stem Cells and Immunotherapy. Cell Reprogram 2023; 25:195-211. [PMID: 37782910 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2023.0041] [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] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a promising cell-based immunotherapy applicable to various cancers. High cost of production, immune rejection, heterogeneity of cell product, limited cell source, limited expandability, and relatively long production time have created the need to achieve a universal allogeneic CAR-T cell product for "off-the-shelf" application. Since the innovation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by Yamanaka et al., extensive efforts have been made to prepare an unlimited cell source for regenerative medicine, that is, immunotherapy. In the autologous grafting approach, iPSCs prepare the desired cell source for generating autologous CAR-T cells through more accessible and available sources. In addition, generating iPSC-derived CAR-T cells is a promising approach to achieving a suitable source for producing an allogeneic CAR-T cell product. In brief, the first step is reprogramming somatic cells (accessible from peripheral blood, skin, etc.) to iPSCs. In the next step, CAR expression and T cell lineage differentiation should be applied in different arrangements. In addition, in an allogeneic manner, human leukocyte antigen/T cell receptor (TCR) deficiency should be applied in iPSC colonies. The allogeneic iPSC-derived CAR-T cell experiments showed that simultaneous performance of HLA/TCR deficiency, CAR expression, and T cell lineage differentiation could bring the production to the highest efficacy in generating allogeneic iPSC-derived CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faezeh Maroufi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Amirhosein Maali
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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16
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Alizadeh D, Brown CE. CAR T cells ignite antitumor immunity. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:748-750. [PMID: 37652814 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.08.002] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Broadening immune responses through antigen spreading remains the 'Holy Grail' of cancer immunotherapy. A study by Ma and colleagues reveals that vaccine boosting of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells in mice promotes endogenous immunity and elicits antigen spread to eliminate antigenically heterogenous solid tumors through a mechanism crucially dependent on interferon (IFN)γ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Alizadeh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories), City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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17
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Agrawal V, Aldoss I. Searching for the optimal sequence of dual-targeted CAR T cells in relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Chin Clin Oncol 2023; 12:33. [PMID: 37431234 DOI: 10.21037/cco-23-31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhav Agrawal
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ibrahim Aldoss
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
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18
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Wang Y, Wang L, Seo N, Okumura S, Hayashi T, Akahori Y, Fujiwara H, Amaishi Y, Okamoto S, Mineno J, Tanaka Y, Kato T, Shiku H. CAR-Modified Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells Propagated Using a Novel Bisphosphonate Prodrug for Allogeneic Adoptive Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10873. [PMID: 37446055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310873] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The benefits of CAR-T therapy could be expanded to the treatment of solid tumors through the use of derived autologous αβ T cell, but clinical trials of CAR-T therapy for patients with solid tumors have so far been disappointing. CAR-T therapy also faces hurdles due to the time and cost intensive preparation of CAR-T cell products derived from patients as such CAR-T cells are often poor in quality and low in quantity. These inadequacies may be mitigated through the use of third-party donor derived CAR-T cell products which have a potent anti-tumor function but a constrained GVHD property. Vγ9Vδ2 TCR have been shown to exhibit potent antitumor activity but not alloreactivity. Therefore, in this study, CAR-T cells were prepared from Vγ9Vδ2 T (CAR-γδ T) cells which were expanded by using a novel prodrug PTA. CAR-γδ T cells suppressed tumor growth in an antigen specific manner but only during a limited time window. Provision of GITR co-stimulation enhanced anti-tumor function of CAR-γδ T cells. Our present results indicate that, while further optimization of CAR-γδ T cells is necessary, the present results demonstrate that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are potential source of 'off-the-shelf' CAR-T cell products for successful allogeneic adoptive immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizheng Wang
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Linan Wang
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Naohiro Seo
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Satoshi Okumura
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Tae Hayashi
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Yasushi Akahori
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Yoshimasa Tanaka
- Center for Medical Innovation, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8588, Sakamoto, Japan
| | - Takuma Kato
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shiku
- Department of Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
- Center for Comprehensive Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Mie, Japan
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19
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Mezősi-Csaplár M, Szöőr Á, Vereb G. CD28 and 41BB Costimulatory Domains Alone or in Combination Differentially Influence Cell Surface Dynamics and Organization of Chimeric Antigen Receptors and Early Activation of CAR T Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3081. [PMID: 37370693 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123081] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells brought a paradigm shift in the treatment of chemotherapy-resistant lymphomas. Conversely, clinical experience with CAR T cells targeting solid tumors has been disheartening, indicating the necessity of their molecular-level optimization. While incorporating CD28 or 41BB costimulatory domains into CARs in addition to the CD3z signaling domain improved the long-term efficacy of T cell products, their influence on early tumor engagement has yet to be elucidated. We studied the antigen-independent self-association and membrane diffusion kinetics of first- (.z), second- (CD28.z, 41BB.z), and third- (CD28.41BB.z) generation HER2-specific CARs in the resting T cell membrane using super-resolution AiryScan microscopy and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, in correlation with RoseTTAFold-based structure prediction and assessment of oligomerization in native Western blot. While .z and CD28.z CARs formed large, high-density submicron clusters of dimers, 41BB-containing CARs formed higher oligomers that assembled into smaller but more numerous membrane clusters. The first-, second-, and third-generation CARs showed progressively increasing lateral diffusion as the distance of their CD3z domain from the membrane plane increased. Confocal microscopy analysis of immunological synapses showed that both small clusters of highly mobile CD28.41BB.z and large clusters of less mobile .z CAR induced more efficient CD3ζ and pLck phosphorylation than CD28.z or 41BB.z CARs of intermediate mobility. However, electric cell-substrate impedance sensing revealed that the CD28.41BB.z CAR performs worst in sequential short-term elimination of adherent tumor cells, while the .z CAR is superior to all others. We conclude that the molecular structure, membrane organization, and mobility of CARs are critical design parameters that can predict the development of an effective immune synapse. Therefore, they need to be taken into account alongside the long-term biological effects of costimulatory domains to achieve an optimal therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Mezősi-Csaplár
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Árpád Szöőr
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - György Vereb
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- ELKH-DE Cell Biology and Signaling Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
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20
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Chen A, Neuwirth I, Herndler-Brandstetter D. Modeling the Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunotherapy in Next-Generation Humanized Mice. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112989. [PMID: 37296949 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112989] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has brought significant clinical benefits to numerous patients with malignant disease. However, only a fraction of patients experiences complete and durable responses to currently available immunotherapies. This highlights the need for more effective immunotherapies, combination treatments and predictive biomarkers. The molecular properties of a tumor, intratumor heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment decisively shape tumor evolution, metastasis and therapy resistance and are therefore key targets for precision cancer medicine. Humanized mice that support the engraftment of patient-derived tumors and recapitulate the human tumor immune microenvironment of patients represent a promising preclinical model to address fundamental questions in precision immuno-oncology and cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we provide an overview of next-generation humanized mouse models suitable for the establishment and study of patient-derived tumors. Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of modeling the tumor immune microenvironment and testing a variety of immunotherapeutic approaches using human immune system mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Chen
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna and Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ines Neuwirth
- Center for Cancer Research, Medical University of Vienna and Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Urak R, Gittins B, Soemardy C, Grepo N, Goldberg L, Maker M, Shevchenko G, Davis A, Li S, Scott T, Morris KV, Forman SJ, Wang X. Evaluation of the Elements of Short Hairpin RNAs in Developing shRNA-Containing CAR T Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2848. [PMID: 37345185 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102848] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) have emerged as a powerful tool for gene knockdown in various cellular systems, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. However, the elements of shRNAs that are crucial for their efficacy in developing shRNA-containing CAR T cells remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the impact of different shRNA elements, including promoter strength, orientation, multiple shRNAs, self-targeting, and sense and antisense sequence composition on the knockdown efficiency of the target gene in CAR T cells. Our findings highlight the importance of considering multiple shRNAs and their orientation to achieve effective knockdown. Moreover, we demonstrate that using a strong promoter and avoiding self-targeting can enhance CAR T cell functionality. These results provide a framework for the rational design of CAR T cells with shRNA-mediated knockdown capabilities, which could improve the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T cell-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Brenna Gittins
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Citradewi Soemardy
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Nicole Grepo
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Lior Goldberg
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Madeleine Maker
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Galina Shevchenko
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Alicia Davis
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Shirley Li
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Tristan Scott
- Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Kevin V Morris
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4215, Australia
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Schepisi G, Gianni C, Palleschi M, Bleve S, Casadei C, Lolli C, Ridolfi L, Martinelli G, De Giorgi U. The New Frontier of Immunotherapy: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) Cell and Macrophage (CAR-M) Therapy against Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15. [PMID: 36900394 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer represents one of the most common tumor histologies. To date, based on the specific histotype, different therapeutic strategies, including immunotherapies, capable of prolonging survival are used. More recently, the astonishing results that were obtained from CAR-T cell therapy in haematological neoplasms led to the application of this new therapeutic strategy in solid tumors as well. Our article will deal with chimeric antigen receptor-based immunotherapy (CAR-T cell and CAR-M therapy) in breast cancer.
