51
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Lang F, Schrörs B, Löwer M, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Identification of neoantigens for individualized therapeutic cancer vaccines. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2022; 21:261-282. [PMID: 35105974 PMCID: PMC7612664 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00387-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Somatic mutations in cancer cells can generate tumour-specific neoepitopes, which are recognized by autologous T cells in the host. As neoepitopes are not subject to central immune tolerance and are not expressed in healthy tissues, they are attractive targets for therapeutic cancer vaccines. Because the vast majority of cancer mutations are unique to the individual patient, harnessing the full potential of this rich source of targets requires individualized treatment approaches. Many computational algorithms and machine-learning tools have been developed to identify mutations in sequence data, to prioritize those that are more likely to be recognized by T cells and to design tailored vaccines for every patient. In this Review, we fill the gaps between the understanding of basic mechanisms of T cell recognition of neoantigens and the computational approaches for discovery of somatic mutations and neoantigen prediction for cancer immunotherapy. We present a new classification of neoantigens, distinguishing between guarding, restrained and ignored neoantigens, based on how they confer proficient antitumour immunity in a given clinical context. Such context-based differentiation will contribute to a framework that connects neoantigen biology to the clinical setting and medical peculiarities of cancer, and will enable future neoantigen-based therapies to provide greater clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Lang
- TRON Translational Oncology, Mainz, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Ugur Sahin
- BioNTech, Mainz, Germany.
- University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
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52
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Song Q, Yang B, Sheng W, Zhou Z, Zhang T, Qin B, Ji L, Li P, Wang D, Zhang X, Sun S, Zhang G, Zhao X, Gan Q, Xiong Q, Guan Y, Xia X, Yi X, Chen X, Guo W, Jiao S. Safety and efficacy of mutant neoantigen-specific T-cell treatment combined anti-PD-1 therapy in stage IV solid tumors. Immunotherapy 2022; 14:553-565. [PMID: 35321561 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2021-0105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims: This trial explored the safety and efficacy of neoantigen-specific T cells (Nas-Ts) combined with anti-PD-1 (Nas-T + anti-PD-1). Patients & methods: This non-randomized trial recruited participants with solid tumors treated with at least two prior systemic treatment lines. For comparison, 1:1-matched controls who received anti-PD-1 alone were recruited. The primary end point was safety. Results: 15 participants were enrolled in the Nas-T + anti-PD-1 group, the objective response rate was 33.3%, and the disease control rate was 93.3%. The median progression-free survival was significantly different between the Nas-T + anti-PD-1 and control groups (13.8 vs 4.2 months; p = 0.024), but no difference in overall survival was found (p = 0.126). The most common adverse events were maculopapular skin reaction (53.3%), rash (53.3%), hepatotoxicity (53.3%) and fever (53.3%) in the Nas-T + anti-PD-1 group. No serious safety issues were experienced. Conclusion: Nas-Ts combined with anti-PD-1 could be more effective than anti-PD-1 alone in prolonging progression-free survival, with good safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Song
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Sheng
- Department of Tissue Repair & Regeneration, Medical Innovation Research Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zishan Zhou
- Beijing DCTY Biotech Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | | | - Boyu Qin
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Dan Wang
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shengjie Sun
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Zhao
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Quan Gan
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Xiong
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Wei Guo
- BeiGene Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Shunchang Jiao
- Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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53
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Genetic Modification of T Cells for the Immunotherapy of Cancer. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10030457. [PMID: 35335089 PMCID: PMC8949949 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10030457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a beneficial treatment approach for multiple cancers, however, current therapies are effective only in a small subset of patients. Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) is a facet of immunotherapy where T cells targeting the tumor cells are transferred to the patient with several primary forms, utilizing unmodified or modified T cells: tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), genetically modified T cell receptor transduced T cells, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transduced T cells. Many clinical trials are underway investigating the efficacy and safety of these different subsets of ACT, as well as trials that combine one of these subsets with another type of immunotherapy. The main challenges existing with ACT are improving clinical responses and decreasing adverse events. Current research focuses on identifying novel tumor targeting T cell receptors, improving safety and efficacy, and investigating ACT in combination with other immunotherapies.
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54
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Okada M, Shimizu K, Fujii SI. Identification of Neoantigens in Cancer Cells as Targets for Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052594. [PMID: 35269735 PMCID: PMC8910406 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical benefits of immune checkpoint blockage (ICB) therapy have been widely reported. In patients with cancer, researchers have demonstrated the clinical potential of antitumor cytotoxic T cells that can be reinvigorated or enhanced by ICB. Compared to self-antigens, neoantigens derived from tumor somatic mutations are believed to be ideal immune targets in tumors. Candidate tumor neoantigens can be identified through immunogenomic or immunopeptidomic approaches. Identification of neoantigens has revealed several points of the clinical relevance. For instance, tumor mutation burden (TMB) may be an indicator of immunotherapy. In various cancers, mutation rates accompanying neoantigen loads may be indicative of immunotherapy. Furthermore, mismatch repair-deficient tumors can be eradicated by T cells in ICB treatment. Hence, immunotherapies using vaccines or adoptive T-cell transfer targeting neoantigens are potential innovative strategies. However, significant efforts are required to identify the optimal epitopes. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the identification of neoantigens and discussed preclinical and clinical studies based on neoantigens. We also discuss the issues remaining to be addressed before clinical applications of these new therapeutic strategies can be materialized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Okada
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; (M.O.); (K.S.)
| | - Kanako Shimizu
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; (M.O.); (K.S.)
| | - Shin-ichiro Fujii
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan; (M.O.); (K.S.)
- Program for Drug Discovery and Medical Technology Platforms, RIKEN, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-45-503-7062
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55
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Lowery FJ, Krishna S, Yossef R, Parikh NB, Chatani PD, Zacharakis N, Parkhurst MR, Levin N, Sindiri S, Sachs A, Hitscherich KJ, Yu Z, Vale NR, Lu YC, Zheng Z, Jia L, Gartner JJ, Hill VK, Copeland AR, Nah SK, Masi RV, Gasmi B, Kivitz S, Paria BC, Florentin M, Kim SP, Hanada KI, Li YF, Ngo LT, Ray S, Shindorf ML, Levi ST, Shepherd R, Toy C, Parikh AY, Prickett TD, Kelly MC, Beyer R, Goff SL, Yang JC, Robbins PF, Rosenberg SA. Molecular signatures of antitumor neoantigen-reactive T cells from metastatic human cancers. Science 2022; 375:877-884. [PMID: 35113651 PMCID: PMC8996692 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl5447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 81.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The accurate identification of antitumor T cell receptors (TCRs) represents a major challenge for the engineering of cell-based cancer immunotherapies. By mapping 55 neoantigen-specific TCR clonotypes (NeoTCRs) from 10 metastatic human tumors to their single-cell transcriptomes, we identified signatures of CD8+ and CD4+ neoantigen-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Neoantigen-specific TILs exhibited tumor-specific expansion with dysfunctional phenotypes, distinct from blood-emigrant bystanders and regulatory TILs. Prospective prediction and testing of 73 NeoTCR signature-derived clonotypes demonstrated that half of the tested TCRs recognized tumor antigens or autologous tumors. NeoTCR signatures identified TCRs that target driver neoantigens and nonmutated viral or tumor-associated antigens, suggesting a common metastatic TIL exhaustion program. NeoTCR signatures delineate the landscape of TILs across metastatic tumors, enabling successful TCR prediction based purely on TIL transcriptomic states for use in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J. Lowery
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sri Krishna
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rami Yossef
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Neilesh B. Parikh
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Praveen D. Chatani
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nikolaos Zacharakis
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maria R. Parkhurst
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Noam Levin
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sivasish Sindiri
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Abraham Sachs
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kyle J. Hitscherich
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zhiya Yu
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nolan R. Vale
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yong-Chen Lu
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Zhili Zheng
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Li Jia
- National Institutes of Health Library, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jared J. Gartner
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Victoria K. Hill
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amy R. Copeland
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shirley K. Nah
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert V. Masi
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Billel Gasmi
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Scott Kivitz
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Biman C. Paria
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maria Florentin
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sanghyun P. Kim
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ken-ichi Hanada
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yong F. Li
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Lien T. Ngo
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Satyajit Ray
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mackenzie L. Shindorf
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Shoshana T. Levi
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ryan Shepherd
- Vector Production Facility, Clinical Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Chris Toy
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Anup Y. Parikh
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Todd D. Prickett
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael C. Kelly
- Single Cell Analysis Facility, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rachel Beyer
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Stephanie L. Goff
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - James C. Yang
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Paul F. Robbins
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Steven A. Rosenberg
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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56
