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Hwang I, Jin HT, Kang MC, Kim TY, Sung YC, Kim SW. Generation and functional characterization of a multigene-modified NK101 cell line exerting diverse mechanisms of antitumor action. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2014655. [PMID: 36524207 PMCID: PMC9746629 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.2014655] [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: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clonal cell line-based, multigene-modified, off-the-shelf NK cell therapeutics are emerging as the new frontier of adoptive cellular immunotherapy. Here, we utilized a newly established NK cell line, NK101, as a backbone to derive multifaceted killer cells armored with various antitumor modalities through repeated cycles of genetic modification and clonal selection. First, NK101 cells were transduced with a tricistronic lentiviral vector expressing CD7, CD28, and cytosine deaminase (CD). The resulting cell line demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity against B7+ tumors and exerted bystander killing effects on neighboring tumor cells upon 5-FC treatment. Second, engineered NK101 cells were again transduced with a bicistronic vector expressing membrane-bound interleukin-15 (mbIL-15) and dominant negative TGFβ type II receptor (DNTβRII). Ectopic expression of mbIL-15 resulted in further augmentation of lytic activities against all tested target cells by inducing upregulation of multiple activating receptors, while that of DNTβRII allowed the cells to maintain heightened cytotoxicity in the presence of TGFβ. Finally, dual-transduced NK101 cells were modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting either a solid tumor antigen (EpCAM) or a hematologic tumor antigen (FLT3). The final engineered products not only demonstrated antigen-specific killing activities in vitro but also exerted strong tumor-inhibitory effects in preclinical models of metastatic solid tumor and hematologic malignancy. Notably, combined treatment with 5-FC further enhanced antitumor efficacy of engineered NK101 in the solid tumor model. Our results demonstrate successful generation of multigene-modified NK101 cell therapeutics exerting diverse mechanisms of antitumor action - activation receptor-mediated innate killing, antigen-specific killing, and bystander effect-mediated killing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Injung Hwang
- SL BiGen, Inc., Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Tak Jin
- Progen. Co., Ltd., Research Institute, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Cheol Kang
- SL BiGen, Inc., Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Yoon Kim
- SL BiGen, Inc., Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Chul Sung
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Republic of Korea,Young Chul Sung Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae Won Kim
- SL BiGen, Inc., Research Institute, Incheon, Republic of Korea,CONTACT Sae Won Kim Sl BiGen, Inc, Incheon, Republic of Korea
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Mohammed T, Mailankody S. “Off-the-shelf” immunotherapies for multiple myeloma. Semin Oncol 2022; 49:60-68. [DOI: 10.1053/j.seminoncol.2022.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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53
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Wotschel N, Montero PO, Wels WS, Tonn T, Eitler J. Live-cell imaging for analysis of the NK cell immunological synapse. Methods Cell Biol 2022. [PMID: 37516519 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The immunological synapse (IS) between NK cells and cancer cells is instrumental for the initiation of tumor-specific cytotoxicity. Improper function of processes at the IS can lead to NK cell unresponsiveness, contributing to tumor immune escape. Critical steps at the IS include target cell recognition, conjugation of NK cell and cancer cell, cytotoxic granule convergence to the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC), granule polarization to the IS, and degranulation. Here, we describe confocal live-cell imaging methods for the analysis of these processes at the immunological synapse, with a focus on mechanisms of cancer cell resistance facilitating escape from NK cell cytotoxicity.
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54
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Fabian KP, Hodge JW. The emerging role of off-the-shelf engineered natural killer cells in targeted cancer immunotherapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2021; 23:266-276. [PMID: 34761106 PMCID: PMC8560822 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that recognize and clear infected and transformed cells. The importance of NK cells in tumor surveillance underlies the development of NK cell therapy as cancer treatment. The NK-92 cell line has been successfully modified to express high-affinity CD16 receptor for antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and/or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can recognize antigens expressed on tumor cells and mediate NK cell activation. Since there is no need for human leukocyte antigen matching or prior exposure to the tumor antigens, NK-92 provides an opportunity for the development of next-generation off-the-shelf cell therapy platforms. CAR-engineered NK-92 cells have demonstrated robust antitumor activity in in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies, propelling the clinical development of CAR NK-92 cells. Preliminary phase 1 data indicate that CAR NK-92 can be safely administered in the clinic. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in the research and clinical application of this novel cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellsye P Fabian
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room 8B09, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James W Hodge
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room 8B09, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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55
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Nakamura T, Nakade T, Yamada K, Sato Y, Harashima H. The hydrophobic tail of a pH-sensitive cationic lipid influences siRNA transfection activity and toxicity in human NK cell lines. Int J Pharm 2021; 609:121140. [PMID: 34592399 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.121140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The use of natural killer (NK) cells in cell therapy is an attractive next generation strategy for cancer immunotherapy. NK-92 cells (a human NK cell line) have been tested in clinical trial stages, making them an off-the-shelf medicine. Controlling gene expression in NK-92 cells by an artificial delivery system is an available for enhancing NK-92 cell therapy. We report here on the development of a siRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticle (LNP) composed of CL1H6 (CL1H6-LNP), an optimized, pH-sensitive cationic lipid, with efficient gene silencing and low cytotoxicity in NK-92 cells. The hydrophilic head group of the lipid molecule used in preparing these particles largely influences the pKa of the final LNP, and lipids with an amino moiety substituted with a methyl group showed a high gene silencing activity. Compared with myristate and palmitate, the hydrophobic tail of oleate had a high gene silencing activity and cell viability. Analyses of intracellular trafficking indicated that the CL1H6-LNP appeared to escape from the endosomes via membrane fusion, without disrupting the membrane. The mechanism of endosomal escape should contribute to our understanding of efficient gene silencing with a low degree of cytotoxicity. These results therefore suggest that a CL1H6-LNP has promise for delivering siRNA to NK-92 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Nakamura
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Taisei Nakade
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Koharu Yamada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yusuke Sato
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
| | - Hideyoshi Harashima
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
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Pan C, Zhai Y, Li G, Jiang T, Zhang W. NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy and Therapeutic Perspective in Gliomas. Front Oncol 2021; 11:751183. [PMID: 34765554 PMCID: PMC8576093 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.751183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor diagnosed in adults. Current therapies are unable to improve its clinical prognosis, imposing the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. The main reason for the poor prognosis is the great cell heterogeneity of the tumor and its immunosuppressive microenvironment. Development of new therapies that avoid this immune evasion could improve the response to the current treatments. Natural killer (NK) cells are an intriguing candidate for the next wave of therapies because of several unique features that they possess. For example, NK cell-based immunotherapy causes minimal graft-versus-host disease. Cytokine release syndrome is less likely to occur during chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK therapy, and CAR-NK cells can kill targets in a CAR-independent manner. However, NK cell-based therapy in treating glioma faces several difficulties. For example, CAR molecules are not sufficiently well designed so that they will thoroughly release functioning NK cells. Compared to hematological malignancies, the application of many potential NK cell-based therapies in glioma lags far behind. Here, we review several issues of NK cells and propose several strategies that will improve the efficacy of NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy in the treatment of glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changqing Pan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - You Zhai
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guanzhang Li
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.,Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and Asian Glioma Genome Atlas (AGGA), Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China.,Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and Asian Glioma Genome Atlas (AGGA), Beijing, China
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57
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The Race of CAR Therapies: CAR-NK Cells for Fighting B-Cell Hematological Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13215418. [PMID: 34771581 PMCID: PMC8582420 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13215418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Over the last few years, CAR-T cells have arisen as one of the most promising immunotherapies against relapsed or refractory hematological cancers. Despite their good results in clinical trials, there are some limitations to overcome, such as undesirable side-effects or the restraints of an autologous treatment. Therefore, CAR-NK cells have emerged as a good alternative for these kinds of treatments. This review discusses the advantages of CAR-NK cells compared to CAR-T cells, as well as the different sources and strategies in order to obtain these CAR-NK cells. Abstract Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are the most common leukemias in children and elderly people, respectively. Standard therapies, such as chemotherapy, are only effective in 40% of ALL adult patients with a five-year survival rate and therefore new alternatives need to be used, such as immunotherapy targeting specific receptors of malignant cells. Among all the options, CAR (Chimeric antigen receptor)-based therapy has arisen as a new opportunity for refractory or relapsed hematological cancer patients. CARs were designed to be used along with T lymphocytes, creating CAR-T cells, but they are presenting such encouraging results that they are already in use as drugs. Nonetheless, their side-effects and the fact that it is not possible to infuse an allogenic CAR-T product without causing graft-versus-host-disease, have meant using a different cell source to solve these problems, such as Natural Killer (NK) cells. Although CAR-based treatment is a high-speed race led by CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells are slowly (but surely) consolidating their position; their demonstrated efficacy and the lack of undesirable side-effects is opening a new door for CAR-based treatments. CAR-NKs are now in the field to stay.
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NK Cell-Mediated Eradication of Ovarian Cancer Cells with a Novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor Directed against CD44. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9101339. [PMID: 34680456 PMCID: PMC8533227 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of gynecological cancer-related death in the developed world. Disease recurrence and chemoresistance are major causes of poor survival rates in ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) were shown to represent a source of tumor recurrence owing to the high resistance to chemotherapy and enhanced tumorigenicity. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based adoptive immunotherapy represents a promising strategy to reduce the risk for recurrent disease. In this study, we developed a codon-optimized third-generation CAR to specifically target CD44, a marker widely expressed on ovarian cancer cells and associated with CSC-like properties and intraperitoneal tumor spread. We equipped NK-92 cells with the anti-CD44 CAR (CD44NK) and an anti-CD19 control CAR (CD19NK) using lentiviral SIN vectors. Compared to CD19NK and untransduced NK-92 cells, CD44NK showed potent and specific cytotoxic activity against CD44-positive ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and OVCAR3) and primary ovarian cancer cells harvested from ascites. In contrast, CD44NK had less cytotoxic activity against CD44-negative A2780 cells. Specific activation of engineered NK cells was also demonstrated by interferon-γ (IFNγ) secretion assays. Furthermore, CD44NK cells still demonstrated cytotoxic activity under cisplatin treatment. Most importantly, the simultaneous treatment with CD44NK and cisplatin showed higher anti-tumor activity than sequential treatment.
