1
|
Tridgett M, Mulet M, Johny SP, Ababi M, Raghunath M, Fustinoni C, Galabova B, Fernández-Díaz C, Mikalajūnaitė I, Tomás HA, Kucej M, Dunajová L, Zgrundo Z, Page E, McCall L, Parker-Manuel R, Payne T, Peckett M, Kent J, Holland L, Asatryan R, Montgomery L, Chow TL, Beveridge R, Salkauskaite I, Alam MT, Hollard D, Dowding S, Gabriel HB, Branciaroli C, Cawood R, Valenti W, Chang D, Patrício MI, Liu Q. Lentiviral vector packaging and producer cell lines yield titers equivalent to the industry-standard four-plasmid process. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101315. [PMID: 39282073 PMCID: PMC11401174 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101315] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
Lentiviral vector (LVV)-mediated cell and gene therapies have the potential to cure diseases that currently require lifelong intervention. However, the requirement for plasmid transfection hinders large-scale LVV manufacture. Moreover, large-scale plasmid production, testing, and transfection contribute to operational risk and the high cost associated with this therapeutic modality. Thus, we developed LVV packaging and producer cell lines, which reduce or eliminate the need for plasmid transfection during LVV manufacture. To develop a packaging cell line, lentiviral packaging genes were stably integrated by random integration of linearized plasmid DNA. Then, to develop EGFP- and anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor-encoding producer cell lines, transfer plasmids were integrated by transposase-mediated integration. Single-cell isolation and testing were performed to isolate the top-performing clonal packaging and producer cell lines. Production of LVVs that encode various cargo genes revealed consistency in the production performance of the packaging and producer cell lines compared to the industry-standard four-plasmid transfection method. By reducing or eliminating the requirement for plasmid transfection, while achieving production performance consistent with the current industry standard, the packaging and producer cell lines developed here can reduce costs and operational risks of LVV manufacture, thus increasing patient access to LVV-mediated cell and gene therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Tridgett
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Marie Mulet
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Sherin Parokkaran Johny
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Maria Ababi
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Meenakshi Raghunath
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Chloé Fustinoni
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Boryana Galabova
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Cristina Fernández-Díaz
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Iveta Mikalajūnaitė
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Hélio A Tomás
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Marek Kucej
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Lucia Dunajová
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Zofia Zgrundo
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Emma Page
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Lorna McCall
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Richard Parker-Manuel
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Tom Payne
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Matthew Peckett
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Jade Kent
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Louise Holland
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Robert Asatryan
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Louise Montgomery
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Tsz Lung Chow
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Ryan Beveridge
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Ieva Salkauskaite
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Mohine T Alam
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Daniel Hollard
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Sarah Dowding
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Heloísa Berti Gabriel
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Corinne Branciaroli
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Ryan Cawood
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Weimin Valenti
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
- WuXi Advanced Therapies, 4701 League Island Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19112, USA
| | - David Chang
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
- WuXi Advanced Therapies, 4701 League Island Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19112, USA
| | - Maria I Patrício
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Qian Liu
- OXGENE, A WuXi Advanced Therapies Company, Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX4 4HG, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Schwalm MP, Saxena K, Müller S, Knapp S. Luciferase- and HaloTag-based reporter assays to measure small-molecule-induced degradation pathway in living cells. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:2317-2357. [PMID: 38637703 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00979-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The rational development of small-molecule degraders (e.g., proteolysis targeting chimeras) remains a challenge as the rate-limiting steps that determine degrader efficiency are largely unknown. Standard methods in the field of targeted protein degradation mostly rely on classical, low-throughput endpoint assays such as western blots or quantitative proteomics. Here we applied NanoLuciferase- and HaloTag-based screening technologies to determine the kinetics and stability of small-molecule-induced ternary complex formation between a protein of interest and a selected E3 ligase. A collection of live-cell assays were designed to probe the most critical steps of the degradation process while minimizing the number of required expression constructs, making the proposed assay pipeline flexible and adaptable to the requirements of the users. This approach evaluates the underlying mechanism of selective target degraders and reveals the exact characteristics of the developed degrader molecules in living cells. The protocol allows scientists trained in basic cell culture and molecular biology to carry out small-molecule proximity-inducer screening via tracking of the ternary complex formation within 2 weeks of establishment, while degrader screening using the HiBiT system requires a CRISPR-Cas9 engineered cell line whose generation can take up to 3 months. After cell-line generation, degrader screening and validation can be carried out in high-throughput manner within days.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin P Schwalm
