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Urak R, Pahlavanneshan S, Gittins B, Nakamura R, Zaia JA, Baird JH, Clark MC, Forman SJ, Wang X. Simultaneous targeting of B-cell malignancies and human immunodeficiency virus with bispecific chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Haematologica 2024. [PMID: 38779743 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2024.285321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Urak
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - Saghar Pahlavanneshan
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - Brenna Gittins
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - Ryotaro Nakamura
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - John A Zaia
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - John H Baird
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - Mary C Clark
- Department of Clinical and Translational Project Development, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Cellular Immunotherapy Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010.
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Goldberg L, Haas ER, Urak R, Vyas V, Pathak KV, Garcia-Mansfield K, Pirrotte P, Singhal J, Figarola JL, Aldoss I, Forman SJ, Wang X. Immunometabolic Adaptation of CD19-Targeted CAR T Cells in the Central Nervous System Microenvironment of Patients Promotes Memory Development. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1048-1064. [PMID: 38315779 PMCID: PMC10984768 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of T-cell activation, and metabolic fitness is fundamental for T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Insights into the metabolic plasticity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in patients could help identify approaches to improve their efficacy in treating cancer. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal immunometabolic adaptation of CD19-targeted CAR T cells using clinical samples from CAR T-cell-treated patients. Context-dependent immunometabolic adaptation of CAR T cells demonstrated the link between their metabolism, activation, differentiation, function, and local microenvironment. Specifically, compared with the peripheral blood, low lipid availability, high IL15, and low TGFβ in the central nervous system microenvironment promoted immunometabolic adaptation of CAR T cells, including upregulation of a lipolytic signature and memory properties. Pharmacologic inhibition of lipolysis in cerebrospinal fluid led to decreased CAR T-cell survival. Furthermore, manufacturing CAR T cells in cerebrospinal fluid enhanced their metabolic fitness and antileukemic activity. Overall, this study elucidates spatiotemporal immunometabolic rewiring of CAR T cells in patients and demonstrates that these adaptations can be exploited to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T cells. SIGNIFICANCE The spatiotemporal immunometabolic landscape of CD19-targeted CAR T cells from patients reveals metabolic adaptations in specific microenvironments that can be exploited to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Goldberg
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Eric R. Haas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Ionic Cytometry Solutions, Cambridge, MA 02141, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Vibhuti Vyas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Khyatiben V. Pathak
- Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Cancer & Cell Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Krystine Garcia-Mansfield
- Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Cancer & Cell Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Patrick Pirrotte
- Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Cancer & Cell Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA
| | - Jyotsana Singhal
- Division of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - James L. Figarola
- Division of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ibrahim Aldoss
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen J. Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratories, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Munoz AM, Urak R, Taus E, Hsieh HJ, Awuah D, Vyas V, Lim L, Jin K, Lin SH, Priceman SJ, Clark MC, Goldberg L, Forman SJ, Wang X. Dexamethasone potentiates chimeric antigen receptor T cell persistence and function by enhancing IL-7Rα expression. Mol Ther 2024; 32:527-539. [PMID: 38140726 PMCID: PMC10861975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.12.017] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Dexamethasone (dex) is a glucocorticoid that is a mainstay for the treatment of inflammatory pathologies, including immunotherapy-associated toxicities, yet the specific impact of dex on the activity of CAR T cells is not fully understood. We assessed whether dex treatment given ex vivo or as an adjuvant in vivo with CAR T cells impacted the phenotype or function of CAR T cells. We demonstrated that CAR T cell expansion and function were not inhibited by dex. We confirmed this observation using multiple CAR constructs and tumor models, suggesting that this is a general phenomenon. Moreover, we determined that dex upregulated interleukin-7 receptor α on CAR T cells and increased the expression of genes involved in activation, migration, and persistence when supplemented ex vivo. Direct delivery of dex and IL-7 into tumor-bearing mice resulted in increased persistence of adoptively transferred CAR T cells and complete tumor regression. Overall, our studies provide insight into the use of dex to enhance CAR T cell therapy and represent potential novel strategies for augmenting CAR T cell function during production as well as following infusion into patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlie M Munoz
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ellie Taus
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Hui-Ju Hsieh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Dennis Awuah
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Vibhuti Vyas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Laura Lim