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Fahad AS, Chung CY, Lopez Acevedo SN, Boyle N, Madan B, Gutiérrez-González MF, Matus-Nicodemos R, Laflin AD, Ladi RR, Zhou J, Wolfe J, Llewellyn-Lacey S, Koup RA, Douek DC, Balfour Jr HH, Price DA, DeKosky BJ. Immortalization and functional screening of natively paired human T cell receptor repertoires. Protein Eng Des Sel 2022; 35:gzab034. [PMID: 35174859 PMCID: PMC9005053 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional analyses of the T cell receptor (TCR) landscape can reveal critical information about protection from disease and molecular responses to vaccines. However, it has proven difficult to combine advanced next-generation sequencing technologies with methods to decode the peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) specificity of individual TCRs. We developed a new high-throughput approach to enable repertoire-scale functional evaluations of natively paired TCRs. In particular, we leveraged the immortalized nature of physically linked TCRα:β amplicon libraries to analyze binding against multiple recombinant pMHCs on a repertoire scale, and to exemplify the utility of this approach, we also performed affinity-based functional mapping in conjunction with quantitative next-generation sequencing to track antigen-specific TCRs. These data successfully validated a new immortalization and screening platform to facilitate detailed molecular analyses of disease-relevant antigen interactions with human TCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed S Fahad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Cheng-Yu Chung
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Sheila N Lopez Acevedo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Nicoleen Boyle
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Bharat Madan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | | | - Rodrigo Matus-Nicodemos
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Amy D Laflin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Rukmini R Ladi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - John Zhou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Jacy Wolfe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
| | - Sian Llewellyn-Lacey
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Richard A Koup
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel C Douek
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Henry H Balfour Jr
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, Cardiff University School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Brandon J DeKosky
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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57
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Wolf SP, Wen FT, Schreiber H. Criteria to make animal studies more relevant to treating human cancer. Curr Opin Immunol 2022; 74:25-31. [PMID: 34619458 PMCID: PMC8901458 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Certain aspects of experimental tumor models in mice most accurately reflect the biology and immunology of cancer in patients. A survey of experimental cancer immunotherapy papers published in 2020 shows most do not achieve cancer shrinkage although treatment is initiated at an early time point after cancer cell injection, which does not reflect cancer immunotherapy in patients. Even then, few current experimental approaches eradicate the injected malignant cells, most only delay outgrowth. The value of targeting mutation-encoded tumor-specific antigens becomes increasingly evident while problems of finding normal gene-encoded tumor-associated antigens as safe, effective targets persist. It might be time to refocus on realistic experimental settings and truly cancer-specific targets. These antigens are associated with the least risk of side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P. Wolf
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.,David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Frank T. Wen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hans Schreiber
- Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.,David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.,Committee on Cancer Biology and Committee on Immunology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.,Corresponding author: Hans Schreiber, Department of Pathology, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA, Phone: +17739392379,
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58
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Adoptive Cellular Therapy for Multiple Myeloma Using CAR- and TCR-Transgenic T Cells: Response and Resistance. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030410. [PMID: 35159220 PMCID: PMC8834324 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the substantial improvement of therapeutic approaches, multiple myeloma (MM) remains mostly incurable. However, immunotherapeutic and especially T cell-based approaches pioneered the therapeutic landscape for relapsed and refractory disease recently. Targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on myeloma cells has been demonstrated to be highly effective not only by antibody-derived constructs but also by adoptive cellular therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transgenic T cells lead to deep, albeit mostly not durable responses with manageable side-effects in intensively pretreated patients. The spectrum of adoptive T cell-transfer covers synthetic CARs with diverse specificities as well as currently less well-established T cell receptor (TCR)-based personalized strategies. In this review, we want to focus on treatment characteristics including efficacy and safety of CAR- and TCR-transgenic T cells in MM as well as the future potential these novel therapies may have. ACT with transgenic T cells has only entered clinical trials and various engineering strategies for optimization of T cell responses are necessary to overcome therapy resistance mechanisms. We want to outline the current success in engineering CAR- and TCR-T cells, but also discuss challenges including resistance mechanisms of MM for evading T cell therapy and point out possible novel strategies.
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59
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Asimgil H, Ertetik U, Çevik NC, Ekizce M, Doğruöz A, Gökalp M, Arık-Sever E, Istvanffy R, Friess H, Ceyhan GO, Demir IE. Targeting the undruggable oncogenic KRAS: the dawn of hope. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e153688. [PMID: 35014625 PMCID: PMC8765045 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.153688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS mutations are the drivers of various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Over the last 30 years, immense efforts have been made to inhibit KRAS mutants and oncogenic KRAS signaling using inhibitors. Recently, specific targeting of KRAS mutants with small molecules revived the hopes for successful therapies for lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer patients. Moreover, advances in gene editing, protein engineering, and drug delivery formulations have revolutionized cancer therapy regimens. New therapies aim to improve immune surveillance and enhance antitumor immunity by precisely targeting cancer cells harboring oncogenic KRAS. Here, we review recent KRAS-targeting strategies, their therapeutic potential, and remaining challenges to overcome. We also highlight the potential synergistic effects of various combinatorial therapies in preclinical and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hande Asimgil
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Utku Ertetik
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nedim Can Çevik
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Menar Ekizce
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Alper Doğruöz
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Muazzez Gökalp
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Elif Arık-Sever
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Rouzanna Istvanffy
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- SFB/Collaborative Research Centre 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Friess
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- SFB/Collaborative Research Centre 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Munich, Germany
| | - Güralp Onur Ceyhan
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ihsan Ekin Demir
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary-Unit, School of Medicine, Kerem Aydınlar Campus at Acıbadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- SFB/Collaborative Research Centre 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Munich, Germany
- Else Kröner Clinician Scientist Professor for Translational Pancreatic Surgery, Munich, Germany
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60
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Li S, Zhuang S, Heit A, Koo SL, Tan AC, Chow IT, Kwok WW, Tan IB, Tan DS, Simoni Y, Newell EW. Bystander CD4 + T cells infiltrate human tumors and are phenotypically distinct. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2012961. [PMID: 36524209 PMCID: PMC9746624 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.2012961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-specific T cells likely underpin effective immune checkpoint-blockade therapies. Yet, most studies focus on Treg cells and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Here, we study CD4+ TILs in human lung and colorectal cancers and observe that non-Treg CD4+ TILs average more than 70% of total CD4+ TILs in both cancer types. Leveraging high dimensional analyses including mass cytometry, we reveal that CD4+ TILs are phenotypically heterogeneous, within each tumor and across patients. Consistently, we find different subsets of CD4+ TILs showing characteristics of effectors, tissue resident memory (Trm) or exhausted cells (expressing PD-1, CTLA-4 and CD39). In both cancer types, the frequencies of CD39- non-Treg CD4+ TILs strongly correlate with frequencies of CD39- CD8+ TILs, which we and others have previously shown to be enriched for cells specific for cancer-unrelated antigens (bystanders). Ex-vivo, we demonstrate that CD39- CD4+ TILs can be specific for cancer-unrelated antigens, such as HCMV epitopes. Overall, our findings highlight that CD4+ TILs can also recognize cancer-unrelated antigens and suggest measuring CD39 expression as a straightforward way to quantify or isolate bystander CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamin Li
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Summer Zhuang
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Antja Heit
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Si-Lin Koo
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore,Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aaron C. Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - I-Ting Chow
- Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*Star), Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - William W. Kwok
- Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*Star), Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Iain Beehuat Tan
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore,Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yannick Simoni
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Seattle, Washington, USA,Université de Paris, Institut Cochin INSERM U1016, Paris, France,CONTACT Yannick Simoni Université de Paris, Institut Cochin INSERM U1016, 22 Rue Mechain, Paris75014, France
| | - Evan W. Newell
- Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Seattle, Washington, USA,Evan W. Newell Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Mail Stop S2-204, Seattle, WA98109, USA
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61
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Fobian SF, Cheng Z, ten Hagen TLM. Smart Lipid-Based Nanosystems for Therapeutic Immune Induction against Cancers: Perspectives and Outlooks. Pharmaceutics 2021; 14:26. [PMID: 35056922 PMCID: PMC8779430 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, a promising and widely applied mode of oncotherapy, makes use of immune stimulants and modulators to overcome the immune dysregulation present in cancer, and leverage the host's immune capacity to eliminate tumors. Although some success has been seen in this field, toxicity and weak immune induction remain challenges. Liposomal nanosystems, previously used as targeting agents, are increasingly functioning as immunotherapeutic vehicles, with potential for delivery of contents, immune induction, and synergistic drug packaging. These systems are tailorable, multifunctional, and smart. Liposomes may deliver various immune reagents including cytokines, specific T-cell receptors, antibody fragments, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, and also present a promising platform upon which personalized medicine approaches can be built, especially with preclinical and clinical potentials of liposomes often being frustrated by inter- and intrapatient variation. In this review, we show the potential of liposomes in cancer immunotherapy, as well as the methods for synthesis and in vivo progression thereof. Both preclinical and clinical studies are included to comprehensively illuminate prospects and challenges for future research and application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Timo L. M. ten Hagen
- Laboratory Experimental Oncology (LEO), Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (S.-F.F.); (Z.C.)