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)/German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DTKT Site Frankfurt-Mainz, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Krishna Saxena
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)/German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), DTKT Site Frankfurt-Mainz, Heidelberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lee NK, Chang JW. Manufacturing Cell and Gene Therapies: Challenges in Clinical Translation. Ann Lab Med 2024; 44:314-323. [PMID: 38361427 PMCID: PMC10961620 DOI: 10.3343/alm.2023.0382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The safety and efficacy of both cell and gene therapies have been demonstrated in numerous preclinical and clinical trials. Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, which leverages the technologies of both cell and gene therapies, has also shown great promise for treating various cancers. Advancements in pertinent fields have also highlighted challenges faced while manufacturing cell and gene therapy products. Potential problems and obstacles must be addressed to ease the clinical translation of individual therapies. Literature reviews of representative cell-based, gene-based, and cell-based gene therapies with regard to their general manufacturing processes, the challenges faced during manufacturing, and QC specifications are limited. We review the general manufacturing processes of cell and gene therapies, including those involving mesenchymal stem cells, viral vectors, and CAR-T cells. The complexities associated with the manufacturing processes and subsequent QC/validation processes may present challenges that could impede the clinical progression of the products. This article addresses these potential challenges. Further, we discuss the use of the manufacturing model and its impact on cell and gene therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Na Kyung Lee
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
- Cell and Gene Therapy Institute (CGTI), Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong Wook Chang
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences and Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
- Cell and Gene Therapy Institute (CGTI), Research Institute for Future Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
- Cell and Gene Therapy Institute, ENCell Co. Ltd., Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Peterman EL, Ploessl DS, Galloway KE. Accelerating Diverse Cell-Based Therapies Through Scalable Design. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2024; 15:267-292. [PMID: 38594944 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100722-121610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Augmenting cells with novel, genetically encoded functions will support therapies that expand beyond natural capacity for immune surveillance and tissue regeneration. However, engineering cells at scale with transgenic cargoes remains a challenge in realizing the potential of cell-based therapies. In this review, we introduce a range of applications for engineering primary cells and stem cells for cell-based therapies. We highlight tools and advances that have launched mammalian cell engineering from bioproduction to precision editing of therapeutically relevant cells. Additionally, we examine how transgenesis methods and genetic cargo designs can be tailored for performance. Altogether, we offer a vision for accelerating the translation of innovative cell-based therapies by harnessing diverse cell types, integrating the expanding array of synthetic biology tools, and building cellular tools through advanced genome writing techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Peterman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Deon S Ploessl
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - Kate E Galloway
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Renner A, Stahringer A, Ruppel KE, Fricke S, Koehl U, Schmiedel D. Development of KoRV-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors for efficient gene transfer into freshly isolated immune cells. Gene Ther 2024; 31:378-390. [PMID: 38684788 PMCID: PMC11257948 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-024-00454-0] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Allogeneic cell therapies, such as those involving macrophages or Natural Killer (NK) cells, are of increasing interest for cancer immunotherapy. However, the current techniques for genetically modifying these cell types using lenti- or gamma-retroviral vectors present challenges, such as required cell pre-activation and inefficiency in transduction, which hinder the assessment of preclinical efficacy and clinical translation. In our study, we describe a novel lentiviral pseudotype based on the Koala Retrovirus (KoRV) envelope protein, which we identified based on homology to existing pseudotypes used in cell therapy. Unlike other pseudotyped viral vectors, this KoRV-based envelope demonstrates remarkable efficiency in transducing freshly isolated primary human NK cells directly from blood, as well as freshly obtained monocytes, which were differentiated to M1 macrophages as well as B cells from multiple donors, achieving up to 80% reporter gene expression within three days post-transduction. Importantly, KoRV-based transduction does not compromise the expression of crucial immune cell receptors, nor does it impair immune cell functionality, including NK cell viability, proliferation, cytotoxicity as well as phagocytosis of differentiated macrophages. Preserving immune cell functionality is pivotal for the success of cell-based therapeutics in treating various malignancies. By achieving high transduction rates of freshly isolated immune cells before expansion, our approach enables a streamlined and cost-effective automated production of off-the-shelf cell therapeutics, requiring fewer viral particles and less manufacturing steps. This breakthrough holds the potential to significantly reduce the time and resources required for producing e.g. NK cell therapeutics, expediting their availability to patients in need.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Renner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anika Stahringer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katharina Eva Ruppel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephan Fricke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Leipzig, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases, CIMD, Leipzig, Deutschland