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23
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Parikh RH, Lonial S. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in multiple myeloma: A comprehensive review of current data and implications for clinical practice. CA Cancer J Clin 2023; 73:275-285. [PMID: 36627265 DOI: 10.3322/caac.21771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy defined by the clonal proliferation of transformed plasma cells. Despite tremendous advances in the treatment paradigm of MM, a cure remains elusive for most patients. Although long-term disease control can be achieved in a very large number of patients, the acquisition of tumor resistance leads to disease relapse, especially in patients with triple-class refractory MM (defined as resistance to immunomodulatory agents, proteosome inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies). There is an unmet need for effective treatment options in these patients. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel approach that has demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of relapsed, refractory MM (RRMM). These genetically modified cellular therapies have demonstrated deep and durable remissions in other B-cell malignancies, and current efforts aim to achieve similar results in patients with RRMM. Early studies have demonstrated remarkable response rates with CAR T-cell therapy in RRMM; however, durable responses with CAR T-cell therapies in myeloma have yet to be realized. In this comprehensive review, the authors describe the development of CAR T-cell therapies in myeloma, the outcomes of notable clinical trials, the toxicities and limitations of CAR T-cell therapies, and the strategies to overcome therapeutic challenges of CAR T cells in the hope of achieving a cure for multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujul H Parikh
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sagar Lonial
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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24
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He B, Mai Q, Pang Y, Deng S, He Y, Xue R, Xu N, Zhou H, Liu X, Xuan L, Li C, Liu Q. Cytokines induced memory-like NK cells engineered to express CD19 CAR exhibit enhanced responses against B cell malignancies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1130442. [PMID: 37207215 PMCID: PMC10191231 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1130442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered NK cells have been used for treating patients with relapsed and/or refractory B cell malignancies and show encouraging outcomes and safety profile. However, the poor persistence of NK cells remains a major challenge for CAR NK cell therapy. Memory-like NK cells (MLNK) induced by IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 have shown enhanced and prolonged responses to tumor re-stimulation, making them an attractive candidate for adoptive cellular immunotherapy. Here, we show efficient and stable gene delivery of CD19 CAR to memory-like NK cells using retroviral vectors with transduction efficiency comparable to those achieved with conventional NK cells. Analysis of surface molecules revealed a distinct phenotypic profile in CAR engineered memory-like NK cells (CAR MLNK), as evidenced by increased expression of CD94 and downregulation of NKp30 as well as KIR2DL1. Compared to conventional CAR NK cells, CAR MLNK cells exhibited significantly increased IFN-γ production and degranulation in response to CD19+ target cells, resulting in enhanced cytotoxic activity against CD19+ leukemia cells and lymphoma cells. Furthermore, memory properties induced by IL-12/-15/-18 improved the in vivo persistence of CAR MLNK cells and significantly suppressed tumor growth in a exnograft mouse model of lymphoma, leading to prolonged survival of CD19+ tumor-bearing mouse. Altogether, our data indicate that CD19 CAR engineered memory-like NK cells exhibited superior persistence and antitumor activity against CD19+ tumors, which might be an attractive approach for treating patient with relapse or refractory B cell malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bailin He
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiusui Mai
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunyi Pang
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shikai Deng
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi He
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rongtao Xue
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Xu
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongsheng Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Xuan
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengyao Li
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qifa Liu, ; Chengyao Li,
| | - Qifa Liu
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qifa Liu, ; Chengyao Li,
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25
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Osorio-Rodríguez DA, Camacho BA, Ramírez-Segura C. Anti-ROR1 CAR-T cells: Architecture and performance. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1121020. [PMID: 36873868 PMCID: PMC9981679 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1121020] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) is a membrane receptor that plays a key role in development. It is highly expressed during the embryonic stage and relatively low in some normal adult tissues. Malignancies such as leukemia, lymphoma, and some solid tumors overexpress ROR1, making it a promising target for cancer treatment. Moreover, immunotherapy with autologous T-cells engineered to express a ROR1-specific chimeric antigen receptor (ROR1 CAR-T cells) has emerged as a personalized therapeutic option for patients with tumor recurrence after conventional treatments. However, tumor cell heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment (TME) hinder successful clinical outcomes. This review briefly describes the biological functions of ROR1 and its relevance as a tumor therapeutic target, as well as the architecture, activity, evaluation, and safety of some ROR1 CAR-T cells used in basic research and clinical trials. Finally, the feasibility of applying the ROR1 CAR-T cell strategy in combination with therapies targeting other tumor antigens or with inhibitors that prevent tumor antigenic escape is also discussed. Clinical trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT02706392.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Andrés Osorio-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud (IDCBIS), Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - César Ramírez-Segura
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Ingeniería Celular y Molecular, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud (IDCBIS), Bogotá, Colombia.,Instituto Distrital de Ciencia, Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud (IDCBIS), Bogotá, Colombia
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26
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Polten R, Kutle I, Hachenberg J, Klapdor R, Morgan M, Schambach A. Towards Novel Gene and Cell Therapy Approaches for Cervical Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 15:cancers15010263. [PMID: 36612258 PMCID: PMC9818159 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15010263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women, and the majority of cases are caused by infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) subtypes. Despite effective preventative measures, such as vaccinations against HPV, over 300,000 women die world-wide from cervical cancer each year. Once cervical cancer is diagnosed, treatment may consist of radial hysterectomy, or chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or a combination of therapies dependent upon the disease stage. Unfortunately, overall prognosis for patients with metastatic or recurrent disease remains poor. In these cases, immunotherapies may be useful based on promising preclinical work, some of which has been successfully translated to the clinic. For example, approaches using monoclonal antibodies directed against surface proteins important for control of immune checkpoints (i.e., immune checkpoint inhibitors) were shown to improve outcome in many cancer settings, including cervical cancer. Additionally, initial clinical studies showed that application of cytotoxic immune cells modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) or T cell receptors (TCR) for better recognition and elimination of tumor cells may be useful to control cervical cancer. This review explores these important topics, including strengths and limitations of standard and developing approaches, and how some novel treatment strategies may be optimally used to offer the best possible treatment for cervical cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Polten
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Ivana Kutle
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jens Hachenberg
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klapdor
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Morgan
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (A.S.); Tel.: +49-511-532-6067 (A.S.)
