51
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Shevyrev DV, Tereshchenko VP, Sennikov SV. The Enigmatic Nature of the TCR-pMHC Interaction: Implications for CAR-T and TCR-T Engineering. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314728. [PMID: 36499057 PMCID: PMC9740949 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of the T-cell receptor (TCR) with a peptide in the major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) plays a central role in the adaptive immunity of higher chordates. Due to the high specificity and sensitivity of this process, the immune system quickly recognizes and efficiently responds to the appearance of foreign and altered self-antigens. This is important for ensuring anti-infectious and antitumor immunity, in addition to maintaining self-tolerance. The most common parameter used for assessing the specificity of TCR-pMHC interaction is affinity. This thermodynamic characteristic is widely used not only in various theoretical aspects, but also in practice, for example, in the engineering of various T-cell products with a chimeric (CAR-T) or artificial (TCR-engineered T-cell) antigen receptor. However, increasing data reveal the fact that, in addition to the thermodynamic component, the specificity of antigen recognition is based on the kinetics and mechanics of the process, having even greater influence on the selectivity of the process and T lymphocyte activation than affinity. Therefore, the kinetic and mechanical aspects of antigen recognition should be taken into account when designing artificial antigen receptors, especially those that recognize antigens in the MHC complex. This review describes the current understanding of the nature of the TCR-pMHC interaction, in addition to the thermodynamic, kinetic, and mechanical principles underlying the specificity and high sensitivity of this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. V. Shevyrev
- Laboratory of molecular Immunology, Research Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, 630099 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Center for Cell Technology and Immunology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-9231345505
| | - V. P. Tereshchenko
- Laboratory of molecular Immunology, Research Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, 630099 Novosibirsk, Russia
- Center for Cell Technology and Immunology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
| | - S. V. Sennikov
- Laboratory of molecular Immunology, Research Institute for Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, 630099 Novosibirsk, Russia
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Abstract
Immune cells are being engineered to recognize and respond to disease states, acting as a "living drug" when transferred into patients. Therapies based on engineered immune cells are now a clinical reality, with multiple engineered T cell therapies approved for treatment of hematologic malignancies. Ongoing preclinical and clinical studies are testing diverse strategies to modify the fate and function of immune cells for applications in cancer, infectious disease, and beyond. Here, we discuss current progress in treating human disease with immune cell therapeutics, emerging strategies for immune cell engineering, and challenges facing the field, with a particular emphasis on the treatment of cancer, where the most effort has been applied to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell J. Irvine
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marcela V. Maus
- Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - David J. Mooney
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, U.S.A
| | - Wilson W. Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
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53
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Teppert K, Wang X, Anders K, Evaristo C, Lock D, Künkele A. Joining Forces for Cancer Treatment: From "TCR versus CAR" to "TCR and CAR". Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:14563. [PMID: 36498890 PMCID: PMC9739809 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell-based immunotherapy has demonstrated great therapeutic potential in recent decades, on the one hand, by using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and, on the other hand, by engineering T cells to obtain anti-tumor specificities through the introduction of either engineered T cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Given the distinct design of both receptors and the type of antigen that is encountered, the requirements for proper antigen engagement and downstream signal transduction by TCRs and CARs differ. Synapse formation and signal transduction of CAR T cells, despite further refinement of CAR T cell designs, still do not fully recapitulate that of TCR T cells and might limit CAR T cell persistence and functionality. Thus, deep knowledge about the molecular differences in CAR and TCR T cell signaling would greatly advance the further optimization of CAR designs and elucidate under which circumstances a combination of both receptors would improve the functionality of T cells for cancer treatment. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review about similarities and differences by directly comparing the architecture, synapse formation and signaling of TCRs and CARs, highlighting the knowns and unknowns. In the second part of the review, we discuss the current status of combining CAR and TCR technologies, encouraging a change in perspective from "TCR versus CAR" to "TCR and CAR".
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Teppert
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Xueting Wang
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Kathleen Anders
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - César Evaristo
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Dominik Lock
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Annette Künkele
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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54
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Zang H, Siddiqui M, Gummuluru S, Wong WW, Reinhard BM. Ganglioside-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Activation at the Immunological Synapse. ACS NANO 2022; 16:18408-18420. [PMID: 36282488 PMCID: PMC9815837 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c06516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has proven to be an effective strategy against hematological malignancies but persistence and activity against solid tumors must be further improved. One emerging strategy for enhancing efficacy is based on directing CAR T cells to antigen presenting cells (APCs). Activation of CAR T cells at the immunological synapse (IS) formed between APC and T cell is thought to promote strong, persistent antigen-specific T cell-mediated immune responses but requires integration of CAR ligands into the APC/T-cell interface. Here, we demonstrate that CAR ligand functionalized, lipid-coated, biodegradable polymer nanoparticles (NPs) that contain the ganglioside GM3 (GM3-NPs) bind to CD169 (Siglec-1)-expressing APCs and localize to the cell contact site between APCs and CAR T cells upon initiation of cell conjugates. The CD169+ APC/CAR T-cell interface is characterized by a strong optical colocalization of GM3-NPs and CARs, enrichment of F-actin, and recruitment of ZAP-70, indicative of integration of GM3-NPs into a functional IS. Ligands associated with GM3-NPs localized to the APC/T-cell contact site remain accessible to CARs and result in robust T-cell activation. Overall, this work identifies GM3-NPs as a potential antigen delivery platform for active targeting of CD169 expressing APCs and enhancement of CAR T-cell activation at the NP-containing IS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zang
- Departments of Chemistry and The Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
| | - Menna Siddiqui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Suryaram Gummuluru
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
| | - Wilson W. Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Björn M. Reinhard
- Departments of Chemistry and The Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
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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: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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Johnson A, Townsend M, O’Neill K. Tumor Microenvironment Immunosuppression: A Roadblock to CAR T-Cell Advancement in Solid Tumors. Cells 2022; 11:cells11223626. [PMID: 36429054 PMCID: PMC9688327 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are an exciting advancement in cancer immunotherapy, with striking success in hematological cancers. However, in solid tumors, the unique immunosuppressive elements of the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to the failure of CAR T cells. This review discusses the cell populations, cytokine/chemokine profile, and metabolic immunosuppressive elements of the TME. This immunosuppressive TME causes CAR T-cell exhaustion and influences failure of CAR T cells to successfully infiltrate solid tumors. Recent advances in CAR T-cell development, which seek to overcome aspects of the TME immunosuppression, are also reviewed. Novel discoveries overcoming immunosuppressive limitations of the TME may lead to the success of CAR T cells in solid tumors.
