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Utkarsh K, Srivastava N, Kumar S, Khan A, Dagar G, Kumar M, Singh M, Haque S. CAR-T cell therapy: a game-changer in cancer treatment and beyond. Clin Transl Oncol 2024; 26:1300-1318. [PMID: 38244129 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03368-2] [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: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, cancer has become one of the primary causes of mortality, approximately 10 million deaths worldwide each year. The most advanced, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy has turned out as a promising treatment for cancer. CAR-T cell therapy involves the genetic modification of T cells obtained from the patient's blood, and infusion back to the patients. CAR-T cell immunotherapy has led to a significant improvement in the remission rates of hematological cancers. CAR-T cell therapy presently limited to hematological cancers, there are ongoing efforts to develop additional CAR constructs such as bispecific CAR, tandem CAR, inhibitory CAR, combined antigens, CRISPR gene-editing, and nanoparticle delivery. With these advancements, CAR-T cell therapy holds promise concerning potential to improve upon traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation while reducing associated toxicities. This review covers recent advances and advantages of CAR-T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Utkarsh
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229, India
| | - Namita Srivastava
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229, India
| | - Sachin Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229, India
| | - Azhar Khan
- Faculty of Applied Science and Biotechnology, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173229, India
| | - Gunjan Dagar
- Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Department of Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Mayank Singh
- Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shabirul Haque
- Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, 350, Community Drive, Manhasset, NY, 11030, USA.
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2
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Chen B, Liu J. Prospects and challenges of CAR-T in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 133:112112. [PMID: 38640714 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112112] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer ranks as the seventh most prevalent cancer among women and is considered the most lethal gynecological malignancy on a global scale. The absence of reliable screening techniques, coupled with the insidious onset of nonspecific symptoms, often results in a delayed diagnosis, typically at an advanced stage characterized by peritoneal involvement. Management of advanced tumors typically involves a combination of chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery. However, the therapeutic arsenal for ovarian cancer patients remains limited, highlighting the unmet need for precise, targeted, and sustained-release pharmacological agents. Genetically engineered T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) represent a promising novel therapeutic modality that selectively targets specific antigens, demonstrating robust and enduring antitumor responses in numerous patients. CAR T cell therapy has exhibited notable efficacy in hematological malignancies and is currently under investigation for its potential in treating various solid tumors, including ovarian cancer. Currently, numerous researchers are engaged in the development of novel CAR-T cells designed to target ovarian cancer, with subsequent evaluation of these candidate cells in preclinical studies. Given the ability of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) expressing T cells to elicit potent and long-lasting anti-tumor effects, this therapeutic approach holds significant promise for the treatment of ovarian cancer. This review article examines the utilization of CAR-T cells in the context of ovarian cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biqing Chen
- Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
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Martín-Antonio B, Blanco B, González-Murillo Á, Hidalgo L, Minguillón J, Pérez-Chacón G. Newer generations of multi-target CAR and STAb-T immunotherapeutics: NEXT CART Consortium as a cooperative effort to overcome current limitations. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1386856. [PMID: 38779672 PMCID: PMC11109416 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1386856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Adoptive T cellular immunotherapies have emerged as relevant approaches for treating cancer patients who have relapsed or become refractory (R/R) to traditional cancer treatments. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has improved survival in various hematological malignancies. However, significant limitations still impede the widespread adoption of these therapies in most cancers. To advance in this field, six research groups have created the "NEXT Generation CART MAD Consortium" (NEXT CART) in Madrid's Community, which aims to develop novel cell-based immunotherapies for R/R and poor prognosis cancers. At NEXT CART, various basic and translational research groups and hospitals in Madrid concur to share and synergize their basic expertise in immunotherapy, gene therapy, and immunological synapse, and clinical expertise in pediatric and adult oncology. NEXT CART goal is to develop new cell engineering approaches and treatments for R/R adult and pediatric neoplasms to evaluate in multicenter clinical trials. Here, we discuss the current limitations of T cell-based therapies and introduce our perspective on future developments. Advancement opportunities include developing allogeneic products, optimizing CAR signaling domains, combining cellular immunotherapies, multi-targeting strategies, and improving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)/T cell receptor (TCR) therapy. Furthermore, basic studies aim to identify novel tumor targets, tumor molecules in the tumor microenvironment that impact CAR efficacy, and strategies to enhance the efficiency of the immunological synapse between immune and tumor cells. Our perspective of current cellular immunotherapy underscores the potential of these treatments while acknowledging the existing hurdles that demand innovative solutions to develop their potential for cancer treatment fully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Martín-Antonio
- Department of Experimental Hematology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Diaz (IIS-FJD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - África González-Murillo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Advanced Therapies Unit, Fundación Investigación Biomédica Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Hidalgo
- Cellular Biotechnology Unit, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Minguillón
- La Paz Hospital Institute for Health Research (IdiPAZ), Hospital Universitario La Paz. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Pérez-Chacón
- Immunity, Immunopathology and Emergent Therapies Group. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Sols-Morreale. CSIC-UAM, Madrid, Spain
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4
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Qiu Y, Xiao Q, Wang Y, Cao Y, Wang J, Wan Z, Chen X, Liu W, Ma L, Xu C. Mechanical force determines chimeric antigen receptor microclustering and signaling. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1016-1032. [PMID: 38327049 PMCID: PMC11163199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.02.006] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are activated to trigger the lytic machinery after antigen engagement, and this has been successfully applied clinically as therapy. The mechanism by which antigen binding leads to the initiation of CAR signaling remains poorly understood. Here, we used a set of short double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) tethers with mechanical forces ranging from ∼12 to ∼51 pN to manipulate the mechanical force of antigen tether and decouple the microclustering and signaling events. Our results revealed that antigen-binding-induced CAR microclustering and signaling are mechanical force dependent. Additionally, the mechanical force delivered to the antigen tether by the CAR for microclustering is generated by autonomous cell contractility. Mechanistically, the mechanical-force-induced strong adhesion and CAR diffusion confinement led to CAR microclustering. Moreover, cytotoxicity may have a lower mechanical force threshold than cytokine generation. Collectively, these results support a model of mechanical-force-induced CAR microclustering for signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qiu
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Qingyue Xiao
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yucai Wang
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yichen Cao
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Zhengpeng Wan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Xiangjun Chen
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Wanli Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Li Ma
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Chenguang Xu
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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Cho E, An MH, Lee YS, Ryu EJ, Lee YR, Park SY, Kim YJ, Lee CH, Oh D, Kim MS, Kim ND, Kim JJ, Hong YM, Cho M, Hwang TH. Development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells targeting A56 viral protein implanted by oncolytic virus. iScience 2024; 27:109256. [PMID: 38455976 PMCID: PMC10918216 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
To address the challenge of solid tumor targeting in CAR-T therapy, we utilized the A56 antigen, which is uniquely expressed on a diverse range of cancer cells following the systemic administration of an oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV). Immunohistochemical assays precisely confirmed exclusive localization of A56 to tumor tissues. In vitro studies demonstrated a distinct superiority of A56-dependent CAR-T cytotoxicity across multiple cancer cell lines. Building on these in vitro observations, we strategically administered A56 CAR-T cells, OVV, and hydroxyurea (HU) combination in HCT-116 tumor-bearing non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice, leading to a significant reduction in tumor size and an extended time to progression. Consequently, A56-targeting combinatorial immunotherapy provides the benefit of reducing inadvertent CAR-T effects on normal cells while preserving its effectiveness against cancer cells. Furthermore, our approach of implanting A56 via OVV on tumors facilitates a wide therapeutic application of CAR-T cells across various solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euna Cho
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Ho An
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yi Sle Lee
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Jin Ryu
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - You Ra Lee
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - So Youn Park
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye Ji Kim