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Katherine Jin
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Shu-Hong Lin
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Saul J Priceman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Mary C Clark
- Department of Clinical Translational Project Development, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Lior Goldberg
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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Awuah D, Li L, Williams L, Urak R, Kujawski M, Forman SJ, Shively JE, Wang X. Ex-vivo CS1-OKT3 dual specific bivalent antibody-armed effector T cells mediate cellular immunity against multiple myeloma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20853. [PMID: 38012196 PMCID: PMC10682018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47115-7] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bispecific T cell engaging antibodies (bsAbs) have emerged as novel and powerful therapeutic agents for redirecting T cells towards antigen-specific tumor killing. The cell surface glycoprotein and SLAM family member, CS1, exhibits stable and high-level expression on malignant plasma cells including multiple myeloma, which is indicative of an ideal target for bsAb therapy. Here, we developed a CS1 bsAb (CS1-dbBiTE) using Click chemistry to conjugate intact anti-CS1 antibody (Elotuzumab) and anti-huOKT3 antibody at their respective hinge regions. Using a cellular therapy approach, human T cells were armed ex-vivo with CS1-dbBiTE prior to examining effector activity. Our data indicates that arming T cells with CS1-dbBiTE induced T cell activation and expansion and subsequent cytotoxic activity against CS1-bearing MM tumors, demonstrated by significant CD107a expression as well as inflammatory cytokine secretion. As expected, CS1-dbBiTE armed T cells showed significantly reduced effector activity in the absence of CS1 expression. Similarly, in MM mouse xenograft studies, armed T cells exhibited effective anti-tumor efficacy highlighted by reduced tumor burden in MM.1S tumor-bearing mice compared to controls. On the basis of these findings, the rationale for CS1 targeting by human T cells armed with CS1-dbBiTE presents a potentially effective therapeutic approach for targeting MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Awuah
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Lindsay Williams
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Maciej Kujawski
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - John E Shively
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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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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Guan M, Lim L, Holguin L, Han T, Vyas V, Urak R, Miller A, Browning DL, Echavarria L, Li S, Li S, Chang WC, Scott T, Yazaki P, Morris KV, Cardoso AA, Blanchard MS, Le Verche V, Forman SJ, Zaia JA, Burnett JC, Wang X. Pre-clinical data supporting immunotherapy for HIV using CMV-HIV-specific CAR T cells with CMV vaccine. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:344-359. [PMID: 35573050 PMCID: PMC9062763 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
T cells engineered to express HIV-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) represent a promising strategy to clear HIV-infected cells, but to date have not achieved clinical benefits. A likely hurdle is the limited T cell activation and persistence when HIV antigenemia is low, particularly during antiretroviral therapy (ART). To overcome this issue, we propose to use a cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine to stimulate CMV-specific T cells that express CARs directed against the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120. In this study, we use a GMP-compliant platform to engineer CMV-specific T cells to express a second-generation CAR derived from the N6 broadly neutralizing antibody, one of the broadest anti-gp120 neutralizing antibodies. These CMV-HIV CAR T cells exhibit dual effector functions upon in vitro stimulation through their endogenous CMV-specific T cell receptors or the introduced CARs. Using a humanized HIV mouse model, we show that CMV vaccination during ART accelerates CMV-HIV CAR T cell expansion in the peripheral blood and that higher numbers of CMV-HIV CAR T cells were associated with a better control of HIV viral load and fewer HIV antigen p24+ cells in the bone marrow upon ART interruption. Collectively, these data support the clinical development of CMV-HIV CAR T cells in combination with a CMV vaccine in HIV-infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Guan
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Laura Lim
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Leo Holguin
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Tianxu Han
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Vibhuti Vyas
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Miller
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Diana L. Browning
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Liliana Echavarria
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Shasha Li
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Shirley Li
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Tristan Scott
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Paul Yazaki
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Kevin V. Morris
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Angelo A. Cardoso
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - M. Suzette Blanchard
- Division of Biostatistics, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Virginia Le Verche
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Stephen J. Forman
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - John A. Zaia
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - John C. Burnett
- Center for Gene Therapy, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Corresponding author Xiuli Wang, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010-3000, USA.