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Werchau N, Kotter B, Criado-Moronati E, Gosselink A, Cordes N, Lock D, Lennartz S, Kolbe C, Winter N, Teppert K, Engert F, Webster B, Mittelstaet J, Schaefer D, Mallmann P, Mallmann MR, Ratiu D, Assenmacher M, Schaser T, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Abramowski P, Kaiser AD. Combined targeting of soluble latent TGF-ß and a solid tumor-associated antigen with adapter CAR T cells. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2140534. [PMID: 36387056 PMCID: PMC9662194 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2140534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Solid tumors consist of malignant and nonmalignant cells that together create the local tumor microenvironment (TME). Additionally, the TME is characterized by the expression of numerous soluble factors such as TGF-β. TGF-β plays an important role in the TME by suppressing T cell effector function and promoting tumor invasiveness. Up to now CAR T cells exclusively target tumor-associated antigens (TAA) located on the cell membrane. Thus, strategies to exploit soluble antigens as CAR targets within the TME are needed. This study demonstrates a novel approach using Adapter CAR (AdCAR) T cells for the detection of soluble latent TGF-β within the TME of a pancreatic tumor model. We show that AdCARs in combination with the respective adapter can be used to sense soluble tumor-derived latent TGF-β, both in vitro and in vivo. Sensing of the soluble antigen induced cellular activation and effector cytokine production in AdCAR T cells. Moreover, we evaluated AdCAR T cells for the combined targeting of soluble latent TGF-β and tumor cell killing by targeting CD66c as TAA in vivo. In sum, our study broadens the spectrum of targetable moieties for AdCAR T cells by soluble latent TGF-β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Werchau
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Bettina Kotter
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | | | | | - Nicole Cordes
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Dominik Lock
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Simon Lennartz
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Carolin Kolbe
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Nora Winter
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Karin Teppert
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Fabian Engert
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Brian Webster
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | | | | | - Peter Mallmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Cologne and Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael R. Mallmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Cologne and Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dominik Ratiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Cologne and Medical Faculty, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Schaser
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon
- Department of Internal Medicine III and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Mei H, Hari P, Hu Y. Exercise "CALM" and make CAR-T therapy work better. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2022; 67:1925-1928. [PMID: 36546195 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2022.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Heng Mei
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Parameswaran Hari
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA
| | - Yu Hu
- Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
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59
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Liu Z, Zhou Z, Dang Q, Xu H, Lv J, Li H, Han X. Immunosuppression in tumor immune microenvironment and its optimization from CAR-T cell therapy. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:6273-6290. [PMID: 36168626 PMCID: PMC9475465 DOI: 10.7150/thno.76854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy represents a landmark advance in personalized cancer treatment. CAR-T strategy generally engineers T cells from a specific patient with a new antigen-specificity, which has achieved considerable success in hematological malignancies, but scarce benefits in solid tumors. Recent studies have demonstrated that tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) cast a profound impact on the immunotherapeutic response. The immunosuppressive landscape of TIME is a critical obstacle to the effector activity of CAR-T cells. Nevertheless, every cloud has a silver lining. The immunosuppressive components also shed new inspiration on reshaping a friendly TIME by targeting them with engineered CARs. Herein, we summarize recent advances in disincentives of TIME and discuss approaches and technologies to enhance CAR-T cell efficacy via addressing current hindrances. Simultaneously, we firmly believe that by parsing the immunosuppressive components of TIME, rationally manipulating the complex interactions of immunosuppressive components, and optimizing CAR-T cell therapy for each patient, the CAR-T cell immunotherapy responsiveness for solid malignancies will be substantially enhanced, and novel therapeutic targets will be revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.,Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.,Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Zhaokai Zhou
- Department of Pediatric Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Qin Dang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Jinxiang Lv
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Huanyun Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
| | - Xinwei Han
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.,Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.,Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China
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Bashor CJ, Hilton IB, Bandukwala H, Smith DM, Veiseh O. Engineering the next generation of cell-based therapeutics. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2022; 21:655-675. [PMID: 35637318 PMCID: PMC9149674 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00476-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell-based therapeutics are an emerging modality with the potential to treat many currently intractable diseases through uniquely powerful modes of action. Despite notable recent clinical and commercial successes, cell-based therapies continue to face numerous challenges that limit their widespread translation and commercialization, including identification of the appropriate cell source, generation of a sufficiently viable, potent and safe product that meets patient- and disease-specific needs, and the development of scalable manufacturing processes. These hurdles are being addressed through the use of cutting-edge basic research driven by next-generation engineering approaches, including genome and epigenome editing, synthetic biology and the use of biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb J Bashor
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Isaac B Hilton
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Hozefa Bandukwala
- Sigilon Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Flagship Pioneering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Devyn M Smith
- Sigilon Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Arbor Biotechnologies, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Omid Veiseh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Lam CK, Hyde RK, Patel SA. Synthetic Immunotherapy: Programming Immune Cells with Novel and Sophisticated Logic Capabilities. Transplant Cell Ther 2022; 28:560-571. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Liao Q, Liu Z, Zhu C, He H, Feng M, Jiang L, Ding X, Sun R, Zhang X, Xu J. Rapid generation of a mouse model for evaluating on-target normal tissue toxicity of human CAR-T cells using replication-defective recombinant adenovirus. J Adv Res 2022; 47:163-171. [PMID: 35995414 PMCID: PMC10173189 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The on-target off-tumor toxicity of chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells (CAR-T) might lead to fatal side effects in cancer patients, which remains as a major obstacle to the clinical application of CAR-T immunotherapy. The off-tumor on-target normal tissue toxicity of CAR-T cells needs to be evaluated in preclinical studies using rational animal models. OBJECTIVES We aim to develop a rational animal model for assessing the off-tumor on-target normal tissue toxicity of various CAR-T cell designs quickly. METHODS We used a recombinant adenovirus type 5 carrying human HER2/ERBB2 (Ad5-HER2) or CD47 gene (Ad5-CD47) to rapidly generate a mouse model with tunable human antigen expression on normal liver tissue to determine immunotoxicity of traditional CAR-T and hypoxia-response CAR-T cells in vivo. RESULTS The obvious liver damage and lymphocyte infiltration were not observed in mice with human antigen-high livers 8 days post-infection. Interestingly, the lethal liver damage, systemic cytokine release and CAR-T cells infiltration in liver were only observed in mice that received traditional CAR-T cells, but not in hypoxia-response CAR-T cells. CONCLUSION Adenovirus-based expression of target antigen in normal mouse tissue may be a useful method for assessing on-target CAR-T cell toxicity in normal tissues, especially various CAR-T cell designs that have the potency of conditional regulation in tumor microenvironment (TME).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qibin Liao
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Oncology and Bio-therapeutic Center, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhuoqun Liu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cuisong Zhu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huan He
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meiqi Feng
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lang Jiang
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiangqing Ding
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rongxun Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jianqing Xu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences and Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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63
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Understanding CAR T cell-tumor interactions: Paving the way for successful clinical outcomes. MED 2022; 3:538-564. [PMID: 35963235 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
Since their approval 5 years ago, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have gained great importance in the daily clinical practice and treatment of hematological malignancies, although many challenges to their use remain, such as limited long-term CAR T cell efficacy due to disease resistance or recurrence. After a brief overview of CAR T cells, their approval, therapeutic successes, and ongoing limitations, this review discusses what is known about CAR T cell activation, their expansion and persistence, their mechanisms of cytotoxicity, and how the CAR design and/or tumor-intrinsic factors influence these functions. This review also examines the role of cytokines in CAR T cell-associated toxicity and their effects on CAR T cell function. Furthermore, we discuss several resistance mechanisms, including obstacles associated with CAR treatment of solid tumors. Finally, we provide a future outlook on next-generation strategies to further optimize CARs and improve clinical outcomes.