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Leipzig, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune-Mediated Diseases, CIMD, Leipzig, Deutschland
- Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dominik Schmiedel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mier NC, Roper DK. Effects of an indole derivative on cell proliferation, transfection, and alternative splicing in production of lentiviral vectors by transient co-transfection. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297817. [PMID: 38833479 PMCID: PMC11149887 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors derived from human immunodeficiency virus type I are widely used to deliver functional gene copies to mammalian cells for research and gene therapies. Post-transcriptional splicing of lentiviral vector transgene in transduced host and transfected producer cells presents barriers to widespread application of lentiviral vector-based therapies. The present study examined effects of indole derivative compound IDC16 on splicing of lentiviral vector transcripts in producer cells and corresponding yield of infectious lentiviral vectors. Indole IDC16 was shown previously to modify alternative splicing in human immunodeficiency virus type I. Human embryonic kidney 293T cells were transiently transfected by 3rd generation backbone and packaging plasmids using polyethyleneimine. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction of the fraction of unspliced genomes in human embryonic kidney 293T cells increased up to 31% upon the indole's treatment at 2.5 uM. Corresponding yield of infectious lentiviral vectors decreased up to 4.5-fold in a cell transduction assay. Adjusting timing and duration of IDC16 treatment indicated that the indole's disruption of early stages of transfection and cell cycle had a greater effect on exponential time course of lentiviral vector production than its reduction of post-transcriptional splicing. Decrease in transfected human embryonic kidney 293T proliferation by IDC16 became significant at 10 uM. These findings indicated contributions by early-stage transfection, cell proliferation, and post-transcriptional splicing in transient transfection of human embryonic kidney 293T cells for lentiviral vector production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nataly Carolina Mier
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| | - Donald Keith Roper
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Shah M, Krull A, Odonnell L, de Lima MJ, Bezerra E. Promises and challenges of a decentralized CAR T-cell manufacturing model. FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION 2023; 2:1238535. [PMID: 38993860 PMCID: PMC11235344 DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2023.1238535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Autologous chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell (CAR T) products have demonstrated un-precedent efficacy in treating many relapsed/refractory B-cell and plasma cell malignancies, leading to multiple commercial products now in routine clinical use. These positive responses to CAR T therapy have spurred biotech and big pharma companies to evaluate innovative production methods to increase patient access while maintaining adequate quality control and profitability. Autologous cellular therapies are, by definition, manufactured as single patient batches, and demand has soared for manufacturing facilities compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations. The use of a centralized production model is straining finite resources even in developed countries in North America and the European Union, and patient access is not feasible for most of the developing world. The idea of having a more uniform availability of these cell therapy products promoted the concept of point-of-care (POC) manufacturing or decentralized in-house production. While this strategy can potentially decrease the cost of manufacturing, the challenge comes in maintaining the same quality as currently available centrally manufactured products due to the lack of standardized manufacturing techniques amongst institutions. However, academic medical institutions and biotech companies alike have forged ahead innovating and adopting new technologies to launch clinical trials of CAR T products produced exclusively in-house. Here we discuss POC production of CAR T products.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manan Shah
- Department of Hematology, the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Ashley Krull
- Department of Cell Therapy Manufacturing and Engineering, the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Lynn Odonnell
- Department of Hematology, Cellular Therapy Lab, the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Marcos J. de Lima
- Department of Hematology, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Evandro Bezerra
- Department of Hematology, The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Klimpel M, Terrao M, Ching N, Climenti V, Noll T, Pirzas V, Laux H. Development of a perfusion process for continuous lentivirus production using stable suspension producer cell lines. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:2622-2638. [PMID: 37148430 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The large-scale production of clinical-grade lentiviral vectors (LVs) for gene therapy applications is a remaining challenge. The use of adherent cell lines and methods like transient transfection are cost-intensive and hamper process scalability as well as reproducibility. This study describes the use of two suspension-adapted stable packaging cell lines, called GPRGs and GPRTGs, for the development of a scalable and serum-free LV production process. Both stable packaging cell lines are based on an inducible Tet-off system, thus requiring doxycycline removal for initiation of the virus production. Therefore, we compared different methods for doxycycline removal and inoculated three independent 5 L bioreactors using a scalable induction method by dilution, an acoustic cell washer and manual centrifugation. The bioreactors were inoculated with a stable producer cell line encoding for a LV carrying a clinically relevant gene. LV production was performed in perfusion mode using a cell retention device based on acoustic wave separation. Comparable cell-specific productivities were obtained with all three methods and cumulative functional yields up to 6.36 × 1011 transducing units per bioreactor were generated in a 234-h long process, demonstrating the usability of stable Tet-off cell lines for an easily scalable suspension process. Remarkably, cell viabilities >90% were maintained at high cell densities without compromising productivity throughout the whole process, allowing to further extend the process time. Given its low effects of toxicity during virus production, the presented cell lines are excellent candidates to develop a fully continuous LV production process to overcome the existing bottlenecks in LV manufacturing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Klimpel