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Goldberg L, Haas ER, Vyas V, Urak R, Forman SJ, Wang X. Single-cell analysis by mass cytometry reveals CD19 CAR T cell spatiotemporal plasticity in patients. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2040772. [PMID: 35223193 PMCID: PMC8865283 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2040772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive T cell immune response requires cellular plasticity to generate distinct subsets with diverse functional and migratory capacities. Studies of CAR T cells have primarily focused on a limited number of phenotypic markers in blood, representing an incomplete view of CAR T cell complexity. Here, we adapted mass cytometry to simultaneously analyze trafficking and functional proteins expression in CD19 CAR T cells across patients’ tissues, including leukapheresis T cells, CAR product, CAR T cells in peripheral blood, bone marrow, and cerebrospinal fluid post infusion and correlate them with phenotypes. This approach revealed spatiotemporal plasticity of CAR T cells. Patients’ CAR product revealed upregulation in many trafficking and activation molecules compared to leukapheresis T cells as baseline. Including statistically significant upregulation in CD4 and CD8 integrin-β7, CD4 granzyme B, and CD11a as well as CD8 CD25 and CD95. Moreover, patients’ tissues showed spatiotemporal alteration in trafficking, activation, maturation, and exhaustion features, with a distinct signature in the central nervous system niche. Compared to peripheral blood samples, cerebrospinal fluid samples were statistically significant enriched in CD4 and CD8 trafficking and memory phenotype proteins integrin β7, CCR7, CXCR4, and CD8 CD69. Our data provide a potential framework to remodel CAR T cells and enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Goldberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | | | - Vibhuti Vyas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Stephen J. Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
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Wang X, Urak R, Walter M, Guan M, Han T, Vyas V, Chien SH, Gittins B, Clark MC, Mokhtari S, Cardoso A, Diamond DJ, Zaia J, Forman SJ, Nakamura R. Large-scale manufacturing and characterization of CMV-CD19CAR T cells. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003461. [PMID: 35027426 PMCID: PMC8762141 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003461] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adoptive transfer of CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CD19CAR) T cells can induce dramatic disease regression in patients with B cell malignancies. CD19CAR T cell therapy may be limited by insufficient engraftment and persistence, resulting in tumor relapse. We previously demonstrated a proof of principle that cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cells can be isolated and enriched prior to CD19CAR transduction to produce CMV-CD19CAR T cells, and that these CMV-CD19CAR T cells can be expanded in vivo through CMV vaccination, resulting in better tumor control in a murine model. Here we developed a clinical platform for generating CMV-CD19CAR T cells. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from CMV-seropositive healthy donors were stimulated with a good manufacturing practices-grade PepTivator overlapping CMVpp65 peptide pool and enriched for CMV-responsive interferon γ (IFNγ)+T cells using IFNγ Catchmatrix, within the CliniMACS Prodigy Cytokine Capture System (Miltenyi Biotec). Resulting CMV-specific T cells were transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding a second generation CD19R:CD28:ζ/EGFRt CAR and expanded with interleukin 2 (IL-2) and IL-15 for 15 days before characterization. RESULTS CMV-specific T cells were enriched from 0.8%±0.5 of input PBMC to 76.3%±11.6 in nine full-scale qualification runs (absolute yield of 4.2±3.3×106 IFNγ+T cells from an input of 1×109 PBMCs). Average CD19CAR transduction efficiency of CMV-specific T cells was 27.0%±14.2 in the final products, which underwent rapid expansion, resulting in a total cell dose of 6.2±0.9 × 106 CD19CAR-tranduced T cells with CMV specificity (ie, functionally bispecific). CMV-CD19CAR T cells were polyclonal, expressed memory markers but had low expression of exhaustion markers, responded to both CD19 and CMVpp65 stimulation with rapid proliferation and exhibited antigen-specific effector functions against both CD19-expressing tumors and CMVpp65 antigen. The final products passed release criteria for clinical use. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated the feasibility of our large-scale platform for generating CMV-CD19CAR T cells for clinical application. We plan to initiate a clinical trial at City of Hope using CMV-CD19CAR T cells for patients with intermediate/high-grade B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma immediately after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation followed by vaccination with a novel CMV vaccine based on Modified Vaccinia Ankara (Triplex) 28 days and 56 days post-T cell infusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Miriam Walter
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Min Guan
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Tianxu Han
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Vibhuti Vyas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Sheng-Hsuan Chien
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Brenna Gittins
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Mary C Clark
- Department of Clinical Translational Project Development, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Sally Mokhtari
- Department of Clinical Translational Project Development, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Angelo Cardoso
- Center for Gene Therapy, Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Don J Diamond
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - John Zaia
- Center for Gene Therapy, Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Ryotaro Nakamura
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
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9
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Wang X, Huynh C, Urak R, Weng L, Walter M, Lim L, Vyas V, Chang WC, Aguilar B, Brito A, Sarkissian A, Bandara NA, Yang L, Wang J, Wu X, Zhang J, Priceman SJ, Qin H, Kwak LW, Budde LE, Thomas SH, Clark MC, Popplewell L, Siddiqi T, Brown CE, Forman SJ. The Cerebroventricular Environment Modifies CAR T Cells for Potent Activity against Both Central Nervous System and Systemic Lymphoma. Cancer Immunol Res 2020; 9:75-88. [PMID: 33093217 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lymphomas with central nervous system (CNS) involvement confer a worse prognosis than those without CNS involvement, and patients currently have limited treatment options. T cells genetically engineered with CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) are effective against B-cell malignancies and show tremendous potential in the treatment of systemic lymphoma. We aimed to leverage this strategy toward a more effective therapy for patients with lymphoma with CNS disease. NOD-scid IL2Rgammanull (NSG) mice with CNS and/or systemic lymphoma were treated with CD19-CAR T cells via intracerebroventricular (ICV) or intravenous (IV) injection. CAR T cells isolated after treatment were rigorously examined for phenotype, gene expression, and function. We observed that CAR T cells infused ICV, but not IV, completely and durably eradicated both CNS and systemic lymphoma. CAR T cells delivered ICV migrated efficiently to the periphery, homed to systemic tumors, and expanded in vivo, leading to complete elimination of disease and resistance to tumor rechallenge. Mechanistic studies indicated that ICV-delivered CAR T cells are conditioned by exposure to cerebrospinal fluid in the ICV environment for superior antilymphoma activity and memory function compared with IV-delivered CAR T cells. Further analysis suggested that manipulating cellular metabolism or preactivating therapeutic CAR T cells with antigen ex vivo may improve the efficacy of CAR T cells in vivo Our demonstration that ICV-delivered CD19-CAR T cells had activity against CNS and systemic lymphoma could offer a valuable new strategy for treatment of B-cell malignancies with CNS involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California.