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Abstract
As the targets of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells expand to a variety of cancers, autoimmune diseases, viral infections, and fibrosis, there is an increasing demand for identifying new antigens and designing new CARs that can be effectively activated. However, the rational selection of antigens and the design of CARs are limited by a lack of knowledge regarding the molecular mechanism by which CARs are activated by antigens. Here, we present data supporting a "size exclusion" model explaining how antigen signals are transmitted across the plasma membrane to activate the intracellular domains of CARs. In this model, antigen engagement with CAR results in a narrow intermembrane space that physically excludes CD45, a bulky phosphatase, out of the CAR zone, thus favoring CAR phosphorylation by kinases, which further triggers downstream pathways leading to T cell activation. Aligned with this model, increasing the size of CAR extracellular domains diminished CAR-T activation both in vitro and in a mouse lymphoma model; membrane-proximal epitopes activated CAR-Ts better than membrane-distal epitopes. Moreover, increasing the size of CD45 by antibody conjugation enhanced the activation of CARs that recognize membrane-distal epitopes. Consistently, CAR-Ts expressing CD45RABC, the larger isoform, were activated to a higher level than those expressing a smaller isoform CD45RO. Together, our work revealed that CAR-T activation depends on the size difference between the CAR-antigen pair and CD45; the size of CAR, antigen, and CD45 can thus be targets for tuning CAR-T activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Xiao
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08903, USA
- Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Xinyan Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Liqun Tu
- Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08903, USA
| | - Jian Cao
- Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08903, USA
- Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Christian S. Hinrichs
- Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 08903, USA
- Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Xiaolei Su
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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65
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Ren P, Zhang C, Li W, Wang X, Liang A, Yang G, Xu H, Ma P. CAR-T Therapy in Clinical Practice: Technical Advances and Current Challenges. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2022; 6:e2101262. [PMID: 35652169 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202101262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) redirect T cells to specifically recognize and eliminate tumor cells. CAR-T therapy has achieved successful clinical outcomes, and it has been transformed into commercially available products to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and B cell lymphoma. These breakthroughs have motivated hundreds of CAR-T clinical trials initiated each year, with ≈900 cases registered on the ClinicalTrials website till 2021. Accumulating clinical experiences have highlighted some limitations of this strategy, e.g., relapse after complete response, poor efficacy in solid tumors, on-target off-tumor toxicities, lack of persistence, and tumor resistance. These challenges limit the therapeutic application of CAR-T cells. Multidisciplinary approaches are actively investigated to address these issues. In this review, the antigens, CAR designs, and cell sources are summarized in clinical trials from 2020 to 2021. The innovative modular and programmable designs in CAR-T cells, including advances in signaling domains, antigen-recognition domains, T cell engineering, and cell resources, are further discussed. Integrative genetic and chemical engineering strategies are promising to improve the versatility, antitumor efficacy, persistence, and safety of CAR-T cells. In the future, the next generation of CAR-T cell therapies will offer more options for patients who are refractory to standard tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Ren
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Chuyue Zhang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Wenping Li
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Xian Wang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Aibing Liang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
| | - Guang Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Hongtao Xu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies (SIAIS), ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, P. R. China
| | - Peixiang Ma
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implants, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China.,Zhejiang Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, P. R. China
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Abstract
We have engineered a cell that can be used for diagnosing active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Isolation of individuals with active infections offers an effective solution for mitigating pandemics. However, the implementation of this practice requires robust infrastructure for rapid and intuitive testing, which is currently missing in our communities. To address this need, we engineered a fast-growing cell line into a cell-based antigen test platform for emerging viruses, i.e., DxCell, that can be rapidly deployed in decentralized health care facilities for continuous testing. The technology was characterized using cells engineered to present spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells) and Calu-3 host cells infected with competent SARS-CoV-2. Preclinical validation was conducted by directly incubating the DxCell with oropharyngeal swabs from mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. No sample preparation steps are necessary. The DxCell quantitatively detected the SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells within 1 h (P < 0.02). Reporter signal was proportional to the number of SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells, which represents the infection burden. The SARS-CoV-2 DxCell antigen test was benchmarked against quantitative PCR (qPCR) test and accurately differentiated between infected (n = 8) and control samples (n = 3) (P < 0.05). To demonstrate the broad applicability of the platform, we successfully redirected its specificity and tested its sensing function with cells engineered to present antigens from other viruses. In conclusion, we have developed an antigen test platform that capitalizes on the two innate functions of the cell, self-replication and activation-induced cell signaling. These provide the DxCell key advantages over existing technologies, e.g., label-free testing without sample processing, and will facilitate its implementation in decentralized health care facilities. IMPORTANCE Pandemic mitigation requires continuous testing of symptomatic or asymptomatic individuals with rapid turnaround time, and lack of this capability in our community has prolonged pandemic duration leading to obliteration of world economies. The DxCell platform is a cell-based self-replicative antigen test that detects molecular signatures of the target pathogen and can be distributed in small quantities to testing facilities for expansion on site to the desired volume. In this work, we directed this platform to target SARS-CoV-2. Unlike the PCR detection of viral mRNA that requires trained personnel, the DxCell does not require any sample preparation or signal amplification step and introduces an opportunity for a decentralized testing network.
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Rossi F, Fredericks N, Snowden A, Allegrezza MJ, Moreno-Nieves UY. Next Generation Natural Killer Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:886429. [PMID: 35720306 PMCID: PMC9202478 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.886429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immunotherapy for cancer has become mainstream with several products now authorized for therapeutic use in the clinic and are becoming the standard of care for some malignancies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have demonstrated substantial efficacy for the treatment of hematological malignancies; however, they are complex and currently expensive to manufacture, and they can generate life-threatening adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The limitations of current CAR-T cells therapies have spurred an interest in alternative immunotherapy approaches with safer risk profiles and with less restrictive manufacturing constraints. Natural killer (NK) cells are a population of immune effector cells with potent anti-viral and anti-tumor activity; they have the capacity to swiftly recognize and kill cancer cells without the need of prior stimulation. Although NK cells are naturally equipped with cytotoxic potential, a growing body of evidence shows the added benefit of engineering them to better target tumor cells, persist longer in the host, and be fitter to resist the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME). NK-cell-based immunotherapies allow for the development of allogeneic off-the-shelf products, which have the potential to be less expensive and readily available for patients in need. In this review, we will focus on the advances in the development of engineering of NK cells for cancer immunotherapy. We will discuss the sourcing of NK cells, the technologies available to engineer NK cells, current clinical trials utilizing engineered NK cells, advances on the engineering of receptors adapted for NK cells, and stealth approaches to avoid recipient immune responses. We will conclude with comments regarding the next generation of NK cell products, i.e., armored NK cells with enhanced functionality, fitness, tumor-infiltration potential, and with the ability to overcome tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorella Rossi
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Nathaniel Fredericks
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Andrew Snowden
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Michael J Allegrezza
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Uriel Y Moreno-Nieves
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
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68
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Gao TA, Chen YY. Engineering Next-Generation CAR-T Cells: Overcoming Tumor Hypoxia and Metabolism. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2022; 13:193-216. [PMID: 35700528 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-092120-092914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown remarkable success in treating B-cell malignancies, reflected by multiple US Food and Drug Administration-approved CAR-T cell products currently on the market. However, various obstacles have thus far limited the use of approved products and constrained the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy against solid tumors. Overcoming these obstacles will necessitate multidimensional CAR-T cell engineering approaches and better understanding of the intricate tumor microenvironment (TME). Key challenges include treatment-related toxicity, antigen escape and heterogeneity, and the highly immunosuppressive profile of the TME. Notably, the hypoxic and nutrient-deprived nature of the TME severely attenuates CAR-T cell fitness and efficacy, highlighting the need for more sophisticated engineering strategies. In this review, we examine recent advances in protein- and cell-engineering strategies to improve CAR-T cell safety and efficacy, with an emphasis on overcoming immunosuppression induced by tumor metabolism and hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torahito A Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; ,