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59
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Park JE, Kim SE, Keam B, Park HR, Kim S, Kim M, Kim TM, Doh J, Kim DW, Heo DS. Anti-tumor effects of NK cells and anti-PD-L1 antibody with antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in PD-L1-positive cancer cell lines. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-000873. [PMID: 32830112 PMCID: PMC7445348 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-000873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although programmed cell death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors show remarkable antitumor activity, a large portion of patients with cancer, even those with high PD-L1-expressing tumors, do not respond to their effects. Most PD-L1 inhibitors contain modified fragment crystallizable region (Fc) receptor binding sites to prevent antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against PD-L1-expressing non-tumor cells. However, natural killer (NK) cells have specific antitumor activity in the presence of tumor-targeting antibody through ADCC, which could enhance NK cell-induced cytotoxicity. We evaluated the antitumor efficacy of ADCC via anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and NK cells against several PD-L1-positive cancer cell lines. Methods Various cancer cell lines were used as target cell lines. Surface PD-L1 expression was analyzed by flow cytometry. IMC-001 and anti-hPD-L1-hIgG1 were tested as anti-PD-L1 mAbs with ADCC and atezolizumab as an anti-PD-L1 mAb without ADCC. NK cell cytotoxicity was measured by 51Cr-release assay and CD107a degranulation assay. Also, live cell imaging was performed to evaluate cytotoxicity in a single-cell level. NK-92-CD16 (CD16-transduced NK-92 cell line) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors, respectively, were used as an effector cell. FcγRIIIa (CD16a)-V158F genotyping was performed for healthy donors. Results We demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of NK-92-CD16 cells toward PD-L1-positive cancer cell lines was significantly enhanced in the presence of anti-PD-L1 mAb with ADCC. We also noted a significant increase in primary human NK cell cytotoxicity against PD-L1-positive human cancer cells when cocultured with anti-PD-L1 mAb with ADCC. Moreover, NK cells expressing a FCGR3A high-affinity genotype displayed higher anti-PD-L1 mAb-mediated ADCC lysis of tumor cells than donors with a low-affinity genotype. Conclusion These results suggest that NK cells induce an ADCC response in combination with anti-PD-L1 mAbs, which helps promote ADCC antitumor activity against PD-L1-positive tumors. This study provides support for NK cell immunotherapy against high PD-L1-expressing tumors in combination with ADCC through anti-PD-L1 mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Eun Park
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Eun Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Bhumsuk Keam
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea .,Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Ram Park
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soyeon Kim
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Miso Kim
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Min Kim
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junsang Doh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Wan Kim
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Seog Heo
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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60
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Gunduz M, Ataca Atilla P, Atilla E. New Orders to an Old Soldier: Optimizing NK Cells for Adoptive Immunotherapy in Hematology. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9091201. [PMID: 34572387 PMCID: PMC8466804 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
NK (Natural Killer) cell-mediated adoptive immunotherapy has gained attention in hematology due to the progressing knowledge of NK cell receptor structure, biology and function. Today, challenges related to NK cell expansion and persistence in vivo as well as low cytotoxicity have been mostly overcome by pioneering trials that focused on harnessing NK cell functions. Recent technological advancements in gene delivery, gene editing and chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have made it possible to generate genetically modified NK cells that enhance the anti-tumor efficacy and represent suitable “off-the-shelf” products with fewer side effects. In this review, we highlight recent advances in NK cell biology along with current approaches for potentiating NK cell proliferation and activity, redirecting NK cells using CARs and optimizing the procedure to manufacture clinical-grade NK and CAR NK cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Gunduz
- Department of Hematology, Biruni University, Istanbul 34010, Turkey;
| | - Pinar Ataca Atilla
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Ph.D Program, Stem Cell Institute, Ankara University, Ankara 06520, Turkey;
| | - Erden Atilla
- Department of Hematology, Mersin State Hospital, Korukent District, 96015 St., Toroslar 33240, Turkey
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +9-05-058-213-131
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61
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Lu H, Zhao X, Li Z, Hu Y, Wang H. From CAR-T Cells to CAR-NK Cells: A Developing Immunotherapy Method for Hematological Malignancies. Front Oncol 2021; 11:720501. [PMID: 34422667 PMCID: PMC8377427 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.720501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The approval of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T (CAR-T) cell products in B-cell malignancies represents a breakthrough in CAR-T cell immunotherapy. However, the remaining limitations concerning the graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and other adverse effects (e.g., cytokine release syndromes [CRS] and neurotoxicity) still restrict their wider applications. Natural killer (NK) cells have been identified as promising candidates for CAR-based cellular immunotherapy because of their unique characteristics. No HLA-matching restriction and abundant sources make CAR-engineered NK (CAR-NK) cells potentially available to be off-the-shelf products that could be readily available for immediate clinical use. Therefore, researchers have gradually shifted their focus from CAR-T cells to CAR-NK cells in hematological malignancies. This review discusses the current status and applications of CAR-NK cells in hematological malignancies, as well as the unique advantages of CAR-NK cells compared with CAR-T cells. It also discusses challenges and prospects regarding clinical applications of CAR-NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lu
- Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ziying Li
- Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Hu
- Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huafang Wang
- Department of Hematology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Fabian KP, Padget MR, Donahue RN, Solocinski K, Robbins Y, Allen CT, Lee JH, Rabizadeh S, Soon-Shiong P, Schlom J, Hodge JW. PD-L1 targeting high-affinity NK (t-haNK) cells induce direct antitumor effects and target suppressive MDSC populations. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2019-000450. [PMID: 32439799 PMCID: PMC7247398 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2019-000450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, clinical benefit with this class of agents has been limited to a subset of patients. Hence, more effective means to target tumor cells that express immune checkpoint molecules should be developed. For the first time, we report a novel natural killer (NK) cell line, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) targeting high-affinity natural killer (t-haNK), which was derived from NK-92 and was engineered to express high-affinity CD16, endoplasmic reticulum-retained interleukin (IL)-2, and a PD-L1-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). We show that PD-L1 t-haNK cells also retained the expression of native NK receptors and carried a high content of granzyme and perforin granules. Methods NanoString, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence analyses were performed to characterize the phenotype of irradiated PD-L1 t-haNK cells. In vitro PD-L1 t-haNK cell activity against cancer cell lines and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was determined via flow-based and 111In-release killing assays. The antitumor effect of PD-L1 t-haNK cells in vivo was investigated using MDA-MB-231, H460, and HTB1 xenograft models in NOD-scid IL2Rgammanull (NSG) mice. Additionally, the antitumor effect of PD-L1 t-haNK cells, in combination with anti-PD-1 and N-803, an IL-15 superagonist, was evaluated using mouse oral cancer 1 syngeneic model in C57BL/6 mice. Results We show that PD-L1 t-haNK cells expressed PD-L1-targeting CAR and CD16, retained the expression of native NK receptors, and carried a high content of granzyme and perforin granules. In vitro, we demonstrate the ability of irradiated PD-L1 t-haNK cells to lyse 20 of the 20 human cancer cell lines tested, including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and lung, urogenital, and gastric cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of PD-L1 t-haNK cells was correlated to the PD-L1 expression of the tumor targets and can be improved by pretreating the targets with interferon (IFN)-γ. In vivo, irradiated PD-L1 t-haNK cells inhibited the growth of engrafted TNBC and lung and bladder tumors in NSG mice. The combination of PD-L1 t-haNK cells with N-803 and anti-PD-1 antibody resulted in superior tumor growth control of engrafted oral cavity squamous carcinoma tumors in C57BL/6 mice. In addition, when cocultured with human PBMCs, PD-L1 t-haNK cells preferentially lysed the myeloid-derived suppressor cell population but not other immune cell types. Conclusion These studies demonstrate the antitumor efficacy of PD-L1 t-haNK cells and provide a rationale for the potential use of these cells in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellsye P Fabian
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Michelle R Padget
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Renee N Donahue
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristen Solocinski
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yvette Robbins
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Clint T Allen
- Section on Translational Tumor Immunology, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John H Lee
- ImmunityBio, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Shahrooz Rabizadeh
- NantOmics, Culver City, California, USA.,ImmunityBio, Culver City, California, USA
| | - Patrick Soon-Shiong
- NantOmics, Culver City, California, USA.,ImmunityBio, Culver City, California, USA
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - James W Hodge
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Dehbashi M, Hojati Z, Motovali-Bashi M, Ganjalikhany MR, Cho WC, Shimosaka A, Navabi P, Ganjalikhani-Hakemi M. A Novel CAR Expressing NK Cell Targeting CD25 With the Prospect of Overcoming Immune Escape Mechanism in Cancers. Front Oncol 2021; 11:649710. [PMID: 34055618 PMCID: PMC8160382 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.649710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
For many years, high-affinity subunit of IL-2 receptor (CD25) has been considered as a promising therapeutic target for different pathologic conditions like allograft rejection, autoimmunity, and cancers. Although CD25 is transiently expressed by newly-activated T cells, it is the hallmark of regulatory T (Treg) cells which are the most important immunosuppressive elements in tumor microenvironment. Thus, Tregs can be considered as a potential target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based therapeutic approaches. On the other hand, due to some profound adverse effects pertaining to the use of CAR T cells, CAR NK cells have caught researchers’ attention as a safer choice. Based on these, the aim of this study was to design and develop a CAR NK cell against CD25 as the most prominent biomarker of Tregs with the prospect of overcoming immune escape mechanism in solid and liquid cancers. In the current study, an anti-CD25 CAR was designed and evaluated by comprehensive in silico analyses. Then, using lentiviral transduction system, NK-92 cell line was engineered to express this anti-CD25 CAR construct. In vitro functional analyses of anti-CD25 CAR for its reactivity against CD25 antigen as well as for cytotoxicity and cytokine production assays against CD25 bearing Jurkat cell line were done. In silico analyses demonstrated that the anti-CD25 CAR transcript and scFv protein structures were stable and had proper interaction with the target. Also, in vitro analyses showed that the anti-CD25 CAR-engineered NK-92 cells were able to specifically detect and lyse target cells with an appropriate cytokine production and cytotoxic activity. To conclude, the results showed that this novel CAR NK cell is functional and warrant further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moein Dehbashi
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zohreh Hojati
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Majid Motovali-Bashi
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohamad Reza Ganjalikhany
- Division of Biochemistry, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Akihiro Shimosaka
- Institute of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Parnian Navabi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mazdak Ganjalikhani-Hakemi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Acquired Immunodeficiency Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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64
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Wang X, Luo X, Tian Y, Wu T, Weng J, Li Z, Ye F, Huang X. Equipping Natural Killer Cells with Cetuximab through Metabolic Glycoengineering and Bioorthogonal Reaction for Targeted Treatment of KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancer. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:724-730. [PMID: 33829754 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