| | - Christian Huynh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Lihong Weng
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Miriam Walter
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Laura Lim
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Vibhuti Vyas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Alfonso Brito
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Aniee Sarkissian
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - N Achini Bandara
- Clinical and Translational Project Development Core, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Jinhui Wang
- Integrative Genomics Core, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Xiwei Wu
- Integrative Genomics Core, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Jianying Zhang
- The Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Saul J Priceman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Hong Qin
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Larry W Kwak
- Toni Stephenson Lymphoma Center, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Lihua E Budde
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Sandra H Thomas
- Clinical and Translational Project Development Core, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Mary C Clark
- Clinical and Translational Project Development Core, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Leslie Popplewell
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Tanya Siddiqi
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
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10
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Abstract
CRISPR/Cas is a transformative gene editing tool, that offers a simple and effective way to target a catalytic Cas9, the most widely used is derived from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9), with a complementary small guide RNA (sgRNA) to inactivate endogenous genes resulting from insertions and deletions (indels). CRISPR/Cas9 has been rapidly applied to basic research as well as expanded for potential clinical applications. Utilization of spCas9 as an ribonuclearprotein complex (RNP) is considered the most safe and effective method to apply Cas9 technology, and the efficacy of this system is critically dependent on the ability of Cas9 to generate high levels of indels. We find here that novel sequence changes to the tracrRNA significantly improves Cas9 activity when delivered as an RNP. We demonstrate that a dual-guide RNA (dgRNA) with a modified tracrRNA can improve reporter knockdown and indel formation at several targets within the long terminal repeat (LTR) of HIV. Furthermore, the sequence-modified tracrRNAs improved Cas9-mediated reduction of CCR5 surface receptor expression in cell lines, which correlated with higher levels of indel formation. It was demonstrated that a Cas9 RNP with a sequence modified tracrRNA enhanced indel formation at the CCR5 target site in primary CD4+ T-cells. Finally, we show improved activity at two additional targets within the HBB locus and the BCL11A GATA site. Overall, the data presented here suggests that novel facile tracrRNA sequence changes could potentially be integrated with current dgRNA technology, and open up the possibility for the development of sequence modified tracrRNAs to improve Cas9 RNP activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Scott
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope - Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope - Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Citradewi Soemardy
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope - Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Kevin V Morris
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope - Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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11
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Villamizar O, Waters SA, Scott T, Saayman S, Grepo N, Urak R, Davis A, Jaffe A, Morris KV. Targeted Activation of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator. Mol Ther 2019; 27:1737-1748. [PMID: 31383454 PMCID: PMC6822231 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [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: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The majority of CFTR mutations result in impaired chloride channel function as only a fraction of the mutated CFTR reaches the plasma membrane. The development of a therapeutic approach that facilitates increased cell-surface expression of CFTR could prove clinically relevant. Here, we evaluate and contrast two molecular approaches to activate CFTR expression. We find that an RNA-guided nuclease null Cas9 (dCas9) fused with a tripartite activator, VP64-p65-Rta can activate endogenous CFTR in cultured human nasal epithelial cells from CF patients. We also find that targeting BGas, a long non-coding RNA involved in transcriptionally modulating CFTR expression with a gapmer, induced both strong knockdown of BGas and concordant activation of CFTR. Notably, the gapmer can be delivered to target cells when generated as electrostatic particles with recombinant HIV-Tat cell penetrating peptide (CPP), when packaged into exosomes, or when loaded into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Treatment of patient-derived human nasal epithelial cells containing F508del with gapmer-CPP, gapmer-exosomes, or LNPs resulted in increased expression and function of CFTR. Collectively, these observations suggest that CRISPR/dCas-VPR (CRISPR) and BGas-gapmer approaches can target and specifically activate CFTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Villamizar
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Shafagh A Waters
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia; Molecular and Integrative Cystic Fibrosis Research Centre (miCF_RC), School of Women's & Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tristan Scott
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Sheena Saayman
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicole Grepo
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Alicia Davis
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Adam Jaffe
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Women's & Children's Health, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia; Molecular and Integrative Cystic Fibrosis Research Centre (miCF_RC), School of Women's & Children's Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kevin V Morris
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope-Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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12
