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Radhakrishnan H, Newmyer SL, Javitz HS, Bhatnagar P. Engineered CD4 T cells for in vivo delivery of therapeutic proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318687121. [PMID: 39312667 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318687121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The CD4 T cell, when engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) containing specific intracellular domains, has been transformed into a zero-order drug-delivery platform. This introduces the capability of prolonged, disease-specific engineered protein biologics production, at the disease site. Experimental findings demonstrate that CD4 T cells offer a solution when modified with a CAR that includes 4-1BB but excludes CD28 intracellular domain. In this configuration, they achieve ~3X transduction efficiency of CD8 T cells, ~2X expansion rates, generating ~5X more biologic, and exhibit minimal cytolytic activity. Cumulatively, this addresses two main hurdles in the translation of cell-based drug delivery: scaling the production of engineered T cell ex vivo and generating sufficient biologics in vivo. When programmed to induce IFNβ upon engaging the target antigen, the CD4 T cells outperforms CD8 T cells, effectively suppressing cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. In summary, this platform enables precise targeting of disease sites with engineered protein-based therapeutics while minimizing healthy tissue exposure. Leveraging CD4 T cells' persistence could enhance disease management by reducing drug administration frequency, addressing critical challenges in cell-based therapy.
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Radhakrishnan H, Newmyer SL, Ssemadaali MA, Javitz HS, Bhatnagar P. Primary T-cell-based delivery platform for in vivo synthesis of engineered proteins. Bioeng Transl Med 2024; 9:e10605. [PMID: 38193126 PMCID: PMC10771566 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary T cell has been transformed into a cell-based delivery platform that synthesizes complex biologics at the disease site with spatiotemporal resolution. This broadly applicable technology can circumvent toxicities due to systemic administration of biologics that necessitates the use of high doses and may diffuse to the healthy tissues. Its clinical translation, however, has been impeded by manufacturing bottlenecks. In this work, a range of process parameters were investigated for increasing the production yield of the primary T cells engineered for delivery function. Compared to the common spinoculation-based method, the transduction yield was enhanced ~2.5-fold by restricting the transduction reaction volume for maximizing the lentivector-to-T-cell contact. Cell density and cytokines used in the expansion process were adjusted to achieve >100-fold expansion of the T-cell-based delivery platform in 14 days, and the function of these cells was validated in vivo using intraperitoneally implanted tumor cells. The primary T-cell-based delivery platform has human applications because it can be scaled and administrated to express a broad range of therapeutic proteins (e.g., cytokines, interferons, enzymes, agonists, and antagonists) at the disease site, obviating the need for systemic delivery of large doses of these proteins.
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Ssemadaali MA, Arredondo J, Buser EA, Newmyer S, Radhakrishnan H, Javitz HS, Dandekar S, Bhatnagar P. Genetically engineered pair of cells for serological testing and its application for SARS-CoV-2. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10508. [PMID: 37206248 PMCID: PMC10189431 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We have developed a serology test platform for identifying individuals with prior exposure to specific viral infections and provide data to help reduce public health risks. The serology test composed of a pair of cell lines engineered to express either a viral envelop protein (Target Cell) or a receptor to recognize the Fc region of an antibody (Reporter Cell), that is, Diagnostic-Cell-Complex (DxCell-Complex). The formation of an immune synapse, facilitated by the analyte antibody, resulted into a dual-reporter protein expression by the Reporter Cell. We validated it with human serum with confirmed history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. No signal amplification steps were necessary. The DxCell-Complex quantitatively detected the target-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) within 1 h. Validation with clinical human serum containing SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies confirmed 97.04% sensitivity and 93.33% specificity. The platform can be redirected against other antibodies. Self-replication and activation-induced cell signaling, two attributes of the cell, will enable rapid and cost-effective manufacturing and its operation in healthcare facilities without requiring time-consuming signal amplification steps.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Arredondo
- Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCalifornia95616United States
| | - Elise A. Buser
- Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCalifornia95616United States
| | - Sherri Newmyer
- Biosciences DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCalifornia94025United States
| | | | - Harold S. Javitz
- Education DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCalifornia94025United States
| | - Satya Dandekar
- Medical Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of California DavisDavisCalifornia95616United States
| | - Parijat Bhatnagar
- Biosciences DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCalifornia94025United States