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan Hee Lee
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Dayoung Oh
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Seo Kim
- Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul 06351, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Deuk Kim
- Department of Pharmacy and Pusan Cancer Research Center, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Joon Kim
- Oncology and Hematology Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Mi Hong
- Liver Center, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Mong Cho
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Ho Hwang
- Research Center, Bionoxx Inc., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13554, Republic of Korea
- Medical Research Center, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea
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Levstek L, Janžič L, Ihan A, Kopitar AN. Biomarkers for prediction of CAR T therapy outcomes: current and future perspectives. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1378944. [PMID: 38558801 PMCID: PMC10979304 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1378944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy holds enormous potential for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Despite its benefits, it is still used as a second line of therapy, mainly because of its severe side effects and patient unresponsiveness. Numerous researchers worldwide have attempted to identify effective predictive biomarkers for early prediction of treatment outcomes and adverse effects in CAR T cell therapy, albeit so far only with limited success. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of predictive biomarkers. Although existing predictive metrics correlate to some extent with treatment outcomes, they fail to encapsulate the complexity of the immune system dynamics. The aim of this review is to identify six major groups of predictive biomarkers and propose their use in developing improved and efficient prediction models. These groups include changes in mitochondrial dynamics, endothelial activation, central nervous system impairment, immune system markers, extracellular vesicles, and the inhibitory tumor microenvironment. A comprehensive understanding of the multiple factors that influence therapeutic efficacy has the potential to significantly improve the course of CAR T cell therapy and patient care, thereby making this advanced immunotherapy more appealing and the course of therapy more convenient and favorable for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andreja Nataša Kopitar
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Lee M, Jeong H, Lee C, Lee MJ, Delmo BR, Heo WD, Shin JH, Park Y. High-resolution assessment of multidimensional cellular mechanics using label-free refractive-index traction force microscopy. Commun Biol 2024; 7:115. [PMID: 38245624 PMCID: PMC10799850 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05788-4] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
A critical requirement for studying cell mechanics is three-dimensional assessment of cellular shapes and forces with high spatiotemporal resolution. Traction force microscopy with fluorescence imaging enables the measurement of cellular forces, but it is limited by photobleaching and a slow acquisition speed. Here, we present refractive-index traction force microscopy (RI-TFM), which simultaneously quantifies the volumetric morphology and traction force of cells using a high-speed illumination scheme with 0.5-Hz temporal resolution. Without labelling, our method enables quantitative analyses of dry-mass distributions and shear (in-plane) and normal (out-of-plane) tractions of single cells on the extracellular matrix. When combined with a constrained total variation-based deconvolution algorithm, it provides 0.55-Pa shear and 1.59-Pa normal traction sensitivity for a 1-kPa hydrogel substrate. We demonstrate its utility by assessing the effects of compromised intracellular stress and capturing the rapid dynamics of cellular junction formation in the spatiotemporal changes in non-planar traction components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moosung Lee
- Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
- Institute for Functional Matter and Quantum Technologies, Universität Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Hyuntae Jeong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Chaeyeon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Mahn Jae Lee
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Benedict Reve Delmo
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Won Do Heo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury (KIB), KAIST, Jaejeo, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
| | - Jennifer H Shin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
| | - YongKeun Park
- Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
- KAIST Institute for Health Science and Technology, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
- Tomocube Inc., Daejeon, 34109, South Korea.
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8
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Zhang Y, Patel RP, Kim KH, Cho H, Jo JC, Jeong SH, Oh SY, Choi YS, Kim SH, Lee JH, Angelos M, Guruprasad P, Cohen I, Ugwuanyi O, Lee YG, Pajarillo R, Cho JH, Carturan A, Paruzzo L, Ghilardi G, Wang M, Kim S, Kim SM, Lee HJ, Park JH, Cui L, Lee TB, Hwang IS, Lee YH, Lee YJ, Porazzi P, Liu D, Lee Y, Kim JH, Lee JS, Yoon DH, Chung J, Ruella M. Safety and efficacy of a novel anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cell product targeting a membrane-proximal domain of CD19 with fast on- and off-rates against non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a first-in-human study. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:200. [PMID: 38066564 PMCID: PMC10709913 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01886-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Commercial anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CART19) are efficacious against advanced B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); however, most patients ultimately relapse. Several mechanisms contribute to this failure, including CD19-negative escape and CAR T dysfunction. All four commercial CART19 products utilize the FMC63 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) specific to a CD19 membrane-distal epitope and characterized by slow association (on) and dissociation (off) rates. We hypothesized that a novel anti-CD19 scFv that engages an alternative CD19 membrane-proximal epitope independent of FMC63 and that is characterized by faster on- and off-rates could mitigate CART19 failure and improve clinical efficacy. METHODS We developed an autologous CART19 product with 4-1BB co-stimulation using a novel humanized chicken antibody (h1218). This antibody is specific to a membrane-proximal CD19 epitope and harbors faster on/off rates compared to FMC63. We tested h1218-CART19 in vitro and in vivo using FMC63-CART19-resistant models. We conducted a first-in-human multi-center phase I clinical trial to test AT101 (clinical-grade h1218-CART19) in patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) NHL. RESULTS Preclinically, h1218- but not FMC63-CART19 were able to effectively eradicate lymphomas expressing CD19 point mutations (L174V and R163L) or co-expressing FMC63-CAR19 as found in patients relapsing after FMC63-CART19. Furthermore, h1218-CART19 exhibited enhanced killing of B-cell malignancies in vitro and in vivo compared with FMC63-CART19. Mechanistically, we found that h1218-CART19 had reduced activation-induced cell death (AICD) and enhanced expansion compared to FMC63-CART19 owing to faster on- and off-rates. Based on these preclinical results, we performed a phase I dose-escalation trial, testing three dose levels (DL) of AT101 (the GMP version of h1218) using a 3 + 3 design. In 12 treated patients (7 DLBCL, 3 FL, 1 MCL, and 1 MZL), AT101 showed a promising safety profile with 8.3% grade 3 CRS (n = 1) and 8.3% grade 4 ICANS (n = 1). In the whole cohort, the overall response rate was 91.7%, with a complete response rate of 75.0%, which improved to 100% in DL-2 and -3. AT101 expansion correlates with CR and B-cell aplasia. CONCLUSIONS We developed a novel, safe, and potent CART19 product that recognizes a membrane-proximal domain of CD19 with fast on- and off-rates and showed significant efficacy and promising safety in patients with relapsed B-cell NHL. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05338931; Date: 2022-04-01.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlin Zhang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ruchi P Patel
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ki Hyun Kim
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyungwoo Cho
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-Ro 43-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Cheol Jo
- Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Korea
| | | | - Sung Yong Oh
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | | | - Sung Hyun Kim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Ji Hyun Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea
| | - Mathew Angelos
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Puneeth Guruprasad
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ivan Cohen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ositadimma Ugwuanyi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yong Gu Lee
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Korea
| | - Raymone Pajarillo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jong Hyun Cho
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Alberto Carturan
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luca Paruzzo
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guido Ghilardi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael Wang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Soohwan Kim
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sung-Min Kim
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun-Jong Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Ji-Ho Park
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Leiguang Cui
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tae Bum Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - In-Sik Hwang
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Young-Ha Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Yong-Jun Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Patrizia Porazzi
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yoon Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong-Hoon Kim
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jong-Seo Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Research Center, AbClon Inc., #1401, Ace Twin Tower1, 285 Digital-Ro, Guro-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Dok Hyun Yoon
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-Ro 43-Gil, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Junho Chung
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Suite 510, Samsung Cancer Research Building, 103 Daehak-Ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Marco Ruella
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, SPE 8-112, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Lymphoma Program, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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9