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Li YJ, Du L, Aldana-Masangkay G, Wang X, Urak R, Forman SJ, Rosen ST, Chen Y. Regulation of miR-34b/c-targeted gene expression program by SUMOylation. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:7108-7123. [PMID: 29893976 PMCID: PMC6101486 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The miR-34 family of microRNAs suppresses the expression of proteins involved in pluripotency and oncogenesis. miR-34 expression is frequently reduced in cancers; however, the regulation of their expression is not well understood. We used genome-wide miRNA profiling and mechanistic analysis to show that SUMOylation regulates miR-34b/c expression, which impacts the expression of c-Myc and other tested miR-34 targets. We used site-directed mutagenesis and other methods to show that protein kinase B (also known as Akt) phosphorylation of FOXO3a plays an important role in SUMOylation-dependent expression of miR-34b/c. This study reveals how the miR-34-targeted gene expression program is regulated by SUMOylation and shows that SUMOylation need not regulate target proteins through direct modification, but instead can act through the expression of their targeting miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jia Li
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Li Du
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Grace Aldana-Masangkay
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Steven T Rosen
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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13
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Alizadeh D, Wong RA, Yang X, Wang D, Pecoraro JR, Kuo CF, Aguilar B, Qi Y, Ann DK, Starr R, Urak R, Wang X, Forman SJ, Brown CE. IL15 Enhances CAR-T Cell Antitumor Activity by Reducing mTORC1 Activity and Preserving Their Stem Cell Memory Phenotype. Cancer Immunol Res 2019; 7:759-772. [PMID: 30890531 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-18-0466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Improvements in the quality and fitness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells, through CAR design or manufacturing optimizations, could enhance the therapeutic potential of CAR-T cells. One parameter influencing the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy is the differentiation status of the final product: CAR-T cells that are less-differentiated and less exhausted are more therapeutically effective. In the current study, we demonstrate that CAR-T cells expanded in IL15 (CAR-T/IL15) preserve a less-differentiated stem cell memory (Tscm) phenotype, defined by expression of CD62L+CD45RA+ CCR7+, as compared with cells cultured in IL2 (CAR-T/IL2). CAR-T/IL15 cells exhibited reduced expression of exhaustion markers, higher antiapoptotic properties, and increased proliferative capacity upon antigen challenge. Furthermore, CAR-T/IL15 cells exhibited decreased mTORC1 activity, reduced expression of glycolytic enzymes and improved mitochondrial fitness. CAR-T/IL2 cells cultured in rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor) shared phenotypic features with CAR-T/IL15 cells, suggesting that IL15-mediated reduction of mTORC1 activity is responsible for preserving the Tscm phenotype. CAR-T/IL15 cells promoted superior antitumor responses in vivo in comparison with CAR-T/IL2 cells. Inclusion of cytokines IL7 and/or IL21 in addition to IL15 reduced the beneficial effects of IL15 on CAR-T phenotype and antitumor potency. Our findings show that IL15 preserves the CAR-T cell Tscm phenotype and improves their metabolic fitness, which results in superior in vivo antitumor activity, thus opening an avenue that may improve future adoptive T-cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Alizadeh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Robyn A Wong
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California.,Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, California
| | - Joseph R Pecoraro
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Cheng-Fu Kuo
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California.,Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, California
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Yue Qi
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - David K Ann
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, California.,Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute and Medical Center, Duarte, California
| | - Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Ryan Urak
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Duarte, California
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, California.
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14
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Wang X, Walter M, Urak R, Weng L, Huynh C, Lim L, Wong CW, Chang WC, Thomas SH, Sanchez JF, Yang L, Brown CE, Pichiorri F, Htut M, Krishnan AY, Forman SJ. Lenalidomide Enhances the Function of CS1 Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Redirected T Cells Against Multiple Myeloma. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:106-119. [PMID: 29061640 PMCID: PMC5991104 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [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: 02/03/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: Multiple myeloma remains an incurable malignancy of plasma cells despite considerable advances in treatment. The purpose of the study was to develop novel chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) for the treatment of multiple myeloma and explore combinatorial therapy using CAR T cells and immunomodulatory drugs such as lenalidomide for increasing treatment efficacy.Experimental Design: We redirected central memory T cells to express second-generation CAR-specific for CS1 and adoptively transferred them into multiple myeloma tumor-bearing mice to test their anti-multiple myeloma activity. CS1 CAR T cells were transduced and expanded in the presence of lenalidomide in vitro The phenotype and effector function of CS1 CAR T cells treated with and without lenalidomide were compared. Finally, CS1 CAR T cells and lenalidomide were administered to treat multiple myeloma-bearing mice as combinatorial therapy.Results: CS1 CAR T cells exhibited efficient antitumor activity when adoptively transferred into mice. Mechanistic studies indicated that the addition of lenalidomide during CS1 CAR T-cell expansion in vitro enhanced the immune functions of CS1 CAR T cells, including cytotoxicity, memory maintenance, Th1 cytokine production, and immune synapse formation. Furthermore, lenalidomide enhanced the antitumor activity and persistence of adoptively transferred CS1 CAR T cells in vivoConclusions: The study demonstrates that lenalidomide improves the anti-multiple myeloma properties of CS1-directed CAR T cells and provides a basis for a planned clinical trial using the combination of lenalidomide with engineered T cells against CS1 in relapsed myeloma. Clin Cancer Res; 24(1); 106-19. ©2017 AACR.