- Biopharmaceutical Product Development, CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Monica Terrao
- Biopharmaceutical Product Development, CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Nilakshi Ching
- Biopharmaceutical Product Development, CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Climenti
- Biopharmaceutical Product Development, CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Noll
- Chair for Cell Culture Technology, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Vicky Pirzas
- Biopharmaceutical Product Development, CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Holger Laux
- Biopharmaceutical Product Development, CSL Behring Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Broussau S, Lytvyn V, Simoneau M, Guilbault C, Leclerc M, Nazemi-Moghaddam N, Coulombe N, Elahi SM, McComb S, Gilbert R. Packaging cells for lentiviral vectors generated using the cumate and coumermycin gene induction systems and nanowell single-cell cloning. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 29:40-57. [PMID: 36936448 PMCID: PMC10018046 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are important for cell therapy because of their capacity to stably modify the genome after integration. This study describes a novel and relatively simple approach to generate packaging cells and producer clones for self-inactivating (SIN) LVs pseudotyped with the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G). A novel gene regulation system, based on the combination of the cumate and coumermycin induction systems, was developed to ensure tight control for the expression of cytotoxic packaging elements. To accelerate clone isolation and ensure monoclonality, the packaging genes were transfected simultaneously into human embryonic kidney cells (293SF-3F6) previously engineered with the induction system, and clones were isolated after limiting dilution into nanowell arrays using a robotic cell picking instrument with scanning capability. The method's effectiveness to isolate colonies derived from single cells was demonstrated using mixed populations of cells labeled with two different fluorescent markers. Because the recipient cell line grew in suspension culture, and all the procedures were performed without serum, the resulting clones were readily adaptable to serum-free suspension culture. The best producer clone produced LVs expressing GFP at a titer of 2.3 × 108 transduction units (TU)/mL in the culture medium under batch mode without concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Broussau
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Viktoria Lytvyn
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Mélanie Simoneau
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Claire Guilbault
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Mélanie Leclerc
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Nazila Nazemi-Moghaddam
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Nathalie Coulombe
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Seyyed Mehdy Elahi
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
| | - Scott McComb
- Department of Immunology, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council, Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada
| | - Rénald Gilbert
- Department of Production Platforms & Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9, Canada
- Département de Génie chimique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Corresponding author: Rénald Gilbert, National Research Council Canada, Building Montreal, 6100 Avenue Royalmount, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ali S, Rivera M, Ward J, Keshavarz-Moore E, Mason C, Nesbeth DN. Serum-free lentiviral vector production is compatible with medium-resident nuclease activity arising from adherent HEK293T host cells engineered with a nuclease-encoding transgene. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17067. [PMID: 37484388 PMCID: PMC10361239 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
At present lentiviral vector production for cell and gene therapy commonly involves transient plasmid transfection of mammalian cells cultivated in serum-containing media and addition of exogenous nuclease to reduce host cell and plasmid DNA impurities. Switching from serum-containing media to chemically-defined, serum free media, and minimising the number of process additions, are both increasingly regarded as necessary steps for simplifying and potentially automating lentiviral vector bioprocessing in future. Here we adapted human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells to grow in serum-free media and also modified these cells with transgenes designed to encode a secreted nuclease activity. Stable transfection of HEK293T cells with transgenes encoding the Staphylococcus aureus nuclease B (NucB) open reading frame with either its native secretion signal peptide, the murine Igκ chain leader sequence or a novel viral transport fusion protein, all resulted in qualitatively detectable nuclease activity in serum-free media. Serum-free transient transfection of human embryonic kidney HEK293T cells stably harbouring the transgene for NucB with its native secretion signal produced active lentivirus in the presence of medium-resident nuclease activity. This lentivirus material was able to transduce the AGF-T immortal T cell line with a green fluorescent protein reporter payload at a level of 2.05 × 105 TU/mL (±3.34 × 104 TU/mL). Sufficient nuclease activity was present in 10 μL of this unconcentrated lentivirus material to degrade 1.5 μg DNA within 2 h at 37 °C, without agitation - conditions compatible with lentivirus production. These observations demonstrate that lentiviral vector production, by transient transfection, is compatible with host cells harbouring a nuclease transgene and evidencing nuclease activity in their surrounding growth media. This work provides a solid basis for future investigations, beyond the scope of this present study, in which commercial and academic groups can apply this approach to therapeutic payloads and potentially omit exogenous nuclease bioprocess additions.