While Cetuximab can be used to treat KRAS wild-type colon cancer cells by targeting EGFR and inhibiting the activation of downstream signaling pathways, it exhibits little therapeutic effect on KRAS mutant colon cancer cells. Natural killer (NK) cells are a class of powerful immune cells with anticancer activities. However, NK cells typically lack inherent tumor targeting abilities. Here, a new method is established to bestow NK-92 cells with tumor targeting abilities by installing cetuximab on the cell surface. Through metabolic glycoengineering, azide groups were introduced onto the surface of NK-92 cells. Bioorthogonal strain promoted the azide-alkyne cycloaddition click reaction of engineered NK-92 cells with alkyne modified cetuximab functionalized NK cells with the antibody. The resulting NK-92 cells were significantly more effective than the parent NK-92 cells in protecting against tumor development in a KRAS mutant mouse tumor model resistant to cetuximab treatment. Thus, NK cell functionalization with antibodies enabled by metabolic glycoengineering is a promising strategy to enhance anticancer immune therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province, Department of Biomaterials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xi Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Antitumor Drug Transformation Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Yunpeng Tian
- Xiamen Nuokangde Biological Technology Co., Ltd, Xiamen, 361006, China
| | - Ting Wu
- Department of Basic Medicine, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jian Weng
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Fujian Province, Department of Biomaterials, College of Materials, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Zhu Li
- Xiamen Nuokangde Biological Technology Co., Ltd, Xiamen, 361006, China
| | - Feng Ye
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Antitumor Drug Transformation Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Xuefei Huang
- Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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Rafei H, Daher M, Rezvani K. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK)-cell therapy: leveraging the power of innate immunity. Br J Haematol 2021; 193:216-230. [PMID: 33216984 PMCID: PMC9942693 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.17186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are a rapidly emerging form of cancer treatment, and have resulted in remarkable responses in refractory lymphoid malignancies. However, their widespread clinical use is limited by toxicity related to cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, the logistic complexity of their manufacturing, cost and time-to-treatment for autologous CAR-T cells, and the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) associated with allogeneic CAR-T cells. Natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as a promising source of cells for CAR-based therapies due to their ready availability and safety profile. NK cells are part of the innate immune system, providing the first line of defence against pathogens and cancer cells. They produce cytokines and mediate cytotoxicity without the need for prior sensitisation and have the ability to interact with, and activate other immune cells. NK cells for immunotherapy can be generated from multiple sources, such as expanded autologous or allogeneic peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood, haematopoietic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as cell lines. Genetic engineering of NK cells to express a CAR has shown impressive preclinical results and is currently being explored in multiple clinical trials. In the present review, we discuss both the preclinical and clinical trial progress made in the field of CAR NK-cell therapy, and the strategies to overcome the challenges encountered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hind Rafei
- Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
| | - May Daher
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katayoun Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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66
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Marofi F, Rahman HS, Thangavelu L, Dorofeev A, Bayas-Morejón F, Shirafkan N, Shomali N, Chartrand MS, Jarahian M, Vahedi G, Mohammed RN, Shahrokh S, Akbari M, Khiavi FM. Renaissance of armored immune effector cells, CAR-NK cells, brings the higher hope for successful cancer therapy. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:200. [PMID: 33752707 PMCID: PMC7983395 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02251-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, a new method of cellular immunotherapy was introduced based on engineering and empowering the immune effector cells. In this type of immunotherapy, the immune effector cells are equipped with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to specifically target cancer cells. In much of the trials and experiments, CAR-modified T cell immunotherapy has achieved very promising therapeutic results in the treatment of some types of cancers and infectious diseases. However, there are also some considerable drawbacks in the clinical application of CAR-T cells although much effort is in progress to rectify the issues. In some conditions, CAR-T cells initiate over-activated and strong immune responses, therefore, causing unexpected side-effects such as systemic cytokine toxicity (i.e., cytokine release syndrome), neurotoxicity, on-target, off-tumor toxicity, and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). To overcome these limitations in CAR-T cell immunotherapy, NK cells as an alternative source of immune effector cells have been utilized for CAR-engineering. Natural killer cells are key players of the innate immune system that can destroy virus-infected cells, tumor cells, or other aberrant cells with their efficient recognizing capability. Compared to T cells, CAR-transduced NK cells (CAR-NK) have several advantages, such as safety in clinical use, non-MHC-restricted recognition of tumor cells, and renewable and easy cell sources for their preparation. In this review, we will discuss the recent preclinical and clinical studies, different sources of NK cells, transduction methods, possible limitations and challenges, and clinical considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faroogh Marofi
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Heshu Sulaiman Rahman
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Suleimanyah, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
| | - Lakshmi Thangavelu
- Associate professor, Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
| | - Aleksey Dorofeev
- Department of Propaedeutics of Dental Diseases, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University,), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Favian Bayas-Morejón
- Center for Research and Biotechnological Development, Research Department, Bolivar State University, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Natural Resources and the Environment, CP 020150 Guaranda, Ecuador
| | - Naghmeh Shirafkan
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Navid Shomali
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Mostafa Jarahian
- German Cancer Research Center, Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit (G401), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ghasem Vahedi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Rebar N. Mohammed
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Suleimanyah, Iraq
| | - Somayeh Shahrokh
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Shahrekord, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Morteza Akbari
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Qian M, Zhang Q, Lu J, Zhang J, Wang Y, Shangguan W, Feng M, Feng J. Long-Acting Human Interleukin 2 Bioconjugate Modified with Fatty Acids by Sortase A. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:615-625. [PMID: 33656323 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Human Interleukin 2 (IL-2) has already achieved impressive results as a therapeutic agent for cancer and autoimmune diseases. However, one of the limitations associated with the clinical application of IL-2 is its short half-life owing to rapid clearance by the kidneys. Modification with fatty acids, as an albumin noncovalent ligand with the advantage of deep penetration into tissues and high activity-to-mass ratio, is a commonly used approach to improve the half-life of native peptides and proteins. In this investigation, we attempted to extend the half-life of IL-2 through conjugation with a fatty acid using sortase A (srtA). We initially designed and optimized three IL-2 analogues with different peptide linkers between the C-terminus of IL-2 and srtA recognition sequence (LPETG). Among these, analogue A3 was validated as the optimal IL-2 analogue for further modification. Next, six fatty acid moieties with the same fatty acid and different hydrophilic spacers were conjugated to A3 through srtA. The six bioconjugates generated were screened for in vitro biological activity, among which bioconjugate B6 was identified as near-optimal to IL-2. Additionally, B6 could effectively bind albumin through the conjugated fatty acid, which contributed to a significant improvement in its pharmacokinetic properties in vivo. In summary, we have developed a novel IL-2 bioconjugate, B6, modified with fatty acids using srtA, which may effectively serve as a new-generation long-acting IL-2 immunotherapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxin Qian
- Department of Microbiological & Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203 Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Qingbin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Jianguang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Jinhua Zhang
- Department of Microbiological & Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203 Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Yapeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Wenwen Shangguan
- Department of Microbiological & Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203 Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Meiqing Feng
- Department of Microbiological & Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 201203 Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Feng
- State Key Laboratory of New Drug and Pharmaceutical Process, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 201203 Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., 201203 Shanghai, China
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68
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Peng X, Chen L, Chen L, Wang B, Wang Y, Zhan X. Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cells: Novel insight into immunotherapy for solid tumors (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 21:340. [PMID: 33732313 PMCID: PMC7903426 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.9771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is an artificially modified fusion protein consisting of an extracellular antigen-binding domain, transmembrane domain and intracellular signalling domain. CAR-T therapy has demonstrated remarkable clinical efficacy in hematological malignancies. However, cytokine release syndrome and other side effects have hindered its application in solid tumors. CAR-natural killer (NK) cells have attracted broad attention due to their safety in clinical applications, their mechanism in recognising cancer cells and the abundance of its clinical specimens. Preclinical and clinical trials of human primary NK cells and NK-92 cell lines demonstrated that CAR-NK cells are able to fight haematological malignancies and solid tumors. However, the implication of CAR-NK cell therapy also has certain challenges, including the expansion and activation of primary NK cells in vitro, selection of CAR targets, survival time of CAR-NK cells in vivo, storage and transportation of NK cells, and efficiency of NK cell transduction. This review focuses on the latest progress of CAR-NK cells in the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Peng
- Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200081, P.R. China
| | - Ling Chen
- Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200081, P.R. China
| | - Longpei Chen
- Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200081, P.R. China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200081, P.R. China
| | - Yiran Wang
- Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200081, P.R. China
| | - Xianbao Zhan
- Department of Oncology, Changhai Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai 200081, P.R. China
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69
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Golden RJ, Fesnak AD. Clinical development of natural killer cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors. Transfus Apher Sci 2021; 60:103065. [PMID: 33468407 PMCID: PMC10029926 DOI: 10.1016/j.transci.2021.103065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Both natural killer (NK) cells and T cells demonstrate potent antitumor responses in many settings. NK cells, unlike T cells, are not the primary mediators of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Redirection of T cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) has helped to overcome tumor escape from endogenous T cells. NK cells expressing CARs are a promising new therapy to treat malignancy. Clinical biomanufacturing of CAR NK cells can begin with NK cells derived from many different sources including adult peripheral blood-derived NK cells, cord blood-derived NK cells, cell line-derived NK cells, or stem cell-derived NK cells. Manufacturing protocols may include isolation of NK cells, activation, expansion, and genetic modification to express the chimeric antigen receptors. Clinical trials have tested both unmodified and CAR NK cells with encouraging results. The next stage in clinical development of CAR NK cells represents a highly exciting new frontier in clinical cell therapy as well as understanding basic NK cell biology. The purpose of this review is to provide the reader with a fundamental understanding of the core concepts in CAR NK cell manufacturing, specifically highlighting differences between CAR T cell manufacturing and focusing on future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Golden