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA; , .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Lian H, Jiang J, Wang Y, Yu X, Zheng R, Long J, Zhou M, Zhou S, Wei C, Zhao A, Gao J. A novel multimeric sCD19-streptavidin fusion protein for functional detection and selective expansion of CD19-targeted CAR-T cells. Cancer Med 2022; 11:2978-2989. [PMID: 35621033 PMCID: PMC9359867 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CARs are engineered receptors comprising an immunoglobulin single‐chain variable fragment (scFv) that identifies and binds to the target antigen, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular T‐cell signaling domain. CD19 is a B lineage‐specific transmembrane glycoprotein and is expressed in more than 95% of B‐cell malignancies. Streptavidin (SA) is a homo‐tetrameric protein derived from Streptomyces avidinii, which can bind four biotin molecules with an extremely high affinity at a Kd value of 10‐15 M. Aims The aim of the study is to generate a novel soluble multimeric fusion protein, sCD19‐streptavidin (sCD19‐SA) for functional detection and selective expansion of CD19‐targeted CAR‐T cells. Methods The fusion proteins CD19‐SA was expressed in CHO cells and purified by use of Ni‐nitrilotriacetic acid agarose beads. Results A novel fusion protein (sCD19‐SA) was generated, consisting of the extracellular domain of human CD19 and the core region of SA, and could be used to functionally detect CD19‐targeted CAR‐T cells. Furthermore, this protein was demonstrated to form multimers to activate CAR‐T cells to induce their selective expansion. Importantly, sCD19‐SA‐stimulated CD19‐targeted CAR‐T cells could improve antitumor effects in vivo. Conclusions Our study has highlighted the potential of utilizing antigen‐SA fusion proteins such as sCD19‐SA for CAR‐T therapy for the functional detection of CAR expression and selective expansion of CAR‐T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lian
- The First People's Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinhong Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Lishui People's Hospital, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rong Zheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jing Long
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mengjie Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shirong Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cheng Wei
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ai Zhao
- Department of Geriatric, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jimin Gao
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Technology and Application of Model Organisms, Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Zhejiang Qixin Biotech, Wenzhou, China
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70
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Gao S, Sugimura R. The Single-Cell Level Perspective of the Tumor Microenvironment and Its Remodeling by CAR-T Cells. Cancer Treat Res 2022; 183:275-285. [PMID: 35551664 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-96376-7_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex milieu consisting of lymphoid cells, myeloid cells, fibroblasts, and multiple molecules, which play a key role in tumor progression and immunotherapy. TME is characterized by immune-suppressive features, which release anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 and TGFβ to skew the T cells to a Th2 state as well to polarize tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to an anti-inflammatory phenotype to curb the immunotherapy. Considering the heterogeneity of the TME and its role in determining response to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, delineating TME at a single-cell level will provide useful information for cancer treatment. First, we discuss cellular and molecular features that curb the response to CAR-T cells, for example, high expression of immune checkpoint molecules (PD-1, LAG3) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, TGFb) that block CAR-T cell function. Then, we summarize how newly invented single-cell technologies such as spatial multi-omics would benefit the understanding of cancer immunotherapy. Finally, we will further describe recent attempts of CAR-T to remodel TME by arming the CAR-T with anti-PD-1 single-chain variants or Th1 triggering cytokines (such as IL-7, IL-12) to remodel TME into a pro-inflammatory state. Herein, we review the single-cell-level signatures of TME and the strategies of CAR-T to remodel TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanxing Gao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Ryohichi Sugimura
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
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71
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Jiang Z, Qin L, Tang Y, Liao R, Shi J, He B, Li S, Zheng D, Cui Y, Wu Q, Long Y, Yao Y, Wei Z, Hong Q, Wu Y, Mai Y, Gou S, Li X, Weinkove R, Norton S, Luo W, Feng W, Zhou H, Liu Q, Chen J, Lai L, Chen X, Pei D, Graf T, Liu X, Li Y, Liu P, Zhang Z, Li P. Human induced-T-to-natural killer cells have potent anti-tumour activities. Biomark Res 2022; 10:13. [PMID: 35331335 PMCID: PMC8943975 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00358-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a particularly promising area of cancer immunotherapy, engineered T and NK cells that express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) are being explored for treating hematopoietic malignancies but exhibit limited clinical benefits for solid tumour patients, successful cellular immunotherapy of solid tumors demands new strategies. METHODS Inactivation of BCL11B were performed by CRISPR/Cas9 in human T cells. Immunophenotypic and transcriptional profiles of sgBCL11B T cells were characterized by cytometer and transcriptomics, respectively. sgBCL11B T cells are further engineered with chimeric antigen receptor. Anti-tumor activity of ITNK or CAR-ITNK cells were evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies. RESULTS We report that inactivation of BCL11B in human CD8+ and CD4+ T cells induced their reprogramming into induced T-to-natural killer cells (ITNKs). ITNKs contained a diverse TCR repertoire; downregulated T cell-associated genes such as TCF7 and LEF1; and expressed high levels of NK cell lineage-associated genes. ITNKs and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transduced ITNKs selectively lysed a variety of cancer cells in culture and suppressed the growth of solid tumors in xenograft models. In a preliminary clinical study, autologous administration of ITNKs in patients with advanced solid tumors was well tolerated, and tumor stabilization was seen in six out nine patients, with one partial remission. CONCLUSIONS The novel ITNKs thus may be a promising novel cell source for cancer immunotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03882840 . Registered 20 March 2019-Retrospectively registered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwu Jiang
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Le Qin
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuou Tang
- Department of Radiology; Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumour Microenvironment; Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Nano-Biomedical Technology for Diagnosis and Therapy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Liao
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingxuan Shi
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bingjia He
- Department of Radiology; Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumour Microenvironment; Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Nano-Biomedical Technology for Diagnosis and Therapy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanglin Li
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Diwei Zheng
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanbin Cui
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiting Wu
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youguo Long
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Yao
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhihui Wei
- Guangdong Zhaotai InVivo Biomedicine Co. Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Qilan Hong
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China.,Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yi Wu
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanbang Mai
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Shixue Gou
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Robert Weinkove
- Cancer Immunotherapy Programme, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | | | - Wei Luo
- Clinical Research Institute, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Weineng Feng
- Department of Head and Neck/Thoracic Medical Oncology, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongsheng Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qifa Liu
- Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiekai Chen
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Liangxue Lai
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinwen Chen
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duanqing Pei
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Thomas Graf
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China.,Centre for Genomic Regulation, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xingguo Liu
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangqiu Li
- Institute of Hematology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pentao Liu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Consortium, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
| | - Zhenfeng Zhang
- Department of Radiology; Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Nano-Immunoregulation Tumour Microenvironment; Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Nano-Biomedical Technology for Diagnosis and Therapy, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Peng Li
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. .,Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, China. .,Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
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Manhas J, Edelstein HI, Leonard JN, Morsut L. The evolution of synthetic receptor systems. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:244-255. [PMID: 35058646 PMCID: PMC9041813 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00926-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Receptors enable cells to detect, process and respond to information about their environments. Over the past two decades, synthetic biologists have repurposed physical parts and concepts from natural receptors to engineer synthetic receptors. These technologies implement customized sense-and-respond programs that link a cell's interaction with extracellular and intracellular cues to user-defined responses. When combined with tools for information processing, these advances enable programming of sophisticated customized functions. In recent years, the library of synthetic receptors and their capabilities has substantially evolved-a term we employ here to mean systematic improvement and expansion. Here, we survey the existing mammalian synthetic biology toolkit of protein-based receptors and signal-processing components, highlighting efforts to evolve and integrate some of the foundational synthetic receptor systems. We then propose a generalized strategy for engineering and improving receptor systems to meet defined functional objectives called a 'metric-enabled approach for synthetic receptor engineering' (MEASRE).
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Affiliation(s)
- Janvie Manhas
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
- The Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hailey I Edelstein
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Joshua N Leonard
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Leonardo Morsut
- The Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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73
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Gumber D, Wang LD. Improving CAR-T immunotherapy: Overcoming the challenges of T cell exhaustion. EBioMedicine 2022; 77:103941. [PMID: 35301179 PMCID: PMC8927848 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a cancer treatment with enormous potential, demonstrating impressive antitumor activity in the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, CAR T cell exhaustion is a major limitation to their efficacy, particularly in the application of CAR T cells to solid tumors. CAR T cell exhaustion is thought to be due to persistent antigen stimulation, as well as an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and mitigating exhaustion to maintain CAR T cell effector function and persistence and achieve clinical potency remains a central challenge. Here, we review the underlying mechanisms of exhaustion and discuss emerging strategies to prevent or reverse exhaustion through modifications of the CAR receptor or CAR independent pathways. Additionally, we discuss the potential of these strategies for improving clinical outcomes of CAR T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Gumber
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte CA, United States; Department of Immunooncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Leo D Wang
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte CA, United States; Department of Immunooncology, City of Hope National Medical Center, Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, United States.