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Correspondence: (M.M.); (A.S.); Tel.: +49-511-532-6067 (A.S.)
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Kremer J, Henschel P, Simon D, Riet T, Falk C, Hardtke-Wolenski M, Wedemeyer H, Noyan F, Jaeckel E. Membrane-bound IL-2 improves the expansion, survival, and phenotype of CAR Tregs and confers resistance to calcineurin inhibitors. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1005582. [PMID: 36618378 PMCID: PMC9816406 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1005582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis and the establishment of immune tolerance. Since Tregs do not secrete endogenous IL-2, they are especially dependent on external IL-2. IL-2 deficiency leads to lower Treg numbers, instability of the Treg phenotype and loss of immune regulation. After organ transplantation, patients are treated with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), which further limits available IL-2. Application of low-dose IL-2 expands Tregs but also activates NK and CD8+ T cells. It was recently shown that graft-specific Tregs recognizing mismatched MHC I molecules via a chimeric antigen receptor were far more potent than polyclonal Tregs in the regulation of immune responses after solid organ transplantation in a humanized mouse model. Methods Therefore, our aim was to enhance the function and stability of transferred CAR-Tregs via expression of membrane-associated IL-2 (mbIL-2). Results mbIL-2 promoted higher survival, phenotypic stability, and function among CAR-Tregs than observed in clinical trials. The cells were also more stable under inflammatory conditions. In a preclinical humanized mouse model, we demonstrated that mbIL-2 CAR Tregs survive better in the Treg niche than control CAR Tregs and are even resistant to CNI therapy without affecting other Tregs, thus acting mainly in cis. Discussion The functional and phenotypic improvements observed after membrane-attached IL-2 expression in CAR-Tregs will be important step for enhancing CAR-Treg therapies currently being tested in clinical trials for use after kidney and liver transplantation as well as in autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Kremer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Pierre Henschel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Daniel Simon
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tobias Riet
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Tumor Genetics, University Hospital of Cologne and Center for Molecular Medicine, Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christine Falk
- Institute of Transplant Immunology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Matthias Hardtke-Wolenski
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Essen University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Fatih Noyan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elmar Jaeckel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Department of liver transplantation, Multi Organ Transplant Program, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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28
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Cassioli C, Patrussi L, Valitutti S, Baldari CT. Learning from TCR Signaling and Immunological Synapse Assembly to Build New Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:14255. [PMID: 36430728 PMCID: PMC9694822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy is a revolutionary pillar in cancer treatment. Clinical experience has shown remarkable successes in the treatment of certain hematological malignancies but only limited efficacy against B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other cancer types, especially solid tumors. A wide range of engineering strategies have been employed to overcome the limitations of CAR T cell therapy. However, it has become increasingly clear that CARs have unique, unexpected features; hence, a deep understanding of how CARs signal and trigger the formation of a non-conventional immunological synapse (IS), the signaling platform required for T cell activation and execution of effector functions, would lead a shift from empirical testing to the rational design of new CAR constructs. Here, we review current knowledge of CARs, focusing on their structure, signaling and role in CAR T cell IS assembly. We, moreover, discuss the molecular features accounting for poor responses in CLL patients treated with anti-CD19 CAR T cells and propose CLL as a paradigm for diseases connected to IS dysfunctions that could significantly benefit from the development of novel CARs to generate a productive anti-tumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cassioli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Laura Patrussi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Salvatore Valitutti
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1037, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), Université de Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31037 Toulouse, France
- Department of Pathology, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Oncopole de Toulouse, 31059 Toulouse, France
| | - Cosima T. Baldari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
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29
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Xiao J, Zhang T, Gao F, Zhou Z, Shu G, Zou Y, Yin G. Natural Killer Cells: A Promising Kit in the Adoptive Cell Therapy Toolbox. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225657. [PMID: 36428748 PMCID: PMC9688567 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As an important component of the innate immune system, natural killer (NK) cells have gained increasing attention in adoptive cell therapy for their safety and efficacious tumor-killing effect. Unlike T cells which rely on the interaction between TCRs and specific peptide-MHC complexes, NK cells are more prone to be served as "off-the-shelf" cell therapy products due to their rapid recognition and killing of tumor cells without MHC restriction. In recent years, constantly emerging sources of therapeutic NK cells have provided flexible options for cancer immunotherapy. Advanced genetic engineering techniques, especially chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modification, have yielded exciting effectiveness in enhancing NK cell specificity and cytotoxicity, improving in vivo persistence, and overcoming immunosuppressive factors derived from tumors. In this review, we highlight current advances in NK-based adoptive cell therapy, including alternative sources of NK cells for adoptive infusion, various CAR modifications that confer different targeting specificity to NK cells, multiple genetic engineering strategies to enhance NK cell function, as well as the latest clinical research on adoptive NK cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiani Xiao
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Tianxiang Zhang
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Fei Gao
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Zhengwei Zhou
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Guang Shu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Yizhou Zou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (G.Y.)
| | - Gang Yin
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.Z.); (G.Y.)