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Andrew D Fesnak
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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70
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Eitler J, Wotschel N, Miller N, Boissel L, Klingemann HG, Wels W, Tonn T. Inability of granule polarization by NK cells defines tumor resistance and can be overcome by CAR or ADCC mediated targeting. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001334. [PMID: 33468562 PMCID: PMC7817806 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background On encountering a susceptible target, natural killer (NK) cells mediate cytotoxicity through highly regulated steps of directed degranulation. Cytotoxic granules converge at the microtubule organizing center and are polarized toward the immunological synapse (IS), followed by granule exocytosis. NK cell retargeting by chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or mAbs represents a promising strategy for overcoming tumor cell resistance. However, little is known about the lytic granule dynamics of such retargeted NK cells toward NK-cell-resistant tumors. Methods Here, we used spinning disk confocal microscopy for live-cell imaging to analyze granule-mediated NK cell cytotoxicity in ErbB2-targeted CAR-expressing NK-92 cells (NK-92/5.28.z) and high-affinity FcR transgenic NK-92 cells plus Herceptin toward ErbB2-positive breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-453), which are resistant to parental NK-92. Results Unmodified NK-92 cells cocultured with resistant cancer cells showed stable conjugate formation and granule clustering, but failed to polarize granules to the IS. In contrast, retargeting by CAR or FcR+Herceptin toward the MDA-MB-453 cells enabled granule polarization to the IS, resulting in highly effective cytotoxicity. We found that in NK-92 the phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway was activated after contact with resistant MDA-MB-453, while phospholipase C-γ (PLCγ) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were not activated. In contrast, retargeting by CAR or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) provided the missing PLCγ and MEK/ERK signals. Conclusions These observations suggest that NK cells can create conjugates with resistant cancer cells and respond by granule clustering, but the activation signals are insufficient to induce granule polarization and consequent release of lytic enzymes. Retargeting by CAR and/or the FcR/mAb (ADCC) axis provide the necessary signals, leading to granule polarization and thereby overcoming tumor cell resistance. Keywords: NK cells, NK-92, haNK, ADCC, Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR), breast cancer, cancer immunotherapy, live-cell imaging, granule polarization
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiri Eitler
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.,Institute for Transfusion Medicine, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Natalie Wotschel
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.,Institute for Transfusion Medicine, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicole Miller
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.,Institute for Transfusion Medicine, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | - Winfried Wels
- Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Torsten Tonn
- Experimental Transfusion Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany .,Institute for Transfusion Medicine, German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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71
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A High-Salt Diet Disturbs the Development and Function of Natural Killer Cells in Mice. J Immunol Res 2020; 2020:6687143. [PMID: 33426093 PMCID: PMC7772026 DOI: 10.1155/2020/6687143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A high-salt diet (HSD) is common worldwide and can lead to cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. Moreover, increasing evidence shows that HSD is closely related to a variety of immune diseases. Natural killer (NK) cells are important innate immune cells that directly kill their targets via degranulation and secretion of interferon gamma (IFN-γ). NK cells play a vital role in resisting viruses and preventing the malignant transformation of cells; however, whether HSD affects the development and function of NK cells has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to understand the effects of HSD on the development and function of NK cells, in addition to investigating the underlying molecular mechanism. Our results show that the number of NK cells in the spleen and lungs of HSD-fed mice was significantly reduced, which may be due to the inhibition of NK cell proliferation. Further, the development of NK cells in mice was evaluated, and it was found that HSD reduced the effective NK cell subset (CD27+CD11b−). Moreover, it was also found that the ability of NK cells to secrete CD107a and IFN-γ in HSD-fed mice was decreased following stimulation with RMA-S and YAC-1 tumor cells. Finally, the underlying molecular mechanism was evaluated, and it was found that HSD increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by NK cells, while the expression of CD122 was decreased, suggesting that HSD downregulates CD122 expression in NK cells via ROS signaling, thereby reducing the responsiveness to IL-15 and ultimately inhibiting NK cell function. The present research discovered a novel mechanism by which HSD inhibits the function of NK cells, providing an alternative avenue for the treatment of immune diseases caused by HSD.
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Abstract
Since the approval in 2017 and the amazing achievement of Kymriah and Yescarta, the number of basic researchers and clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T cells (CAR-T cells) has been relentlessly increasing. Up to now, more than 200 clinical trials are listed on clinical trial database of NIH and the basic research is countless. However, the production of allogeneic CAR-T cells products is still expensive and has toxicity. Thus, more effort is needed to develop reliable off-the-shelf cellular therapeutic methods with safety and efficiency for the treatment of patients with cancer. As a kind of innate effector lymphocyte with potent antitumor activity, natural killer cells (NK cells) have attracted much attention. Until now, basic and clinical research has shown that chimeric antigen receptor-expressing NK cell (CAR-NK) therapy may play a significant anti-tumor role and its safety is higher than CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we discuss advantages and shortages of employing CAR-NK cells as a novel cellular therapy against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jufeng Xia
- Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.,Department of Immunology, Arai Japan Medical Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shuichi Minamino
- Department of Immunology, Arai Japan Medical Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuma Kuwabara
- Department of Immunology, Arai Japan Medical Institute, Tokyo, Japan
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73
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Bai Y, Liang J, Liu W, Wang F, Li C. Possible roles of HLA-G regulating immune cells in pregnancy and endometrial diseases via KIR2DL4. J Reprod Immunol 2020; 142:103176. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2020.103176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Dash P, Piras AM, Dash M. Cell membrane coated nanocarriers - an efficient biomimetic platform for targeted therapy. J Control Release 2020; 327:546-570. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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75
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Grote S, Mittelstaet J, Baden C, Chan KCH, Seitz C, Schlegel P, Kaiser A, Handgretinger R, Schleicher S. Adapter chimeric antigen receptor (AdCAR)-engineered NK-92 cells: an off-the-shelf cellular therapeutic for universal tumor targeting. Oncoimmunology 2020; 9:1825177. [PMID: 33457105 PMCID: PMC7781805 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2020.1825177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the recent success of CAR T cells targeting CD19 and CD22 in hematological malignancies, the production of CAR T cells still requires an extensive manufacturing process. The well-established NK-92 cell line provides a promising alternative to produce CAR-modified effector cells in a GMP-compliant, cost-effective way. NK-92 can be redirected against a variety of surface antigens by our adapter CAR (AdCAR) system utilizing biotinylated antibodies (bAb) as adapter molecules. Selected bAb were capable of inducing significant AdCAR NK-92-mediated lysis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) cell lines as well as primary MCL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. AdCAR specificity was proven using a JeKo-1 CD19/CD20 knockout antigen-loss model. Moreover, through combinations of bAb, AdCAR NK-92 cells are capable of combatting tumor antigen evasion mechanisms. In conclusion, we successfully generated the AdCAR NK-92 cell line which can be manufactured as an “off-the-shelf, on-demand” product allowing universal and tunable tumor targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Grote
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Caroline Baden
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kenneth Chun-Ho Chan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Christian Seitz
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Patrick Schlegel
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Rupert Handgretinger
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Schleicher
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany
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76
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Dianat-Moghadam H, Mahari A, Heidarifard M, Parnianfard N, Pourmousavi-Kh L, Rahbarghazi R, Amoozgar Z. NK cells-directed therapies target circulating tumor cells and metastasis. Cancer Lett 2020; 497:41-53. [PMID: 32987138 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related deaths. Invasive primary cancers often metastasize after circulating tumor cells (CTCs) enter the bloodstream or lymph node to colonize adjacent tissue or distant anatomical locations. CTCs interact with immune cells and metastatic microenvironments, survival signaling, and chemotherapeutic resistance. Among immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells can, directly and indirectly, interact with CTCs to control cancer metastasis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive NK cells mediated recognition and elimination of CTCs may pave the way for a new generation of anti-CTC molecularly targeted immunotherapies. In this review, we will discuss i) the role of CTCs in metastases, ii) CTCs in the context of the tumor microenvironment, iii) CTCs immune escape, and finally, iv) the potentials of NK cell-based therapies alone, or in combination with nanomedicine for targeted-immunotherapies of metastatic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Dianat-Moghadam
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Amir Mahari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Ahar Branch, Ahar, Iran
| | - Maryam Heidarifard
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Negin Parnianfard
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Laleh Pourmousavi-Kh
- Department of Exercise Physiology, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Rahbarghazi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zohreh Amoozgar
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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77
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Song X, Xu C, Wu X, Zhao X, Fan J, Meng S. The potential markers of NK-92 associated to cytotoxicity against K562 cells. Biologicals 2020; 68:46-53. [PMID: 32933840 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Markers associated to NK cytolytic activity are in a great need to regulate NK cell immunotherapy products. We assume that biomarkers which response to cytolysis will change their transcription, expression or secretion. To find NK-92 indicator to cytolytic activity, we have evaluated the potential markers by quantifying the expression of well-known cytotoxicity functional molecules (cytokine IFN-γ, Granzyme B, perforin, CD69 and CD107a), and explored candidate markers by a sweeping transcription picture of NK-92 using a direct cytolysis model (incubation with K562). We found that IFN-γ secretion was highly correlated to cytotoxicity of NK-92, neither Granzyme B, perforin secretion, nor CD69, CD107a positive population were upregulated by K562 stimulation. RNAseq revealed 432 genes expression changed during cytolysis, several genes (BIRC3, CSF2, VCAM1 and TNFRSF9) mRNA expression were validated by real time RT-PCR under K562 being killed or protected from being killed conditions. Results suggested IFN-γ secretion, BIRC3 and TNFRSF9 transcription in NK-92 were responsive to K562 cytolysis. In a word, our results confirmed one marker and reveal an array of novel candidate markers associated with NK-92 cytotoxicity. Further studies are greatly needed to determine the roles these new makers play in NK-92 cytolysis process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Song
- National Cell Collection and Research Center, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Chongfeng Xu
- National Cell Collection and Research Center, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Xueling Wu
- National Cell Collection and Research Center, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Xiang Zhao
- National Cell Collection and Research Center, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Jinping Fan
- National Cell Collection and Research Center, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Shufang Meng
- National Cell Collection and Research Center, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Tiantan Xili, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100050, China.