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74
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Egan JR, Abu-Shah E, Dushek O, Elliott T, MacArthur BD. Fluctuations in T cell receptor and pMHC interactions regulate T cell activation. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20210589. [PMID: 35135295 PMCID: PMC8833104 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive immune responses depend on interactions between T cell receptors (TCRs) and peptide major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligands located on the surface of T cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs), respectively. As TCRs and pMHCs are often only present at low copy numbers their interactions are inherently stochastic, yet the role of stochastic fluctuations on T cell function is unclear. Here, we introduce a minimal stochastic model of T cell activation that accounts for serial TCR-pMHC engagement, reversible TCR conformational change and TCR aggregation. Analysis of this model indicates that it is not the strength of binding between the T cell and the APC cell per se that elicits an immune response, but rather the information imparted to the T cell from the encounter, as assessed by the entropy rate of the TCR-pMHC binding dynamics. This view provides an information-theoretic interpretation of T cell activation that explains a range of experimental observations. Based on this analysis, we propose that effective T cell therapeutics may be enhanced by optimizing the inherent stochasticity of TCR-pMHC binding dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Egan
- Mathematical Sciences, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.,Institute for Life Sciences, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.,Centre for Cancer Immunology, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.,Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Enas Abu-Shah
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK.,Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK
| | - Omer Dushek
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Tim Elliott
- Institute for Life Sciences, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.,Centre for Cancer Immunology, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.,Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Ben D MacArthur
- Mathematical Sciences, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.,Institute for Life Sciences, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.,Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.,Alan Turing Institute, London NW1 2DB, UK
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75
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Andrea AE, Chiron A, Mallah S, Bessoles S, Sarrabayrouse G, Hacein-Bey-Abina S. Advances in CAR-T Cell Genetic Engineering Strategies to Overcome Hurdles in Solid Tumors Treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:830292. [PMID: 35211124 PMCID: PMC8861853 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.830292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During this last decade, adoptive transfer of T lymphocytes genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) emerged as a valuable therapeutic strategy in hematological cancers. However, this immunotherapy has demonstrated limited efficacy in solid tumors. The main obstacle encountered by CAR-T cells in solid malignancies is the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME impedes tumor trafficking and penetration of T lymphocytes and installs an immunosuppressive milieu by producing suppressive soluble factors and by overexpressing negative immune checkpoints. In order to overcome these hurdles, new CAR-T cells engineering strategies were designed, to potentiate tumor recognition and infiltration and anti-cancer activity in the hostile TME. In this review, we provide an overview of the major mechanisms used by tumor cells to evade immune defenses and we critically expose the most optimistic engineering strategies to make CAR-T cell therapy a solid option for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain E. Andrea
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Thérapies Moléculaires, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Andrada Chiron
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Sarah Mallah
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Stéphanie Bessoles
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Sarrabayrouse
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Salima Hacein-Bey-Abina
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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76
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Billmeier A, Khinvasara K, Lang F, Mohr J, Reidenbach D, Schork M, Yildiz I, Diken M. CIMT 2021: report on the 18th Annual Meeting of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2024416. [PMID: 35130105 PMCID: PMC8993083 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.2024416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
After one year of absence, the 18th Annual Meeting of the Association for Cancer Immunotherapy (CIMT), Europe’s cancer immunotherapy meeting, took place virtually from 10 to 12 May 2021. Over 850 academic and clinical professionals from 30 countries met to discuss the recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy and the current progress in COVID19-related research. This meeting report summarizes the highlights of CIMT2021.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Krutika Khinvasara
- TRON-Translational Oncology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Franziska Lang
- TRON-Translational Oncology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Daniel Reidenbach
- TRON-Translational Oncology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Maik Schork
- TRON-Translational Oncology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Ikra Yildiz
- TRON-Translational Oncology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mustafa Diken
- BioNTech SE, Mainz, Germany.,TRON-Translational Oncology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
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77
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Mao R, Hussein MS, He Y. Chimeric antigen receptor engineered T cells and their application in the immunotherapy of solid tumours. Expert Rev Mol Med 2022; 24:e7. [PMID: 35086597 PMCID: PMC9617572 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2021.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we reviewed the current literature studies and our understanding of the parameters that affect the chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T's) activation, effector function, in vivo persistence, and antitumour effects. These factors include T cell subsets and their differentiation stages, the components of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) design, the expression promoters and delivery vectors, and the CAR-T production process. The CAR signalling and CAR-T activation were also studied in comparison to TCR. The last section of the review gave special consideration of CAR design for solid tumours, focusing on strategies to improve CAR-T tumour infiltration and survival in the hostile tumour microenvironment. With several hundred clinical trials undergoing worldwide, the pace of CAR-T immunotherapy moves from bench to bedside is unprecedented. We hope that the article will provide readers a clear and comprehensive view of this rapidly evolving field and will help scientists and physician to design effective CAR-Ts immunotherapy for solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Mao
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta, USA
| | | | - Yukai He
- Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta, USA
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, USA
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78
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Kyte JA. Strategies for Improving the Efficacy of CAR T Cells in Solid Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14030571. [PMID: 35158839 PMCID: PMC8833730 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14030571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cell therapy with genetically retargeted T cells shows strong clinical efficacy against leukaemia and lymphoma. To make this therapy efficient against solid cancers, a series of hurdles must be addressed. This includes the need to enable the T cells to survive long term in patients and to overcome immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumour. Further, it is essential to prevent tumour cells from escaping by losing the protein that is recognised by the infused cells. The present article provides an overview of the key strategies that are currently being investigated to overcome these hurdles. A series of approaches have been described in preclinical models, but these remain untested in patients. The further progress of the field will depend on evaluating more strategies in a proper clinical setting. Abstract Therapy with T cells equipped with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) shows strong efficacy against leukaemia and lymphoma, but not yet against solid cancers. This has been attributed to insufficient T cell persistence, tumour heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. The present article provides an overview of key strategies that are currently investigated to overcome these hurdles. Basic aspects of CAR design are revisited, relevant for tuning the stimulatory signal to the requirements of solid tumours. Novel approaches for enhancing T cell persistence are highlighted, based on epigenetic or post-translational modifications. Further, the article describes CAR T strategies that are being developed for overcoming tumour heterogeneity and the escape of cancer stem cells, as well as for countering prevalent mechanisms of immune suppression in solid cancers. In general, personalised medicine is faced with a lack of drugs matching the patient’s profile. The advances and flexibility of modern gene engineering may allow for the filling of some of these gaps with tailored CAR T approaches addressing mechanisms identified as important in the individual patient. At this point, however, CAR T cell therapy remains unproved in solid cancers. The further progress of the field will depend on bringing novel strategies into clinical evaluation, while maintaining safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Amund Kyte
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Mail Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway;
- Department of Clinical Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Mail Box 4950 Nydalen, 0424 Oslo, Norway
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79
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Shih RM, Chen YY. Engineering Principles for Synthetic Biology Circuits in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:6-11. [PMID: 34983828 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in biomolecular engineering have led to novel cancer immunotherapies with sophisticated programmed functions, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that bind tumor-associated antigens (TAA) to direct coordinated immune responses. Extensive engineering efforts have been made to program not only CAR specificity, but also downstream pathways that activate molecular responses. Collectively, these efforts can be conceptualized as an immunotherapy circuit: TAAs bind the CAR as input signals; intracellular signaling cascades process the binding interactions into transcriptional and translational events; and those events program effector output functions. More simply, this sequence may be abstracted as input, processing, and output. In this review, we discuss the increasingly complex scene of synthetic-biology solutions in cancer immunotherapy and summarize recent work within the framework of immunotherapy circuits. In doing so, a toolbox of basic modular circuits may be established as a foundation upon which sophisticated solutions can be constructed to meet more complex problems.See related article on p. 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M Shih
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California. .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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80