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62
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Gartner JJ, Parkhurst MR, Gros A, Tran E, Jafferji MS, Copeland A, Hanada KI, Zacharakis N, Lalani A, Krishna S, Sachs A, Prickett TD, Li YF, Florentin M, Kivitz S, Chatmon SC, Rosenberg SA, Robbins PF. A machine learning model for ranking candidate HLA class I neoantigens based on known neoepitopes from multiple human tumor types. NATURE CANCER 2021; 2:563-574. [PMID: 34927080 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-021-00197-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Tumor neoepitopes presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I are recognized by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and are targeted by adoptive T-cell therapies. Identifying which mutant neoepitopes from tumor cells are capable of recognition by T cells can assist in the development of tumor-specific, cell-based therapies and can shed light on antitumor responses. Here, we generate a ranking algorithm for class I candidate neoepitopes by using next-generation sequencing data and a dataset of 185 neoepitopes that are recognized by HLA class I-restricted TIL from individuals with metastatic cancer. Random forest model analysis showed that the inclusion of multiple factors impacting epitope presentation and recognition increased output sensitivity and specificity compared to the use of predicted HLA binding alone. The ranking score output provides a set of class I candidate neoantigens that may serve as therapeutic targets and provides a tool to facilitate in vitro and in vivo studies aimed at the development of more effective immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared J Gartner
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria R Parkhurst
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alena Gros
- Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Cellex Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric Tran
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Amy Copeland
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ken-Ichi Hanada
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nikolaos Zacharakis
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Almin Lalani
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sri Krishna
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Abraham Sachs
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Todd D Prickett
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yong F Li
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria Florentin
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Scott Kivitz
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Samuel C Chatmon
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steven A Rosenberg
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul F Robbins
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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63
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De Bousser E, Callewaert N, Festjens N. T Cell Engaging Immunotherapies, Highlighting Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6067. [PMID: 34885176 PMCID: PMC8657024 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell technology has revolutionized cancer immunotherapy. This strategy uses synthetic CARs to redirect the patient's own immune cells to recognize specific antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells. The unprecedented success of anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy against B cell malignancies has resulted in its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. However, major scientific challenges still remain to be addressed for the broad use of CAR T cell therapy. These include severe toxicities, limited efficacy against solid tumors, and immune suppression in the hostile tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, CAR T cell therapy is a personalized medicine of which the production is time- and resource-intensive, which makes it very expensive. All these factors drive new innovations to engineer more powerful CAR T cells with improved antitumor activity, which are reviewed in this manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elien De Bousser
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)—UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nico Callewaert
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)—UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nele Festjens
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)—UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium;
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Technologiepark—Zwijnaarde 75, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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64
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Kandalaft LE, Harari A. Vaccines as Priming Tools for T Cell Therapy for Epithelial Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13225819. [PMID: 34830973 PMCID: PMC8616276 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Despite all of the impressive progress that has been made in the field of cancer therapy, cancer continues to devastate the lives of many. Recent efforts have focused on taking advantage of the patients’ immune system, modifying and employing it to attack cancer cells more efficiently. Therapeutic cancer vaccines are part of the armamentarium used for that purpose. In this review, we discuss the role of the immune system in the fight against cancer, the various strategies that are aimed at engaging the immune system, and how therapeutic cancer vaccines can be used as a self-standing strategy or as a means to leverage other immunotherapies to deliver more efficient results. We elaborate on the obstacles that are present, why immune therapies do not work equally well on all patients, and how vaccines can potentially play a role in improving cancer outcomes. Abstract Impressive progress has recently been made in the field of cancer immunotherapy with the adoptive transfer of T cells, a successful personalized strategy, and checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) having extended the survival of numerous patients. However, not all patients have been able to benefit from these innovations. A key determinant of the responsiveness to cancer immunotherapies is the presence of T cells within the tumors. These tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are crucial in controlling tumor growth and their activity is being potentiated by immunotherapies. Although some epithelial cancers are associated with spontaneous T-cell and B-cell responses, which makes them good candidates for immunotherapies, it remains to create strategies that would promote lymphocyte infiltration and enable sustained immune responses in immune-resistant tumors. Therapeutic cancer vaccines hold the potential of being able to render “cold”, poorly infiltrated tumors into “hot” tumors that would be receptive to cellular immunotherapies. In this review, we elaborate on the obstacles that need to be overcome and the strategies that are being explored to that end, including various types of antigen repertoires and different vaccine platforms and combinations with other available treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana E. Kandalaft
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (L.E.K.); (A.H.)
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (L.E.K.); (A.H.)
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65
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Zhu Y, Qian Y, Li Z, Li Y, Li B. Neoantigen-reactive T cell: An emerging role in adoptive cellular immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2021; 2:207-220. [PMID: 34766142 PMCID: PMC8491202 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.41] [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: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cellular immunotherapy harnessing the intrinsic immune system for precise treatment has exhibited preliminary success against malignant tumors. As one of the emerging roles in adoptive cellular immunotherapy, neoantigen-reactive T cell (NRT) focuses on the antigens expressed only by tumor cells. It exclusively obliterates tumor and spares normal tissues, achieving more satisfying effects. However, the development of NRT immunotherapy remains in a relatively primitive stage. Current challenges include identification of NRTs and maintenance of adoptive cell efficacy in vivo. The possible side effects and other limitations of this treatment also hinder its application. Here, we present an overview of NRT immunotherapy and discuss the progress and challenges as well as the prospects in this promising field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Youkun Qian
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Zhile Li
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Yangyang Li
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
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66
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Blobner J, Kilian M, Tan CL, Aslan K, Sanghvi K, Meyer J, Fischer M, Jähne K, Breckwoldt MO, Sahm F, von Deimling A, Bendszus M, Wick W, Platten M, Green E, Bunse L. Comparative evaluation of T-cell receptors in experimental glioma-draining lymph nodes. Neurooncol Adv 2021; 3:vdab147. [PMID: 34738084 PMCID: PMC8562732 DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Glioblastomas, the most common primary malignant brain tumors, are considered immunologically cold malignancies due to growth in an immune sanctuary site. While peptide vaccines have shown to generate intra-tumoral antigen-specific T cells, the identification of these tumor-specific T cells is challenging and requires detailed analyses of tumor tissue. Several studies have shown that CNS antigens may be transported via lymphatic drainage to cervical lymph nodes, where antigen-specific T-cell responses can be generated. Therefore, we investigated whether glioma-draining lymph nodes (TDLN) may constitute a reservoir of tumor-reactive T cells. Methods We addressed our hypothesis by flow cytometric analyses of chicken ovalbumin (OVA)-specific CD8+ T cells as well as T-cell receptor beta (TCRβ) next-generation-sequencing (TCRβ-NGS) of T cells from tumor tissue, TDLN, spleen, and inguinal lymph nodes harvested from experimental mouse GL261 glioma models. Results Longitudinal dextramer-based assessment of specific CD8+ T cells from TDLN did not show tumor model antigen reactivity. Unbiased immunogenomic analysis revealed a low overlap of TCRβ sequences from glioma-infiltrating CD8+ T cells between mice. Enrichment scores, calculated by the ratio of productive frequencies of the different TCRβ-CDR3 amino-acid (aa) rearrangements of CD8+ T cells derived from tumor, TDLN, inguinal lymph nodes, and spleen demonstrated a higher proportion of tumor-associated TCR in the spleen compared to TDLN. Conclusions In experimental glioblastoma, our data did not provide evidence that glioma-draining cervical lymph nodes are a robust reservoir for spontaneous glioma-specific T cells highlighting the requirement for detailed analyses of glioma-infiltrating T cells for the discovery of tumor-specific TCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Blobner
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kilian
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Chin Leng Tan
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katrin Aslan
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Khwab Sanghvi
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Meyer
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuropathology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Fischer
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kristine Jähne
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael O Breckwoldt
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Sahm
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuropathology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas von Deimling
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuropathology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Bendszus
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Medical Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wick
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Platten
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Helmholtz Center for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON), Mainz, Germany
| | - Edward Green
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lukas Bunse
- DKTK Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuroimmunology and Brain Tumor Immunology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences (MCTN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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67
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Yarmarkovich M, Marshall QF, Warrington JM, Premaratne R, Farrel A, Groff D, Li W, di Marco M, Runbeck E, Truong H, Toor JS, Tripathi S, Nguyen S, Shen H, Noel T, Church NL, Weiner A, Kendsersky N, Martinez D, Weisberg R, Christie M, Eisenlohr L, Bosse KR, Dimitrov DS, Stevanovic S, Sgourakis NG, Kiefel BR, Maris JM. Cross-HLA targeting of intracellular oncoproteins with peptide-centric CARs. Nature 2021; 599:477-484. [PMID: 34732890 PMCID: PMC8599005 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04061-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The majority of oncogenic drivers are intracellular proteins, thus constraining their immunotherapeutic targeting to mutated peptides (neoantigens) presented by individual human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allotypes1. However, most cancers have a modest mutational burden that is insufficient to generate responses using neoantigen-based therapies2,3. Neuroblastoma is a paediatric cancer that harbours few mutations and is instead driven by epigenetically deregulated transcriptional networks4. Here we show that the neuroblastoma immunopeptidome is enriched with peptides derived from proteins that are essential for tumourigenesis and focus on targeting the unmutated peptide QYNPIRTTF, discovered on HLA-A*24:02, which is derived from the neuroblastoma dependency gene and master transcriptional regulator PHOX2B. To target QYNPIRTTF, we developed peptide-centric chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) using a counter-panning strategy with predicted potentially cross-reactive peptides. We further hypothesized that peptide-centric CARs could recognize peptides on additional HLA allotypes when presented in a similar manner. Informed by computational modelling, we showed that PHOX2B peptide-centric CARs also recognize QYNPIRTTF presented by HLA-A*23:01 and the highly divergent HLA-B*14:02. Finally, we demonstrated potent and specific killing of neuroblastoma cells expressing these HLAs in vitro and complete tumour regression in mice. These data suggest that peptide-centric CARs have the potential to vastly expand the pool of immunotherapeutic targets to include non-immunogenic intracellular oncoproteins and widen the population of patients who would benefit from such therapy by breaking conventional HLA restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Yarmarkovich
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Quinlen F Marshall
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John M Warrington
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Alvin Farrel