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MESH Headings
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Animals
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/drug effects
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Humans
- Immunologic Factors/pharmacology
- Immunological Synapses/immunology
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Lenalidomide/pharmacology
- Mice
- Multiple Myeloma/immunology
- Multiple Myeloma/metabolism
- Multiple Myeloma/pathology
- Multiple Myeloma/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Family/genetics
- Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Family/immunology
- T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes/drug effects
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California.
| | - Miriam Walter
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Lihong Weng
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Christian Huynh
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Laura Lim
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - ChingLam W Wong
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Sandra H Thomas
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - James F Sanchez
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
- Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Flavia Pichiorri
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
- Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Myo Htut
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
- Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Amrita Y Krishnan
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
- Judy and Bernard Briskin Center for Multiple Myeloma, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
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15
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Priceman SJ, Gerdts EA, Tilakawardane D, Kennewick KT, Murad JP, Park AK, Jeang B, Yamaguchi Y, Yang X, Urak R, Weng L, Chang WC, Wright S, Pal S, Reiter RE, Wu AM, Brown CE, Forman SJ. Co-stimulatory signaling determines tumor antigen sensitivity and persistence of CAR T cells targeting PSCA+ metastatic prostate cancer. Oncoimmunology 2017; 7:e1380764. [PMID: 29308300 PMCID: PMC5749625 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1380764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Advancing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered adoptive T cells for the treatment of solid cancers is a major focus in the field of immunotherapy, given impressive recent clinical responses in hematological malignancies. Prostate cancer may be amenable to T cell-based immunotherapy since several tumor antigens, including prostate stem-cell antigen (PSCA), are widely over-expressed in metastatic disease. While antigen selectivity of CARs for solid cancers is crucial, it is problematic due to the absence of truly restricted tumor antigen expression and potential safety concerns with “on-target off-tumor” activity. Here, we show that the intracellular co-stimulatory signaling domain can determine a CAR's sensitivity for tumor antigen expression. A 4-1BB intracellular co-stimulatory signaling domain in PSCA-CARs confers improved selectivity for higher tumor antigen density, reduced T cell exhaustion phenotype, and equivalent tumor killing ability compared to PSCA-CARs containing the CD28 co-stimulatory signaling domain. PSCA-CARs exhibit robust in vivo anti-tumor activity in patient-derived bone-metastatic prostate cancer xenograft models, and 4-1BB-containing CARs show superior T cell persistence and control of disease compared with CD28-containing CARs. Our study demonstrates the importance of co-stimulation in defining an optimal CAR T cell, and also highlights the significance of clinically relevant models in developing solid cancer CAR T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saul J Priceman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.,T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ethan A Gerdts
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Dileshni Tilakawardane
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Kelly T Kennewick
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - John P Murad
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Anthony K Park
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Brook Jeang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Yukiko Yamaguchi
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Lihong Weng
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Wright
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Sumanta Pal
- Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Robert E Reiter
- Department of Urology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna M Wu
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.,T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA.,T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
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16
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Rosenzweig M, Urak R, Walter M, Lim L, Sanchez JF, Krishnan A, Forman S, Wang X. Preclinical data support leveraging CS1 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for systemic light chain amyloidosis. Cytotherapy 2017; 19:861-866. [PMID: 28483281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2017.03.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is a protein deposition disorder that is a result of a plasma cell dyscrasia, similar to multiple myeloma (MM). Immunotherapy is an attractive approach because of the low burden of disease, but the optimal target for AL is unclear. CS1 and B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) are two potential targets because they are expressed on normal plasma cells and MM cells. METHODS We performed a prospective study evaluating bone marrow specimens of 20 patients with plasma cell diseases, 10 with AL and 10 with MM. We evaluated the clonal population of plasma cells for BCMA and CS1 expression. We designed a second-generation CS1 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct, comprising a CS1 antigen-specific scFv, shortened hinge region and CD28 costimulatory domain. Purified central memory T cells were activated and transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding the CS1 CAR. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using 51Cr release assays. Five days after tumor inoculation, NSG mice were injected intravenously with CS1 CAR T cells. RESULTS Whereas CS1 is present on the plasma cells of AL patients, we found BCMA expression in AL to be markedly low. CS1 CAR T cells were cytotoxic against CS1 positive tumor cells and induced durable tumor regressions in mice. DISCUSSION Our work represents a novel application of CS1-directed CAR T cells while revealing that BCMA would not be a suitable target. We expect AL to be particularly susceptible to CAR T-cell therapy because of the low tumor burden in the bone marrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Rosenzweig
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA; Judy and Bernard Briskin Myeloma Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA.