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Manier S, Ingegnere T, Escure G, Prodhomme C, Nudel M, Mitra S, Facon T. Current state and next-generation CAR-T cells in multiple myeloma. Blood Rev 2022; 54:100929. [DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2022.100929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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81
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Hupperetz C, Lah S, Kim H, Kim CH. CAR T Cell Immunotherapy Beyond Haematological Malignancy. Immune Netw 2022; 22:e6. [PMID: 35291659 PMCID: PMC8901698 DOI: 10.4110/in.2022.22.e6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, which express a synthetic receptor engineered to target specific antigens, have demonstrated remarkable potential to treat haematological malignancies. However, their transition beyond haematological malignancy has so far been unsatisfactory. Here, we discuss recent challenges and improvements for CAR T cell therapy against solid tumors: Antigen heterogeneity which provides an effective escape mechanism against conventional mono-antigen-specific CAR T cells; and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment which provides physical and molecular barriers that respectively prevent T cell infiltration and drive T cell dysfunction and hypoproliferation. Further, we discuss the application of CAR T cells in infectious disease and autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedric Hupperetz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Sangjoon Lah
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Hyojin Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Chan Hyuk Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
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82
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Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signalling controls multiple cell fate decisions during development and tissue homeostasis; hence, dysregulation of this pathway can drive several diseases, including cancer. Here we discuss the influence that TGFβ exerts on the composition and behaviour of different cell populations present in the tumour immune microenvironment, and the context-dependent functions of this cytokine in suppressing or promoting cancer. During homeostasis, TGFβ controls inflammatory responses triggered by exposure to the outside milieu in barrier tissues. Lack of TGFβ exacerbates inflammation, leading to tissue damage and cellular transformation. In contrast, as tumours progress, they leverage TGFβ to drive an unrestrained wound-healing programme in cancer-associated fibroblasts, as well as to suppress the adaptive immune system and the innate immune system. In consonance with this key role in reprogramming the tumour microenvironment, emerging data demonstrate that TGFβ-inhibitory therapies can restore cancer immunity. Indeed, this approach can synergize with other immunotherapies - including immune checkpoint blockade - to unleash robust antitumour immune responses in preclinical cancer models. Despite initial challenges in clinical translation, these findings have sparked the development of multiple therapeutic strategies that inhibit the TGFβ pathway, many of which are currently in clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele V F Tauriello
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Elena Sancho
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Batlle
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
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83
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Keane JT, Posey AD. Chimeric Antigen Receptors Expand the Repertoire of Antigenic Macromolecules for Cellular Immunity. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123356. [PMID: 34943864 PMCID: PMC8699116 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell therapies have made significant improvements in cancer treatment over the last decade. One cellular therapy utilizing T-cells involves the use of a chimeric MHC-independent antigen-recognition receptor, typically referred to as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). CAR molecules, while mostly limited to the recognition of antigens on the surface of tumor cells, can also be utilized to exploit the diverse repertoire of macromolecules targetable by antibodies, which are incorporated into the CAR design. Leaning into this expansion of target macromolecules will enhance the diversity of antigens T-cells can target and may improve the tumor-specificity of CAR T-cell therapy. This review explores the types of macromolecules targetable by T-cells through endogenous and synthetic antigen-specific receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John T. Keane
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Avery D. Posey
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Correspondence:
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84
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Payload Delivery: Engineering Immune Cells to Disrupt the Tumour Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13236000. [PMID: 34885108 PMCID: PMC8657158 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown impressive clinical success against haematological malignancies such as B cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, their efficacy against non-haematological solid malignancies has been largely disappointing. Solid tumours pose many additional challenges for CAR T cells that have severely blunted their potency, including homing to the sites of disease, survival and persistence within the adverse conditions of the tumour microenvironment, and above all, the highly immunosuppressive nature of the tumour milieu. Gene engineering approaches for generating immune cells capable of overcoming these hurdles remain an unmet therapeutic need and ongoing area of research. Recent advances have involved gene constructs for membrane-bound and/or secretable proteins that provide added effector cell function over and above the benefits of classical CAR-mediated cytotoxicity, rendering immune cells not only as direct cytotoxic effectors against tumours, but also as vessels for payload delivery capable of both modulating the tumour microenvironment and orchestrating innate and adaptive anti-tumour immunity. We discuss here the novel concept of engineered immune cells as vessels for payload delivery into the tumour microenvironment, how these cells are better adapted to overcome the challenges faced in a solid tumour, and importantly, the novel gene engineering approaches required to deliver these more complex polycistronic gene constructs.
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85
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Alishah K, Birtel M, Masoumi E, Jafarzadeh L, Mirzaee HR, Hadjati J, Voss RH, Diken M, Asad S. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated TGFβRII disruption enhances anti-tumor efficacy of human chimeric antigen receptor T cells in vitro. J Transl Med 2021; 19:482. [PMID: 34838059 PMCID: PMC8627098 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-021-03146-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CAR T-cell therapy has been recently unveiled as one of the most promising cancer therapies in hematological malignancies. However, solid tumors mount a profound line of defense to escape immunosurveillance by CAR T-cells. Among them, cytokines with an inhibitory impact on the immune system such as IL-10 and TGFβ are of great importance: TGFβ is a pleiotropic cytokine, which potently suppresses the immune system and is secreted by a couple of TME resident and tumor cells. METHODS In this study, we hypothesized that knocking out the TGFβ receptor II gene, could improve CAR T-cell functions in vitro and in vivo. Hereby, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system, to knockout the TGFβRII gene in T-cells and could monitor the efficient gene knock out by genome analysis techniques. Next, Mesothelin or Claudin 6 specific CAR constructs were overexpressed via IVT-RNA electroporation or retroviral transduction and the poly-functionality of these TGFβRII KO CAR T-cells in terms of proliferation, cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity were assessed and compared with parental CAR T-cells. RESULTS Our experiments demonstrated that TGFβRII KO CAR T-cells fully retained their capabilities in killing tumor antigen positive target cells and more intriguingly, could resist the anti-proliferative effect of exogenous TGFβ in vitro outperforming wild type CAR T-cells. Noteworthy, no antigen or growth factor-independent proliferation of these TGFβRII KO CAR T-cells has been recorded. TGFβRII KO CAR T-cells also resisted the suppressive effect of induced regulatory T-cells in vitro to a larger extent. Repetitive antigen stimulation demonstrated that these TGFβRII KO CAR T-cells will experience less activation induced exhaustion in comparison to the WT counterpart. CONCLUSION The TGFβRII KO approach may become an indispensable tool in immunotherapy of solid tumors, as it may surmount one of the key negative regulatory signaling pathways in T-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadijeh Alishah
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.,TRON-Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Birtel
- TRON-Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University gGmbH, Mainz, Germany
| | - Elham Masoumi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Jafarzadeh
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Mirzaee
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamshid Hadjati
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ralf-Holger Voss
- Department of Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center (UMC) of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Mustafa Diken
- TRON-Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University gGmbH, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Sedighe Asad
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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86
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Yang J, Zou X, Jose PA, Zeng C. Extracellular vesicles: Potential impact on cardiovascular diseases. Adv Clin Chem 2021; 105:49-100. [PMID: 34809830 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acc.2021.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have received considerable attention in biological and clinical research due to their ability to mediate cell-to-cell communication. Based on their size and secretory origin, EVs are categorized as exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. Increasing number of studies highlight the contribution of EVs in the regulation of a wide range of normal cellular physiological processes, including waste scavenging, cellular stress reduction, intercellular communication, immune regulation, and cellular homeostasis modulation. Altered circulating EV level, expression pattern, or content in plasma of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in diverse cardiovascular pathologies. Due to their inherent characteristics and physiological functions, EVs, in turn, have become potential candidates as therapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss the evolving understanding of the role of EVs in CVD, summarize the current knowledge of EV-mediated regulatory mechanisms, and highlight potential strategies for the diagnosis and therapy of CVD. We also attempt to look into the future that may advance our understanding of the role of EVs in the pathogenesis of CVD and provide novel insights into the field of translational medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Yang
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China.
| | - Xue Zou
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China; Chongqing Institute of Cardiology and Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Pedro A Jose
- Division of Renal Disease & Hypertension, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Chunyu Zeng
- Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China; Chongqing Institute of Cardiology and Chongqing Key Laboratory for Hypertension Research, Chongqing, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China; Heart Center of Fujian Province, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, PR China.