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Nikoo M, Rudiansyah M, Bokov DO, Jainakbaev N, Suksatan W, Ansari MJ, Thangavelu L, Chupradit S, Zamani A, Adili A, Shomali N, Akbari M. Potential of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected immune cells in breast cancer therapies: Recent advances. J Cell Mol Med 2022; 26:4137-4156. [PMID: 35762299 PMCID: PMC9344815 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite substantial developments in conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, and molecular-targeted therapy, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer mortality in women. Currently, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected immune cell therapy has emerged as an innovative immunotherapeutic approach to ameliorate survival rates of breast cancer patients by eliciting cytotoxic activity against cognate tumour-associated antigens expressing tumour cells. As a crucial component of adaptive immunity, T cells and NK cells, as the central innate immune cells, are two types of pivotal candidates for CAR engineering in treating solid malignancies. However, the biological distinctions between NK cells- and T cells lead to differences in cancer immunotherapy outcomes. Likewise, optimal breast cancer removal via CAR-redirected immune cells requires detecting safe target antigens, improving CAR structure for ideal immune cell functions, promoting CAR-redirected immune cells filtration to the tumour microenvironment (TME), and increasing the ability of these engineered cells to persist and retain within the immunosuppressive TME. This review provides a concise overview of breast cancer pathogenesis and its hostile TME. We focus on the CAR-T and CAR-NK cells and discuss their significant differences. Finally, we deliver a summary based on recent advancements in the therapeutic capability of CAR-T and CAR-NK cells in treating breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Nikoo
- Department of Immunology, School of MedicineKermanshah University of Medical SciencesKermanshahIran
| | - Mohammad Rudiansyah
- Division of Nephrology & Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of MedicineUniversitas Lambung Mangkurat / Ulin HospitalBanjarmasinIndonesia
| | - Dmitry Olegovich Bokov
- Institute of PharmacySechenov First Moscow State Medical UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
- Laboratory of Food ChemistryFederal Research Center of Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food SafetyMoscowRussian Federation
| | | | - Wanich Suksatan
- Faculty of Nursing, HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical ScienceChulabhorn Royal AcademyBangkokThailand
| | - Mohammad Javed Ansari
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of PharmacyPrince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz UniversityAl‐kharjSaudi Arabia
| | - Lakshmi Thangavelu
- Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical ScienceSaveetha UniversityChennaiIndia
| | - Supat Chupradit
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical SciencesChiang Mai UniversityChiang MaiThailand
| | - Amir Zamani
- Shiraz Transplant Center, Abu Ali Sina HospitalShiraz University of Medical SciencesShirazIran
| | - Ali Adili
- Department of OncologyTabriz University of Medical SciencesTabrizIran
- Senior Adult Oncology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South FloridaTampaFloridaUSA
| | - Navid Shomali
- Department of ImmunologyTabriz University of Medical SciencesTabrizIran
| | - Morteza Akbari
- Department of ImmunologyTabriz University of Medical SciencesTabrizIran
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Xu Q, Xue L, An F, Xu H, Wang L, Geng L, Zhang X, Song K, Yao W, Wan X, Tong J, Liu H, Liu X, Zhu X, Zhai Z, Sun Z, Wang X. Impact of Consolidative Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation on Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Acute B Lymphoblastic Leukemia Entering Remission Following CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:879030. [PMID: 35558072 PMCID: PMC9086894 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.879030] [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: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is becoming widely used in hematological malignancies with remarkable remission rate, their high recurrence remains an obstacle to overcome. The role of consolidative transplantation following CAR-T cell-mediated remission remains controversial. We conducted a retrospective study to explore whether bridging to unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) could improve the prognosis of patients entering remission after CAR-T therapy with different characteristics through subgroup analyses. Methods We reviewed 53 patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) successfully infused with CD19 CAR-T cells and achieved complete remission (CR). In this study, 25 patients received consolidative UCBT (UCBT group) and 28 patients did not accept any intervention until relapse (non-UCBT group). Subgroup analysis on prognosis was then performed according to gender, age, number of previous relapses, tumor burden, presence of poor prognostic markers, and structure of CAR. Results Compared with the non-UCBT group, patients who underwent consolidative UCBT had better median event-free survival (EFS; 12.3 months vs. 6.2 months; P = 0.035) and relapse-free survival (RFS; 22.3 months vs. 7.2 months; P = 0.046), while no significant difference was found in overall survival (OS; 30.8 months vs. 15.3 months; P = 0.118). Subsequent multivariate analysis revealed that bridging to UCBT was a protective factor for RFS (P = 0.048) but had no significant effect on EFS (P = 0.205) or OS (P = 0.541). In the subgroup analysis, UCBT has an added benefit in patients with specific characteristics. Patients who experienced ≥2 relapses or with sustained non-remission (NR) showed better RFS (P = 0.025) after UCBT. Better EFS was seen in patients with poor prognostic markers (P = 0.027). In the subgroup with pre-infusion minimal residual disease (MRD) ≥5% or with extramedullary disease (EMD), UCBT significantly prolonged EFS (P = 0.009), RFS (P = 0.017), and OS (P = 0.026). Patients with occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) appeared to have a longer duration of remission (P = 0.007). Conclusion Consolidative UCBT can, to some extent, improve clinical outcomes of patients with R/R B-ALL entering remission following CD19 CAR-T therapy, especially in patients with more recurrences before treatment, patients with poor prognostic markers, and patients with a higher tumor burden. The occurrence of aGVHD after UCBT was associated with better RFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianwen Xu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Lei Xue
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Furun An
- Hematology Department, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University (SHAMU), Hefei, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Liangquan Geng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xuhan Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Kaidi Song
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wen Yao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiang Wan
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Juan Tong
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Huilan Liu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhimin Zhai
- Hematology Department, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University (SHAMU), Hefei, China
| | - Zimin Sun
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xingbing Wang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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Su S, Lei A, Wang X, Lu H, Wang S, Yang Y, Li N, Zhang Y, Zhang J. Induced CAR-Macrophages as a Novel Therapeutic Cell Type for Cancer Immune Cell Therapies. Cells 2022; 11:1652. [PMID: 35626689 DOI: 10.3390/cells11101652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has made inroads in treating hematological malignancies. Nonetheless, there are still multiple hurdles in CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors. Primary CAR-expressing macrophage cells (CAR-Ms) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived CAR-expressing macrophage cells (CAR-iMacs) have emerged as attractive alternatives in our quest for an efficient and inexpensive approach for tumor immune cell therapy. In this review, we list the current state of development of human CAR-macrophages and provide an overview of the crucial functions of human CAR-macrophages in the field of tumor immune cell therapy.
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Peinelt A, Bremm M, Kreyenberg H, Cappel C, Banisharif-Dehkordi J, Erben S, Rettinger E, Jarisch A, Meisel R, Schlegel PG, Beck O, Bug G, Klusmann JH, Klingebiel T, Huenecke S, Bader P. Monitoring of Circulating CAR T Cells: Validation of a Flow Cytometric Assay, Cellular Kinetics, and Phenotype Analysis Following Tisagenlecleucel. Front Immunol 2022; 13:830773. [PMID: 35309367 PMCID: PMC8926389 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.830773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a potent new treatment option for relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies. As the monitoring of CAR T cell kinetics can provide insights into the activity of the therapy, appropriate CAR T cell detection methods are essential. Here, we report on the comprehensive validation of a flow cytometric assay for peripheral blood CD19 CAR T cell detection. Further, a retrospective analysis (n = 30) of CAR T cell and B cell levels over time has been performed, and CAR T cell phenotypes have been characterized. Serial dilution experiments demonstrated precise and linear quantification down to 0.05% of T cells or 22 CAR T cell events. The calculated detection limit at 13 events was confirmed with CAR T cell negative control samples. Inter-method comparison with real-time PCR showed appreciable correlation. Stability testing revealed diminished CAR T cell values already one day after sample collection. While we found long-term CAR T cell detectability and B cell aplasia in most patients (12/17), some patients (5/17) experienced B cell recovery. In three of these patients the coexistence of CAR T cells and regenerating B cells was observed. Repeat CAR T cell infusions led to detectable but limited re-expansions. Comparison of CAR T cell subsets with their counterparts among all T cells showed a significantly higher percentage of effector memory T cells and a significantly lower percentage of naïve T cells and T EMRA cells among CAR T cells. In conclusion, flow cytometric CAR T cell detection is a reliable method to monitor CAR T cells if measurements start without delay and sufficient T cell counts are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Peinelt
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Melanie Bremm
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hermann Kreyenberg
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Claudia Cappel
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Julia Banisharif-Dehkordi
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stephanie Erben
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Eva Rettinger
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andrea Jarisch
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Roland Meisel
- Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Paul-Gerhardt Schlegel
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Olaf Beck
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Gesine Bug
- Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jan-Henning Klusmann
- Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thomas Klingebiel
- Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sabine Huenecke
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peter Bader
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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Abstract
Treatment of cancer with allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies has seen rapid development, especially use against hematologic malignancies. Clinical trials of NK cell-based adoptive transfer to treat relapsed or refractory malignancies have used peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood and pluripotent stem cell-derived NK cells, with each approach undergoing continued clinical development. Improving the potency of these therapies relies on genetic modifications to improve tumor targeting and to enhance expansion and persistence of the NK cells. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived NK cells allow for routine targeted introduction of genetic modifications and expansion of the resulting NK cells derived from a clonal starting cell population. In this review, we discuss and summarize recent important advances in the development of new iPSC-derived NK cell therapies, with a focus on improved targeting of cancer. We then discuss improvements in methods to expand iPSC-derived NK cells and how persistence of iPSC-NK cells can be enhanced. Finally, we describe how these advances may combine in future NK cell-based therapy products for the treatment of both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H Goldenson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Pooja Hor
- Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Dan S Kaufman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Regenerative Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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35
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Nguyen A, Johanning G, Shi Y. Emerging Novel Combined CAR-T Cell Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061403. [PMID: 35326556 PMCID: PMC8945996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary As a result of FDA approval of CAR-T cell treatments in the last few years, this immunotherapy has provided further direction to precision medicine through its combination with other therapeutic approaches. In the past year, several review articles have been published focusing on advances in this fast-developing field, especially with respect to efforts to overcome hurdles associated with applying CAR-T cells in solid tumors. This review paper focuses on combining CAR-T cell therapy with small molecule drugs, up-to-date progress in CAR-T cell therapy research, and advances in combined CAR-T immunotherapy with other treatments targeting solid tumors. Abstract Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cells are T cells engineered to express membrane receptors with high specificity to recognize specific target antigens presented by cancer cells and are co-stimulated with intracellular signals to increase the T cell response. CAR-T cell therapy is emerging as a novel therapeutic approach to improve T cell specificity that will lead to advances in precision medicine. CAR-T cells have had impressive outcomes in hematological malignancies. However, there continue to be significant limitations of these therapeutic responses in targeting solid malignancies such as heterogeneous antigens in solid tumors, tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, risk of on-target/off-tumor, infiltrating CAR-T cells, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules, and cytokines. This review paper summarizes recent approaches and innovations through combination therapies of CAR-T cells and other immunotherapy or small molecule drugs to counter the above disadvantages to potentiate the activity of CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Nguyen
- College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA;
| | | | - Yihui Shi
- College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
- Correspondence:
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36
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Zhu H, Li Q, Liu Y, Feng X, Deng Q. A Case of Central Nervous System Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Following Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation in a Patient With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cell Transplant 2022; 31:9636897221117532. [PMID: 35979928 PMCID: PMC9393674 DOI: 10.1177/09636897221117532] [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] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a differential diagnosis of an intracranial lesion following
haploidentical stem cell transplantation (haplo-SCT) in a female
patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This patient received
an anti-CD19-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for
refractory B-cell ALL and obtained minimal residual disease
(MRD)-positive (0.03%) complete remission (CR). Then the patient
received a bridging therapy of haplo-SCT. After bridging therapy, the
patient maintained MRD-negative and full donor chimerism in bone
marrow (BM) and was negative for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-DNA copy in
peripheral blood. At 91 days after haplo-SCT, the patient presented
with dizziness and fatigue and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
demonstrated an intracranial lesion. The diagnosis of isolated
extramedullary relapse (IEMR) was temporarily considered. Then
next-generation sequencing (NGS) identified positive EBV-DNA in the
cerebrospinal fluid, although EBV-DNA in the peripheral blood was
negative. Furthermore, the positive EBV-DNA by NGS and complete donor
chimerism in the brain tissue confirmed the diagnosis of central
nervous system post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder
(CNS-PTLD). However, the EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) in
situ hybridization was sparsely positive. The patient
was subsequently treated with anti-CD22-CAR T cells in combination
with Zanubrutinib, but the disease progressed quickly and died. Donor
chimerism examination of focal biopsy provides important evidence for
diagnosing PTLD. Furthermore, NGS detection of EBV-DNA in local
lesions is more valuable for diagnosing PTLD than detection of EBV-DNA
in the peripheral blood. Trial registration: The patient was enrolled in a clinical
trial of ChiCTR1800019622 and
ChiCTR1800019298.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Zhu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yunyang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuequan Feng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qi Deng
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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37
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Li YR, Dunn ZS, Zhou Y, Lee D, Yang L. Development of Stem Cell-Derived Immune Cells for Off-the-Shelf Cancer Immunotherapies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123497. [PMID: 34944002 PMCID: PMC8700013 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-based cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematological malignancies. Specifically, autologous chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T (CAR-T) cell therapies have received approvals for treating leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma following unprecedented clinical response rates. A critical barrier to the widespread usage of current CAR-T cell products is their autologous nature, which renders these cellular products patient-selective, costly, and challenging to manufacture. Allogeneic cell products can be scalable and readily administrable but face critical concerns of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a life-threatening adverse event in which therapeutic cells attack host tissues, and allorejection, in which host immune cells eliminate therapeutic cells, thereby limiting their antitumor efficacy. In this review, we discuss recent advances in developing stem cell-engineered allogeneic cell therapies that aim to overcome the limitations of current autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, with a special focus on stem cell-engineered conventional αβ T cells, unconventional T (iNKT, MAIT, and γδ T) cells, and natural killer (NK) cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
| | - Zachary Spencer Dunn
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
| | - Derek Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence:
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38
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Rudek LS, Zimmermann K, Galla M, Meyer J, Kuehle J, Stamopoulou A, Brand D, Sandalcioglu IE, Neyazi B, Moritz T, Rossig C, Altvater B, Falk CS, Abken H, Morgan MA, Schambach A. Generation of an NFκB-Driven Alpharetroviral "All-in-One" Vector Construct as a Potent Tool for CAR NK Cell Therapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:751138. [PMID: 34804035 PMCID: PMC8595471 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.751138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune cell therapeutics are increasingly applied in oncology. Especially chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are successfully used to treat several B cell malignancies. Efforts to engineer CAR T cells for improved activity against solid tumors include co-delivery of pro-inflammatory cytokines in addition to CARs, via either constitutive cytokine expression or inducible cytokine expression triggered by CAR recognition of its target antigen-so-called "T cells redirected for universal cytokine-mediated killing" (TRUCKs) or fourth-generation CARs. Here, we tested the hypothesis that TRUCK principles could be expanded to improve anticancer functions of NK cells. A comparison of the functionality of inducible promoters responsive to NFAT or NFκB in NK cells showed that, in contrast to T cells, the inclusion of NFκB-responsive elements within the inducible promoter construct was essential for CAR-inducible expression of the transgene. We demonstrated that GD2CAR-specific activation induced a tight NFκB-promoter-driven cytokine release in NK-92 and primary NK cells together with an enhanced cytotoxic capacity against GD2+ target cells, also shown by increased secretion of cytolytic cytokines. The data demonstrate biologically relevant differences between T and NK cells that are important when clinically translating the TRUCK concept to NK cells for the treatment of solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loreen Sophie Rudek
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katharina Zimmermann
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Melanie Galla
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Johann Meyer
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Johannes Kuehle
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Andriana Stamopoulou
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Daniel Brand
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - I Erol Sandalcioglu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Belal Neyazi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Moritz
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Claudia Rossig
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Bianca Altvater
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Christine S Falk
- Institute of Transplant Immunology, Integrated Research and Treatment Center Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hinrich Abken
- Regensburg Centre for Interventional Immunology, Department of Genetic Immunotherapy, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Aparicio C, Belver M, Enríquez L, Espeso F, Núñez L, Sánchez A, de la Fuente MÁ, González-Vallinas M. Cell Therapy for Colorectal Cancer: The Promise of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11781. [PMID: 34769211 PMCID: PMC8583883 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global public health problem as it is the third most prevalent and the second most lethal cancer worldwide. Major efforts are underway to understand its molecular pathways as well as to define the tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) and tumour-specific antigens (TSAs) or neoantigens, in order to develop an effective treatment. Cell therapies are currently gaining importance, and more specifically chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, in which genetically modified T cells are redirected against the tumour antigen of interest. This immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising advances in cancer treatment, having successfully demonstrated its efficacy in haematological malignancies. However, in solid tumours, such as colon cancer, it is proving difficult to achieve the same results due to the shortage of TSAs, on-target off-tumour effects, low CAR-T cell infiltration and the immunosuppressive microenvironment. To address these challenges in CRC, new approaches are proposed, including combined therapies, the regional administration of CAR-T cells and more complex CAR structures, among others. This review comprehensively summarises the current landscape of CAR-T cell therapy in CRC from the potential tumour targets to the preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as the limitations and future perspectives of this novel antitumour strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Margarita González-Vallinas
- Unidad de Excelencia Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular (IBGM), University of Valladolid (UVa)-CSIC, 47003 Valladolid, Spain; (C.A.); (M.B.); (L.E.); (F.E.); (L.N.); (A.S.); (M.Á.d.l.F.)