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Liu L, Yoon CW, Yuan Z, Guo T, Qu Y, He P, Yu X, Zhu Z, Limsakul P, Wang Y. Cellular and molecular imaging of CAR-T cell-based immunotherapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 203:115135. [PMID: 37931847 PMCID: PMC11052581 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as a transformative therapeutic strategy for hematological malignancies. However, its efficacy in treating solid tumors remains limited. An in-depth and comprehensive understanding of CAR-T cell signaling pathways and the ability to track CAR-T cell biodistribution and activation in real-time within the tumor microenvironment will be instrumental in designing the next generation of CAR-T cells for solid tumor therapy. This review summarizes the signaling network and the cellular and molecular imaging tools and platforms that are utilized in CAR-T cell-based immune therapies, covering both in vitro and in vivo studies. Firstly, we provide an overview of the existing understanding of the activation and cytotoxic mechanisms of CAR-T cells, compared to the mechanism of T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathways. We further describe the commonly employed tools for live cell imaging, coupled with recent research progress, with a focus on genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs) and biosensors. We then discuss the utility of diverse in vivo imaging modalities, including fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and photoacoustic (PA) imaging, for noninvasive monitoring of CAR-T cell dynamics within tumor tissues, thereby providing critical insights into therapy's strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges and future directions of CAR-T cell therapy from the imaging perspective. We foresee that a comprehensive and integrative approach to CAR-T cell imaging will enable the development of more effective treatments for solid tumors in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longwei Liu
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Chi Woo Yoon
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Zhou Yuan
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Tianze Guo
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Yunjia Qu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Peixiang He
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Xi Yu
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Ziyue Zhu
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Praopim Limsakul
- Division of Physical Science, Faculty of Science and Center of Excellence for Trace Analysis and Biosensor, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Yingxiao Wang
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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10
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Ruella M, Korell F, Porazzi P, Maus MV. Mechanisms of resistance to chimeric antigen receptor-T cells in haematological malignancies. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:976-995. [PMID: 37907724 PMCID: PMC10965011 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00807-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have recently emerged as a powerful therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with chemotherapy-refractory or relapsed blood cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Nevertheless, resistance to CAR-T cell therapies occurs in most patients. In this Review, we summarize the resistance mechanisms to CAR-T cell immunotherapy by analysing CAR-T cell dysfunction, intrinsic tumour resistance and the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment. We discuss current research strategies to overcome multiple resistance mechanisms, including optimization of the CAR design, improvement of in vivo T cell function and persistence, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment and synergistic combination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Ruella
- Division of Hematology and Oncology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Felix Korell
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrizia Porazzi
- Division of Hematology and Oncology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marcela V Maus
- Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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11
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Shetab Boushehri S, Essig K, Chlis NK, Herter S, Bacac M, Theis FJ, Glasmacher E, Marr C, Schmich F. Explainable machine learning for profiling the immunological synapse and functional characterization of therapeutic antibodies. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7888. [PMID: 38036503 PMCID: PMC10689847 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43429-2] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies are widely used to treat severe diseases. Most of them alter immune cells and act within the immunological synapse; an essential cell-to-cell interaction to direct the humoral immune response. Although many antibody designs are generated and evaluated, a high-throughput tool for systematic antibody characterization and prediction of function is lacking. Here, we introduce the first comprehensive open-source framework, scifAI (single-cell imaging flow cytometry AI), for preprocessing, feature engineering, and explainable, predictive machine learning on imaging flow cytometry (IFC) data. Additionally, we generate the largest publicly available IFC dataset of the human immunological synapse containing over 2.8 million images. Using scifAI, we analyze class frequency and morphological changes under different immune stimulation. T cell cytokine production across multiple donors and therapeutic antibodies is quantitatively predicted in vitro, linking morphological features with function and demonstrating the potential to significantly impact antibody design. scifAI is universally applicable to IFC data. Given its modular architecture, it is straightforward to incorporate into existing workflows and analysis pipelines, e.g., for rapid antibody screening and functional characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayedali Shetab Boushehri
- Institute of AI for Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, Department of Mathematics, Munich, Germany
- Data & Analytics (D&A), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Essig
- Large Molecule Research (LMR), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nikolaos-Kosmas Chlis
- Large Molecule Research (LMR), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sylvia Herter
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marina Bacac
- Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabian J Theis
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Technical University of Munich, Department of Mathematics, Munich, Germany
| | - Elke Glasmacher
- Research and Early Development (RED), Roche Diagnostics Solutions, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany.
| | - Carsten Marr
- Institute of AI for Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
| | - Fabian Schmich
- Data & Analytics (D&A), Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), Roche Innovation Center Munich, Munich, Germany.
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12
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Finn P, Chavez M, Chen X, Wang H, Rane DA, Gurjar J, Qi LS. Drug-Mediated Control of Receptor Valency Enhances Immune Cell Potency. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.04.522664. [PMID: 36712002 PMCID: PMC9881924 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.04.522664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Designer T cells offer a novel paradigm for treating diseases like cancer, yet they are often hindered by target recognition evasion and limited in vivo control. To overcome these challenges, we develop valency-controlled receptors (VCRs), a novel class of synthetic receptors engineered to enable precise modulation of immune cell activity. VCRs use custom-designed valency-control ligands (VCLs) to modulate T cell signaling via spatial molecular clustering. Using multivalent DNA origami as VCL, we first establish that valency is important for tuning the activity of CD3-mediated immune activation. We then generate multivalent formats of clinically relevant drugs as VCL and incorporate VCR into the architecture of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Our data demonstrate that VCL-mediated VCRs can significantly amplify CAR activities and improve suboptimal CARs. Finally, through medicinal chemistry, we synthesize programmable, bioavailable VCL drugs that potentiate targeted immune response against low-antigen tumors both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings establish receptor valency as a core mechanism for enhancing CAR functionality and offer a synthetic chemical biology platform for strengthening customizable, potent, and safer cell therapies.
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13
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Wu KL, Martinez-Paniagua M, Reichel K, Menon PS, Deo S, Roysam B, Varadarajan N. Automated detection of apoptotic bodies and cells in label-free time-lapse high-throughput video microscopy using deep convolutional neural networks. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad584. [PMID: 37773981 PMCID: PMC10563152 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad584] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Reliable label-free methods are needed for detecting and profiling apoptotic events in time-lapse cell-cell interaction assays. Prior studies relied on fluorescent markers of apoptosis, e.g. Annexin-V, that provide an inconsistent and late indication of apoptotic onset for human melanoma cells. Our motivation is to improve the detection of apoptosis by directly detecting apoptotic bodies in a label-free manner. RESULTS Our trained ResNet50 network identified nanowells containing apoptotic bodies with 92% accuracy and predicted the onset of apoptosis with an error of one frame (5 min/frame). Our apoptotic body segmentation yielded an IoU accuracy of 75%, allowing associative identification of apoptotic cells. Our method detected apoptosis events, 70% of which were not detected by Annexin-V staining. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Open-source code and sample data provided at https://github.com/kwu14victor/ApoBDproject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan-Ling Wu
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Melisa Martinez-Paniagua
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Kate Reichel
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Prashant S Menon
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Shravani Deo
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Badrinath Roysam
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Navin Varadarajan
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
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14