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87
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Xiao BF, Zhang JT, Zhu YG, Cui XR, Lu ZM, Yu BT, Wu N. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Lung Cancer: Potential and Challenges. Front Immunol 2021; 12:782775. [PMID: 34790207 PMCID: PMC8591168 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.782775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has exhibited a substantial clinical response in hematological malignancies, including B-cell leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Therefore, the feasibility of using CAR-T cells to treat solid tumors is actively evaluated. Currently, multiple basic research projects and clinical trials are being conducted to treat lung cancer with CAR-T cell therapy. Although numerous advances in CAR-T cell therapy have been made in hematological tumors, the technology still entails considerable challenges in treating lung cancer, such as on−target, of−tumor toxicity, paucity of tumor-specific antigen targets, T cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment, and low infiltration level of immune cells into solid tumor niches, which are even more complicated than their application in hematological tumors. Thus, progress in the scientific understanding of tumor immunology and improvements in the manufacture of cell products are advancing the clinical translation of these important cellular immunotherapies. This review focused on the latest research progress of CAR-T cell therapy in lung cancer treatment and for the first time, demonstrated the underlying challenges and future engineering strategies for the clinical application of CAR-T cell therapy against lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu-Fan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jing-Tao Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yu-Ge Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Run Cui
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe-Ming Lu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Ben-Tong Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China
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88
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Trivedi T, Pagnotti GM, Guise TA, Mohammad KS. The Role of TGF-β in Bone Metastases. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1643. [PMID: 34827641 PMCID: PMC8615596 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Complications associated with advanced cancer are a major clinical challenge and, if associated with bone metastases, worsen the prognosis and compromise the survival of the patients. Breast and prostate cancer cells exhibit a high propensity to metastasize to bone. The bone microenvironment is unique, providing fertile soil for cancer cell propagation, while mineralized bone matrices store potent growth factors and cytokines. Biologically active transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), one of the most abundant growth factors, is released following tumor-induced osteoclastic bone resorption. TGF-β promotes tumor cell secretion of factors that accelerate bone loss and fuel tumor cells to colonize. Thus, TGF-β is critical for driving the feed-forward vicious cycle of tumor growth in bone. Further, TGF-β promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increasing cell invasiveness, angiogenesis, and metastatic progression. Emerging evidence shows TGF-β suppresses immune responses, enabling opportunistic cancer cells to escape immune checkpoints and promote bone metastases. Blocking TGF-β signaling pathways could disrupt the vicious cycle, revert EMT, and enhance immune response. However, TGF-β's dual role as both tumor suppressor and enhancer presents a significant challenge in developing therapeutics that target TGF-β signaling. This review presents TGF-β's role in cancer progression and bone metastases, while highlighting current perspectives on the therapeutic potential of targeting TGF-β pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trupti Trivedi
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Gabriel M. Pagnotti
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Theresa A. Guise
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Khalid S. Mohammad
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
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89
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Thomas P, Galopin N, Bonérandi E, Clémenceau B, Fougeray S, Birklé S. CAR T Cell Therapy's Potential for Pediatric Brain Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215445. [PMID: 34771608 PMCID: PMC8582542 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary T cells that are genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors constitute an effective new therapy with curative potential for patients with hematological tumors. The value of chimeric antigen receptor T cells in childhood brain tumors, the leading cause of cancer death in children, is less clear. In this context, the main obstacles for these engineered T cells remain how to find them, allow them to infiltrate, and induce them to remain active in the tumor site. Here, we discuss recent progress in the field and examine future directions for realizing the potential of this therapy. Abstract Malignant central nervous system tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children. Progress in high-throughput molecular techniques has increased the molecular understanding of these tumors, but the outcomes are still poor. Even when efficacious, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy cause neurologic and neurocognitive morbidity. Adoptive cell therapy with autologous CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T) has demonstrated remarkable remission rates in patients with relapsed refractory B cell malignancies. Unfortunately, tumor heterogeneity, the identification of appropriate target antigens, and location in a growing brain behind the blood–brain barrier within a specific suppressive immune microenvironment restrict the efficacy of this strategy in pediatric neuro-oncology. In addition, the vulnerability of the brain to unrepairable tissue damage raises important safety concerns. Recent preclinical findings, however, have provided a strong rationale for clinical trials of this approach in patients. Here, we examine the most important challenges associated with the development of CAR T cell immunotherapy and further present the latest preclinical strategies intending to optimize genetically engineered T cells’ efficiency and safety in the field of pediatric neuro-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Thomas
- Université de Nantes, INSERM, CRCINA, F-44000 Nantes, France; (P.T.); (N.G.); (E.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Natacha Galopin
- Université de Nantes, INSERM, CRCINA, F-44000 Nantes, France; (P.T.); (N.G.); (E.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Emma Bonérandi
- Université de Nantes, INSERM, CRCINA, F-44000 Nantes, France; (P.T.); (N.G.); (E.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Béatrice Clémenceau
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, CNRS, INSERM, CRCINA, F-44000 Nantes, France;
| | - Sophie Fougeray
- Université de Nantes, INSERM, CRCINA, F-44000 Nantes, France; (P.T.); (N.G.); (E.B.); (S.F.)
| | - Stéphane Birklé
- Université de Nantes, INSERM, CRCINA, F-44000 Nantes, France; (P.T.); (N.G.); (E.B.); (S.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-228-08-03-00
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90
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Cox JR, Blazeck J. Protein engineering: a driving force toward synthetic immunology. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 40:509-521. [PMID: 34627648 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The full application of the diverse toolkit of protein engineering has made it easier to control the immune system. In particular, synthetic cytokine variants and engineered immune receptor platforms have shown promise for the treatment of various indications with dysregulated immune function, particularly cancer. Here, we review recent advances in the control of immune cell signaling and therapeutic potency that have employed protein engineering strategies. We further discuss how safety concerns are driving the design of immunotherapeutics toward 'user-defined' control or requiring multiple distinct inputs before a functional response, highlighting emergent control strategies employed for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Cox
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - John Blazeck
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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91
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Chen Z, Oh D, Biswas KH, Zaidel-Bar R, Groves JT. Probing the effect of clustering on EphA2 receptor signaling efficiency by subcellular control of ligand-receptor mobility. eLife 2021; 10:67379. [PMID: 34414885 PMCID: PMC8397371 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustering of ligand:receptor complexes on the cell membrane is widely presumed to have functional consequences for subsequent signal transduction. However, it is experimentally challenging to selectively manipulate receptor clustering without altering other biochemical aspects of the cellular system. Here, we develop a microfabrication strategy to produce substrates displaying mobile and immobile ligands that are separated by roughly 1 µm, and thus experience an identical cytoplasmic signaling state, enabling precision comparison of downstream signaling reactions. Applying this approach to characterize the ephrinA1:EphA2 signaling system reveals that EphA2 clustering enhances both receptor phosphorylation and downstream signaling activity. Single-molecule imaging clearly resolves increased molecular binding dwell times at EphA2 clusters for both Grb2:SOS and NCK:N-WASP signaling modules. This type of intracellular comparison enables a substantially higher degree of quantitative analysis than is possible when comparisons must be made between different cells and essentially eliminates the effects of cellular response to ligand manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwen Chen
- Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
| | - Dongmyung Oh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, United States.,Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kabir Hassan Biswas
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ronen Zaidel-Bar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jay T Groves
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States
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92
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Abken H. Building on Synthetic Immunology and T Cell Engineering: A Brief Journey Through the History of Chimeric Antigen Receptors. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:1011-1028. [PMID: 34405686 PMCID: PMC10112879 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2021.165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Advancement in our understanding of immune cell recognition and emerging cellular engineering technologies during the last decades made active manipulation of the T cell response possible. Synthetic immunology is providing us with an expanding set of composite receptor molecules capable to reprogram immune cell function in a predefined fashion. Since the first prototypes in the late 1980s, the design of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs; T-bodies, immunoreceptors), has followed a clear line of stepwise improvements from antigen-redirected targeting to designed "living factories" delivering transgenic products on demand. Building on basic research and creative clinical exploration, CAR T cell therapy has been achieving spectacular success in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, now beginning to improve the outcome of cancer patients. In this study, we briefly review the history of CARs and outline how the progress in the basic understanding of T cell recognition and of cell engineering technologies made novel therapies possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hinrich Abken
- Department of Genetic Immunotherapy, Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Regensburg, Germany
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93