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David Groff
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wei Li
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Erin Runbeck
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hau Truong
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jugmohit S Toor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Sarvind Tripathi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Son Nguyen
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Helena Shen
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tiffany Noel
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Amber Weiner
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nathan Kendsersky
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dan Martinez
- Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca Weisberg
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Molly Christie
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Laurence Eisenlohr
- Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kristopher R Bosse
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Nikolaos G Sgourakis
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - John M Maris
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Flatmark K, Torgunrud A, Fleten KG, Davidson B, Juul HV, Mensali N, Lund-Andersen C, Inderberg EM. Peptide vaccine targeting mutated GNAS: a potential novel treatment for pseudomyxoma peritonei. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2021-003109. [PMID: 34711663 PMCID: PMC8557294 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare, slow-growing abdominal cancer with no efficacious treatment options in non-resectable and recurrent cases. Otherwise, rare activating mutations in the GNAS oncogene are remarkably frequent in PMP and the mutated gene product, guanine nucleotide-binding protein α subunit (Gsα), is a potential tumor neoantigen, presenting an opportunity for targeting by a therapeutic cancer vaccine. Methods Tumor and blood samples were collected from 25 patients undergoing surgery for PMP (NCT02073500). GNAS mutation analysis was performed by next-generation targeted sequencing or digital droplet PCR. Responses to stimulation with Gsα mutated (point mutations R201H and R201C) 30 mer peptides were analyzed in peripheral blood T cells derived from patients with PMP and healthy donors. Fresh PMP tumor samples were analyzed by mass cytometry using a panel of 35 extracellular markers, and cellular subpopulations were clustered and visualized using the visual stochastic network embedding analysis tool. Results GNAS mutations were detected in 22/25 tumor samples (88%; R201H and R201C mutations detected in 16 and 6 cases, respectively). Strong T cell proliferation against Gsα mutated peptides was observed in 18/24 patients with PMP. Mass cytometry analysis of tumor revealed infiltration of CD3 +T cells in most samples, with variable CD4+:CD8 + ratios. A large proportion of T cells expressed immune checkpoint molecules, in particular programmed death receptor-1 and T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM, indicating that these T cells were antigen experienced. Conclusion These findings point to the existence of a pre-existing immunity in patients with PMP towards mutated Gsα, which has been insufficient to control tumor growth, possibly because of inhibition of antitumor T cells by upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules. The results form a rationale for exploring peptide vaccination with Gsα peptides in combination with immune checkpoint inhibiton as a possible curative treatment for PMP and other GNAS mutated cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kjersti Flatmark
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway .,Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Annette Torgunrud
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karianne G Fleten
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ben Davidson
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hedvig V Juul
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nadia Mensali
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christin Lund-Andersen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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69
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Nagasaka M, Potugari B, Nguyen A, Sukari A, Azmi AS, Ou SHI. KRAS Inhibitors- yes but what next? Direct targeting of KRAS- vaccines, adoptive T cell therapy and beyond. Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 101:102309. [PMID: 34715449 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is a proto-oncogene of the RAS-MAPK pathway. KRAS mutations are present in a variety of malignancies including lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer. Until the recent approval of sotorasib, a KRAS G12C inhibitor, lack of targeted therapy for KRAS has resulted in poor prognosis of patients with tumors harboring KRAS mutations. While the conditional approval of sotorasib was a major breakthrough for those patients harboring KRAS G12C mutations, G12C only accounts for a fraction of those with KRAS mutations and eventual resistance to G12C inhibitors are unavoidable. This comprehensive review on KRAS inhibitors covers accumulating evidence on not only the G12C inhibitors but also other therapeutic attempts to tackle KRAS including combination therapy as well as direct inhibition with vaccines, adoptive T cell therapy, proteolysis-targeted chimeras (PROTACs) and CRISPR/Cas9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misako Nagasaka
- University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA; Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University, Kawasaki, Japan.
| | - Bindu Potugari
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, St. Joseph Mercy Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alexis Nguyen
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | - Asfar S Azmi
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA; Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sai-Hong Ignatius Ou
- University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, USA; Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Orange, CA, USA
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70
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Small-scale manufacturing of neoantigen-encoding messenger RNA for early-phase clinical trials. Cytotherapy 2021; 24:213-222. [PMID: 34696961 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) has become a promising tool in therapeutic cancer vaccine strategies. Owing to its flexible design and rapid production, mRNA is an attractive antigen delivery format for cancer vaccines targeting mutated peptides expressed in a tumor-the so-called neoantigens. These neoantigens are rarely shared between patients, and inclusion of these antigens in a vaccine requires the production of individual batches of patient-tailored mRNA. The authors have developed MIDRIXNEO, a personalized mRNA-loaded dendritic cell vaccine targeting tumor neoantigens, which is currently being evaluated in a phase 1 clinical study in lung cancer patients. To facilitate this study, the authors set up a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant production process for the manufacture of small batches of personalized neoantigen-encoding mRNA. In this article, the authors describe the complete mRNA production process and the extensive quality assessment to which the mRNA is subjected. Validation runs have shown that the process delivers mRNA of reproducible, high quality. This process is now successfully applied for the production of neoantigen-encoding mRNA for the clinical evaluation of MIDRIXNEO. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that a GMP-based production process of patient-tailored neoantigen mRNA has been described.
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71
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Tan E, Gakhar N, Kirtane K. TCR gene-engineered cell therapy for solid tumors. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 2021; 34:101285. [PMID: 34625228 DOI: 10.1016/j.beha.2021.101285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The engineering of immune cells to target cancer cells (cellular immunotherapy) has been an exciting area of development in recent years. One type of cellular therapy, T cell receptor (TCR) gene engineered therapy, has shown particular promise in solid tumors. Through use of a heterodimer to recognize intracellular tumor antigens presented through the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), TCR T cells are able to evoke a cytotoxic response as well as a clinical response. In this review, we discuss the potential of TCR-based cellular therapies in solid tumors. While various challenges exist with this therapy, multiple clinical trials are ongoing, in attempt to mitigate these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Tan
- Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
| | - Neel Gakhar
- Saint Joseph Hospital, 1375 E 19th Avenue, Denver, CO, 80218, USA.
| | - Kedar Kirtane
- Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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72
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Choi J, Goulding SP, Conn BP, McGann CD, Dietze JL, Kohler J, Lenkala D, Boudot A, Rothenberg DA, Turcott PJ, Srouji JR, Foley KC, Rooney MS, van Buuren MM, Gaynor RB, Abelin JG, Addona TA, Juneja VR. Systematic discovery and validation of T cell targets directed against oncogenic KRAS mutations. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2021; 1:100084. [PMID: 35474673 PMCID: PMC9017224 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Oncogenic mutations in KRAS can be recognized by T cells on specific class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA-I) molecules, leading to tumor control. To date, the discovery of T cell targets from KRAS mutations has relied on occasional T cell responses in patient samples or the use of transgenic mice. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a systematic target discovery and validation pipeline. We evaluate the presentation of mutant KRAS peptides on individual HLA-I molecules using targeted mass spectrometry and identify 13 unpublished KRASG12C/D/R/V mutation/HLA-I pairs and nine previously described pairs. We assess immunogenicity, generating T cell responses to nearly all targets. Using cytotoxicity assays, we demonstrate that KRAS-specific T cells and T cell receptors specifically recognize endogenous KRAS mutations. The discovery and validation of T cell targets from KRAS mutations demonstrate the potential for this pipeline to aid the development of immunotherapies for important cancer targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewon Choi
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Scott P. Goulding
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Brandon P. Conn
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Jared L. Dietze
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jessica Kohler
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Divya Lenkala
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Antoine Boudot
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Paul J. Turcott
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John R. Srouji
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kendra C. Foley
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Michael S. Rooney
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Richard B. Gaynor
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Terri A. Addona
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Vikram R. Juneja
- BioNTech US Inc., 40 Erie Street, Suite 110, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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73
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Tang Y, Zhang AXJ, Chen G, Wu Y, Gu W. Prognostic and therapeutic TILs of cervical cancer-Current advances and future perspectives. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2021; 22:410-430. [PMID: 34553029 PMCID: PMC8430272 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a top lethal cancer for women worldwide. Although screening and vaccination programs are available in many countries, resulting in the decline of new cases, this is not true for developing countries where there are many new cases and related deaths. Cancer immunotherapy through adaptive cell therapy (ACT) has been applied in clinics, but now much attention is focused on autogenic tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)-based therapy, which has shown more specificity and better ability to inhibit tumor growth. Data from melanoma and cervical cancers confirm that tumor-specific T cells in TILs can be expanded for more specific and effective ACT. Moreover, TILs are derived from individual patients and are ready to home back to kill tumor cells after patient infusion, aligning well with personalized and precision medicine. In addition to therapy, TIL cell types and numbers are good indicators of host immune response to the tumor, and thus they have significant values in prognosis. Because of the special relationship with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, cervical cancer has some specialties in TIL-based prognosis and therapy. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the prognostic significance of TILs and TIL-based therapy for cervical cancer and discuss related perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Tang
- Institute of Tumor, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anne X J Zhang
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guangyu Chen
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanheng Wu
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenyi Gu
- Gillion ITM Research Institute, Guangzhou Hongkeyuan, Guangzhou, China.,Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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74
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Adoptive T-cell immunotherapy in digestive tract malignancies: Current challenges and future perspectives. Cancer Treat Rev 2021; 100:102288. [PMID: 34525422 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2021.102288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Multiple systemic treatments are currently available for advanced cancers of the digestive tract, but none of them is curative. Adoptive T-cell immunotherapy refers to the extraction, modification and re-infusion of autologous or allogenic T lymphocytes for therapeutic purposes. A number of clinical trials have investigated either non-engineered T cells (i.e., lymphokine-activated killer cells, cytokine induced killer cells, or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) or engineered T cells (T cell receptor-redirected T cells or chimeric antigen receptor T cells) in patients with digestive tract malignancies over the past two decades, with variable degrees of success. While the majority of completed trials have been primarily aimed at assessing the safety of T-cell transfer strategies, a new generation of studies is being designed to formally evaluate the antitumor potential of adoptive T-cell immunotherapy in both the metastatic and adjuvant settings. In this review, we provide an overview of completed and ongoing clinical trials of passive T-cell immunotherapy in patients with cancers of the digestive tract, focusing on present obstacles and future strategies for achieving potential success.