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Chockley PJ, Ibanez-Vega J, Krenciute G, Talbot LJ, Gottschalk S. Synapse-tuned CARs enhance immune cell anti-tumor activity. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1434-1445. [PMID: 36732477 PMCID: PMC10394118 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01650-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technologies have been clinically implemented for the treatment of hematological malignancies; however, solid tumors remain resilient to CAR therapeutics. Natural killer (NK) cells may provide an optimal class of immune cells for CAR-based approaches due to their inherent anti-tumor functionality. In this study, we sought to tune CAR immune synapses by adding an intracellular scaffolding protein binding site to the CAR. We employ a PDZ binding motif (PDZbm) that enables additional scaffolding crosslinks that enhance synapse formation and NK CAR cell polarization. Combined effects of this CAR design result in increased effector cell functionality in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we used T cells and observed similar global enhancements in effector function. Synapse-tuned CAR immune cells exhibit amplified synaptic strength, number and abundance of secreted cytokines, enhanced killing of tumor cells and prolonged survival in numerous different tumor models, including solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Chockley
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
| | - Jorge Ibanez-Vega
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Giedre Krenciute
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Lindsay J Talbot
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
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15
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Yun K, Siegler EL, Kenderian SS. Who wins the combat, CAR or TCR? Leukemia 2023; 37:1953-1962. [PMID: 37626090 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-01976-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has drawn increasing attention over the last few decades given its remarkable effectiveness and breakthroughs in treating B cell hematological malignancies. Even though CAR-T cell therapy has outstanding clinical successes, most treated patients still relapse after infusion. CARs are derived from the T cell receptor (TCR) complex and co-stimulatory molecules associated with T cell activation; however, the similarities and differences between CARs and endogenous TCRs regarding their sensitivity, signaling pathway, killing mechanisms, and performance are still not fully understood. In this review, we discuss the parallel comparisons between CARs and TCRs from various aspects and how these current findings might provide novel insights and contribute to improvement of CAR-T cell therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yun
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Siegler
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Saad S Kenderian
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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16
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Zhang A, Wang S, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Zhao L, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Xu L, Lei Y, Du J, Chen H, Duan L, He M, Shi L, Liu L, Wang Q, Hu L, Zhang B. Targeting and cytotoxicity of chimeric antigen receptor T cells grafted with PD1 extramembrane domain. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:85. [PMID: 37777797 PMCID: PMC10543853 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00438-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunosuppression induced by programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) presents a significant constraint on the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy. The potential of combining PD1/PDL1 (Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) axis blockade with CAR-T cell therapy is promising. However, developing a highly efficient and minimally toxic approach requires further exploration. Our attempt to devise a novel CAR structure capable of recognizing both tumor antigens and PDL1 encountered challenges since direct targeting of PDL1 resulted in systemic adverse effects. METHODS In this research, we innovatively engineered novel CARs by grafting the PD1 domain into a conventional second-generation (2G) CAR specifically targeting CD19. These CARs exist in two distinct forms: one with PD1 extramembrane domain (EMD) directly linked to a transmembrane domain (TMD), referred to as PE CAR, and the other with PD1 EMD connected to a TMD via a CD8 hinge domain (HD), known as PE8HT CAR. To evaluate their efficacy, we conducted comprehensive assessments of their cytotoxicity, cytokine release, and potential off-target effects both in vitro and in vivo using tumor models that overexpress CD19/PDL1. RESULTS The findings of our study indicate that PE CAR demonstrates enhanced cytotoxicity and reduced cytokine release specifically towards CD19 + PDL1 + tumor cells, without off-target effects to CD19-PDL1 + tumor cells, in contrast to 2G CAR-T cells. Additionally, PE CAR showed ameliorative differentiation, exhaustion, and apoptosis phenotypes as assessed by flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, and metabolic parameter analysis, after encountering CD19 + PDL1 + tumor cells. CONCLUSION Our results revealed that CAR grafted with PD1 exhibits enhanced antitumor activity with lower cytokine release and no PD1-related off-target toxicity in tumor models that overexpress CD19 and PDL1. These findings suggest that our CAR design holds the potential for effectively addressing the PD1 signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Zhang
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Shenyu Wang
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yao Sun
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yikun Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yang Yang
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yijian Zhang
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Lei Xu
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yangyang Lei
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Jie Du
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Chen
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Lian Duan
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Mingyi He
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lintao Shi
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Quanjun Wang
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co., Ltd, Beijing, China.
| | - Liangding Hu
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China.
| | - Bin Zhang
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China.
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17
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Xiong Y, Libby KA, Su X. The physical landscape of CAR-T synapse. Biophys J 2023:S0006-3495(23)00581-7. [PMID: 37715447 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells form dynamic immunological synapses with their cancer cell targets. After a CAR-antigen engagement, the CAR-T synapse forms, matures, and finally disassembles, accompanied by substantial remodeling of cell surface proteins, lipids, and glycans. In this review, we provide perspectives for understanding protein distribution, membrane topology, and force transmission across the CAR-T synapse. We highlight the features of CAR-T synapses that differ from T cell receptor synapses, including the disorganized protein pattern, adjustable synapse width, diverse mechano-responding properties, and resulting signaling consequences. Through a range of examples, we illustrate how revealing the biophysical nature of the CAR-T synapse could guide the design of CAR-Ts with improved anti-tumor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Xiong
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kendra A Libby
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Xiaolei Su
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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18
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Lorenzini T, Cadilha BL, Obeck H, Benmebarek MR, Märkl F, Michaelides S, Strzalkowski T, Briukhovetska D, Müller PJ, Nandi S, Winter P, Majed L, Grünmeier R, Seifert M, Rausch S, Feuchtinger T, Endres S, Kobold S. Rational design of PD-1-CD28 immunostimulatory fusion proteins for CAR T cell therapy. Br J Cancer 2023; 129:696-705. [PMID: 37400680 PMCID: PMC10421897 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02332-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In many situations, the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T cells is limited due to immune suppression and poor persistence. Immunostimulatory fusion protein (IFP) constructs have been advanced as a tool to convert suppressive signals into stimulation and thus promote the persistence of T cells, but no universal IFP design has been established so far. We now took advantage of a PD-1-CD28 IFP as a clinically relevant structure to define key determinants of IFP activity. METHODS We compared different PD-1-CD28 IFP variants in a human leukemia model to assess the impact of distinctive design choices on CAR T cell performance in vitro and a xenograft mouse model. RESULTS We observed that IFP constructs that putatively exceed the extracellular length of PD-1 induce T-cell response without CAR target recognition, rendering them unsuitable for tumour-specific therapy. IFP variants with physiological PD-1 length ameliorated CAR T cell effector function and proliferation in response to PD-L1+ tumour cells in vitro and prolonged survival in vivo. Transmembrane or extracellular CD28 domains were found to be replaceable by corresponding PD-1 domains for in vivo efficacy. CONCLUSION PD-1-CD28 IFP constructs must mimic the physiological interaction of PD-1 with PD-L1 to retain selectivity and mediate CAR-conditional therapeutic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Lorenzini
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Bruno L Cadilha
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Hannah Obeck
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Mohamed-Reda Benmebarek
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
- National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Florian Märkl
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanos Michaelides
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Thaddäus Strzalkowski
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Daria Briukhovetska
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Jie Müller
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Sayantan Nandi
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Pia Winter
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Lina Majed
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Ruth Grünmeier
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Seifert
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Svenja Rausch
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
| | - Tobias Feuchtinger
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Hemostaseology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Dr. von Hauner University Children's Hospital, LMU University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Endres
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany
- German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany
- Einheit für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kobold
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Einheit für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany.
