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Berjis A, Muthumani D, Aguilar OA, Pomp O, Johnson O, Finck AV, Engel NW, Chen L, Plachta N, Scholler J, Lanier LL, June CH, Sheppard NC. Pretreatment with IL-15 and IL-18 rescues natural killer cells from granzyme B-mediated apoptosis after cryopreservation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3937. [PMID: 38729924 PMCID: PMC11087472 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47574-0] [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: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies are under assessment for treating various cancers, but cryopreservation reduces both the recovery and function of NK cells, thereby limiting their therapeutic feasibility. Using cryopreservation protocols optimized for T cells, here we find that ~75% of NK cells die within 24 h post-thaw, with the remaining cells displaying reduced cytotoxicity. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and confocal microscopy, we find that cryopreserved NK cells largely die via apoptosis initiated by leakage of granzyme B from cytotoxic vesicles. Pretreatment of NK cells with a combination of Interleukins-15 (IL-15) and IL-18 prior to cryopreservation improves NK cell recovery to ~90-100% and enables equal tumour control in a xenograft model of disseminated Raji cell lymphoma compared to non-cryopreserved NK cells. The mechanism of IL-15 and IL-18-induced protection incorporates two mechanisms: a transient reduction in intracellular granzyme B levels via degranulation, and the induction of antiapoptotic genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulla Berjis
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Deeksha Muthumani
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Oscar A Aguilar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California; San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Oz Pomp
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Omar Johnson
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amanda V Finck
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nils W Engel
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Linhui Chen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Biomedical Informatics, the Bioinformatic Core, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicolas Plachta
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Scholler
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lewis L Lanier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Parker Institute of Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California; San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carl H June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Neil C Sheppard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Song HW, Benzaoui M, Dwivedi A, Underwood S, Shao L, Achar S, Posarac V, Remley VA, Prochazkova M, Cai Y, Jin P, Somerville RP, Stroncek DF, Altan-Bonnet G, Shah NN, Chien CD, Taylor N, Highfill SL. Manufacture of CD22 CAR T cells following positive versus negative selection results in distinct cytokine secretion profiles and γδ T cell output. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101171. [PMID: 38298420 PMCID: PMC10827561 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.101171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CART) have demonstrated curative potential for hematological malignancies, but the optimal manufacturing has not yet been determined and may differ across products. The first step, T cell selection, removes contaminating cell types that can potentially suppress T cell expansion and transduction. While positive selection of CD4/CD8 T cells after leukapheresis is often used in clinical trials, it may modulate signaling cascades downstream of these co-receptors; indeed, the addition of a CD4/CD8-positive selection step altered CD22 CART potency and toxicity in patients. While negative selection may avoid this drawback, it is virtually absent from good manufacturing practices. Here, we performed both CD4/CD8-positive and -negative clinical scale selections of mononuclear cell apheresis products and generated CD22 CARTs per our ongoing clinical trial (NCT02315612NCT02315612). While the selection process did not yield differences in CART expansion or transduction, positively selected CART exhibited a significantly higher in vitro interferon-γ and IL-2 secretion but a lower in vitro tumor killing rate. Notably, though, CD22 CART generated from both selection protocols efficiently eradicated leukemia in NSG mice, with negatively selected cells exhibiting a significant enrichment in γδ CD22 CART. Thus, our study demonstrates the importance of the initial T cell selection process in clinical CART manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah W. Song
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mehdi Benzaoui
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Alka Dwivedi
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Underwood
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lipei Shao
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sooraj Achar
- Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Victoria A. Remley
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michaela Prochazkova
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yihua Cai
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ping Jin
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert P. Somerville
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David F. Stroncek
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Nirali N. Shah
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christopher D. Chien
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Steven L. Highfill
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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3
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Gonzalez-Martinez N, Gibson MI. Post-thaw application of ROCK-inhibitors increases cryopreserved T-cell yield. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:2058-2067. [PMID: 37859712 PMCID: PMC10583820 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00378g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging cell-based therapies such as CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T) cells require cryopreservation to store and deliver intact and viable cells. Conventional cryopreservation formulations use DMSO to mitigate cold-induced damage, but do not address all the biochemical damage mechanisms induced by cold stress, such as programmed cell death (apoptosis). Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCK) are a key component of apoptosis, and their activation contributes to apoptotic blebbing. Here we demonstrate that the ROCK inhibitor fasudil hydrochloride, when supplemented into the thawing medium of T-cells increases the overall yield of healthy cells. Cell yield was highest using 5 or 10% DMSO cryopreservation solutions, with lower DMSO concentrations (2.5%) leading to significant physical damage to the cells. After optimisation, the post-thaw yield of T-cells increased by approximately 20% using this inhibitor, a significant increase in the context of a therapy. Flow cytometry analysis did not show a significant reduction in the relative percentage of cell populations undergoing apoptosis, but there was a small reduction in the 8 hours following thawing. Fasudil also led to a reduction in reactive oxygen species. Addition of fasudil into the cryopreservation solution, followed by dilution (rather than washing) upon thaw also gave a 20% increase in cell yield, demonstrating how this could be deployed in a cell-therapy context, without needing to change clinical thawing routines. Overall, this shows that modulation of post-thaw biochemical pathways which lead to apoptosis (or other degradative pathways) can be effectively targeted as a strategy to increase T-cell yield and function post-thaw.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew I Gibson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick Gibbet Hill Road Coventry CV4 7AL UK
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick Gibbet Hill Road Coventry CV4 7AL UK
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