Collapse
|
11
|
Clappier C, Böttner D, Heinzelmann D, Stadermann A, Schulz P, Schmidt M, Lindner B. Deciphering integration loci of CHO manufacturing cell lines using long read nanopore sequencing. N Biotechnol 2023; 75:31-39. [PMID: 36925062 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in genetic characterization of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines regarding identification of integration sites using next generation sequencing, e.g. targeted locus amplification sequencing (TLA-seq), the concatemer structure of the integrated vectors remains elusive. Here, the entire integration locus of two CHO manufacturing cell lines was reconstructed combining CRISPR/Cas9 target enrichment, nanopore sequencing and the Canu de novo assembly pipeline. An IgG producing CHO cell line integrated 3 vector copies, which were near full-length and contained all relevant vector elements such as transgenes and their promoters on each of the vector copies. In contrast, a second CHO cell line producing a bivalent bispecific antibody integrated 7 highly fragmented vector copies in different orientations leading to head-to-head and tail-to-tail fusions. The size of the vector fragments ranged from 3.0 to 11.4 kbp each carrying 1-3 transgenes. The breakpoints of the genome-vector and vector-vector junctions were validated using Sanger sequencing and Southern blotting. A comparison to TLA-seq data confirmed the genomic breakpoints, but most of the breakpoints of the vector-vector fusions were missed by TLA-seq. For the first time, the complete transgene locus of CHO manufacturing cell lines could be deciphered. Strikingly, the application of the nanopore long-read sequencing technology led to novel insights into the complexity of genomic transgene integrations of CHO manufacturing cell lines generated via random integration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Clappier
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Dennis Böttner
- Research, Cardiometabolic Diseases, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Daniel Heinzelmann
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Anna Stadermann
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Patrick Schulz
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Moritz Schmidt
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany
| | - Benjamin Lindner
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Green EA, Hamaker NK, Lee KH. Comparison of vector elements and process conditions in transient and stable suspension HEK293 platforms using SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain as a model protein. BMC Biotechnol 2023; 23:7. [PMID: 36882740 PMCID: PMC9990576 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-023-00777-7] [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: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammalian cell lines are frequently used as protein expression hosts because of their ability to correctly fold and assemble complex proteins, produce them at high titers, and confer post-translational modifications (PTMs) critical to proper function. Increasing demand for proteins with human-like PTMs, particularly viral proteins and vectors, have made human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells an increasingly popular host. The need to engineer more productive HEK293 platforms and the ongoing nature of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic presented an opportunity to study strategies to improve viral protein expression in transient and stable HEK293 platforms. RESULTS Initial process development was done at 24 deep well plate (DWP) -scale to screen transient processes and stable clonal cell lines for recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (rRBD) titer. Nine DNA vectors that drove rRBD production under different promoters and optionally contained Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) elements to promote episomal expression were screened for transient rRBD production at 37 °C or 32 °C. Use of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter to drive expression at 32 °C led to the highest transient protein titers, but inclusion of episomal expression elements did not augment titer. In parallel, four clonal cell lines with titers higher than that of the selected stable pool were identified in a batch screen. Flask-scale transient transfection and stable fed-batch processes were then established that produced rRBD up to 100 mg/L and 140 mg/L, respectively. While a bio-layer interferometry (BLI) assay was crucial for efficiently screening DWP batch titers, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to compare titers from the flask-scale batches due to varying matrix effects from different cell culture media compositions. CONCLUSION Comparing yields from the flask-scale batches revealed that stable fed-batch cultures produced up to 2.1x more rRBD than transient processes. The stable cell lines developed in this work are the first reported clonal, HEK293-derived rRBD producers and have titers up to 140 mg/L. As stable production platforms are more economically favorable for long-term protein production at large scales, investigation of strategies to increase the efficiency of high-titer stable cell line generation in Expi293F or other HEK293 hosts is warranted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erica A Green
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, Delaware, 19713, USA
| | - Nathaniel K Hamaker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, Delaware, 19713, USA
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, Delaware, 19713, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Munz CM, Kreher H, Erdbeer A, Richter S, Westphal D, Yi B, Behrendt R, Stanke N, Lindel F, Lindemann D. Efficient production of inhibitor-free foamy virus glycoprotein-containing retroviral vectors by proteoglycan-deficient packaging cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:394-412. [PMID: 36034773 PMCID: PMC9388887 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.07.004] [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: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Foamy viruses (FVs) or heterologous retroviruses pseudotyped with FV glycoprotein enable transduction of a great variety of target tissues of disparate species. Specific cellular entry receptors responsible for this exceptionally broad tropism await their identification. Though, ubiquitously expressed heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HS-PG) is known to serve as an attachment factor of FV envelope (Env)-containing virus particles, greatly enhancing target cell permissiveness. Production of high-titer, FV Env-containing retroviral vectors is strongly