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Banik D, Hamidinia M, Brzostek J, Wu L, Stephens HM, MacAry PA, Reinherz EL, Gascoigne NRJ, Lang MJ. Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy Reveals Distinctions in Key Biophysical Parameters of αβ T-Cell Receptors Compared with Chimeric Antigen Receptors Directed at the Same Ligand. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7566-7573. [PMID: 34347491 PMCID: PMC9082930 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies exploit facile antibody-mediated targeting to elicit useful immune responses in patients. This work directly compares binding profiles of CAR and αβ T-cell receptors (TCR) with single cell and single molecule optical trap measurements against a shared ligand. DNA-tethered measurements of peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligand interaction in both CAR and TCR exhibit catch bonds with specific peptide agonist peaking at 25 and 14 pN, respectively. While a conformational transition is regularly seen in TCR-pMHC systems, that of CAR-pMHC systems is dissimilar, being infrequent, of lower magnitude, and irreversible. Slip bonds are observed with CD19-specific CAR T-cells and with a monoclonal antibody mapping to the MHC α2 helix but indifferent to the bound peptide. Collectively, these findings suggest that the CAR-pMHC interface underpins the CAR catch bond response to pMHC ligands in contradistinction to slip bonds for CARs targeting canonical ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasis Banik
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Maryam Hamidinia
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Ling Wu
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Hannah M. Stephens
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
| | - Paul A. MacAry
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Ellis L. Reinherz
- Laboratory
of Immunobiology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department
of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of
Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Nicholas R. J. Gascoigne
- Translational
Immunology Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Translational
Cancer Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Matthew J. Lang
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
- Department
of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37235, United States
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94
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Li C, Mei H, Hu Y. Applications and explorations of CRISPR/Cas9 in CAR T-cell therapy. Brief Funct Genomics 2021; 19:175-182. [PMID: 31950135 PMCID: PMC7239310 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor(CAR) T-cell therapy has shown remarkable effects and promising prospects in patients with refractory or relapsed malignancies, pending further progress in the next-generation CAR T cells with more optimized structure, enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicities. The clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) technology holds immense promise for advancing the field owing to its flexibility, simplicity, high efficiency and multiplexing in precise genome editing. Herein, we review the applications and explorations of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in constructing allogenic universal CAR T cells, disrupting inhibitory signaling to enhance potency and exploration of safer and more controllable novel CAR T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yu Hu
- Corresponding author: Heng Mei, Hubei clinical medical center of cell therapy for neoplastic disease, Wuhan 430022, Republic of China. Tel: +86-27-85726007, Fax: +86-27-85726387; E-mail:
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95
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Hou AJ, Chen LC, Chen YY. Navigating CAR-T cells through the solid-tumour microenvironment. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:531-550. [PMID: 33972771 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00189-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of T cells that are engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has shown remarkable success in treating B cell malignancies but only limited efficacy against other cancer types, especially solid tumours. Compared with haematological diseases, solid tumours present a unique set of challenges, including a lack of robustly expressed, tumour-exclusive antigen targets as well as highly immunosuppressive and metabolically challenging tumour microenvironments that limit treatment safety and efficacy. Here, we review protein- and cell-engineering strategies that seek to overcome these obstacles and produce next-generation T cells with enhanced tumour specificity and sustained effector function for the treatment of solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Hou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laurence C Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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96
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Multifaceted Role of the Transforming Growth Factor β on Effector T Cells and the Implication for CAR-T Cell Therapy. IMMUNO 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno1030010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Evading the immune system is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Tumors escape anti-tumor immunity through cell-intrinsic means and the assembly of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. By significantly boosting the host immune system, cancer immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoint receptors (CTLA-4 and PD-1) improved survival in patients even with cancers previously considered rapidly fatal. Nevertheless, an important group of patients is refractory or relapse rapidly. The factors involved in the heterogeneous responses observed are still poorly understood. Other immunotherapeutic approaches are being developed that may widen the options, including adoptive cell therapy using CAR-T cells alone or in combination. Despite impressive results in B cell malignancies, many caveats and unanswered questions remain in other cancers, thus limiting the potential of this approach to treat aggressive diseases. In particular, a complex TME could impair the survival, proliferation, and effector functions of CAR-T cells. Recent reports highlight the potential of targeting TGF-β signaling to improve CAR-T cell therapy. TGF-β is a well-known regulatory cytokine with pleiotropic effects in the TME, including immunosuppression. This review summarizes recent work investigating the potential effects of TGF-β within the TME, with a focus on CAR-T behavior and efficacy. We also discuss several key questions to be addressed to accelerate clinical translation of this approach.
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97
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Wang D, Starr R, Chang WC, Aguilar B, Alizadeh D, Wright SL, Yang X, Brito A, Sarkissian A, Ostberg JR, Li L, Shi Y, Gutova M, Aboody K, Badie B, Forman SJ, Barish ME, Brown CE. Chlorotoxin-directed CAR T cells for specific and effective targeting of glioblastoma. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/533/eaaw2672. [PMID: 32132216 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaw2672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have demonstrated signs of antitumor activity against glioblastoma (GBM), tumor heterogeneity remains a critical challenge. To achieve broader and more effective GBM targeting, we developed a peptide-bearing CAR exploiting the GBM-binding potential of chlorotoxin (CLTX). We find that CLTX peptide binds a great proportion of tumors and constituent tumor cells. CAR T cells using CLTX as the targeting domain (CLTX-CAR T cells) mediate potent anti-GBM activity and efficiently target tumors lacking expression of other GBM-associated antigens. Treatment with CLTX-CAR T cells resulted in tumor regression in orthotopic xenograft GBM tumor models. CLTX-CAR T cells do not exhibit observable off-target effector activity against normal cells or after adoptive transfer into mice. Effective targeting by CLTX-CAR T cells requires cell surface expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2. Our results pioneer a peptide toxin in CAR design, expanding the repertoire of tumor-selective CAR T cells with the potential to reduce antigen escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongrui Wang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.,Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Wen-Chung Chang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Darya Alizadeh
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Sarah L Wright
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Alfonso Brito
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Aniee Sarkissian
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Julie R Ostberg
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Li Li
- Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.,Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yanhong Shi
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Margarita Gutova
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Karen Aboody
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Behnam Badie
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Stephen J Forman
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Michael E Barish
- Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA. .,Department of Immuno-Oncology, City of Hope Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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98
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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] [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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99
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Glover M, Avraamides S, Maher J. How Can We Engineer CAR T Cells to Overcome Resistance? Biologics 2021; 15:175-198. [PMID: 34040345 PMCID: PMC8141613 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s252568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has achieved unrivalled success in the treatment of B cell and plasma cell malignancies, with five CAR T cell products now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, CAR T cell therapies for solid tumours have not been nearly as successful, owing to several additional challenges. Here, we discuss mechanisms of tumour resistance in CAR T cell therapy and the emerging strategies that are under development to engineer CAR T cells to overcome resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Glover
- Leucid Bio Ltd., Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Stephanie Avraamides
- King's College London, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - John Maher
- Leucid Bio Ltd., Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK.,King's College London, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK.,Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE5 9RS, UK.,Department of Immunology, Eastbourne Hospital, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 2UD, UK
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100
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Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Is It T Time? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102385. [PMID: 34069204 PMCID: PMC8156992 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease driven by impaired differentiation of hematopoietic primitive cells toward myeloid lineages (monocytes, granulocytes, red blood cells, platelets), leading to expansion and accumulation of "stem" and/or "progenitor"-like or differentiated leukemic cells in the bone marrow and blood. AML progression alters the bone marrow microenvironment and inhibits hematopoiesis' proper functioning, causing sustained cytopenia and immunodeficiency. This review describes how the AML microenvironment influences lymphoid lineages, particularly T lymphocytes that originate from the thymus and orchestrate adaptive immune response. We focus on the elderly population, which is mainly affected by this pathology. We discuss how a permissive AML microenvironment can alter and even worsen the thymic function, T cells' peripheral homeostasis, phenotype, and functions. Based on the recent findings on the mechanisms supporting that AML induces quantitative and qualitative changes in T cells, we suggest and summarize current immunotherapeutic strategies and challenges to overcome these anomalies to improve the anti-leukemic immune response and the clinical outcome of patients.
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