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Newmyer S, Ssemadaali MA, Radhakrishnan H, Javitz HS, Bhatnagar P. Electrically regulated cell-based intervention for viral infections. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10434. [PMID: 36925710 PMCID: PMC10013824 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This work reports on an engineered cell that-when electrically stimulated-synthesizes a desired protein, that is, ES-Biofactory. The platform has been used to express interferon (IFN)-β as a universal antiviral protein. Compelling evidence indicates the inevitability of new pandemics and drives the need for a pan-viral intervention that may be quickly deployed while more specific vaccines are in development. Toward this goal, a fast-growing mammalian cell (Chassis) has been engineered with multiple synthetic elements. These include-(1) a voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (Voltage-Sensor) that, upon sensing the electric field, activates the (2) Ca2+-mediated signaling pathway (Actuator) to upregulate (3) IFN-β, via an engineered antiviral transgene (Effector), that is, ES-Biofactory➔IFN-β. The antiviral effects of the ES-Biofactory➔IFN-β have been validated on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected cells. The irradiated ES-Biofactory, that does not exhibit oncogenic capacity, continues to exert antiviral effect. The resulting ES-Biofactory➔IFN-β uses a novel signaling pathway that, unlike the natural IFN synthesis pathway, is not subject to viral interference. Once clinically validated, the ES-Biofactory will be a universal antiviral cell therapy that can be immediately deployed in the event of an outbreak. The platform may also be useful in treating other diseases including cancer and autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Newmyer
- Biosciences DivisionSRI InternationalMenlo ParkCaliforniaUSA
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Abstract
We have engineered a cell that can be used for diagnosing active severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Isolation of individuals with active infections offers an effective solution for mitigating pandemics. However, the implementation of this practice requires robust infrastructure for rapid and intuitive testing, which is currently missing in our communities. To address this need, we engineered a fast-growing cell line into a cell-based antigen test platform for emerging viruses, i.e., DxCell, that can be rapidly deployed in decentralized health care facilities for continuous testing. The technology was characterized using cells engineered to present spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells) and Calu-3 host cells infected with competent SARS-CoV-2. Preclinical validation was conducted by directly incubating the DxCell with oropharyngeal swabs from mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. No sample preparation steps are necessary. The DxCell quantitatively detected the SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells within 1 h (P < 0.02). Reporter signal was proportional to the number of SARS-CoV-2-Sgp-cells, which represents the infection burden. The SARS-CoV-2 DxCell antigen test was benchmarked against quantitative PCR (qPCR) test and accurately differentiated between infected (n = 8) and control samples (n = 3) (P < 0.05). To demonstrate the broad applicability of the platform, we successfully redirected its specificity and tested its sensing function with cells engineered to present antigens from other viruses. In conclusion, we have developed an antigen test platform that capitalizes on the two innate functions of the cell, self-replication and activation-induced cell signaling. These provide the DxCell key advantages over existing technologies, e.g., label-free testing without sample processing, and will facilitate its implementation in decentralized health care facilities. IMPORTANCE Pandemic mitigation requires continuous testing of symptomatic or asymptomatic individuals with rapid turnaround time, and lack of this capability in our community has prolonged pandemic duration leading to obliteration of world economies. The DxCell platform is a cell-based self-replicative antigen test that detects molecular signatures of the target pathogen and can be distributed in small quantities to testing facilities for expansion on site to the desired volume. In this work, we directed this platform to target SARS-CoV-2. Unlike the PCR detection of viral mRNA that requires trained personnel, the DxCell does not require any sample preparation or signal amplification step and introduces an opportunity for a decentralized testing network.
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Tan S, Kong Y, Xian Y, Gao P, Xu Y, Wei C, Lin P, Ye W, Li Z, Zhu X. The Mechanisms of Ferroptosis and the Applications in Tumor Treatment: Enemies or Friends? Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:938677. [PMID: 35911967 PMCID: PMC9334798 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.938677] [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: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis, as a newly discovered non-apoptotic cell death mode, is beginning to be explored in different cancer. The particularity of ferroptosis lies in the accumulation of iron dependence and lipid peroxides, and it is different from the classical cell death modes such as apoptosis and necrosis in terms of action mode, biochemical characteristics, and genetics. The mechanism of ferroptosis can be divided into many different pathways, so it is particularly important to identify the key sites of ferroptosis in the disease. Herein, based on ferroptosis, we analyze the main pathways in detail. More importantly, ferroptosis is linked to the development of different systems of the tumor, providing personalized plans for the examination, treatment, and prognosis of cancer patients. Although some mechanisms and side effects of ferroptosis still need to be studied, it is still a promising method for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzheng Tan
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biological Engineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Kong
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hubei No.3 People’s Hospital of Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yongtong Xian
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Pengbo Gao
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yue Xu
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chuzhong Wei
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Peixu Lin
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Weilong Ye
- Computational Oncology Laboratory, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zesong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Tumor, Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital (Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Zesong Li, ; Xiao Zhu,
| | - Xiao Zhu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Biological Engineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zesong Li, ; Xiao Zhu,
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