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78
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Liu Q, Xu Y, Mou J, Tang K, Fu X, Li Y, Xing Y, Rao Q, Xing H, Tian Z, Wang M, Wang J. Irradiated chimeric antigen receptor engineered NK-92MI cells show effective cytotoxicity against CD19 + malignancy in a mouse model. Cytotherapy 2020; 22:552-562. [PMID: 32747298 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells have shown dramatic cytotoxicity against B-cell malignancies. Currently, autologous T cells are conventionally used to manufacture CAR T cells. Low quality or insufficient quantity of autologous T cells may lead to failure of CAR T preparations. Moreover, CAR T preparation usually takes 1-2 weeks, which is too long for patients with rapid disease progression to successfully infuse CAR T cells. Thus, the development of a ready-to-use CAR immunotherapy strategy is needed. NK-92, a natural killer (NK) cell line derived from an NK lymphoma patient, has been gradually applied as a CAR-modified effector cell. To avoid the potential development of secondary NK lymphoma in patients, large doses of radiation are used to treat NK-92 cells before clinical application, which ensures the safety but reduces the cytotoxicity of NK-92 cells. Therefore, it is crucial to explore a suitable radiation dose that ensures short life span and good cytotoxicity of CAR NK-92 cells. METHODS NK-92MI, a modified IL-2-independent NK-92 cell line, was used to establish an anti-CD19 CAR NK. The suitable radiation dose of CAR NK was then explored in vitro and validated in vivo, and the specific cytotoxicity of irradiated and unirradiated CAR NK against CD19+ malignant cells was assessed. RESULTS CAR NK exhibited specific cytotoxicity against CD19+ malignant cells. Irradiation ensured a short life span of CAR NK in vitro and in vivo. Encouragingly, irradiated CAR NK displayed an anti-CD19+ malignancy capacity similar to that of unirradiated CAR NK. CONCLUSIONS Five Gy is a suitable radiation dose to ensure the safety and effectiveness of CD19 CAR NK-92MI cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingxi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Junli Mou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Kejing Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuehang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yihui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanyan Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Qing Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Haiyan Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Zheng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jianxiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China; National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
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79
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Franks SE, Wolfson B, Hodge JW. Natural Born Killers: NK Cells in Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2131. [PMID: 32751977 PMCID: PMC7465121 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular therapy has emerged as an attractive option for the treatment of cancer, and adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) expressing T cells has gained FDA approval in hematologic malignancy. However, limited efficacy was observed using CAR-T therapy in solid tumors. Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for tumor surveillance and exhibit potent killing capacity of aberrant cells in an antigen-independent manner. Adoptive transfer of unmodified allogeneic or autologous NK cells has shown limited clinical benefit due to factors including low cell number, low cytotoxicity and failure to migrate to tumor sites. To address these problems, immortalized and autologous NK cells have been genetically engineered to express high affinity receptors (CD16), CARs directed against surface proteins (PD-L1, CD19, Her2, etc.) and endogenous cytokines (IL-2 and IL-15) that are crucial for NK cell survival and cytotoxicity, with positive outcomes reported by several groups both preclinically and clinically. With a multitude of NK cell-based therapies currently in clinic trials, it is likely they will play a crucial role in next-generation cell therapy-based treatment. In this review, we will highlight the recent advances and limitations of allogeneic, autologous and genetically enhanced NK cells used in adoptive cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Elizabeth Franks
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Benjamin Wolfson
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James W Hodge
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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80
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Robbins Y, Greene S, Friedman J, Clavijo PE, Van Waes C, Fabian KP, Padget MR, Abdul Sater H, Lee JH, Soon-Shiong P, Gulley J, Schlom J, Hodge JW, Allen CT. Tumor control via targeting PD-L1 with chimeric antigen receptor modified NK cells. eLife 2020; 9:e54854. [PMID: 32633234 PMCID: PMC7340502 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Failed T cell-based immunotherapies in the presence of genomic alterations in antigen presentations pathways may be overcome by NK cell-based immunotherapy. This approach may still be limited by the presence of immunosuppressive myeloid populations. Here, we demonstrate that NK cells (haNKs) engineered to express a PD-L1 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) haNKs killed a panel of human and murine head and neck cancer cells at low effector-to-target ratios in a PD-L1-dependent fashion. Treatment of syngeneic tumors resulted in CD8 and PD-L1-dependent tumor rejection or growth inhibition and a reduction in myeloid cells endogenously expressing high levels of PD-L1. Treatment of xenograft tumors resulted in PD-L1-dependent tumor growth inhibition. PD-L1 CAR haNKs reduced levels of macrophages and other myeloid cells endogenously expressing high PD-L1 in peripheral blood from patients with head and neck cancer. The clinical study of PD-L1 CAR haNKs is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Robbins
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Sarah Greene
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jay Friedman
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Paul E Clavijo
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Carter Van Waes
- Tumor Biology Section, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Kellsye P Fabian
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Michelle R Padget
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Houssein Abdul Sater
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | | | | | - James Gulley
- Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Jeffrey Schlom
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - James W Hodge
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Clint T Allen
- Translational Tumor Immunology Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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81
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Abstract
Folate receptor alpha (αFR) is overexpressed in 90% of ovarian cancers, one of the most lethal gynecologic cancers. Recent studies have suggested that natural killer (NK) cells may be better chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) drivers because of their favorable innate characteristics, such as directly recognizing and killing tumor cells. However, the therapeutic effects of CAR-engineered NK cells targeting αFR in ovarian cancer have not been reported. In this research, 3 generations of anti-αFR CAR were constructed, namely αFR-ζ (first generation), αFR-28ζ (second generation), and αFR-28BBζ (third generation), and were highly expressed on the surface of NK-92 cells by lentivirus gene transfection. Three anti-αFR CAR-engineered NK-92 cells can specifically kill αFR-positive tumor cells in vitro, especially ovarian cancer cells with high αFR expression. Compared with NK-92 cells expressing αFR-ζ or αFR-28ζ, NK-92 cells expressing αFR-28BBζ showed not only higher antigen-specific cytotoxicity and proliferation but also lower antigen-induced apoptosis. Moreover, stronger degranulation and cytokine secretion were detected in NK-92 cells expressing αFR-28BBζ cocultured with αFR-positive tumor cells. Real-time cell analysis and live cell imaging recorded the process of NK-92 cells expressing αFR-28BBζ killing ovarian cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, NK-92 cells expressing αFR-28BBζ can effectively eliminate cancer cells in a mouse xenograft model of ovarian cancer and significantly prolong the survival of tumor-bearing mice. These results demonstrate that the anti-αFR CARs redirect NK-92 cells with specific antitumor activity, and the third-generation anti-αFR CAR-engineered NK-92 cells display more potent cytotoxicity against αFR-positive ovarian cancer, laying the foundation for future clinical research.
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82
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Shankar K, Capitini CM, Saha K. Genome engineering of induced pluripotent stem cells to manufacture natural killer cell therapies. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:234. [PMID: 32546200 PMCID: PMC7298853 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01741-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in host immunity by detecting cells that downregulate MHC class I presentation and upregulate stress ligands, as commonly seen in cancers. Current NK therapies using primary NK cells are prone to manufacturing issues related to expansion and storage. Alternative cell sources utilizing immortalized NK cell lines require irradiation and are dependent on systemic IL-2 administration, which has been associated with adverse effects. In contrast, NK cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-NK cells) offer an off-the-shelf alternative that may overcome these bottlenecks. The development of a serum-free and feeder-free differentiation protocol allows for the manufacturing of clinically adaptable iPSC-NK cells that are equally as effective as primary NK cells and the NK-92 cell line for many indications. Moreover, genetic modifications targeting NK-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity capabilities, cytotoxicity, and checkpoint inhibitors may increase the therapeutic potential of iPSC-NK products. This review will highlight the current sources for NK therapies and their respective constraints, discuss recent developments in the manufacturing and genetic engineering of iPSC-NK cells, and provide an overview of ongoing clinical trials using NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerthana Shankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Christian M Capitini
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 1111 Highland Ave, WIMR 4137, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Krishanu Saha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 330 N Orchard St, WID 4164, Madison, WI, 53715, USA.
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83
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Motais B, Charvátová S, Hrdinka M, Šimíček M, Jelínek T, Ševčíková T, Kořístek Z, Hájek R, Bagó JR. A Bird's-Eye View of Cell Sources for Cell-Based Therapies in Blood Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1333. [PMID: 32456165 PMCID: PMC7281611 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
: Hematological malignancies comprise over a hundred different types of cancers and account for around 6.5% of all cancers. Despite the significant improvements in diagnosis and treatment, many of those cancers remain incurable. In recent years, cancer cell-based therapy has become a promising approach to treat those incurable hematological malignancies with striking results in different clinical trials. The most investigated, and the one that has advanced the most, is the cell-based therapy with T lymphocytes modified with chimeric antigen receptors. Those promising initial results prepared the ground to explore other cell-based therapies to treat patients with blood cancer. In this review, we want to provide an overview of the different types of cell-based therapies in blood cancer, describing them according to the cell source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Motais
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 701 03 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Sandra Charvátová
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 701 03 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Matouš Hrdinka
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šimíček
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 701 03 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Jelínek
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 701 03 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Ševčíková
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, 701 03 Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Kořístek
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Hájek
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Juli R. Bagó
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (B.M.); (S.C.); (M.H.); (M.Š.); (T.J.); (T.Š.); (Z.K.); (R.H.)