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19
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Singh S, Tian W, Severance ZC, Chaudhary SK, Anokhina V, Mondal B, Pergu R, Singh P, Dhawa U, Singha S, Choudhary A. Proximity-inducing modalities: the past, present, and future. Chem Soc Rev 2023; 52:5485-5515. [PMID: 37477631 DOI: 10.1039/d2cs00943a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Living systems use proximity to regulate biochemical processes. Inspired by this phenomenon, bifunctional modalities that induce proximity have been developed to redirect cellular processes. An emerging example of this class is molecules that induce ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of a protein of interest, and their initial development sparked a flurry of discovery for other bifunctional modalities. Recent advances in this area include modalities that can change protein phosphorylation, glycosylation, and acetylation states, modulate gene expression, and recruit components of the immune system. In this review, we highlight bifunctional modalities that perform functions other than degradation and have great potential to revolutionize disease treatment, while also serving as important tools in basic research to explore new aspects of biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameek Singh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Wenzhi Tian
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Zachary C Severance
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Santosh K Chaudhary
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Viktoriya Anokhina
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Basudeb Mondal
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Rajaiah Pergu
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Prashant Singh
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Uttam Dhawa
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Santanu Singha
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Amit Choudhary
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Divisions of Renal Medicine and Engineering, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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20
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Zhang Z, Liu C, Wang M, Sun R, Yang Z, Hua Z, Wu Y, Wu M, Wang H, Qiu W, Yin H, Yang M. Treating solid tumors with TCR-based chimeric antigen receptor targeting extra domain B-containing fibronectin. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007199. [PMID: 37586774 PMCID: PMC10432677 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007199] [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] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The suppression of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells by the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a crucial obstacle in the T-cell-based treatment of solid tumors. Extra domain B (EDB)-fibronectin is an oncofetal antigen expressed on the endothelium layer of the neovasculature and cancer cells. Though recognized as a T cell therapy target, engineered CAR T cells thus far have failed to demonstrate satisfactory in vivo efficacy. In this study, we report that targeting EDB-fibronectin by redirected TCR-CAR T cells (rTCR-CAR) bypasses the suppressive TME for solid tumor treatment and sufficiently suppressed tumor growth.We generated EDB-targeting CAR by fusing single-chain variable fragment to CD3ε, resulting in rTCR-CAR. Human primary T cells and Jurkat cells were used to study the EDB-targeting T cells. Differences to the traditional second-generation CAR T cell in signaling, immune synapse formation, and T cell exhaustion were characterized. Cytotoxicity of the rTCR-CAR T cells was tested in vitro, and therapeutic efficacies were demonstrated using xenograft models. METHODS RESULTS: In the xenograft models, the rTCR-CAR T cells demonstrated in vivo efficacies superior to that based on traditional CAR design. A significant reduction in tumor vessel density was observed alongside tumor growth inhibition, extending even to tumor models established with EDB-negative cancer cells. The rTCR-CAR bound to immobilized EDB, and the binding led to immune synapse structures superior to that formed by second-generation CARs. By a mechanism similar to that for the conventional TCR complex, EDB-fibronectin activated the rTCR-CAR, resulting in rTCR-CAR T cells with low basal activation levels and increased in vivo expansion. CONCLUSION Our study has demonstrated the potential of rTCR-CAR T cells targeting the EDB-fibronectin as an anticancer therapeutic. Engineered to possess antiangiogenic and cytotoxic activities, the rTCR-CAR T cells showed therapeutic efficacies not impacted by the suppressive TMEs. These combined characteristics of a single therapeutic agent point to its potential to achieve sustained control of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Muhan Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rongcheng Sun
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Cell Tech Medical Research Institute, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhe Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhen Hua
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yushuang Wu
- Jiangsu Cell Tech Medical Research Institute, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mengting Wu
- Jiangsu Cell Tech Medical Research Institute, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hang Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wen Qiu
- Department of Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongping Yin
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Meijia Yang
- Jiangsu Cell Tech Medical Research Institute, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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21
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Atilla E, Benabdellah K. The Black Hole: CAR T Cell Therapy in AML. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2713. [PMID: 37345050 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102713] [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: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite exhaustive studies, researchers have made little progress in the field of adoptive cellular therapies for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), unlike the notable uptake for B cell malignancies. Various single antigen-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell Phase I trials have been established worldwide and have recruited approximately 100 patients. The high heterogeneity at the genetic and molecular levels within and between AML patients resembles a black hole: a great gravitational field that sucks in everything. One must consider the fact that only around 30% of patients show a response; there are, however, consequential off-tumor effects. It is obvious that a new point of view is needed to achieve more promising results. This review first introduces the unique therapeutic challenges of not only CAR T cells but also other adoptive cellular therapies in AML. Next, recent single-cell sequencing data for AML to assess somatically acquired alterations at the DNA, epigenetic, RNA, and protein levels are discussed to give a perspective on cellular heterogeneity, intercellular hierarchies, and the cellular ecosystem. Finally, promising novel strategies are summarized, including more sophisticated next-generation CAR T, TCR-T, and CAR NK therapies; the approaches with which to tailor the microenvironment and target neoantigens; and allogeneic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erden Atilla
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Clinical Research Division, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, Health Sciences Technology Park, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Karim Benabdellah
- GENYO Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer/University of Granada/Andalusian Regional Government, Health Sciences Technology Park, 18016 Granada, Spain
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22
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Li R, Sahoo P, Wang D, Wang Q, Brown CE, Rockne RC, Cho H. Modeling interaction of Glioma cells and CAR T-cells considering multiple CAR T-cells bindings. IMMUNOINFORMATICS (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 9:100022. [PMID: 36875891 PMCID: PMC9983577 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuno.2023.100022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell based immunotherapy has shown its potential in treating blood cancers, and its application to solid tumors is currently being extensively investigated. For glioma brain tumors, various CAR T-cell targets include IL13Rα2, EGFRvIII, HER2, EphA2, GD2, B7-H3, and chlorotoxin. In this work, we are interested in developing a mathematical model of IL13Rα2 targeting CAR T-cells for treating glioma. We focus on extending the work of Kuznetsov et al. (1994) by considering binding of multiple CAR T-cells to a single glioma cell, and the dynamics of these multi-cellular conjugates. Our model more accurately describes experimentally observed CAR T-cell killing assay data than the models which do not consider multi-cellular conjugates. Moreover, we derive conditions in the CAR T-cell expansion rate that determines treatment success or failure. Finally, we show that our model captures distinct CAR T-cell killing dynamics from low to high antigen receptor densities in patient-derived brain tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runpeng Li
- Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, 92521, CA, USA
| | - Prativa Sahoo
- Division of Mathematical Oncology, Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Rd., Duarte, 91010, CA, USA
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Zhejiang University Medical Center, 866 Yuhangtang Rd, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Qixuan Wang
- Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, 92521, CA, USA.,Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, 92521, CA, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Rd., Duarte, 91010, CA, USA
| | - Russell C Rockne
- Division of Mathematical Oncology, Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 E Duarte Rd., Duarte, 91010, CA, USA
| | - Heyrim Cho
- Department of Mathematics, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, 92521, CA, USA.,Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, 92521, CA, USA
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23
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Wu L, Brzostek J, Sakthi Vale PD, Wei Q, Koh CKT, Ong JXH, Wu LZ, Tan JC, Chua YL, Yap J, Song Y, Tan VJY, Tan TYY, Lai J, MacAry PA, Gascoigne NRJ. CD28-CAR-T cell activation through FYN kinase signaling rather than LCK enhances therapeutic performance. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:100917. [PMID: 36696897 PMCID: PMC9975250 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.100917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Signal transduction induced by chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) is generally believed to rely on the activity of the SRC family kinase (SFK) LCK, as is the case with T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. Here, we show that CAR signaling occurs in the absence of LCK. This LCK-independent signaling requires the related SFK FYN and a CD28 intracellular domain within the CAR. LCK-deficient CAR-T cells are strongly signaled through CAR and have better in vivo efficacy with reduced exhaustion phenotype and enhanced induction of memory and proliferation. These distinctions can be attributed to the fact that FYN signaling tends to promote proliferation and survival, whereas LCK signaling promotes strong signaling that tends to lead to exhaustion. This non-canonical signaling of CAR-T cells provides insight into the initiation of both TCR and CAR signaling and has important clinical implications for improvement of CAR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wu
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Joanna Brzostek
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Previtha Dawn Sakthi Vale
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Qianru Wei
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Clara K T Koh
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - June Xu Hui Ong
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Liang-Zhe Wu
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Jia Chi Tan
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Yen Leong Chua
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Jiawei Yap
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Yuan Song
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vivian Jia Yi Tan
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Triscilla Y Y Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Junyun Lai
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul A MacAry
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Cancer Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicholas R J Gascoigne
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Cancer Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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24
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Gan J, Cho JH, Lee R, Naghizadeh A, Poon LY, Wang E, Hui Z, Liu D. Methods of Machine Learning-Based Chimeric Antigen Receptor Immunological Synapse Quality Quantification. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2654:493-502. [PMID: 37106203 PMCID: PMC10812845 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3135-5_32] [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: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-mediated immunotherapy shows promising results for refractory blood cancers. Currently, six CAR-T drugs have been approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Theoretically, CAR-T cells must form an effective immunological synapse (IS, an interface between effective cells and their target cells) with their susceptible tumor cells to eliminate tumor cells. Previous studies show that CAR IS quality can be used as a predictive functional biomarker for CAR-T immunotherapies. However, quantification of CAR-T IS quality is clinically challenging. Machine learning (ML)-based CAR-T IS quality quantification has been proposed previously.Here, we show an easy-to-use, step-by-step approach to predicting the efficacy of CAR-modified cells using ML-based CAR IS quality quantification. This approach will guide the users on how to use ML-based CAR IS quality quantification in detail, which include: how to image CAR IS on the glass-supported planar lipid bilayer, how to define the CAR IS focal plane, how to segment the CAR IS images, and how to quantify the IS quality using ML-based algorithms.This approach will significantly enhance the accuracy and proficiency of CAR IS prediction in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gan