dependent on the use of cationic polymer-based transfection reagents like polyethyleneimine (PEI). We identified packaging cell-surface HS-PG expression to be responsible for this requirement. Efficient release of FV Env-containing virus particles necessitates neutralization of HS-PG binding sites by PEI. Remarkably, remnants of PEI in FV Env-containing vector supernatants, which are not easily removable, negatively impact target cell transduction, in particular those of myeloid and lymphoid origin. To overcome this limitation for production of FV Env-containing retrovirus supernatants, we generated 293T-based packaging cell lines devoid of HS-PG by genome engineering. This enabled, for the first, time production of inhibitor-free, high-titer FV Env-containing virus supernatants by non-cationic polymer-mediated transfection. Depending on the type of virus, produced titers were 2- to 10-fold higher compared with those obtained by PEI transfection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clara Marie Munz
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Henriette Kreher
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexander Erdbeer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefanie Richter
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Dana Westphal
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Buqing Yi
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Rayk Behrendt
- Institute of Immunology, Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicole Stanke
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabian Lindel
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Corresponding author Fabian Lindel,Cell line Screening & Development (CLSD), Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR), WSJ-360, Kohlenstrasse, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Dirk Lindemann
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Corresponding author Dirk Lindemann, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty “Carl Gustav Carus”, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tran MY, Kamen AA. Production of Lentiviral Vectors Using a HEK-293 Producer Cell Line and Advanced Perfusion Processing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:887716. [PMID: 35774066 PMCID: PMC9237754 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.887716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of lentiviral vector (LV) production continues to face challenges in large-scale manufacturing, specifically regarding producing enough vectors to meet the demand for treating patients as well as producing high and consistent quality of vectors for efficient dosing. Two areas of interest are the use of stable producer cell lines, which facilitates the scalability of LV production processes as well as making the process more reproducible and robust for clinical applications, and the search of a cell retention device scalable to industrial-size bioreactors. This manuscript investigates a stable producer cell line for producing LVs with GFP as the transgene at shake flask scale and demonstrates LV production at 3L bioreactor scale using the Tangential Flow Depth Filtration (TFDF) as a cell retention device in perfusion mode. Cumulative functional yields of 3.3 x 1011 and 3.9 x 1011 transducing units were achieved; the former over 6 days of LV production with 16.3 L of perfused media and the latter over 4 days with 16 L. In comparing to a previously published value that was achieved using the same stable producer cell line and the acoustic filter as the perfusion device at the same bioreactor scale, the TFDF perfusion run produced 1.5-fold higher cumulative functional yield. Given its scale-up potential, the TFDF is an excellent candidate to be further evaluated to determine optimized conditions that can ultimately support continuous manufacturing of LVs at large scale.
Collapse
|
15
|
Genuardi E, Alessandria B, Civita AM, Ferrero S. Targeted Locus Amplification as Marker Screening Approach to Detect Immunoglobulin (IG) Translocations in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2453:119-132. [PMID: 35622324 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2115-8_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although MRD monitoring by the classic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach is a powerful outcome predictor, about 20% of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and 50% of follicular lymphoma (FL) patients still lack a molecular marker and are thus resulting not eligible for MRD monitoring. Targeted locus amplification (TLA), a new NGS technology, has been revealed as a feasible marker screening approach able to identify uncommon B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 1 (BCL1) and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) rearrangements in MCL and FL cases defined as having "no marker" by the classic PCR approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Genuardi
- Hematology Division, Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Beatrice Alessandria
- Hematology Division, Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Aurora Maria Civita
- Hematology Division, Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Simone Ferrero
- Hematology Division, Department of Molecular Biotechnologies and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy. .,Hematology Division, AOU "Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino", Torino, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Deng L, Liang P, Cui H. Pseudotyped lentiviral vectors: Ready for translation into targeted cancer gene therapy? Genes Dis 2022. [PMID: 37492721 PMCID: PMC10363566 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy holds great promise for curing cancer by editing the deleterious genes of tumor cells, but the lack of vector systems for efficient delivery of genetic material into specific tumor sites in vivo has limited its full therapeutic potential in cancer gene therapy. Over the past two decades, increasing studies have shown that lentiviral vectors (LVs) modified with different glycoproteins from a donating virus, a process referred to as pseudotyping, have altered tropism and display cell-type specificity in transduction, leading to selective tumor cell killing. This feature of LVs together with their ability to enable high efficient gene delivery in dividing and non-dividing mammalian cells in vivo make them to be attractive tools in future cancer gene therapy. This review is intended to summarize the status quo of some typical pseudotypings of LVs and their applications in basic anti-cancer studies across many malignancies. The opportunities of translating pseudotyped LVs into clinic use in cancer therapy have also been discussed.