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75
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Sun Y, Li F, Sonnemann H, Jackson KR, Talukder AH, Katailiha AS, Lizee G. Evolution of CD8 + T Cell Receptor (TCR) Engineered Therapies for the Treatment of Cancer. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092379. [PMID: 34572028 PMCID: PMC8469972 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered T cell receptor T (TCR-T) cell therapy has facilitated the generation of increasingly reliable tumor antigen-specific adaptable cellular products for the treatment of human cancer. TCR-T cell therapies were initially focused on targeting shared tumor-associated peptide targets, including melanoma differentiation and cancer-testis antigens. With recent technological developments, it has become feasible to target neoantigens derived from tumor somatic mutations, which represents a highly personalized therapy, since most neoantigens are patient-specific and are rarely shared between patients. TCR-T therapies have been tested for clinical efficacy in treating solid tumors in many preclinical studies and clinical trials all over the world. However, the efficacy of TCR-T therapy for the treatment of solid tumors has been limited by a number of factors, including low TCR avidity, off-target toxicities, and target antigen loss leading to tumor escape. In this review, we discuss the process of deriving tumor antigen-specific TCRs, including the identification of appropriate tumor antigen targets, expansion of antigen-specific T cells, and TCR cloning and validation, including techniques and tools for TCR-T cell vector construction and expression. We highlight the achievements of recent clinical trials of engineered TCR-T cell therapies and discuss the current challenges and potential solutions for improving their safety and efficacy, insights that may help guide future TCR-T studies in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimo Sun
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Fenge Li
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Heather Sonnemann
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Kyle R. Jackson
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Amjad H. Talukder
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Arjun S. Katailiha
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
| | - Gregory Lizee
- Department of Melanoma, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (Y.S.); (F.L.); (H.S.); (K.R.J.); (A.H.T.); (A.S.K.)
- Department of Immunology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Correspondence:
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76
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Verdon DJ, Jenkins MR. Identification and Targeting of Mutant Peptide Neoantigens in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4245. [PMID: 34439399 PMCID: PMC8391927 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13164245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, adoptive cell transfer and checkpoint blockade therapies have revolutionized immunotherapeutic approaches to cancer treatment. Advances in whole exome/genome sequencing and bioinformatic detection of tumour-specific genetic variations and the amino acid sequence alterations they induce have revealed that T cell mediated anti-tumour immunity is substantially directed at mutated peptide sequences, and the identification and therapeutic targeting of patient-specific mutated peptide antigens now represents an exciting and rapidly progressing frontier of personalized medicine in the treatment of cancer. This review outlines the historical identification and validation of mutated peptide neoantigens as a target of the immune system, and the technical development of bioinformatic and experimental strategies for detecting, confirming and prioritizing both patient-specific or "private" and frequently occurring, shared "public" neoantigenic targets. Further, we examine the range of therapeutic modalities that have demonstrated preclinical and clinical anti-tumour efficacy through specifically targeting neoantigens, including adoptive T cell transfer, checkpoint blockade and neoantigen vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Verdon
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia;
| | - Misty R. Jenkins
- Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia;
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- La Trobe Institute of Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
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77
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Nilsson JB, Grifoni A, Tarke A, Sette A, Nielsen M. PopCover-2.0. Improved Selection of Peptide Sets With Optimal HLA and Pathogen Diversity Coverage. Front Immunol 2021; 12:728936. [PMID: 34484239 PMCID: PMC8416060 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.728936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of minimal peptide sets offers an appealing alternative for design of vaccines and T cell diagnostics compared to conventional whole protein approaches. T cell immunogenicity towards peptides is contingent on binding to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules of the given individual. HLA is highly polymorphic, and each variant typically presents a different repertoire of peptides. This polymorphism combined with pathogen diversity challenges the rational selection of peptide sets with broad immunogenic potential and population coverage. Here we propose PopCover-2.0, a simple yet highly effective method, for resolving this challenge. The method takes as input a set of (predicted) CD8 and/or CD4 T cell epitopes with associated HLA restriction and pathogen strain annotation together with information on HLA allele frequencies, and identifies peptide sets with optimal pathogen and HLA (class I and II) coverage. PopCover-2.0 was benchmarked on historic data in the context of HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Further, the immunogenicity of the selected SARS-CoV-2 peptides was confirmed by experimentally validating the peptide pools for T cell responses in a panel of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. In summary, PopCover-2.0 is an effective method for rational selection of peptide subsets with broad HLA and pathogen coverage. The tool is available at https://services.healthtech.dtu.dk/service.php?PopCover-2.0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Birkelund Nilsson
- Department of Health Technology, Section for Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Alba Grifoni
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Alison Tarke
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Section for Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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Arnaud M, Bobisse S, Chiffelle J, Harari A. The Promise of Personalized TCR-Based Cellular Immunotherapy for Cancer Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:701636. [PMID: 34394096 PMCID: PMC8363295 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.701636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation-derived neoantigens are now established as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. The field of adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) therapy was significantly reshaped by tumor neoantigens and is now moving towards the genetic engineering of T cells with neoantigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs). Yet, the identification of neoantigen-reactive TCRs remains challenging and the process needs to be adapted to clinical timelines. In addition, the state of recipient T cells for TCR transduction is critical and can affect TCR-ACT efficacy. Here we provide an overview of the main strategies for TCR-engineering, describe the selection and expansion of optimal carrier cells for TCR-ACT and discuss the next-generation methods for rapid identification of relevant TCR candidates for gene transfer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Arnaud
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Bobisse
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Chiffelle
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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79
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de Sousa E, Lérias JR, Beltran A, Paraschoudi G, Condeço C, Kamiki J, António PA, Figueiredo N, Carvalho C, Castillo-Martin M, Wang Z, Ligeiro D, Rao M, Maeurer M. Targeting Neoepitopes to Treat Solid Malignancies: Immunosurgery. Front Immunol 2021; 12:592031. [PMID: 34335558 PMCID: PMC8320363 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.592031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful outcome of immune checkpoint blockade in patients with solid cancers is in part associated with a high tumor mutational burden (TMB) and the recognition of private neoantigens by T-cells. The quality and quantity of target recognition is determined by the repertoire of ‘neoepitope’-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), or peripheral T-cells. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ), produced by T-cells and other immune cells, is essential for controlling proliferation of transformed cells, induction of apoptosis and enhancing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression, thereby increasing immunogenicity of cancer cells. TCR αβ-dependent therapies should account for tumor heterogeneity and availability of the TCR repertoire capable of reacting to neoepitopes and functional HLA pathways. Immunogenic epitopes in the tumor-stroma may also be targeted to achieve tumor-containment by changing the immune-contexture in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Non protein-coding regions of the tumor-cell genome may also contain many aberrantly expressed, non-mutated tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) capable of eliciting productive anti-tumor immune responses. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and/or RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) of cancer tissue, combined with several layers of bioinformatic analysis is commonly used to predict possible neoepitopes present in clinical samples. At the ImmunoSurgery Unit of the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown (CCU), a pipeline combining several tools is used for predicting private mutations from WES and RNA-Seq data followed by the construction of synthetic peptides tailored for immunological response assessment reflecting the patient’s tumor mutations, guided by MHC typing. Subsequent immunoassays allow the detection of differential IFN-γ production patterns associated with (intra-tumoral) spatiotemporal differences in TIL or peripheral T-cells versus TIL. These bioinformatics tools, in addition to histopathological assessment, immunological readouts from functional bioassays and deep T-cell ‘adaptome’ analyses, are expected to advance discovery and development of next-generation personalized precision medicine strategies to improve clinical outcomes in cancer in the context of i) anti-tumor vaccination strategies, ii) gauging mutation-reactive T-cell responses in biological therapies and iii) expansion of tumor-reactive T-cells for the cellular treatment of patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric de Sousa
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana R Lérias
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Antonio Beltran
- Department of Pathology, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Carolina Condeço
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jéssica Kamiki
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Nuno Figueiredo
- Digestive Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlos Carvalho
- Digestive Unit, Champalimaud Clinical Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Zhe Wang
- Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI), Applied Adaptome Immunology Institute, Nanjing, China
| | - Dário Ligeiro
- Lisbon Centre for Blood and Transplantation, Instituto Português do Sangue e Transplantação (IPST), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Martin Rao
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Markus Maeurer
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.,I Medical Clinic, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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80
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Levin N, Paria BC, Vale NR, Yossef R, Lowery FJ, Parkhurst MR, Yu Z, Florentin M, Cafri G, Gartner JJ, Shindorf ML, Ngo LT, Ray S, Kim SP, Copeland AR, Robbins PF, Rosenberg SA. Identification and Validation of T-cell Receptors Targeting RAS Hotspot Mutations in Human Cancers for Use in Cell-based Immunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:5084-5095. [PMID: 34168045 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-0849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immunotherapies mediate the regression of human tumors through recognition of tumor antigens by immune cells that trigger an immune response. Mutations in the RAS oncogenes occur in about 30% of all patients with cancer. These mutations play an important role in both tumor establishment and survival and are commonly found in hotspots. Discovering T-cell receptors (TCR) that recognize shared mutated RAS antigens presented on MHC class I and class II molecules are thus promising reagents for "off-the-shelf" adoptive cell therapies (ACT) following insertion of the TCRs into lymphocytes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN In this ongoing work, we screened for RAS antigen recognition in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) or by in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). TCRs recognizing mutated RAS were identified from the reactive T cells. The TCRs were then reconstructed and virally transduced into PBLs and tested. RESULTS Here, we detect and report multiple novel TCR sequences that recognize nonsynonymous mutant RAS hotspot mutations with high avidity and specificity and identify the specific class-I and -II MHC restriction elements involved in the recognition of mutant RAS. CONCLUSIONS The TCR library directed against RAS hotspot mutations described here recognize RAS mutations found in about 45% of the Caucasian population and about 60% of the Asian population and represent promising reagents for "off-the-shelf" ACTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Levin
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Biman C Paria
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nolan R Vale
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rami Yossef
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Frank J Lowery
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Zhiya Yu
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Maria Florentin
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gal Cafri
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.,Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Jared J Gartner
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Lien T Ngo
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Satyajit Ray
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sanghyun P Kim
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Amy R Copeland
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Paul F Robbins
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
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81
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Shklovskaya E, Rizos H. MHC Class I Deficiency in Solid Tumors and Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome It. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136741. [PMID: 34201655 PMCID: PMC8268865 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well accepted that the immune system can control cancer growth. However, tumors escape immune-mediated control through multiple mechanisms and the downregulation or loss of major histocompatibility class (MHC)-I molecules is a common immune escape mechanism in many cancers. MHC-I molecules present antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T cells, and MHC-I loss can render tumor cells invisible to the immune system. In this review, we examine the dysregulation of MHC-I expression in cancer, explore the nature of MHC-I-bound antigenic peptides recognized by immune cells, and discuss therapeutic strategies that can be used to overcome MHC-I deficiency in solid tumors, with a focus on the role of natural killer (NK) cells and CD4 T cells.