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jong Hyun Cho
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ryan Lee
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Alireza Naghizadeh
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ling Yue Poon
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ethan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Zachary Hui
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
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25
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Caballero AC, Escribà-Garcia L, Pujol-Fernández P, Escudero-López E, Ujaldón-Miró C, Montserrat-Torres R, Sierra J, Alvarez-Fernández C, Briones J. High CAR intensity of expression confers enhanced antitumor effect against lymphoma without functional exhaustion. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:51-61. [PMID: 36031661 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-022-00518-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Identifying factors that ameliorates clinical outcomes following CART therapy represents an unmet need. We hypothesized that CAR expression level would have a significant impact on CART efficacy and tested this with CAR30+ TSCM-LIKE enriched cells. By sorting T-cells according to CAR mean fluorescence intensity in two markedly different populations (CARHI and CARLO), we showed that a high CAR expression enhances antitumor efficacy in vitro, that is sustained after sequential re-exposures to tumor cells and is not associated with T-cell exhaustion or differentiation. Furthermore, we found a correlation between high surface CAR expression and antitumor effect with CAR19+ T-cells, thus validating our findings with CAR30. Definitive proof of CARHI T-cells improved antitumor efficacy was demonstrated in a human Hodgkin's lymphoma xenograft mouse model, where CAR30-TSCM-LIKE enriched products with high intensity of CAR expression achieved superior tumor control in vivo and longer survival than those with a low intensity of CAR expression. Our data suggest that modulation of CAR intensity of expression represents an additional strategy to increase CART therapy clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Caballero
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Escribà-Garcia
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Pujol-Fernández
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Escudero-López
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Ujaldón-Miró
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosanna Montserrat-Torres
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Sierra
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.,Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Alvarez-Fernández
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. .,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. .,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Javier Briones
- Hematology Service, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. .,Laboratory of Experimental Hematology-IIB, Institut Recerca Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. .,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain. .,Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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26
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Wang L, Xu H, Weng L, Sun J, Jin Y, Xiao C. Activation of cancer immunotherapy by nanomedicine. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1041073. [PMID: 36618938 PMCID: PMC9814015 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1041073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most difficult diseases to be treated in the world. Immunotherapy has made great strides in cancer treatment in recent years, and several tumor immunotherapy drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Currently, immunotherapy faces many challenges, such as lacking specificity, cytotoxicity, drug resistance, etc. Nanoparticles have the characteristics of small particle size and stable surface function, playing a miraculous effect in anti-tumor treatment. Nanocarriers such as polymeric micelles, liposomes, nanoemulsions, dendrimers, and inorganic nanoparticles have been widely used to overcome deficits in cancer treatments including toxicity, insufficient specificity, and low bioavailability. Although nanomedicine research is extensive, only a few nanomedicines are approved to be used. Either Bottlenecks or solutions of nanomedicine in immunotherapy need to be further explored to cope with challenges. In this review, a brief overview of several types of cancer immunotherapy approaches and their advantages and disadvantages will be provided. Then, the types of nanomedicines, drug delivery strategies, and the progress of applications are introduced. Finally, the application and prospect of nanomedicines in immunotherapy and Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) are highlighted and summarized to address the problems of immunotherapy the overall goal of this article is to provide insights into the potential use of nanomedicines and to improve the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Henan Xu
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lili Weng
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Jin Sun
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Ye Jin
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China,*Correspondence: Ye Jin, ; Chunping Xiao,
| | - Chunping Xiao
- College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China,*Correspondence: Ye Jin, ; Chunping Xiao,
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27
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Teppert K, Wang X, Anders K, Evaristo C, Lock D, Künkele A. Joining Forces for Cancer Treatment: From "TCR versus CAR" to "TCR and CAR". Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314563. [PMID: 36498890 PMCID: PMC9739809 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell-based immunotherapy has demonstrated great therapeutic potential in recent decades, on the one hand, by using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and, on the other hand, by engineering T cells to obtain anti-tumor specificities through the introduction of either engineered T cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Given the distinct design of both receptors and the type of antigen that is encountered, the requirements for proper antigen engagement and downstream signal transduction by TCRs and CARs differ. Synapse formation and signal transduction of CAR T cells, despite further refinement of CAR T cell designs, still do not fully recapitulate that of TCR T cells and might limit CAR T cell persistence and functionality. Thus, deep knowledge about the molecular differences in CAR and TCR T cell signaling would greatly advance the further optimization of CAR designs and elucidate under which circumstances a combination of both receptors would improve the functionality of T cells for cancer treatment. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review about similarities and differences by directly comparing the architecture, synapse formation and signaling of TCRs and CARs, highlighting the knowns and unknowns. In the second part of the review, we discuss the current status of combining CAR and TCR technologies, encouraging a change in perspective from "TCR versus CAR" to "TCR and CAR".
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Teppert
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Xueting Wang
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Kathleen Anders
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - César Evaristo
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Dominik Lock
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, 51429 Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Annette Künkele
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence:
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28
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Zang H, Siddiqui M, Gummuluru S, Wong WW, Reinhard BM. Ganglioside-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Activation at the Immunological Synapse. ACS NANO 2022; 16:18408-18420. [PMID: 36282488 PMCID: PMC9815837 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c06516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has proven to be an effective strategy against hematological malignancies but persistence and activity against solid tumors must be further improved. One emerging strategy for enhancing efficacy is based on directing CAR T cells to antigen presenting cells (APCs). Activation of CAR T cells at the immunological synapse (IS) formed between APC and T cell is thought to promote strong, persistent antigen-specific T cell-mediated immune responses but requires integration of CAR ligands into the APC/T-cell interface. Here, we demonstrate that CAR ligand functionalized, lipid-coated, biodegradable polymer nanoparticles (NPs) that contain the ganglioside GM3 (GM3-NPs) bind to CD169 (Siglec-1)-expressing APCs and localize to the cell contact site between APCs and CAR T cells upon initiation of cell conjugates. The CD169+ APC/CAR T-cell interface is characterized by a strong optical colocalization of GM3-NPs and CARs, enrichment of F-actin, and recruitment of ZAP-70, indicative of integration of GM3-NPs into a functional IS. Ligands associated with GM3-NPs localized to the APC/T-cell contact site remain accessible to CARs and result in robust T-cell activation. Overall, this work identifies GM3-NPs as a potential antigen delivery platform for active targeting of CD169 expressing APCs and enhancement of CAR T-cell activation at the NP-containing IS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zang
- Departments of Chemistry and The Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
| | - Menna Siddiqui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Suryaram Gummuluru
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, United States
| | - Wilson W. Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Björn M. Reinhard
- Departments of Chemistry and The Photonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, United States
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29
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Cassioli C, Patrussi L, Valitutti S, Baldari CT. Learning from TCR Signaling and Immunological Synapse Assembly to Build New Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs). Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:14255. [PMID: 36430728 PMCID: PMC9694822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy is a revolutionary pillar in cancer treatment. Clinical experience has shown remarkable successes in the treatment of certain hematological malignancies but only limited efficacy against B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other cancer types, especially solid tumors. A wide range of engineering strategies have been employed to overcome the limitations of CAR T cell therapy. However, it has become increasingly clear that CARs have unique, unexpected features; hence, a deep understanding of how CARs signal and trigger the formation of a non-conventional immunological synapse (IS), the signaling platform required for T cell activation and execution of effector functions, would lead a shift from empirical testing to the rational design of new CAR constructs. Here, we review current knowledge of CARs, focusing on their structure, signaling and role in CAR T cell IS assembly. We, moreover, discuss the molecular features accounting for poor responses in CLL patients treated with anti-CD19 CAR T cells and propose CLL as a paradigm for diseases connected to IS dysfunctions that could significantly benefit from the development of novel CARs to generate a productive anti-tumor response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cassioli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Laura Patrussi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Salvatore Valitutti
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1037, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), Université de Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31037 Toulouse, France
- Department of Pathology, Institut Universitaire du Cancer-Oncopole de Toulouse, 31059 Toulouse, France
| | - Cosima T. Baldari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
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30
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Wallace Z, Kopycinski J, Yang H, McCully ML, Eggeling C, Chojnacki J, Dorrell L. Immune mobilising T cell receptors redirect polyclonal CD8 + T cells in chronic HIV infection to form immunological synapses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18366. [PMID: 36319836 PMCID: PMC9626491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23228-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell exhaustion develops in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection due to chronic viral antigenic stimulation. This adaptive response primarily affects virus-specific CD8+ T cells, which may remain dysfunctional despite viral load-reducing antiretroviral therapy; however, abnormalities may also be evident in non-HIV-specific populations. Both could limit the efficacy of cell therapies against viral reservoirs. Here, we show that bulk (polyclonal) CD8+ T cells from people living with HIV (PLWH) express proposed markers of dysfunctional HIV-specific T cells at high levels yet form lytic immunological synapses (IS) and eliminate primary resting infected (HIV Gaglo) CD4+ T cells, when redirected by potent bispecific T cell-retargeting molecules, Immune mobilising monoclonal T cell receptors (TCR) Against Virus (ImmTAV). While PLWH CD8+ T cells are functionally impaired when compared to CD8+ T cells from HIV-naïve donors, ImmTAV redirection enables them to eliminate Gaglo CD4+ T cells that are insensitive to autologous HIV-specific cytolytic T cells. ImmTAV molecules may therefore be able to target HIV reservoirs, which represent a major barrier to a cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoë Wallace
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. .,Immunocore Ltd, 92 Park Drive, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK.