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40
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Klopp A, Schreiber S, Kosinska AD, Pulé M, Protzer U, Wisskirchen K. Depletion of T cells via Inducible Caspase 9 Increases Safety of Adoptive T-Cell Therapy Against Chronic Hepatitis B. Front Immunol 2021; 12:734246. [PMID: 34691041 PMCID: PMC8527178 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.734246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell therapy with T cells that are re-directed to hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected cells by virus-specific receptors is a promising therapeutic approach for treatment of chronic hepatitis B and HBV-associated cancer. Due to the high number of target cells, however, side effects such as cytokine release syndrome or hepatotoxicity may limit safety. A safeguard mechanism, which allows depletion of transferred T cells on demand, would thus be an interesting means to increase confidence in this approach. In this study, T cells were generated by retroviral transduction to express either an HBV-specific chimeric antigen receptor (S-CAR) or T-cell receptor (TCR), and in addition either inducible caspase 9 (iC9) or herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) as a safety switch. Real-time cytotoxicity assays using HBV-replicating hepatoma cells as targets revealed that activation of both safety switches stopped cytotoxicity of S-CAR- or TCR-transduced T cells within less than one hour. In vivo, induction of iC9 led to a strong and rapid reduction of transferred S-CAR T cells adoptively transferred into AAV-HBV-infected immune incompetent mice. One to six hours after injection of the iC9 dimerizer, over 90% reduction of S-CAR T cells in the blood and the spleen and of over 99% in the liver was observed, thereby limiting hepatotoxicity and stopping cytokine secretion. Simultaneously, however, the antiviral effect of S-CAR T cells was diminished because remaining S-CAR T cells were mostly non-functional and could not be restimulated with HBsAg. A second induction of iC9 was only able to deplete T cells in the liver. In conclusion, T cells co-expressing iC9 and HBV-specific receptors efficiently recognize and kill HBV-replicating cells. Induction of T-cell death via iC9 proved to be an efficient means to deplete transferred T cells in vitro and in vivo containing unwanted hepatotoxicity.
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MESH Headings
- Adoptive Transfer/adverse effects
- Animals
- Caspase 9/biosynthesis
- Caspase 9/genetics
- Cell Death
- Cell Line
- Coculture Techniques
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics
- DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Enzyme Induction
- Female
- Hepatitis B Antigens/immunology
- Hepatitis B virus/immunology
- Hepatitis B virus/pathogenicity
- Hepatitis B, Chronic/immunology
- Hepatitis B, Chronic/metabolism
- Hepatitis B, Chronic/therapy
- Hepatitis B, Chronic/virology
- Humans
- Interleukin Receptor Common gamma Subunit/genetics
- Interleukin Receptor Common gamma Subunit/metabolism
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Simplexvirus/enzymology
- Simplexvirus/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/enzymology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/pathology
- T-Lymphocytes/transplantation
- Thymidine Kinase/genetics
- Thymidine Kinase/metabolism
- Transduction, Genetic
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Klopp
- School of Medicine, Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Sophia Schreiber
- School of Medicine, Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna D. Kosinska
- School of Medicine, Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Pulé
- Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- School of Medicine, Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wisskirchen
- School of Medicine, Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Partner Site, Munich, Germany
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Kittel-Boselli E, Soto KEG, Loureiro LR, Hoffmann A, Bergmann R, Arndt C, Koristka S, Mitwasi N, Kegler A, Bartsch T, Berndt N, Altmann H, Fasslrinner F, Bornhäuser M, Bachmann MP, Feldmann A. Targeting Acute Myeloid Leukemia Using the RevCAR Platform: A Programmable, Switchable and Combinatorial Strategy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13194785. [PMID: 34638268 PMCID: PMC8508561 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood malignancy particularly affecting the myeloid lineage and one of the most common types of leukemia in adults. It is characterized by high heterogeneity among patients leading to immune escape and disease relapse, which challenges the development of immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. In this way, the aim of our work was to establish the modular RevCAR platform as a combinatorial tumor targeting approach for the treatment of AML. Herein, we demonstrate the preclinical flexibility and efficiency of RevCAR T-cells in targeting patient-derived AML cells expressing CD33 and CD123. Furthermore, AND gate logic targeting these antigens was successfully established using the RevCAR platform. These accomplishments pave the way towards the future clinical translation of such an improved and personalized immunotherapy for AML patients aiming long-lasting anticarcinogenic responses. Abstract Clinical translation of novel immunotherapeutic strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still at an early stage. Major challenges include immune escape and disease relapse demanding for further improvements in CAR design. To overcome such hurdles, we have invented the switchable, flexible and programmable adaptor Reverse (Rev) CAR platform. This consists of T-cells engineered with RevCARs that are primarily inactive as they express an extracellular short peptide epitope incapable of recognizing surface antigens. RevCAR T-cells can be redirected to tumor antigens and controlled by bispecific antibodies cross-linking RevCAR T- and tumor cells resulting in tumor lysis. Remarkably, the RevCAR platform enables combinatorial tumor targeting following Boolean logic gates. We herein show for the first time the applicability of the RevCAR platform to target myeloid malignancies like AML. Applying in vitro and in vivo models, we have proven that AML cell lines as well as patient-derived AML blasts were efficiently killed by redirected RevCAR T-cells targeting CD33 and CD123 in a flexible manner. Furthermore, by targeting both antigens, a Boolean AND gate logic targeting could be achieved using the RevCAR platform. These accomplishments pave the way towards an improved and personalized immunotherapy for AML patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Kittel-Boselli
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
- Tumor Immunology, University Cancer Center (UCC), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Karla Elizabeth González Soto
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Liliana Rodrigues Loureiro
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Anja Hoffmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Ralf Bergmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
- Department of Biophysics and Radiation Biology, Semmelweis University, 1094 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Claudia Arndt
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany;
| | - Stefanie Koristka
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Nicola Mitwasi
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Alexandra Kegler
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Tabea Bartsch
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Nicole Berndt
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
| | - Heidi Altmann
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (H.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Frederick Fasslrinner
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany;
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (H.A.); (M.B.)
| | - Martin Bornhäuser
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (H.A.); (M.B.)