Collapse
|
17
|
van der Walle CF, Dufès C, Desai AS, Kerby J, Broadhead J, Tam A, Rattray Z. Report on Webinar Series Cell and Gene Therapy: From Concept to Clinical Use. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14010168. [PMID: 35057063 PMCID: PMC8778748 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010168] [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: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
With the launch of the UK Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products Focus Group in late 2020, a webinar series reviewing the current and emerging trends in cell and gene therapy was held virtually in May 2021. This webinar series was timely given the recent withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the global COVID-19 pandemic impacting all sectors of the pharmaceutical sciences research landscape globally and in the UK. Delegates from the academic, industry, regulatory and NHS sectors attended the session where challenges and opportunities in the development and clinical implementation of cell and gene therapies were discussed. Globally, the cell and gene therapy market has reached a value of 4.3 billion dollars in 2020, having increased at a compound annual growth rate of 25.5% since 2015. This webinar series captured all the major developments in this rapidly evolving area and highlighted emerging concepts warranting cross-sector efforts from across the community in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Dufès
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK;
| | - Arpan S. Desai
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Science, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK;
| | - Julie Kerby
- Manufacturing, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Stevenage SG1 2FX, UK;
| | | | - Alice Tam
- Royal Marsden Hospital (NHS), London SW3 6JJ, UK;
| | - Zahra Rattray
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK;
- Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, c/o Bionow, Greenheys Business Centre, Manchester Science Park, Pencroft Way, Manchester M15 6JJ, UK
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tan E, Chin CSH, Lim ZFS, Ng SK. HEK293 Cell Line as a Platform to Produce Recombinant Proteins and Viral Vectors. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:796991. [PMID: 34966729 PMCID: PMC8711270 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.796991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal cell-based expression platforms enable the production of complex biomolecules such as recombinant proteins and viral vectors. Although most biotherapeutics are produced in animal cell lines, production in human cell lines is expanding. One important advantage of using human cell lines is the increased potential that the resulting biotherapeutics would carry more “human-like” post-translational modifications. Among the human cell lines, HEK293 is widely utilized due to its high transfectivity, rapid growth rate, and ability to grow in a serum-free, suspension culture. In this review, we discuss the use of HEK293 cells and its subtypes in the production of biotherapeutics. We also compare their usage against other commonly used host cell lines in each category of biotherapeutics and summarise the factors influencing the choice of host cell lines used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan Tan
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Cara Sze Hui Chin
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhi Feng Sherman Lim
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Say Kong Ng
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Comisel RM, Kara B, Fiesser FH, Farid SS. Gene therapy process change evaluation framework: Transient transfection and stable producer cell line comparison. Biochem Eng J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.108202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
20
|
Abou-El-Enein M, Elsallab M, Feldman SA, Fesnak AD, Heslop HE, Marks P, Till BG, Bauer G, Savoldo B. Scalable Manufacturing of CAR T cells for Cancer Immunotherapy. Blood Cancer Discov 2021; 2:408-422. [PMID: 34568831 PMCID: PMC8462122 DOI: 10.1158/2643-3230.bcd-21-0084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As of April 2021, there are five commercially available chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for hematological malignancies. With the current transition of CAR T cell manufacturing from academia to industry, there is a shift toward Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant closed and automated systems to ensure reproducibility and to meet the increased demand for cancer patients. In this review we describe current CAR T cells clinical manufacturing models and discuss emerging technological advances that embrace scaling and production optimization. We summarize measures being used to shorten CAR T-cell manufacturing times and highlight regulatory challenges to scaling production for clinical use. Statement of Significance ∣ As the demand for CAR T cell cancer therapy increases, several closed and automated production platforms are being deployed, and others are in development.This review provides a critical appraisal of these technologies that can be leveraged to scale and optimize the production of next generation CAR T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Abou-El-Enein
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Joint USC/CHLA Cell Therapy Program, University of Southern California, and Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Magdi Elsallab
- Joint USC/CHLA Cell Therapy Program, University of Southern California, and Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven A Feldman
- Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, Stanford Cancer Institute, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Andrew D Fesnak
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Helen E Heslop
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Peter Marks
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Brian G Till
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gerhard Bauer
- Institute for Regenerative Cures (IRC), University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lentiviral Vectors for T Cell Engineering: Clinical Applications, Bioprocessing and Future Perspectives. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081528. [PMID: 34452392 PMCID: PMC8402758 DOI: 10.3390/v13081528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors have played a critical role in the emergence of gene-modified cell therapies, specifically T cell therapies. Tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) and most recently brexucabtagene autoleucel (Tecartus) are examples of T cell therapies which are now commercially available for distribution after successfully obtaining EMA and FDA approval for the treatment of blood cancers. All three therapies rely on retroviral vectors to transduce the therapeutic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) into T lymphocytes. Although these innovations represent promising new therapeutic avenues, major obstacles remain in making them readily available tools for medical care. This article reviews the biological principles as well as the bioprocessing of lentiviral (LV) vectors and adoptive T cell therapy. Clinical and engineering successes, shortcomings and future opportunities are also discussed. The development of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant instruments, technologies and protocols will play an essential role in the development of LV-engineered T cell therapies.
Collapse
|
22
|
HIV-1 sequences in lentiviral vector genomes can be substantially reduced without compromising transduction efficiency. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12067. [PMID: 34103612 PMCID: PMC8187449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91309-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many lentiviral vectors used for gene therapy are derived from HIV-1. An optimal vector genome would include only the viral sequences required for transduction efficiency and gene expression to minimize the amount of foreign sequence inserted into a patient’s genome. However, it remains unclear whether all of the HIV-1 sequence in vector genomes is essential. To determine which viral sequences are required, we performed a systematic deletion analysis, which showed that most of the gag region and over 50% of the env region could be deleted. Because the splicing profile for lentiviral vectors is poorly characterized, we used long-read sequencing to determine canonical and cryptic splice site usage. Deleting specific regions of env sequence reduced the number of splicing events per transcript and increased the proportion of unspliced genomes. Finally, combining a large deletion in gag with repositioning the Rev-response element downstream of the 3’ R to prevent its reverse transcription showed that 1201 nucleotides of HIV-1 sequence can be removed from the integrated vector genome without substantially compromising transduction efficiency. Overall, this allows the creation of lentiviral vector genomes that contain minimal HIV-1 sequence, which could improve safety and transfer less viral sequence into a patient’s DNA.