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82
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Dillard P, Casey N, Pollmann S, Vernhoff P, Gaudernack G, Kvalheim G, Wälchli S, Inderberg EM. Targeting KRAS mutations with HLA class II-restricted TCRs for the treatment of solid tumors. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1936757. [PMID: 34235003 PMCID: PMC8216182 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1936757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell receptor (TCR) redirected T cells are considered as the next generation of care for the treatment of numerous solid tumors. KRAS mutations are driver neoantigens that are expressed in over 25% of all cancers and are thus regarded as ideal targets for Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT). We have isolated four KRAS-specific TCRs from a long-term surviving pancreatic cancer patient vaccinated with a mix of mutated KRAS peptides. The sequence of these TCRs could be identified and expressed in primary cells. We demonstrated stable expression of all TCRs as well as target-specific functionality when expressing T cells were co-incubated with target cells presenting KRAS peptides. In addition, these TCRs were all partially co-receptor independent since they were functional in both CD4 and CD8 T cells, thus indicating high affinity. Interestingly, we observed that certain TCRs were able to recognize several KRAS mutations in complex with their cognate Human leukocyte antigen (HLA), suggesting that, here, the point mutations were less important for the HLA binding and TCR recognition, whereas others were single-mutation restricted. Finally, we demonstrated that these peptides were indeed processed and presented, since HLA-matched antigen presenting cells exogenously loaded with KRAS proteins were recognized by TCR-transduced T cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate that KRAS mutations are immunogenic for CD4 T cells and are interesting targets for TCR-based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Dillard
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nicholas Casey
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sylvie Pollmann
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Patrik Vernhoff
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gustav Gaudernack
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Kvalheim
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sébastien Wälchli
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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83
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Pasetto A, Lu YC. Single-Cell TCR and Transcriptome Analysis: An Indispensable Tool for Studying T-Cell Biology and Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:689091. [PMID: 34163487 PMCID: PMC8215674 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.689091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells have been known to be the driving force for immune response and cancer immunotherapy. Recent advances on single-cell sequencing techniques have empowered scientists to discover new biology at the single-cell level. Here, we review the single-cell techniques used for T-cell studies, including T-cell receptor (TCR) and transcriptome analysis. In addition, we summarize the approaches used for the identification of T-cell neoantigens, an important aspect for T-cell mediated cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, we discuss the applications of single-cell techniques for T-cell studies, including T-cell development and differentiation, as well as the role of T cells in autoimmunity, infectious disease and cancer immunotherapy. Taken together, this powerful tool not only can validate previous observation by conventional approaches, but also can pave the way for new discovery, such as previous unidentified T-cell subpopulations that potentially responsible for clinical outcomes in patients with autoimmunity or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pasetto
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Microbiology, ANA FUTURA, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yong-Chen Lu
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.,Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States
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84
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Poorebrahim M, Mohammadkhani N, Mahmoudi R, Gholizadeh M, Fakhr E, Cid-Arregui A. TCR-like CARs and TCR-CARs targeting neoepitopes: an emerging potential. Cancer Gene Ther 2021; 28:581-589. [PMID: 33654227 PMCID: PMC8203496 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-021-00307-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Neoepitopes or neoantigens are a spectrum of unique mutations presented in a particular patient's tumor. Neoepitope-based adoptive therapies have the potential of tumor eradication without undue damaging effect on normal tissues. In this context, methods based on the T cell receptor (TCR) engineering or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have shown great promise. This review focuses on the TCR-like CARs and TCR-CARs directed against tumor-derived epitopes, with a concerted view on neoepitopes. We also address the current limitations of the field to know how to harness the full benefits of this approach and thereby design a sustained and specific antitumor therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- Antigens, Neoplasm/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Neoplasms/genetics
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/therapeutic use
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansour Poorebrahim
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Niloufar Mohammadkhani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Mahmoudi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Monireh Gholizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Fakhr
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angel Cid-Arregui
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Group, Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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85
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Kumar A, Watkins R, Vilgelm AE. Cell Therapy With TILs: Training and Taming T Cells to Fight Cancer. Front Immunol 2021; 12:690499. [PMID: 34140957 PMCID: PMC8204054 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.690499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The rationale behind cancer immunotherapy is based on the unequivocal demonstration that the immune system plays an important role in limiting cancer initiation and progression. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a form of cancer immunotherapy that utilizes a patient’s own immune cells to find and eliminate tumor cells, however, donor immune cells can also be employed in some cases. Here, we focus on T lymphocyte (T cell)-based cancer immunotherapies that have gained significant attention after initial discoveries that graft-versus-tumor responses were mediated by T cells. Accumulating knowledge of T cell development and function coupled with advancements in genetics and data science has enabled the use of a patient’s own (autologous) T cells for ACT (TIL ACTs). In TIL ACT, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are collected from resected tumor material, enhanced and expanded ex-vivo, and delivered back to the patient as therapeutic agents. ACT with TILs has been shown to cause objective tumor regression in several types of cancers including melanoma, cervical squamous cell carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma. In this review, we provide a brief history of TIL ACT and discuss the current state of TIL ACT clinical development in solid tumors. We also discuss the niche of TIL ACT in the current cancer therapy landscape and potential strategies for patient selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrendra Kumar
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Reese Watkins
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Anna E Vilgelm
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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86
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Jongsma MLM, Neefjes J, Spaapen RM. Playing hide and seek: Tumor cells in control of MHC class I antigen presentation. Mol Immunol 2021; 136:36-44. [PMID: 34082257 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
MHC class I (MHC-I) molecules present a blueprint of the intracellular proteome to T cells allowing them to control infection or malignant transformation. As a response, pathogens and tumor cells often downmodulate MHC-I mediated antigen presentation to escape from immune surveillance. Although the fundamental rules of antigen presentation are known in detail, the players in this system are not saturated and new modules of regulation have recently been uncovered. Here, we update the understanding of antigen presentation by MHC-I molecules and how this can be exploited by tumors to prevent exposure of the intracellular proteome. This knowledge can provide new ways to improve immune responses against tumors and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L M Jongsma
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - J Neefjes
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - R M Spaapen
- Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Landsteiner Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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87
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Stein Y, Aloni-Grinstein R, Rotter V. Mutant p53 oncogenicity: dominant-negative or gain-of-function? Carcinogenesis 2021; 41:1635-1647. [PMID: 33159515 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgaa117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The p53 protein is mutated in about 50% of human cancers. Aside from losing its tumor-suppressive activities, mutant p53 may acquire pro-oncogenic activity, which is facilitated by two underlying mechanisms. The first mechanism is the inhibition of co-expressed wild-type p53 (WTp53) activity, dubbed the dominant-negative effect (DNE). The second mechanism is a neomorphic pro-oncogenic activity that does not involve the inhibition of WTp53, termed gain-of-function (GOF). Throughout the years, both mechanisms were demonstrated in a plethora of in vitro and in vivo models. However, whether both account for protumorigenic activities of mutant p53 and in which contexts is still a matter of ongoing debate. Here, we discuss evidence for both DNE and GOF in a variety of models. These models suggest that both GOF and DNE can be relevant, but are highly dependent on the specific mutation type, genetic and cellular context and even the phenotype that is being assessed. In addition, we discuss how mutant and WTp53 might not exist as two separate entities, but rather as a continuum that may involve a balance between the two forms in the same cells, which could be tilted by various factors and drugs. Further elucidation of the factors that dictate the balance between the WT and mutant p53 states, as well as the factors that govern the impact of DNE and GOF in different cancer types, may lead to the development of more effective treatment regimens for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Stein
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ronit Aloni-Grinstein
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona, Israel
| | - Varda Rotter
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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88
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Gupta RG, Li F, Roszik J, Lizée G. Exploiting Tumor Neoantigens to Target Cancer Evolution: Current Challenges and Promising Therapeutic Approaches. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:1024-1039. [PMID: 33722796 PMCID: PMC8102318 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapeutic manipulation of the antitumor immune response offers an attractive strategy to target genomic instability in cancer. A subset of tumor-specific somatic mutations can be translated into immunogenic and HLA-bound epitopes called neoantigens, which can induce the activation of helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes. However, cancer immunoediting and immunosuppressive mechanisms often allow tumors to evade immune recognition. Recent evidence also suggests that the tumor neoantigen landscape extends beyond epitopes originating from nonsynonymous single-nucleotide variants in the coding exome. Here we review emerging approaches for identifying, prioritizing, and immunologically targeting personalized neoantigens using polyvalent cancer vaccines and T-cell receptor gene therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: Several major challenges currently impede the clinical efficacy of neoantigen-directed immunotherapy, such as the relative infrequency of immunogenic neoantigens, suboptimal potency and priming of de novo tumor-specific T cells, and tumor cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms of immune evasion. A deeper understanding of these biological barriers could help facilitate the development of effective and durable immunotherapy for any type of cancer, including immunologically "cold" tumors that are otherwise therapeutically resistant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi G Gupta
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, Camden, New Jersey.