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Philipp Bachmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
- Tumor Immunology, University Cancer Center (UCC), University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-351-260-3223
| | - Anja Feldmann
- Department of Radioimmunology, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), 01328 Dresden, Germany; (E.K.-B.); (K.E.G.S.); (L.R.L.); (A.H.); (R.B.); (C.A.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (A.K.); (T.B.); (N.B.); (A.F.)
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Jie Y, Liu G, Feng L, Li Y, E M, Wu L, Li Y, Rong G, Li Y, Wei H, Gu A. PTK7-Targeting CAR T-Cells for the Treatment of Lung Cancer and Other Malignancies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:665970. [PMID: 34475869 PMCID: PMC8406764 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.665970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [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: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of impressive success in treating hematologic malignancies, adoptive therapy with chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells (CAR T) has not yet been effective in solid tumors, where identification of suitable tumor-specific antigens remains a major obstacle for CAR T-cell therapy due to the “on target off tumor” toxicity. Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is a member of the Wnt-related pseudokinases and identified as a highly expressed antigen enriched in cancer stem cells (CSCs) from multiple solid tumors, including but not limited to triple-negative breast cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, and ovarian cancer, suggesting it may serve as a promising tumor-specific target for CAR T-cell therapy. In this study, we constructed three different PTK7-specific CAR (PTK7-CAR1/2/3), each comprising a humanized PTK7-specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv), hinge and transmembrane (TM) regions of the human CD8α molecule, 4-1BB intracellular co-stimulatory domain (BB-ICD), and CD3ζ intracellular domain (CD3ζ-ICD) sequence, and then prepared the CAR T cells by lentivirus-mediated transduction of human activated T cells accordingly, and we sequentially evaluated their antigen-specific recognition and killing activity in vitro and in vivo. T cells transduced with all three PTK7-CAR candidates exhibited antigen-specific cytokine production and potent cytotoxicity against naturally expressing PTK7-positive tumor cells of multiple cancer types without mediating cytotoxicity of a panel of normal primary human cells; meanwhile, in vitro recursive cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that only PTK7-CAR2 modified T cells retained effective through multiple rounds of tumor challenge. Using in vivo xenograft models of lung cancers with different expression levels of PTK7, systemic delivery of PTK7-CAR2 modified T cells significantly prevented tumor growth and prolonged overall survival of mice. Altogether, our results support PTK7 as a therapeutic target suitable for CAR T-cell therapy that could be applied for lung cancers and many other solid cancers with PTK7 overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamin Jie
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guijun Liu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Lina Feng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Ying Li
- Institute of Hard Tissue Development and Regeneration, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Mingyan E
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Liangliang Wu
- Key Lab of Cancer Center, General Hospital of Chinese PLA & Beijing Key Laboratory of Cell Engineering & Antibody, Beijing, China
| | - Yinyin Li
- Liver Cancer Unit, Department of Liver Disease, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Guanghua Rong
- Liver Cancer Unit, Department of Liver Disease, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yongwu Li
- Department of Radiology, The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Huafeng Wei
- Key Lab of Cancer Center, General Hospital of Chinese PLA & Beijing Key Laboratory of Cell Engineering & Antibody, Beijing, China
| | - Anxin Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
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Csaplár M, Szöllősi J, Gottschalk S, Vereb G, Szöőr Á. Cytolytic Activity of CAR T Cells and Maintenance of Their CD4+ Subset Is Critical for Optimal Antitumor Activity in Preclinical Solid Tumor Models. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4301. [PMID: 34503109 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13174301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Adoptively transferred T cells expressing recombinant chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells) have been approved for the therapy of hematological malignancies of the B cell lineage. However, CAR T cell therapy for patients with solid tumors so far has shown limited benefits. Correlative clinical studies of patients with hematological malignancies have suggested that less differentiated CAR T cells have improved anti-leukemic activity. We have therefore investigated the role of differentiation on the anti-tumor activity of CAR T cells targeting the solid tumor antigen HER2 in preclinical models. We utilized different activation/expansion protocols, and explored whether different co-stimulatory domains in the CAR construct influence the short- and long-term efficacy of HER2-CAR T cells. We demonstrate that the CAR T cell product with the highest proportion of effector cells and maintaining a good balance of CD4+/CD8+ cells is the most effective against solid tumors both in vitro and in vivo. Abstract Correlative clinical studies of hematological malignancies have implicated that less differentiated, CD8+-dominant CAR T cell products have greater antitumor activity. Here, we have investigated whether the differentiation status of CAR T cell products affects their antitumor activity in preclinical models of solid tumors. We explored if different activation/expansion protocols, as well as different co-stimulatory domains in the CAR construct, influence the short- and long-term efficacy of CAR T cells against HER2-positive tumors. We generated T cell products that range from the most differentiated (CD28.z; OKT3-antiCD28/RPMI expansion) to the least differentiated (41BB.z; OKT3-RetroNectin/LymphoONE expansion), as judged by cell surface expression of the differentiation markers CCR7 and CD45RA. While the effect of differentiation status was variable with regard to antigen-specific cytokine production, the most differentiated CD28.z CAR T cell products, which were enriched in effector memory T cells, had the greatest target-specific cytolytic activity in vitro. These products also had a greater proliferative capacity and maintained CD4+ T cells upon repeated stimulation in vitro. In vivo, differentiated CD28.z CAR T cells also had the greatest antitumor activity, resulting in complete response. Our results highlight that it is critical to optimize CAR T cell production and that optimal product characteristics might depend on the targeted antigen and/or cancer.
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Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), by primary infection or reactivation, represents a great risk for immune-suppressed or compromised patients. In immunocompetent humans, the immune system suppresses the spread of HCMV during an infection, resulting in a mostly asymptomatic or mild course of the disease, whereas in immune suppressed patients, the compromised host immune response cannot control the viral infection. Multiple viral immunomodulatory mechanisms additionally contribute to immune evasion. Use of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), a treatment strategy adapted from cancer immunotherapy, is investigated for possible application to combat HCMV and other infections in immunocompromised patients. The administration of CAR+ T-cells directed against HCMV antigens can bypass viral immune evasion and may complement existing treatment methods. This review gives a short overview of HCMV, the obstacles of current treatment options as well as a brief introduction to CARs and the current research situation on CAR+ T-cells against HCMV.
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Anikeeva N, Panteleev S, Mazzanti NW, Terai M, Sato T, Sykulev Y. Efficient killing of tumor cells by CAR-T cells demands engagement of a larger number of CARs as opposed to TCRs. J Biol Chem 2021;:101033. [PMID: 34371020 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Although CAR T cells are widely used to treat cancer, efficiency of CAR-T cell cytolytic responses has not been carefully examined. We engineered CAR specific for HMW-MAA (high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen) and evaluated potency of CD8+ CAR-T cells to release cytolytic granules and to kill tissue-derived melanoma cells, which express different levels of HMW-MAA. CAR T cells efficiently killed melanoma cells expressing high level of HMW-MAA, but not melanoma cells with lower levels of HMW-MAA. The same melanoma cells presenting significantly lower level of stimulatory peptide-MHC ligand were readily lysed by T cells transduced with genes encoding α,β-TCR specific for the peptide-MHC ligand. The data suggest that higher level of targeted molecules is required to engage a larger number of CARs than TCRs to induce efficient cytolytic granule release and destruction of melanoma cells. Understanding the difference in molecular mechanisms controlling activation thresholds of CAR- versus TCR-mediated responses will contribute to improving efficiency of CAR T cells required to eliminate solid tumors presenting low levels of targeted molecules.