| | - Jakub Kopycinski
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hongbing Yang
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Christian Eggeling
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology & Institute of Applied Optics and Biophysics, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Jakub Chojnacki
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lucy Dorrell
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Immunocore Ltd, 92 Park Drive, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
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Cho JH, Tsao WC, Naghizadeh A, Liu D. Standardized protocol for the evaluation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified cell immunological synapse quality using the glass-supported planar lipid bilayer. Methods Cell Biol 2022; 173:155-171. [PMID: 36653082 PMCID: PMC10768727 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2022.07.009] [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: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified cell therapy is an effective therapy that harnesses the power of the human immune system by re-engineering immune cells that specifically kill tumor cells with tumor antigen specificity. Key to the effective elimination of tumor cells is the establishment of the immunological synapse (IS) between CAR-modified immune cells and their susceptible tumors. For functional activity, CAR-modified cells must form an effective IS to kill tumor cells specifically. The formation of the CAR-specific IS requires the coordination of many cellular processes including reorganization of the cytoskeletal structure, polarization of lytic granules, accumulation of tumor antigen, and phosphorylation of key signaling molecules within the IS. Visualization and assessment of the CAR IS quality can reveal much about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the efficacy of various CAR-modified immune cells. This chapter provides a standardized method of assessing the IS quality by quantifying the tumor antigen (defining the CAR IS formation), cytoskeleton (key component of CAR IS structure), and various molecules of interest involved in the IS formation (key molecular mechanism signatures of CAR IS function) using immunofluorescence on the glass-supported planar lipid bilayer, with a focus on tumor antigen only in this study. We provide specific insights and helpful tips for reagent and sample preparation, assay design, and machine learning (ML)-based data analysis. The protocol described in this chapter will provide a valuable tool to visualize and assess the IS quality of various CAR-modified immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong Hyun Cho
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States; Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Wei-Chung Tsao
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States; Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Alireza Naghizadeh
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States; Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States; Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States.
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32
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Im NG, Guillaumet-Adkins A, Wal M, Rogers AJ, Frede J, Havig CC, Yang J, Anand P, Stegmann SK, Waldschmidt JM, Sotudeh N, Niu L, Voisine J, Schweiger MR, Grassberger C, Lohr JG, Knoechel B. Regulatory Programs of B-cell Activation and Germinal Center Reaction Allow B-ALL Escape from CD19 CAR T-cell Therapy. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:1055-1068. [PMID: 35759797 PMCID: PMC9444959 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has led to tremendous successes in the treatment of B-cell malignancies. However, a large fraction of treated patients relapse, often with disease expressing reduced levels of the target antigen. Here, we report that exposing CD19+ B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cells to CD19 CAR T cells reduced CD19 expression within hours. Initially, CD19 CAR T cells caused clustering of CD19 at the T cell-leukemia cell interface followed by CD19 internalization and decreased CD19 surface expression on the B-ALL cells. CD19 expression was then repressed by transcriptional rewiring. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing, we demonstrated that a subset of refractory CD19low cells sustained decreased CD19 expression through transcriptional programs of physiologic B-cell activation and germinal center reaction. Inhibiting B-cell activation programs with the Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib increased the cytotoxicity of CD19 CAR T cells without affecting CAR T-cell viability. These results demonstrate transcriptional plasticity as an underlying mechanism of escape from CAR T cells and highlight the importance of combining CAR T-cell therapy with targeted therapies that aim to overcome this plasticity. See related Spotlight by Zhao and Melenhorst, p. 1040.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam Gyu Im
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Institute for Translational Epigenetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amy Guillaumet-Adkins
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Megha Wal
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anna J. Rogers
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia Frede
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claire C. Havig
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Praveen Anand
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Johannes M. Waldschmidt
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Noori Sotudeh
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Leili Niu
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan Voisine
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michal R. Schweiger
- Institute for Translational Epigenetics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Clemens Grassberger
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jens G. Lohr
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Corresponding Authors: Birgit Knoechel, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Phone: 617-632-2072; ., Jens G. Lohr, MD, PhD, Division of Hematologic Neoplasia, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Phone: 617-632-2069;
| | - Birgit Knoechel
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, MA, USA.,Corresponding Authors: Birgit Knoechel, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Phone: 617-632-2072; ., Jens G. Lohr, MD, PhD, Division of Hematologic Neoplasia, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Phone: 617-632-2069;
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33
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Understanding CAR T cell-tumor interactions: Paving the way for successful clinical outcomes. MED 2022; 3:538-564. [PMID: 35963235 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
Since their approval 5 years ago, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have gained great importance in the daily clinical practice and treatment of hematological malignancies, although many challenges to their use remain, such as limited long-term CAR T cell efficacy due to disease resistance or recurrence. After a brief overview of CAR T cells, their approval, therapeutic successes, and ongoing limitations, this review discusses what is known about CAR T cell activation, their expansion and persistence, their mechanisms of cytotoxicity, and how the CAR design and/or tumor-intrinsic factors influence these functions. This review also examines the role of cytokines in CAR T cell-associated toxicity and their effects on CAR T cell function. Furthermore, we discuss several resistance mechanisms, including obstacles associated with CAR treatment of solid tumors. Finally, we provide a future outlook on next-generation strategies to further optimize CARs and improve clinical outcomes.
