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Harrer DC, Simon B, Fujii SI, Shimizu K, Uslu U, Schuler G, Gerer KF, Hoyer S, Dörrie J, Schaft N. RNA-transfection of γ/δ T cells with a chimeric antigen receptor or an α/β T-cell receptor: a safer alternative to genetically engineered α/β T cells for the immunotherapy of melanoma. BMC Cancer 2017; 17:551. [PMID: 28818060 PMCID: PMC5561563 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-017-3539-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adoptive T-cell therapy relying on conventional T cells transduced with T-cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has caused substantial tumor regression in several clinical trials. However, genetically engineered T cells have been associated with serious side-effects due to off-target toxicities and massive cytokine release. To obviate these concerns, we established a protocol adaptable to GMP to expand and transiently transfect γ/δ T cells with mRNA. Methods PBMC from healthy donors were stimulated using zoledronic-acid or OKT3 to expand γ/δ T cells and bulk T cells, respectively. Additionally, CD8+ T cells and γ/δ T cells were MACS-isolated from PBMC and expanded with OKT3. Next, these four populations were electroporated with RNA encoding a gp100/HLA-A2-specific TCR or a CAR specific for MCSP. Thereafter, receptor expression, antigen-specific cytokine secretion, specific cytotoxicity, and killing of the endogenous γ/δ T cell-target Daudi were analyzed. Results Using zoledronic-acid in average 6 million of γ/δ T cells with a purity of 85% were generated from one million PBMC. MACS-isolation and OKT3-mediated expansion of γ/δ T cells yielded approximately ten times less cells. OKT3-expanded and CD8+ MACS-isolated conventional T cells behaved correspondingly similar. All employed T cells were efficiently transfected with the TCR or the CAR. Upon respective stimulation, γ/δ T cells produced IFNγ and TNF, but little IL-2 and the zoledronic-acid expanded T cells exceeded MACS-γ/δ T cells in antigen-specific cytokine secretion. While the cytokine production of γ/δ T cells was in general lower than that of conventional T cells, specific cytotoxicity against melanoma cell lines was similar. In contrast to OKT3-expanded and MACS-CD8+ T cells, mock-electroporated γ/δ T cells also lysed tumor cells reflecting the γ/δ T cell-intrinsic anti-tumor activity. After transfection, γ/δ T cells were still able to kill MHC-deficient Daudi cells. Conclusion We present a protocol adaptable to GMP for the expansion of γ/δ T cells and their subsequent RNA-transfection with tumor-specific TCRs or CARs. Given the transient receptor expression, the reduced cytokine release, and the equivalent cytotoxicity, these γ/δ T cells may represent a safer complementation to genetically engineered conventional T cells in the immunotherapy of melanoma (Exper Dermatol 26: 157, 2017, J Investig Dermatol 136: A173, 2016). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-017-3539-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis C Harrer
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bianca Simon
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Shin-Ichiro Fujii
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kanako Shimizu
- Laboratory for Immunotherapy, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS), 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Ugur Uslu
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gerold Schuler
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kerstin F Gerer
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Genetics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Hoyer
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Hartmannstraße 14, D-91052, Erlangen, Germany. .,Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
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