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Mirow M, Schwarze LI, Fehse B, Riecken K. Efficient Pseudotyping of Different Retroviral Vectors Using a Novel, Codon-Optimized Gene for Chimeric GALV Envelope. Viruses 2021; 13:1471. [PMID: 34452336 DOI: 10.3390/v13081471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gibbon Ape Leukemia Virus envelope protein (GALV-Env) mediates efficient transduction of human cells, particularly primary B and T lymphocytes, and is therefore of great interest in gene therapy. Using internal domains from murine leukemia viruses (MLV), chimeric GALV-Env proteins such as GALV-C4070A were derived, which allow pseudotyping of lentiviral vectors. In order to improve expression efficiency and vector titers, we developed a codon-optimized (co) variant of GALV-C4070A (coGALV-Env). We found that coGALV-Env mediated efficient pseudotyping not only of γ-retroviral and lentiviral vectors, but also α-retroviral vectors. The obtained titers on HEK293T cells were equal to those with the classical GALV-Env, whereas the required plasmid amounts for transient vector production were significantly lower, namely, 20 ng coGALV-Env plasmid per 106 293T producer cells. Importantly, coGALV-Env-pseudotyped γ- and α-retroviral, as well as lentiviral vectors, mediated efficient transduction of primary human T cells. We propose that the novel chimeric coGALV-Env gene will be very useful for the efficient production of high-titer vector preparations, e.g., to equip human T cells with novel specificities using transgenic TCRs or CARs. The considerably lower amount of plasmid needed might also result in a significant cost advantage for good manufacturing practice (GMP) vector production based on transient transfection.
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Xing H, Yang X, Xu Y, Tang K, Tian Z, Chen Z, Zhang Y, Xue Z, Rao Q, Wang M, Wang J. Anti-tumor effects of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor binding domain-modified chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Cytotherapy 2021; 23:810-819. [PMID: 34244079 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) signaling pathway plays an important role in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, which are closely related to tumor cell growth, survival, tissue infiltration and metastasis. Blocking/interfering with the interaction between VEGF and VEGFR to inhibit angiogenesis/lymphangiogenesis has become an important means of tumor therapy. METHODS Here the authors designed a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) lentiviral vector expressing the VEGF-C domain targeting both VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 (VEGFR-2/3 CAR) and then transduced CD3-positive T cells with VEGFR-2/3 CAR lentivirus. RESULTS After co-culturing with target cells, VEGFR-2/3 CAR T cells showed potent cytotoxicity against both VEGFR-2- and VEGFR-3-positive breast cancer cells, with increased simultaneous secretion of interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-2 cytokines. Moreover, CAR T cells were able to destroy the tubular structures formed by human umbilical vein endothelial cells and significantly inhibit the growth, infiltration and metastasis of orthotopic mammary xenograft tumors in a female BALB/c nude mice model. CONCLUSIONS The authors' results indicate that VEGFR-2/3 CAR T cells targeting both VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 have significant anti-tumor activity, which expands the application of conventional CAR T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Xue Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingxi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Kejing Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Zheng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhaoqi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenya Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Qing Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianxiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
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Wrona E, Borowiec M, Potemski P. CAR-NK Cells in the Treatment of Solid Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:5899. [PMID: 34072732 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T) cells have emerged as a milestone in the treatment of patients with refractory B-cell neoplasms. However, despite having unprecedented efficacy against hematological malignancies, the treatment is far from flawless. Its greatest drawbacks arise from a challenging and expensive production process, strict patient eligibility criteria and serious toxicity profile. One possible solution, supported by robust research, is the replacement of T lymphocytes with NK cells for CAR expression. NK cells seem to be an attractive vehicle for CAR expression as they can be derived from multiple sources and safely infused regardless of donor-patient matching, which greatly reduces the cost of the treatment. CAR-NK cells are known to be effective against hematological malignancies, and a growing number of preclinical findings indicate that they have activity against non-hematological neoplasms. Here, we present a thorough overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the use of CAR-NK cells in treating various solid tumors.
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Laurent E, Sieber A, Salzer B, Wachernig A, Seigner J, Lehner M, Geyeregger R, Kratzer B, Jäger U, Kunert R, Pickl WF, Traxlmayr MW. Directed Evolution of Stabilized Monomeric CD19 for Monovalent CAR Interaction Studies and Monitoring of CAR-T Cell Patients. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:1184-1198. [PMID: 33843201 PMCID: PMC8155657 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
CD19 is among the most relevant targets in cancer immunotherapy. However, its extracellular domain (ECD) is prone to aggregation and misfolding, representing a major obstacle for the development and analysis of CD19-targeted therapeutics. Here, we engineered stabilized CD19-ECD (termed SuperFolder) variants, which also showed improved expression rates and, in contrast to the wild type protein, they could be efficiently purified in their monomeric forms. Despite being considerably more stable, these engineered mutants largely preserved the wild type sequence (>98.8%). We demonstrate that the variant SF05 enabled the determination of the monovalent affinity between CD19 and a clinically approved FMC63-based CAR, as well as monitoring and phenotypic characterization of CD19-directed CAR-T cells in the blood of lymphoma patients. We anticipate that the SuperFolder mutants generated in this study will be highly valuable tools for a range of applications in basic immunology and CD19-targeted cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Laurent
- Department of Biotechnology and BOKU Core Facility Biomolecular and Cellular Analysis, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Sieber
- Department of Biotechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Salzer
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Zimmermannplatz 10, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Wachernig
- Department of Biotechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jacqueline Seigner
- Department of Chemistry, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manfred Lehner
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Zimmermannplatz 10, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - René Geyeregger
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Zimmermannplatz 10, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Kratzer
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Lazarettgasse 19, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Jäger
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Hemostaseology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Renate Kunert
- Department of Biotechnology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Winfried F. Pickl
- Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Lazarettgasse 19, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael W. Traxlmayr
- Department of Chemistry, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 18, 1190 Vienna, Austria
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Nakayama M, Hori A, Toyoura S, Yamaguchi SI. Shaping of T Cell Functions by Trogocytosis. Cells 2021; 10:cells10051155. [PMID: 34068819 PMCID: PMC8151334 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [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: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trogocytosis is an active process whereby plasma membrane proteins are transferred from one cell to the other cell in a cell-cell contact-dependent manner. Since the discovery of the intercellular transfer of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules in the 1970s, trogocytosis of MHC molecules between various immune cells has been frequently observed. For instance, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) acquire MHC class I (MHCI) from allografts, tumors, and virally infected cells, and these APCs are subsequently able to prime CD8+ T cells without antigen processing via the preformed antigen-MHCI complexes, in a process called cross-dressing. T cells also acquire MHC molecules from APCs or other target cells via the immunological synapse formed at the cell-cell contact area, and this phenomenon impacts T cell activation. Compared with naïve and effector T cells, T regulatory cells have increased trogocytosis activity in order to remove MHC class II and costimulatory molecules from APCs, resulting in the induction of tolerance. Accumulating evidence suggests that trogocytosis shapes T cell functions in cancer, transplantation, and during microbial infections. In this review, we focus on T cell trogocytosis and the related inflammatory diseases.
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