| | - Fenge Li
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jason Roszik
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gregory Lizée
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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89
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Morotti M, Albukhari A, Alsaadi A, Artibani M, Brenton JD, Curbishley SM, Dong T, Dustin ML, Hu Z, McGranahan N, Miller ML, Santana-Gonzalez L, Seymour LW, Shi T, Van Loo P, Yau C, White H, Wietek N, Church DN, Wedge DC, Ahmed AA. Promises and challenges of adoptive T-cell therapies for solid tumours. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:1759-1776. [PMID: 33782566 PMCID: PMC8144577 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-021-01353-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and, despite new targeted therapies and immunotherapies, many patients with advanced-stage- or high-risk cancers still die, owing to metastatic disease. Adoptive T-cell therapy, involving the autologous or allogeneic transplant of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes or genetically modified T cells expressing novel T-cell receptors or chimeric antigen receptors, has shown promise in the treatment of cancer patients, leading to durable responses and, in some cases, cure. Technological advances in genomics, computational biology, immunology and cell manufacturing have brought the aspiration of individualised therapies for cancer patients closer to reality. This new era of cell-based individualised therapeutics challenges the traditional standards of therapeutic interventions and provides opportunities for a paradigm shift in our approach to cancer therapy. Invited speakers at a 2020 symposium discussed three areas-cancer genomics, cancer immunology and cell-therapy manufacturing-that are essential to the effective translation of T-cell therapies in the treatment of solid malignancies. Key advances have been made in understanding genetic intratumour heterogeneity, and strategies to accurately identify neoantigens, overcome T-cell exhaustion and circumvent tumour immunosuppression after cell-therapy infusion are being developed. Advances are being made in cell-manufacturing approaches that have the potential to establish cell-therapies as credible therapeutic options. T-cell therapies face many challenges but hold great promise for improving clinical outcomes for patients with solid tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Morotti
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ashwag Albukhari
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulkhaliq Alsaadi
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mara Artibani
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James D Brenton
- Functional Genomics of Ovarian Cancer Laboratory, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stuart M Curbishley
- Advanced Therapies Facility and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zhiyuan Hu
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas McGranahan
- Cancer Genome Evolution Research Group, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Martin L Miller
- Cancer System Biology Group, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Santana-Gonzalez
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Leonard W Seymour
- Gene Therapy Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tingyan Shi
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peter Van Loo
- Cancer Genomics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Christopher Yau
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
| | - Helen White
- Patient Representative, Endometrial Cancer Genomics England Clinical Interpretation Partnership (GeCIP) Domain, London, UK
| | - Nina Wietek
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David N Church
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
| | - David C Wedge
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
- Manchester Cancer Research Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Ahmed A Ahmed
- Ovarian Cancer Cell Laboratory, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
- Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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90
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Blair TC, Alice AF, Zebertavage L, Crittenden MR, Gough MJ. The Dynamic Entropy of Tumor Immune Infiltrates: The Impact of Recirculation, Antigen-Specific Interactions, and Retention on T Cells in Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:653625. [PMID: 33968757 PMCID: PMC8101411 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.653625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of tumor infiltration using conventional methods reveals a snapshot view of lymphocyte interactions with the tumor environment. However, lymphocytes have the unique capacity for continued recirculation, exploring varied tissues for the presence of cognate antigens according to inflammatory triggers and chemokine gradients. We discuss the role of the inflammatory and cellular makeup of the tumor environment, as well as antigen expressed by cancer cells or cross-presented by stromal antigen presenting cells, on recirculation kinetics of T cells. We aim to discuss how current cancer therapies may manipulate lymphocyte recirculation versus retention to impact lymphocyte exclusion in the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Blair
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, OR, United States.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Alejandro F Alice
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Lauren Zebertavage
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), Portland, OR, United States.,Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marka R Crittenden
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,The Oregon Clinic, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michael J Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
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91
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Qin SS, Melucci AD, Chacon AC, Prieto PA. Adoptive T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors: Pathway to Personalized Standard of Care. Cells 2021; 10:cells10040808. [PMID: 33916369 PMCID: PMC8067276 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) has emerged as a promising therapy for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. One challenge to finding a universal anticancer treatment is the heterogeneity present between different tumors as a result of genetic instability associated with tumorigenesis. As the epitome of personalized medicine, TIL-ACT bypasses the issue of intertumoral heterogeneity by utilizing the patient’s existing antitumor immune response. Despite being one of the few therapies capable of inducing durable, complete tumor regression, many patients fail to respond. Recent research has focused on increasing therapeutic efficacy by refining various aspects of the TIL protocol, which includes the isolation, ex vivo expansion, and subsequent infusion of tumor specific lymphocytes. This review will explore how the therapy has evolved with time by highlighting various resistance mechanisms to TIL therapy and the novel strategies to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang S. Qin
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Alexa D. Melucci
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.D.M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Alexander C. Chacon
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.D.M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Peter A. Prieto
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.D.M.); (A.C.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(585)-703-4655
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92
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Kumar S, Singh SK, Rana B, Rana A. Tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cell antitumor efficacy and exhaustion: molecular insights. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:951-967. [PMID: 33450394 PMCID: PMC8131230 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Host immunity has an essential role in the clinical management of cancers. Therefore, it is advantageous to choose therapies that can promote tumor cell death and concurrently boost host immunity. The dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME) determines whether an antineoplastic drug will elicit favorable or disparaging immune responses from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). CD8+ T cells are one of the primary tumor-infiltrating immune cells that deliver antitumor responses. Here, we review the influence of various factors in the TME on CD8+ T cell exhaustion and survival, and possible strategies for restoring CD8+ T cell effector function through immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Sunil Kumar Singh
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Basabi Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Ajay Rana
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL 60612, USA; University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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93
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Medler TR, Blair TC, Crittenden MR, Gough MJ. Defining Immunogenic and Radioimmunogenic Tumors. Front Oncol 2021; 11:667075. [PMID: 33816320 PMCID: PMC8017281 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.667075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cancer literature tumors are inconsistently labeled as ‘immunogenic’, and experimental results are occasionally dismissed since they are only tested in known ‘responsive’ tumor models. The definition of immunogenicity has moved from its classical definition based on the rejection of secondary tumors to a more nebulous definition based on immune infiltrates and response to immunotherapy interventions. This review discusses the basis behind tumor immunogenicity and the variation between tumor models, then moves to discuss how these principles apply to the response to radiation therapy. In this way we can identify radioimmunogenic tumor models that are particularly responsive to immunotherapy only when combined with radiation, and identify the interventions that can convert unresponsive tumors so that they can also respond to these treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry R Medler
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Tiffany C Blair
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, OHSU, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marka R Crittenden
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, OHSU, Portland, OR, United States.,The Oregon Clinic, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Michael J Gough
- Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States.,Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, OHSU, Portland, OR, United States
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94
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Rangel Rivera GO, Knochelmann HM, Dwyer CJ, Smith AS, Wyatt MM, Rivera-Reyes AM, Thaxton JE, Paulos CM. Fundamentals of T Cell Metabolism and Strategies to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:645242. [PMID: 33815400 PMCID: PMC8014042 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.645242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging reports show that metabolic pathways can be targeted to enhance T cell-mediated immunity to tumors. Yet, tumors consume key metabolites in the host to survive, thus robbing T cells of these nutrients to function and thrive. T cells are often deprived of basic building blocks for energy in the tumor, including glucose and amino acids needed to proliferate or produce cytotoxic molecules against tumors. Immunosuppressive molecules in the host further compromise the lytic capacity of T cells. Moreover, checkpoint receptors inhibit T cell responses by impairing their bioenergetic potential within tumors. In this review, we discuss the fundamental metabolic pathways involved in T cell activation, differentiation and response against tumors. We then address ways to target metabolic pathways to improve the next generation of immunotherapies for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo O Rangel Rivera
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.,Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Hannah M Knochelmann
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.,Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Connor J Dwyer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Aubrey S Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.,Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Megan M Wyatt
- Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Amalia M Rivera-Reyes
- Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica E Thaxton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.,Department of Orthopaedics and Physical Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Chrystal M Paulos
- Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
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95
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Xu Y, Miller CP, Warren EH, Tykodi SS. Current status of antigen-specific T-cell immunotherapy for advanced renal-cell carcinoma. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:1882-1896. [PMID: 33667140 PMCID: PMC8189101 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1870846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In renal-cell carcinoma (RCC), tumor-reactive T-cell responses can occur spontaneously or in response to systemic immunotherapy with cytokines and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cancer vaccines and engineered T-cell therapies are designed to selectively augment tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses with the goal to elicit tumor regression and avoid toxicities associated with nonspecific immunotherapies. In this review, we provide an overview of the central role of T-cell immunity in the treatment of advanced RCC. Clinical outcomes for antigen-targeted vaccines or other T-cell-engaging therapies for RCC are summarized and evaluated, and emerging new strategies to enhance the effectiveness of antigen-specific therapy for RCC are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexin Xu
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chris P Miller
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edus H Warren
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Scott S Tykodi
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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96
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Douglass J, Hsiue EHC, Mog BJ, Hwang MS, DiNapoli SR, Pearlman AH, Miller MS, Wright KM, Azurmendi PA, Wang Q, Paul S, Schaefer A, Skora AD, Molin MD, Konig MF, Liu Q, Watson E, Li Y, Murphy MB, Pardoll DM, Bettegowda C, Papadopoulos N, Gabelli SB, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Zhou S. Bispecific antibodies targeting mutant RAS neoantigens. Sci Immunol 2021; 6:6/57/eabd5515. [PMID: 33649101 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abd5515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the RAS oncogenes occur in multiple cancers, and ways to target these mutations has been the subject of intense research for decades. Most of these efforts are focused on conventional small-molecule drugs rather than antibody-based therapies because the RAS proteins are intracellular. Peptides derived from recurrent RAS mutations, G12V and Q61H/L/R, are presented on cancer cells in the context of two common human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, HLA-A3 and HLA-A1, respectively. Using phage display, we isolated single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) specific for each of these mutant peptide-HLA complexes. The scFvs did not recognize the peptides derived from the wild-type form of RAS proteins or other related peptides. We then sought to develop an immunotherapeutic agent that was capable of killing cells presenting very low levels of these RAS-derived peptide-HLA complexes. Among many variations of bispecific antibodies tested, one particular format, the single-chain diabody (scDb), exhibited superior reactivity to cells expressing low levels of neoantigens. We converted the scFvs to this scDb format and demonstrated that they were capable of inducing T cell activation and killing of target cancer cells expressing endogenous levels of the mutant RAS proteins and cognate HLA alleles. CRISPR-mediated alterations of the HLA and RAS genes provided strong genetic evidence for the specificity of the scDbs. Thus, this approach could be applied to other common oncogenic mutations that are difficult to target by conventional means, allowing for more specific anticancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Douglass
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Emily Han-Chung Hsiue
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Brian J Mog
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Michael S Hwang
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Sarah R DiNapoli
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Alexander H Pearlman
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Michelle S Miller
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Katharine M Wright
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - P Aitana Azurmendi
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Qing Wang
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Complete Omics Inc., Baltimore, MD 21227, USA
| | - Suman Paul
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Annika Schaefer
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Andrew D Skora
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Marco Dal Molin
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Maximilian F Konig
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Qiang Liu
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Evangeline Watson
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Yana Li
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | | | - Drew M Pardoll
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Chetan Bettegowda
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nickolas Papadopoulos
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Sandra B Gabelli
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Kenneth W Kinzler
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Bert Vogelstein
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Shibin Zhou
- Ludwig Center, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. .,Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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97
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW A number of clinical trials are currently testing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered T cells for the treatment of haematologic malignancies and selected solid tumours, and CD19-CAR-T cells have produced impressive clinical responses in B-cell malignancies. Here, we summarize the current state of the field, highlighting the key aspects required for the optimal application of CAR and TCR-engineered T cells for cancer immunotherapy. RECENT FINDINGS Toxicities, treatment failure and disease recurrence have been observed at different rates and kinetics. Several strategies have been designed to overcome these hurdles: the identification and combination of known and new antigens, together with the combination of immunotherapeutic and classical approaches may overcome cancer immune evasion. New protocols for genetic modification and T cell culture may improve the overall fitness of cellular products and their resistance to hostile tumour immunomodulatory signals. Finally, the schedules of T cell administration and toxicity management have been adapted to improve the safety of this transformative therapeutic approach. SUMMARY In order to develop effective adoptive T cell treatments for cancer, therapeutic optimization of engineered CAR and TCR T cells is crucial, by simultaneously focusing on intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This review focuses on the innovative approaches designed and tested to overcome the hurdles encountered so far in the clinical practice, with new excitement on novel laboratory insights and ongoing clinical investigations.
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98
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Esprit A, de Mey W, Bahadur Shahi R, Thielemans K, Franceschini L, Breckpot K. Neo-Antigen mRNA Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E776. [PMID: 33353155 PMCID: PMC7766040 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The interest in therapeutic cancer vaccines has caught enormous attention in recent years due to several breakthroughs in cancer research, among which the finding that successful checkpoint blockade treatments reinvigorate neo-antigen-specific T cells and that successful adoptive cell therapies are directed towards neo-antigens. Neo-antigens are cancer-specific antigens, which develop from somatic mutations in the cancer cell genome that can be highly immunogenic and are not subjected to central tolerance. As the majority of neo-antigens are unique to each patient's cancer, a vaccine technology that is flexible and potent is required to develop personalized neo-antigen vaccines. In vitro transcribed mRNA is such a technology platform and has been evaluated for delivery of neo-antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells both ex vivo and in vivo. In addition, strategies that support the activity of T cells in the tumor microenvironment have been developed. These represent a unique opportunity to ensure durable T cell activity upon vaccination. Here, we comprehensively review recent progress in mRNA-based neo-antigen vaccines, summarizing critical milestones that made it possible to bring the promise of therapeutic cancer vaccines within reach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy (LMCT), Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium; (A.E.); (W.d.M.); (R.B.S.); (K.T.); (L.F.)
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99
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Abstract
Personal neoantigen-based cancer vaccines are designed to target antigens arising from tumor-specific mutations within individual cancers and present a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on their favorable and intrinsic properties of escape from central tolerance and exquisite tumor specificity. With the endpoint of creating an optimal T-cell army to attack a tumor, neoantigen-based vaccines have demonstrated the ability to coax naïve T-cell recruits against epitopes that do not induce spontaneous immunity to raise long-lasting T-cell responses against multiple tumor-specific epitopes and subsequently to extend the breadth of responses, as immunity begets immunity via epitope spreading. Importantly, on both preclinical and clinical fronts, the association of T-cell responses to neoantigens and favorable outcomes has been demonstrated time and time again. We recognize, however, that the path forward remains long and winding and requires the field to address several key challenges, particularly overcoming evolved tumor escape mechanisms and optimizing vaccine-induced immunity. Some challenges stem from gaps in science that enable in silico prediction of antigen presentation and recognition by T-cell receptors, whereas others stem from the logistical obstacles and cost of personalization. Nevertheless, with perseverance and innovative solutions, we have little doubt that the ability of neoantigen vaccination to induce potent cancer-specific T cells will fundamentally succeed in enabling greater effectiveness of a broad array of immunotherapies. We provide our perspective on the progress and the remaining challenges to realizing the opportunity of personal neoantigen cancer vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward F Fritsch
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ute E Burkhardt
- Accelerating Cancer Immunotherapy Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Nir Hacohen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Catherine J Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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100
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Neshat SY, Tzeng SY, Green JJ. Gene delivery for immunoengineering. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 66:1-10. [PMID: 32554325 PMCID: PMC7313888 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A growing number of gene delivery strategies are being employed for immunoengineering in applications ranging from infectious disease prevention to cancer therapy. Viral vectors tend to have high gene transfer capability but may be hampered by complications related to their intrinsic immunogenicity. Non-viral methods of gene delivery, including polymeric, lipid-based, and inorganic nanoparticles as well as physical delivery techniques, have also been widely investigated. By using either ex vivo engineering of immune cells that are subsequently adoptively transferred or in vivo transfection of cells for in situ genetic programming, researchers have developed different approaches to precisely modulate immune responses. In addition to expressing a gene of interest through intracellular delivery of plasmid DNA and mRNA, researchers are also delivering oligonucleotides to knock down gene expression and immunostimulatory nucleic acids to tune immune activity. Many of these biotechnologies are now in clinical trials and have high potential to impact medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Y Neshat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Stephany Y Tzeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
| | - Jordan J Green
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Departments of Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Bloomberg∼Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
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