Collapse
|
23
|
Pulix M, Lukashchuk V, Smith DC, Dickson AJ. Molecular characterization of HEK293 cells as emerging versatile cell factories. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 71:18-24. [PMID: 34058525 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
HEK293 cell lines are used for the production of recombinant proteins, virus-like particles and viral vectors. Recent work has generated molecular (systems level) characterisation of HEK293 variants that has enabled re-engineering of the cells towards enhanced use for manufacture-scale production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals (assessment of 'safe harbours' for gene insertion, engineering of new variants for stable, amplifiable expression). In parallel, there have been notable advances in the bioprocessing conditions (suspension adaptation, development of defined serum-free media) that offer the potential for large-scale manufacture, a feature especially important in the drive to produce viral vectors at large-scale and at commercially viable costs for gene therapy. The combination of cell-based and bioprocess-based modification of existing HEK293 cell processes, frequently informed by understandings transferred from developments with Chinese hamster ovary cell lines, seems destined to place the HEK293 cell systems firmly as a critical platform for production of future biologically based therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michela Pulix
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering & Analytical Sciences, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK; Cobra Biologics, Stephenson Building, Keele Science Park, Keele ST5 5SP, UK
| | - Vera Lukashchuk
- Cobra Biologics, Stephenson Building, Keele Science Park, Keele ST5 5SP, UK
| | - Daniel C Smith
- Cobra Biologics, Stephenson Building, Keele Science Park, Keele ST5 5SP, UK
| | - Alan J Dickson
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering & Analytical Sciences, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Sweeney NP, Vink CA. The impact of lentiviral vector genome size and producer cell genomic to gag-pol mRNA ratios on packaging efficiency and titre. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2021; 21:574-584. [PMID: 34095341 PMCID: PMC8141603 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors are showing success in the clinic, but producing enough vector to meet the growing demand is a major challenge. Furthermore, next-generation gene therapy vectors encode multiple genes resulting in larger genome sizes, which is reported to reduce titers. A packaging limit has not been defined. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of genome size on the production of lentiviral vectors with an emphasis on producer cell mRNA levels, packaging efficiency, and infectivity measures. Consistent with work by others, vector titers reduced as genome size increased. While genomic infectivity accounted for much of this effect, genome sizes exceeding that of clinical HIV-1 isolates result in low titers due to a combination of both low genomic infectivity and decreased packaging efficiency. Manipulating the relative level of genomic RNA to gag-pol mRNA in the producer cells revealed a direct relationship between producer cell mRNA levels and packaging efficiency yet could not rescue packaging of oversized genomes, implying a de facto packaging defect. However, independent of genome size, an equimolar ratio between wild-type gag-pol mRNA and vector genomic RNA in producer cells was optimal for titer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan P Sweeney
- GlaxoSmithKline, Cell and Gene Therapy, Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Conrad A Vink
- GlaxoSmithKline, Cell and Gene Therapy, Medicines Research Centre, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage SG1 2NY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Perry C, Rayat ACME. Lentiviral Vector Bioprocessing. Viruses 2021; 13:268. [PMID: 33572347 PMCID: PMC7916122 DOI: 10.3390/v13020268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors (LVs) are potent tools for the delivery of genes of interest into mammalian cells and are now commonly utilised within the growing field of cell and gene therapy for the treatment of monogenic diseases and adoptive therapies such as chimeric antigen T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. This is a comprehensive review of the individual bioprocess operations employed in LV production. We highlight the role of envelope proteins in vector design as well as their impact on the bioprocessing of lentiviral vectors. An overview of the current state of these operations provides opportunities for bioprocess discovery and improvement with emphasis on the considerations for optimal and scalable processing of LV during development and clinical production. Upstream culture for LV generation is described with comparisons on the different transfection methods and various bioreactors for suspension and adherent producer cell cultivation. The purification of LV is examined, evaluating different sequences of downstream process operations for both small- and large-scale production requirements. For scalable operations, a key focus is the development in chromatographic purification in addition to an in-depth examination of the application of tangential flow filtration. A summary of vector quantification and characterisation assays is also presented. Finally, the assessment of the whole bioprocess for LV production is discussed to benefit from the broader understanding of potential interactions of the different process options. This review is aimed to assist in the achievement of high quality, high concentration lentiviral vectors from robust and scalable processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Perry
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK;
- Division of Advanced Therapies, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms EN6 3QG, UK
| | - Andrea C. M. E. Rayat
- The Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK;
| |
Collapse
|