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Miriam Walter
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Laura Lim
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - James F Sanchez
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA; Judy and Bernard Briskin Myeloma Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Amrita Krishnan
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA; Judy and Bernard Briskin Myeloma Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Stephen Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA; Judy and Bernard Briskin Myeloma Center, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
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17
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Urak R, Walter M, Lim L, Wong CW, Budde LE, Thomas S, Forman SJ, Wang X. Ex vivo Akt inhibition promotes the generation of potent CD19CAR T cells for adoptive immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2017; 5:26. [PMID: 28331616 PMCID: PMC5359873 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-017-0227-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [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: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Insufficient persistence and effector function of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-redirected T cells have been challenging issues for adoptive T cell therapy. Generating potent CAR T cells is of increasing importance in the field. Studies have demonstrated the importance of the Akt pathway in the regulation of T cell differentiation and memory formation. We now investigate whether inhibition of Akt signaling during ex vivo expansion of CAR T cells can promote the generation of CAR T cells with enhanced antitumor activity following adoptive therapy in a murine leukemia xenograft model. Methods Various T cell subsets including CD8+ T cells, bulk T cells, central memory T cells and naïve/memory T cells were isolated from PBMC of healthy donors, activated with CD3/CD28 beads, and transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding a second-generation CD19CAR containing a CD28 co-stimulatory domain. The transduced CD19CAR T cells were expanded in the presence of IL-2 (50U/mL) and Akt inhibitor (Akti) (1 μM) that were supplemented every other day. Proliferative/expansion potential, phenotypical characteristics and functionality of the propagated CD19CAR T cells were analyzed in vitro and in vivo after 17-21 day ex vivo expansion. Anti-tumor activity was evaluated after adoptive transfer of the CD19CAR T cells into CD19+ tumor-bearing immunodeficient mice. Tumor signals were monitored with biophotonic imaging, and survival rates were analyzed by the end of the experiments. Results We found that Akt inhibition did not compromise CD19CAR T cell proliferation and expansion in vitro, independent of the T cell subsets, as comparable CD19CAR T cell expansion was observed after culturing in the presence or absence of Akt inhibitor. Functionally, Akt inhibition did not dampen cell-mediated effector function, while Th1 cytokine production increased. With respect to phenotype, Akti-treated CD19CAR T cells expressed higher levels of CD62L and CD28 as compared to untreated CD19CAR T cells. Once adoptively transferred into CD19+ tumor-bearing mice, Akti treated CD19CAR T cells exhibited more antitumor activity than did untreated CD19CAR T cells. Conclusions Inhibition of Akt signaling during ex vivo priming and expansion gives rise to CD19CAR T cell populations that display comparatively higher antitumor activity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40425-017-0227-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Urak
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Miriam Walter
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Laura Lim
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - ChingLam W Wong
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Lihua E Budde
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Sandra Thomas
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- T cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010 USA
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18
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Wang X, Wong CW, Urak R, Taus E, Aguilar B, Chang WC, Mardiros A, Budde LE, Brown CE, Berger C, Forman SJ, Jensen MC. Comparison of naïve and central memory derived CD8 + effector cell engraftment fitness and function following adoptive transfer. Oncoimmunology 2015; 5:e1072671. [PMID: 26942092 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1072671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human CD8+ effector T cells derived from CD45RO+CD62L+ precursors enriched for central memory (TCM) precursors retain the capacity to engraft and reconstitute functional memory upon adoptive transfer, whereas effectors derived from CD45RO+CD62L- precursors enriched for effector memory precursors do not. Here we sought to compare the engraftment fitness and function of CD8+ effector T cells derived from CD45RA+CD62L+ precursors enriched for naïve and stem cell memory precursors (TN/SCM) with that of TCM. We found that cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) derived from TCM transcribed higher levels of CD28, FOS, INFγ, Eomesodermin (Eomes), and lower levels of BCL2L11, maintained higher levels of phosphorylated AKT, and displayed enhanced sensitivity to the proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of γ-chain cytokines compared to CTLs derived from TN/SCM. Higher frequencies of CTLs derived from TCM retained CD28 expression and upon activation secreted higher levels of IL-2. In NOD/Scid IL-2RγCnull mice, CD8+ TCM derived CTLs engrafted to higher frequencies in response to human IL-15 and mounted robust proliferative responses to an immunostimulatory vaccine. Similarly, CD8+ TCM derived CD19CAR+ CTLs exhibited superior antitumor potency following adoptive transfer compared to their CD8+ TN/SCM derived counterparts. These studies support the use of TCM enriched cell products for adoptive therapy of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - ChingLam W Wong