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52 Ostrava, Czech Republic
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84
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Wang H, Yang J, Pan H, Tai MC, Maher MH, Jia R, Ge S, Lu L. Dinutuximab Synergistically Enhances the Cytotoxicity of Natural Killer Cells to Retinoblastoma Through the Perforin-Granzyme B Pathway. Onco Targets Ther 2020; 13:3903-3920. [PMID: 32440155 PMCID: PMC7218403 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s228532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Conventional chemotherapy and enucleation usually fail to cure advanced retinoblastoma. We investigated the retinoblastoma immune microenvironment and the efficacy of the combination of dinutuximab and CD16-expressing NK-92MI (NK-92MIhCD16-GFP) cells on retinoblastoma cells in this study. Patients and Methods Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry (FC) were performed to assess the expression level of GD2 in retinoblastoma tissues and cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), immunohistochemisrztry and immunocytochemistry were conducted to assess the retinoblastoma immune microenvironment and the integrity of the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). After overexpressing CD16 in NK-92MI cells, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was applied to select the positive subpopulation. LDH assays and FC were used to detect LDH release and apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells subjected to a combination of dinutuximab and NK-92MIhCD16-GFP cells. Finally, the release of perforin-granzyme B and the expression of CD107a in NK-92MIhCD16-GFP stimulated by retinoblastoma cells were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and FC in the presence of dinutuximab or an isotype control. Results GD2 was heterogeneously expressed in retinoblastoma tissues and cell lines and positively correlated with proliferation and staging. GSEA revealed the immunosuppressive status of retinoblastoma microenvironment. The immune cell profile of retinoblastoma tissues and vitreous bodies suggested BRB destruction. LDH release and apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells caused by NK-92MIhCD16-GFP cells were significantly enhanced by dinutuximab. Finally, the release of perforin-granzyme B and the expression of CD107a in NK-92MIhCD16-GFP cells stimulated by retinoblastoma cells were obviously increased by dinutuximab. Conclusion This study indicates that retinoblastoma impairs the integrity of the BRB and contributes to dysregulated immune cell infiltrates. GD2 is a specific target for natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy and that the combination of dinutuximab and NK-92MIhCD16-GFP cells exerts potent antitumor effects through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixue Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Pan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Mei Chee Tai
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mohamed H Maher
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Cancer Biology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Renbing Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengfang Ge
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Linna Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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85
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Mechanisms of Resistance to NK Cell Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12040893. [PMID: 32272610 PMCID: PMC7226138 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has recently been a major breakthrough in cancer treatment. Natural killer (NK) cells are suitable targets for immunotherapy owing to their potent cytotoxic activity that may target cancer cells in a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and antigen-unrestricted manner. Current therapies targeting NK cells include monoclonal antibodies that promote NK cell antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the adoptive transfer of NK cells, the redirection of NK cells using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells and the use of cytokines and immunostimulatory drugs to boost the anti-tumor activity of NK cells. Despite some encouraging clinical results, patients receiving these therapies frequently develop resistance, and a myriad of mechanisms of resistance affecting both the immune system and cancer cells have been reported. A first contributing factor that modulates the efficacy of the NK cell therapy is the genetic profile of the individual, which regulates all aspects of NK cell biology. Additionally, the resistance of cancer cells to apoptosis and the immunoediting of cancer cells, a process that decreases their immunogenicity and promotes immunosuppression, are major determinants of the resistance to NK cell therapy. Consequently, the efficacy of NK cell anti-tumor therapy is specific to each patient and disease. The elucidation of such immunosubversive mechanisms is crucial to developing new procedures and therapeutic strategies to fully harness the anti-tumor potential of NK cells.
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86
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You Have Got a Fast CAR: Chimeric Antigen Receptor NK Cells in Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030706. [PMID: 32192067 PMCID: PMC7140022 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical success stories of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy against B-cell malignancies have contributed to immunotherapy being at the forefront of cancer therapy today. Their success has fueled interest in improving CAR constructs, identifying additional antigens to target, and clinically evaluating them across a wide range of malignancies. However, along with the exciting potential of CAR-T therapy comes the real possibility of serious side effects. While the FDA has approved commercialized CAR-T cell therapy, challenges associated with manufacturing, costs, and related toxicities have resulted in increased attention being paid to implementing CAR technology in innate cytotoxic natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we review the current landscape of the CAR-NK field, from successful clinical implementation to outstanding challenges which remain to be addressed to deliver the full potential of this therapy to more patients.
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87
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Killer Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor 2DL4 (CD158d) Regulates Human Mast Cells both Positively and Negatively: Possible Roles in Pregnancy and Cancer Metastasis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21030954. [PMID: 32023940 PMCID: PMC7037260 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) 2DL4 (CD158d) was previously thought to be a human NK cell-specific protein. Mast cells are involved in allergic reactions via their KIT-mediated and FcɛRI-mediated responses. We recently detected the expression of KIR2DL4 in human cultured mast cells established from peripheral blood of healthy volunteers (PB-mast), in the human mast cell line LAD2, and in human tissue mast cells. Agonistic antibodies against KIR2DL4 negatively regulate the KIT-mediated and FcɛRI-mediated responses of PB-mast and LAD2 cells. In addition, agonistic antibodies and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, a natural ligand for KIR2DL4, induce the secretion of leukemia inhibitory factor and serine proteases from human mast cells, which have been implicated in pregnancy establishment and cancer metastasis. Therefore, KIR2DL4 stimulation with agonistic antibodies and recombinant HLA-G protein may enhance both processes, in addition to suppressing mast-cell-mediated allergic reactions.
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88
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Müller S, Bexte T, Gebel V, Kalensee F, Stolzenberg E, Hartmann J, Koehl U, Schambach A, Wels WS, Modlich U, Ullrich E. High Cytotoxic Efficiency of Lentivirally and Alpharetrovirally Engineered CD19-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor Natural Killer Cells Against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3123. [PMID: 32117200 PMCID: PMC7025537 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Autologous chimeric antigen receptor-modified (CAR) T cells with specificity for CD19 showed potent antitumor efficacy in clinical trials against relapsed and refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Contrary to T cells, natural killer (NK) cells kill their targets in a non-antigen-specific manner and do not carry the risk of inducing graft vs. host disease (GvHD), allowing application of donor-derived cells in an allogenic setting. Hence, unlike autologous CAR-T cells, therapeutic CD19-CAR-NK cells can be generated as an off-the-shelf product from healthy donors. Nevertheless, genetic engineering of peripheral blood (PB) derived NK cells remains challenging and optimized protocols are needed. In our study, we aimed to optimize the generation of CD19-CAR-NK cells by retroviral transduction to improve the high antileukemic capacity of NK cells. We compared two different retroviral vector platforms, the lentiviral and alpharetroviral, both in combination with two different transduction enhancers (Retronectin and Vectofusin-1). We further explored different NK cell isolation techniques (NK cell enrichment and CD3/CD19 depletion) to identify the most efficacious methods for genetic engineering of NK cells. Our results demonstrated that transduction of NK cells with RD114-TR pseudotyped retroviral vectors, in combination with Vectofusin-1 was the most efficient method to generate CD19-CAR-NK cells. Retronectin was potent in enhancing lentiviral/VSV-G gene delivery to NK cells but not alpharetroviral/RD114-TR. Furthermore, the Vectofusin-based transduction of NK cells with CD19-CARs delivered by alpharetroviral/RD114-TR and lentiviral/RD114-TR vectors outperformed lentiviral/VSV-G vectors. The final generated CD19-CAR-NK cells displayed superior cytotoxic activity against CD19-expressing target cells when compared to non-transduced NK cells achieving up to 90% specific killing activity. In summary, our findings present the use of RD114-TR pseudotyped retroviral particles in combination with Vectofusin-1 as a successful strategy to genetically modify PB-derived NK cells to achieve highly cytotoxic CD19-CAR-NK cells at high yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Müller
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tobias Bexte
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Veronika Gebel
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Franziska Kalensee
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eva Stolzenberg
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jessica Hartmann
- Division of Medical Biotechnology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Winfried S Wels
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ute Modlich
- Research Group for Gene Modification in Stem Cells, Division of Veterinary Medicine, Paul-Ehrlich Institute, Langen, Germany
| | - Evelyn Ullrich
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division of Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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89
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Fleischer LC, Spencer HT, Raikar SS. Targeting T cell malignancies using CAR-based immunotherapy: challenges and potential solutions. J Hematol Oncol 2019; 12:141. [PMID: 31884955 PMCID: PMC6936092 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-019-0801-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been successful in treating B cell malignancies in clinical trials; however, fewer studies have evaluated CAR T cell therapy for the treatment of T cell malignancies. There are many challenges in translating this therapy for T cell disease, including fratricide, T cell aplasia, and product contamination. To the best of our knowledge, no tumor-specific antigen has been identified with universal expression on cancerous T cells, hindering CAR T cell therapy for these malignancies. Numerous approaches have been assessed to address each of these challenges, such as (i) disrupting target antigen expression on CAR-modified T cells, (ii) targeting antigens with limited expression on T cells, and (iii) using third party donor cells that are either non-alloreactive or have been genome edited at the T cell receptor α constant (TRAC) locus. In this review, we discuss CAR approaches that have been explored both in preclinical and clinical studies targeting T cell antigens, as well as examine other potential strategies that can be used to successfully translate this therapy for T cell disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C Fleischer
- Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - H Trent Spencer
- Molecular and Systems Pharmacology Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Laney Graduate School, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sunil S Raikar
- Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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90
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Luo H, Wu X, Sun R, Su J, Wang Y, Dong Y, Shi B, Sun Y, Jiang H, Li Z. Target-Dependent Expression of IL12 by synNotch Receptor-Engineered NK92 Cells Increases the Antitumor Activities of CAR-T Cells. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1448. [PMID: 31921693 PMCID: PMC6930917 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