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ellie Taus
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Armen Mardiros
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Lihua E Budde
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Carolina Berger
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center , Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Jensen
- Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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19
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Wang X, Wong CW, Urak R, Mardiros A, Budde LE, Chang WC, Thomas SH, Brown CE, La Rosa C, Diamond DJ, Jensen MC, Nakamura R, Zaia JA, Forman SJ. CMVpp65 Vaccine Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of Adoptively Transferred CD19-Redirected CMV-Specific T Cells. Clin Cancer Res 2015; 21:2993-3002. [PMID: 25838392 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-2920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) recognizing CD19 can induce complete remission of B-cell malignancies in clinical trials; however, in some disease settings, CAR therapy confers only modest clinical benefit due to attenuated persistence of CAR T cells. The purpose of this study was to enhance persistence and augment the antitumor activity of adoptively transferred CD19CAR T cells by restimulating CAR(+) T cells through an endogenous cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T-cell receptor. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN CMV-specific T cells from CMV seropositive healthy donors were selected after stimulation with pp65 protein and transduced with clinical-grade lentivirus expressing the CD19R:CD28:ζ/EGFRt CAR. The resultant bispecific T cells, targeting CMV and CD19, were expanded via CD19 CAR-mediated signals using CD19-expressing cells. RESULTS The bispecific T cells proliferated vigorously after engagement with either endogenous CMVpp65 T-cell receptors or engineered CD19 CARs, exhibiting specific cytolytic activity and IFNγ secretion. Upon adoptive transfer into immunodeficient mice bearing human lymphomas, the bispecific T cells exhibited proliferative response and enhanced antitumor activity following CMVpp65 peptide vaccine administration. CONCLUSIONS We have redirected CMV-specific T cells to recognize and lyse tumor cells via CD19CARs, while maintaining their ability to proliferate in response to CMV antigen stimulation. These results illustrate the clinical applications of CMV vaccine to augment the antitumor activity of adoptively transferred CD19CAR T cells in patients with B-cell malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Wang
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California.
| | - ChingLam W Wong
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Ryan Urak
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Armen Mardiros
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Lihua E Budde
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Sandra H Thomas
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Christine E Brown
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Corinna La Rosa
- Division of Translational Vaccine Research, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Don J Diamond
- Division of Translational Vaccine Research, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Michael C Jensen
- Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ryotaro Nakamura
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - John A Zaia
- Department of Virology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Departments of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, Duarte, California.
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Jonnalagadda M, Mardiros A, Urak R, Wang X, Hoffman LJ, Bernanke A, Chang WC, Bretzlaff W, Starr R, Priceman S, Ostberg JR, Forman SJ, Brown CE. Chimeric antigen receptors with mutated IgG4 Fc spacer avoid fc receptor binding and improve T cell persistence and antitumor efficacy. Mol Ther 2014; 23:757-68. [PMID: 25366031 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2014.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of adoptive therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells partly depends on optimal CAR design. CARs frequently incorporate a spacer/linker region based on the constant region of either IgG1 or IgG4 to connect extracellular ligand-binding with intracellular signaling domains. Here, we evaluated the potential for the IgG4-Fc linker to result in off-target interactions with Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs). As proof-of-principle, we focused on a CD19-specific scFv-IgG4-CD28-zeta CAR and found that, in contrast to CAR-negative cells, CAR+ T cells bound soluble FcγRs in vitro and did not engraft in NSG mice. We hypothesized that mutations to avoid FcγR binding would improve CAR+ T cell engraftment and antitumor efficacy. Thus, we generated CD19-specific CARs with IgG4-Fc spacers that had either been mutated at two sites (L235E; N297Q) within the CH2 region (CD19R(EQ)) or incorporated a CH2 deletion (CD19Rch2Δ). These mutations reduced binding to soluble FcγRs without altering the ability of the CAR to mediate antigen-specific lysis. Importantly, CD19R(EQ) and CD19Rch2Δ T cells exhibited improved persistence and more potent CD19-specific antilymphoma efficacy in NSG mice. Together, these studies suggest that optimal CAR function may require the elimination of cellular FcγR interactions to improve T cell persistence and antitumor responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Jonnalagadda
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Armen Mardiros
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Ryan Urak
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Lauren J Hoffman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Bernanke
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - William Bretzlaff
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Saul Priceman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Julie R Ostberg
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA
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