IL12 is an immune-stimulatory cytokine for key immune cells including T cells and NK cells. However, systemic administration of IL12 has serious side effects that limit its clinical application in patients. Recently, synthetic Notch (synNotch) receptors have been developed that induce transcriptional activation and deliver therapeutic payloads in response to the reorganization of specific antigens. NK92 cell is a human natural killer (NK) cell line which has been developed as tools for adjuvant immunotherapy of cancer. Here, we explored the possibility of using synNotch receptor-engineered NK92 cells to selectively secrete IL12 at the tumor site and increase the antitumor activities of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells. Compared with the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATs) responsive promoter, which is another regulatory element, the synNotch receptor was better at controlling the expression of cytokines. NK92 cells transduced with the GPC3-specific synNotch receptor could produce the proinflammatory cytokine IL12 (GPC3-Syn-IL12-NK92) in response to GPC3 antigen expressed in cancer cells. In vivo GPC3-Syn-IL12-NK92 cells controlling IL12 production could enhance the antitumor ability of GPC3-redirected CAR T cells and increase the infiltration of T cells without inducing toxicity. Taken together, our results demonstrated that IL12 supplementation by synNotch-engineered NK92 cells could secrete IL12 in a target-dependent manner, and promote the antitumor efficiency of CAR-T cells. Local expression of IL12 by synNotch-engineered NK92 cells might be a safe approach to enhance the clinical outcome of CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuqi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruixin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Su
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bizhi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yansha Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zonghai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
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91
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Ravi D, Sarkar S, Purvey S, Passero F, Beheshti A, Chen Y, Mokhtar M, David K, Konry T, Evens AM. Interaction kinetics with transcriptomic and secretory responses of CD19-CAR natural killer-cell therapy in CD20 resistant non-hodgkin lymphoma. Leukemia 2019; 34:1291-1304. [PMID: 31772298 PMCID: PMC7196029 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-019-0663-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the cytolytic and mechanistic activity of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CD19.CAR.NK92) therapy in lymphoma cell lines (diffuse large B-cell, follicular, and Burkitt lymphoma), including rituximab- and obinutuzumab-resistant cells, patient-derived cells, and a human xenograft model. Altogether, CD19.CAR.NK92 therapy significantly increased cytolytic activity at E:T ratios (1:1–10:1) via LDH release and prominent induction of apoptosis in all cell lines, including in anti-CD20 resistant lymphoma cells. The kinetics of CD19.CAR.NK92 cell death measured via droplet-based single cell microfluidics analysis showed that most lymphoma cells were killed by single contact, with anti-CD20 resistant cell lines requiring significantly longer contact duration with NK cells. Additionally, systems biology transcriptomic analyses of flow-sorted lymphoma cells co-cultured with CD19.CAR.NK92 revealed conserved activation of IFNγ signaling, execution of apoptosis, ligand binding, and immunoregulatory and chemokine signaling pathways. Furthermore, a 92-plex cytokine panel analysis showed increased secretion of granzymes, increased secretion of FASL, CCL3 and IL10 in anti-CD20 resistant SUDHL-4 cells with induction of genes relevant to mTOR and G2/M checkpoint activation were noted in all anti-CD20 resistant cells co-cultured with CD19.CAR.NK92 cells. Collectively, CD19.CAR.NK92 was associated with potent anti-lymphoma activity across a host of sensitive and resistant lymphoma cells that involved distinct immuno-biologic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dashnamoorthy Ravi
- Division of Blood Disorders, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Saheli Sarkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sneha Purvey
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frank Passero
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Ying Chen
- Medical Informatics, Pathology and Laboratory medicine, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Maisarah Mokhtar
- Division of Blood Disorders, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Kevin David
- Division of Blood Disorders, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Tania Konry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew M Evens
- Division of Blood Disorders, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
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92
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Milyutina YP, Mikhailova VA, Pyatygina KM, Demidova ES, Malygina DA, Tertychnaia TE, Arutjunyan AV, Sokolov DI, Selkov SA. Role of Caspases in the Cytotoxicity of NK-92 Cells in Various Models of Coculturing with Trophoblasts. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2019; 84:1186-1196. [PMID: 31694514 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297919100079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Studies of interactions between natural killer (NK) cells and trophoblasts and identification of conditions for the NK cells to perform their cytotoxic function are of fundamental and practical importance for understanding their role in the development of pathological processes and complications during pregnancy. In this study, we examined changes in the content of caspases and studied activation of these enzymes in Jeg-3 trophoblasts in various models of their coculturing with NK-92 cells and demonstrated the necessity of direct contact between these cell populations for the activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 in the trophoblasts. Contact coculturing of the two cell lines resulted in the appearance of the cytotoxic protein granzyme B in Jeg-3 cells that was accompanied by a decrease in the content of this enzyme in NK-92 cells. Distant coculturing of NK-92 and Jeg-3 cells did not trigger initiator and effector caspases characteristic for the apoptosis development in Jeg-3 cells. The observed decrease in the content of procaspases in the trophoblasts may be associated with alternative non-apoptotic functions of these enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu P Milyutina
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| | - V A Mikhailova
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - K M Pyatygina
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - E S Demidova
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - D A Malygina
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - T E Tertychnaia
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - A V Arutjunyan
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - D I Sokolov
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - S A Selkov
- Ott Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductology, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
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93
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Burger MC, Zhang C, Harter PN, Romanski A, Strassheimer F, Senft C, Tonn T, Steinbach JP, Wels WS. CAR-Engineered NK Cells for the Treatment of Glioblastoma: Turning Innate Effectors Into Precision Tools for Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2683. [PMID: 31798595 PMCID: PMC6868035 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults and currently incurable. Despite multimodal treatment regimens, median survival in unselected patient cohorts is <1 year, and recurrence remains almost inevitable. Escape from immune surveillance is thought to contribute to the development and progression of GB. While GB tumors are frequently infiltrated by natural killer (NK) cells, these are actively suppressed by the GB cells and the GB tumor microenvironment. Nevertheless, ex vivo activation with cytokines can restore cytolytic activity of NK cells against GB, indicating that NK cells have potential for adoptive immunotherapy of GB if potent cytotoxicity can be maintained in vivo. NK cells contribute to cancer immune surveillance not only by their direct natural cytotoxicity which is triggered rapidly upon stimulation through germline-encoded cell surface receptors, but also by modulating T-cell mediated antitumor immune responses through maintaining the quality of dendritic cells and enhancing the presentation of tumor antigens. Furthermore, similar to T cells, specific recognition and elimination of cancer cells by NK cells can be markedly enhanced through expression of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), which provides an opportunity to generate NK-cell therapeutics of defined specificity for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we discuss effects of the GB tumor microenvironment on NK-cell functionality, summarize early treatment attempts with ex vivo activated NK cells, and describe relevant CAR target antigens validated with CAR-T cells. We then outline preclinical approaches that employ CAR-NK cells for GB immunotherapy, and give an overview on the ongoing clinical development of ErbB2 (HER2)-specific CAR-NK cells currently applied in a phase I clinical trial in glioblastoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Burger
- Institute for Neurooncology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Congcong Zhang
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Patrick N Harter
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Neurological Institute (Edinger Institute), Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Annette Romanski
- German Red Cross Blood Donation Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Florian Strassheimer
- Institute for Neurooncology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian Senft
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Neurosurgery, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Torsten Tonn
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,German Red Cross Blood Donation Service North-East, Dresden, Germany.,Transfusion Medicine, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joachim P Steinbach
- Institute for Neurooncology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Winfried S Wels
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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94
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Gunesch JT, Angelo LS, Mahapatra S, Deering RP, Kowalko JE, Sleiman P, Tobias JW, Monaco-Shawver L, Orange JS, Mace EM. Genome-wide analyses and functional profiling of human NK cell lines. Mol Immunol 2019; 115:64-75. [PMID: 30054012 PMCID: PMC6345623 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell lines, including YTS, NK92, NK3.3, and NKL, represent excellent models for the study of human natural killer cells. While phenotypic and functional differences between these cell lines have been reported, a multi-parametric study, encompassing genomic, phenotypic, and functional assays, has not been performed. Here, using a combination of techniques including microarray and copy number analyses, flow cytometry, and functional assays, we provide in-depth genetic, functional, and phenotypic comparison of YTS, NK92, NK3.3, and NKL cell lines. Specifically, we found that while the cell lines shared similarities in enrichment of growth and survival pathways, they had differential expression of 557 genes, including genes related to NK cell development, survival, and function. In addition, we provide genetic and phenotypic analyses that demonstrate distinct developmental origins of NK92, YTS, and NKL cell lines. Specifically, NK92 has a phenotype associated with the CD56bright NK cell subset, while both YTS and NKL appear more CD56dim-like. Finally, by classifying cell lines based on their lytic potential, we identified genes differentially expressed between NK cell lines with high and low lytic function. Taken together, these data provide the first comprehensive genetic, phenotypic, and functional analyses of these commonly used NK cell lines and provides deeper understanding into their origins and function. This will ultimately improve their use as models for human NK cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Gunesch
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Laura S Angelo
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sanjana Mahapatra
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - John W Tobias
- Penn Genomic Analysis Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | | | - Jordan S Orange
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily M Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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95
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Sivori S, Meazza R, Quintarelli C, Carlomagno S, Della Chiesa M, Falco M, Moretta L, Locatelli F, Pende D. NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy for Hematological Malignancies. J Clin Med 2019; 8:E1702. [PMID: 31623224 PMCID: PMC6832127 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8101702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) lymphocytes are an integral component of the innate immune system and represent important effector cells in cancer immunotherapy, particularly in the control of hematological malignancies. Refined knowledge of NK cellular and molecular biology has fueled the interest in NK cell-based antitumor therapies, and recent efforts have been made to exploit the high potential of these cells in clinical practice. Infusion of high numbers of mature NK cells through the novel graft manipulation based on the selective depletion of T cells and CD19+ B cells has resulted into an improved outcome in children with acute leukemia given human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical hematopoietic transplantation. Likewise, adoptive transfer of purified third-party NK cells showed promising results in patients with myeloid malignancies. Strategies based on the use of cytokines or monoclonal antibodies able to induce and optimize NK cell activation, persistence, and expansion also represent a novel field of investigation with remarkable perspectives of favorably impacting on outcome of patients with hematological neoplasia. In addition, preliminary results suggest that engineering of mature NK cells through chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) constructs deserve further investigation, with the goal of obtaining an "off-the-shelf" NK cell bank that may serve many different recipients for granting an efficient antileukemia activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Sivori
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy (S.C.); (M.D.C.)
- Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Raffaella Meazza
- Department of Integrated Oncological Therapies, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy; (C.Q.); (F.L.)
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Carlomagno
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy (S.C.); (M.D.C.)
| | - Mariella Della Chiesa
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy (S.C.); (M.D.C.)
- Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Michela Falco
- Integrated Department of Services and Laboratories, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Moretta
- Department of Immunology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00146 Rome, Italy;
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, IRCCS Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, 00165 Rome, Italy; (C.Q.); (F.L.)
- Department of Gynecology/Obstetrics and Pediatrics, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pende
- Department of Integrated Oncological Therapies, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy;
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96
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Sanz-Ortega L, Rojas JM, Portilla Y, Pérez-Yagüe S, Barber DF. Magnetic Nanoparticles Attached to the NK Cell Surface for Tumor Targeting in Adoptive Transfer Therapies Does Not Affect Cellular Effector Functions. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2073. [PMID: 31543880 PMCID: PMC6728794 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell transfer therapy is currently one of the most promising approaches for cancer treatment. This therapy has some limitations, however, such as the dispersion of in vivo-administered cells, causing only a small proportion to reach the tumor. Nanotechnological approaches could offer a solution for this drawback, as they can increase cell retention and accumulation in a region of interest. In particular, strategies employing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) to improve targeting of adoptively transferred T or NK cells have been explored in mice. In vivo magnetic retention is reported using the human NK cell line NK-92MI transfected with MNPs. Primary NK cells are nonetheless highly resistant to transfection, and thus we explore in here the possibility of attaching the MNPs to the NK cell surface to overcome this issue, and examine whether this association would affect NK effector functions. We assessed the attachment of MNPs coated with different polymers to the NK cell surface, and found that APS-MNP attached more efficiently to the NK-92MI cell surface. In association with MNPs, these cells preserved their main functions, exhibiting a continued capacity to degranulate, conjugate with and lyse target cells, produce IFN-γ, and respond to chemotactic signals. MNP-loaded NK-92MI cells were also retained in an in vitro capillary flow system by applying an EMF. A similar analysis was carried out in primary NK cells, isolated from mice, and expanded in vitro. These primary murine NK cells also maintained their functionality intact after MNP treatment and were successfully retained in vitro. This work therefore provides further support for using MNPs in combination with EMFs to favor specific retention of functional NK cells in a region of interest, which may prove beneficial to adoptive cell-therapy protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sanz-Ortega
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, and NanoBiomedicine Initiative, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Rojas
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, and NanoBiomedicine Initiative, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yadileiny Portilla
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, and NanoBiomedicine Initiative, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Pérez-Yagüe
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, and NanoBiomedicine Initiative, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Domingo F Barber
- Department of Immunology and Oncology, and NanoBiomedicine Initiative, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB)-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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97
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Pech MF, Fong LE, Villalta JE, Chan LJ, Kharbanda S, O'Brien JJ, McAllister FE, Firestone AJ, Jan CH, Settleman J. Systematic identification of cancer cell vulnerabilities to natural killer cell-mediated immune surveillance. eLife 2019; 8:47362. [PMID: 31452512 PMCID: PMC6713475 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Only a subset of cancer patients respond to T-cell checkpoint inhibitors, highlighting the need for alternative immunotherapeutics. We performed CRISPR-Cas9 screens in a leukemia cell line to identify perturbations that enhance natural killer effector functions. Our screens defined critical components of the tumor-immune synapse and highlighted the importance of cancer cell interferon-γ signaling in modulating NK activity. Surprisingly, disrupting the ubiquitin ligase substrate adaptor DCAF15 strongly sensitized cancer cells to NK-mediated clearance. DCAF15 disruption induced an inflamed state in leukemic cells, including increased expression of lymphocyte costimulatory molecules. Proteomic and biochemical analysis revealed that cohesin complex members were endogenous client substrates of DCAF15. Genetic disruption of DCAF15 was phenocopied by treatment with indisulam, an anticancer drug that functions through DCAF15 engagement. In AML patients, reduced DCAF15 expression was associated with improved survival. These findings suggest that DCAF15 inhibition may have useful immunomodulatory properties in the treatment of myeloid neoplasms. The human immune system can recognize and kill cancer cells growing in the body. Certain immune cells recognize mutated proteins on the surface of cancer cells known as antigens, and this ability can be enhanced by drugs. These so-called immunotherapies can be effective to treat several cancer types, but only some patients benefit from them. This is because cancer cells often stop presenting antigens on their surface, thus hiding from the immune response. Natural killer cells are a type of immune cell that does not rely on antigen presentation to recognize cancer cells. Scientists are now trying to develop drugs to increase the effectiveness with which natural killer cells attack cancer. Pech et al. used cells from a human leukemia, a type of blood cancer, to look for proteins that made these cells more vulnerable to natural killer cells. The main experiment, in which every single protein in the cancer cells was deleted one by one, revealed that a protein called DCAF15 changes how cancer and natural killer cells interact. Leukemia cells lacking DCAF15 could be attacked by natural killer cells much more easily because the cancer cells exhibited inflammation-like symptoms that stimulated the immune response. DCAF15 is part of a family of ‘adaptors’ that that provide specificity to the cellular machinery that controls proliferation, the recycling of proteins and DNA repair. Inhibiting DCAF15 with a drug also made natural killer cells more efficient at eliminating leukemia cells. Patients with leukemia whose cancer cells make little DCAF15 protein have a better chance of survival, suggesting that this process may already be happening in some patients. Together these data indicate that targeting DCAF15 in leukemia patients may help natural killer cells attack cancer cells. Future research is needed to see if a similar process takes place in other cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Pech
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Linda E Fong
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
| | | | - Leanne Jg Chan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Samir Kharbanda
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
| | | | | | - Ari J Firestone
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
| | - Calvin H Jan
- Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, United States
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98
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CD56 expression in breast cancer induces sensitivity to natural killer-mediated cytotoxicity by enhancing the formation of cytotoxic immunological synapse. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8756. [PMID: 31217484 PMCID: PMC6584531 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45377-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined the potential value of the natural killer (NK) cell line; NK-92, as immunotherapy tool for breast cancer (BC) treatment and searched for biomarker(s) of sensitivity to NK-92-mediated cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic activity of NK-92 cells towards one breast precancerous and nine BC cell lines was analyzed using calcein-AM and degranulation assays. The molecules associated with NK-92-responsiveness were determined by differential gene expression analysis using RNA-sequencing and validated by RT-PCR, immunostaining and flow cytometry. NK-target interactions and immunological synapse formation were assessed by fluorescence microscopy. Potential biomarker expression was determined by IHC in 99 patient-derived BC tissues and 10 normal mammary epithelial tissues. Most (8/9) BC cell lines were resistant while only one BC and the precancerous cell lines were effectively killed by NK-92 lymphocytes. NK-92-sensitive target cells specifically expressed CD56, which ectopic expression in CD56-negative BC cells induced their sensitivity to NK-92-mediated killing, suggesting that CD56 is not only a biomarker of responsiveness but actively regulates NK function. CD56 adhesion molecules which are also expressed on NK cells accumulate at the immunological synapse enhancing NK-target interactions, cytotoxic granzyme B transfer from NK-92 to CD56-expressing target cells and induction of caspase 3 activation in targets. Interestingly, CD56 expression was found to be reduced in breast tumor tissues (36%) with strong inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity in comparison to normal breast tissues (80%). CD56 is a potential predictive biomarker for BC responsiveness to NK-92-cell based immunotherapy and loss of CD56 expression might be a mechanism of escape from NK-immunity.
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99
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Natural Killer Cells as Allogeneic Effectors in Adoptive Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11060769. [PMID: 31163679 PMCID: PMC6628161 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11060769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are attractive within adoptive transfer settings in cancer immunotherapy due to their potential for allogeneic use; their alloreactivity is enhanced under conditions of killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) mismatch with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands on cancer cells. In addition to this, NK cells are platforms for genetic modification, and proliferate in vivo for a shorter time relative to T cells, limiting off-target activation. Current clinical studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of allogeneic NK cell adoptive transfer therapies as a means for treatment of hematologic malignancies and, to a lesser extent, solid tumors. However, challenges associated with sourcing allogeneic NK cells have given rise to controversy over the contribution of NK cells to graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Specifically, blood-derived NK cell infusions contain contaminating T cells, whose activation with NK-stimulating cytokines has been known to lead to heightened release of proinflammatory cytokines and trigger the onset of GvHD in vivo. NK cells sourced from cell lines and stem cells lack contaminating T cells, but can also lack many phenotypic characteristics of mature NK cells. Here, we discuss the available published evidence for the varying roles of NK cells in GvHD and, more broadly, their use in allogeneic adoptive transfer settings to treat various cancers.
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100
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NK92-CD16 cells are cytotoxic to non-small cell lung cancer cell lines that have acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Cytotherapy 2019; 21:603-611. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2019.03.312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 03/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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