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34
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Liu X, Onda M, Watson N, Hassan R, Ho M, Bera TK, Wei J, Chakraborty A, Beers R, Zhou Q, Shajahan A, Azadi P, Zhan J, Xia D, Pastan I. Highly active CAR T cells that bind to a juxtamembrane region of mesothelin and are not blocked by shed mesothelin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2202439119. [PMID: 35512094 PMCID: PMC9171807 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2202439119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceMesothelin (MSLN) is a cell-surface protein that is a popular target for antibody-based therapies. We have identified shed MSLN as a major obstacle to successful antibody therapies and prepared a monoclonal antibody that inhibits shedding and makes very active CAR T cells whose activity is not blocked by shed MSLN and merits further preclinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufen Liu
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Masanori Onda
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Nathan Watson
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Raffit Hassan
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, NCI, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Mitchell Ho
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Tapan K. Bera
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Junxia Wei
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Richard Beers
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Qi Zhou
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
| | - Asif Shajahan
- Analytical Services and Training, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-4712
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Analytical Services and Training, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-4712
| | - Jingyu Zhan
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, NCI, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255
| | - Di Xia
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, NCI, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255
| | - Ira Pastan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD 20892-4264
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35
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Hassan R, Tomar S, Zhang J, Khanal M, Hong J, Venugopalan A, Jiang Q, Sengupta M, Miettinen M, Li N, Pastan I, Ho M. Development of highly effective anti-mesothelin hYP218 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells with increased tumor infiltration and persistence for treating solid tumors. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1195-1206. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Mesothelin targeting CAR T cells have limited activity in patients. In this study, we sought to determine if efficacy of anti-mesothelin CAR T cells is dependent on the mesothelin epitopes that are recognized by them. To do so, we developed hYP218 (against membrane-proximal epitope) and SS1 (against membrane-distal epitope) CAR T cells. Their efficacy was assessed in vitro using mesothelin positive tumor cell lines and in vivo in NSG mice with mesothelin expressing ovarian cancer (OVCAR-8), pancreatic cancer (KLM-1) and mesothelioma patient-derived (NCI-Meso63) tumor xenografts. Persistence and tumor infiltration of CAR T cells was determined using flow cytometry. hYP218 CAR T cells killed cancer cells more efficiently than SS1 CAR T cells, with 2-4-fold lower ET50 value (Effector to Target ratio for 50% killing of tumor cells). In mice with established tumors, single intravenous administration of hYP218 CAR T cells lead to improved tumor response and survival compared to SS1 CAR T cells, with complete regression of OVCAR-8 and NCI-Meso63 tumors. Compared to SS1 CAR T cells, there was increased peripheral blood expansion, persistence, and tumor infiltration of hYP218 CAR T cells in the KLM-1 tumor model. Persistence of hYP218 CAR T cells in treated mice led to anti-tumor immunity when rechallenged with KLM-1 tumor cells. Our results demonstrate that hYP218 CAR T cells, targeting mesothelin epitope close to cell membrane, are very effective against mesothelin positive tumors and are associated with increased persistence and tumor infiltration. These results support its clinical development to treat patients with mesothelin expressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffit Hassan
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Sakshi Tomar
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Jingli Zhang
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | | | - Jessica Hong
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | | | - Qun Jiang
- NCI-NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Nan Li
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
| | - Ira Pastan
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mitchell Ho
- National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
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36
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Giardino Torchia ML, Letizia M, Gilbreth R, Merlino A, Sult E, Monks N, Chesebrough J, Tammali R, Chu N, Tong J, Meekin J, Schifferli K, Vashisht K, DaCosta K, Clarke L, Gesse C, Yao XT, Bridges C, Moody G. Rational design of chimeric antigen receptor T cells against glypican 3 decouples toxicity from therapeutic efficacy. Cytotherapy 2022; 24:720-732. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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37
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Dai Z, Mu W, Zhao Y, Cheng J, Lin H, Ouyang K, Jia X, Liu J, Wei Q, Wang M, Liu C, Tan T, Zhou J. T cells expressing CD5/CD7 bispecific chimeric antigen receptors with fully human heavy-chain-only domains mitigate tumor antigen escape. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:85. [PMID: 35332132 PMCID: PMC8948246 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00898-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bispecific chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies have shown promising results in clinical trials for advanced B-cell malignancies. However, it is challenging to broaden the success of bispecific CAR-T therapies to treat refractory/relapse (r/r) T-cell leukemia/lymphoma because targeting multiple T-cell-expressing antigens leads to exacerbated CAR-T cell fratricide and potential safety concerns. Fully human heavy chain variable (FHVH) antibodies that specifically target CD5 or CD7 were screened and constructed to CD5/CD7 bispecific CARs. A truncated Epidermal growth factor receptor were integrated into CAR constructs to address safety concerns. To tackle the fratricidal issue of CAR-T cells targeting T-cell-pan marker(s), CRISPR/Cas9-based CD5 and CD7 genes knockout were performed before lentiviral transduction of bispecific CARs. Functional comparison between different bispecific CAR structures: tandem CARs and dual CAR were performed in vitro and in vivo to determine the optimal construct suitable for addressing T-cell malignancy antigen escape in clinical setting. Knockout of CD5 and CD7 prevents fratricide of CD5/CD7 bispecific CAR-T cells, and FHVH-derived CD5/CD7 bispecific CAR-T cells demonstrate potent antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. The fratricide-resistant FHVH-derived CD5/CD7 bispecific CAR-T cells have potent antitumor activity against T-cell malignancies, and tandem CARs are more effective than dual CAR in preventing tumor escape in heterogeneous leukemic cells. The meaningful clinical efficacy and safety of tandem CD5/CD7 CAR-T cells deserve to be explored urgently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Dai
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Wei Mu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Ya Zhao
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Jiali Cheng
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Haolong Lin
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Kedong Ouyang
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Xiangyin Jia
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Jianwei Liu
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Qiaoe Wei
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Chaohong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China
| | - Taochao Tan
- Nanjing IASO Biotherapeutics, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China.
| | - Jianfeng Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China.
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Ramírez-Fernández Á, Aguilar-Sopeña Ó, Díez-Alonso L, Segura-Tudela A, Domínguez-Alonso C, Roda-Navarro P, Álvarez-Vallina L, Blanco B. Synapse topology and downmodulation events determine the functional outcome of anti-CD19 T cell-redirecting strategies. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2054106. [PMID: 35355682 PMCID: PMC8959521 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2054106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy strategies based on the endogenous secretion of T cell-redirecting bispecific antibodies by engineered T lymphocytes (STAb-T) are emerging as alternative or complementary approaches to those based on chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T). The antitumor efficacy of bispecific anti-CD19 × anti-CD3 (CD19×CD3) T cell engager (BiTE)-secreting STAb-T cells has been demonstrated in several mouse models of B-cell acute leukemia. Here, we have investigated the spatial topology and downstream signaling of the artificial immunological synapses (IS) that are formed by CAR-T or STAb-T cells. Upon interaction with CD19-positive target cells, STAb-T cells form IS with structure and signal transduction, which more closely resemble those of physiological cognate IS, compared to IS formed by CAR-T cells expressing a second-generation CAR bearing the same CD19-single-chain variable fragment. Importantly, while CD3 is maintained at detectable levels on the surface of STAb-T cells, indicating sustained activation mediated by the secreted BiTE, the anti-CD19 CAR was rapidly downmodulated, which correlated with a more transient downstream signaling. Furthermore, CAR-T cells, but not STAb-T cells, provoke an acute loss of CD19 in target cells. Such differences might represent advantages of the STAb-T strategy over the CAR-T approach and should be carefully considered in order to develop more effective and safer treatments for hematological malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ramírez-Fernández
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Óscar Aguilar-Sopeña
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Díez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Segura-Tudela
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Domínguez-Alonso
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Roda-Navarro
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ENT, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Lymphocyte Immunobiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Álvarez-Vallina
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Blanco
- Cancer Immunotherapy Unit (UNICA), Department of Immunology, Hospital, Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Immuno-Oncology and Immunotherapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RICORS, RD21/0017/0029), Madrid, Spain
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39
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Combinatorial antigen targeting strategies for acute leukemia: application in myeloid malignancy. Cytotherapy 2022; 24:282-290. [PMID: 34955406 PMCID: PMC8950815 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Efforts to safely and effectively treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by targeting a single leukemia-associated antigen with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have met with limited success, due in part to heterogeneous expression of myeloid antigens. The authors hypothesized that T cells expressing CARs directed toward two different AML-associated antigens would eradicate tumors and prevent relapse. METHODS For co-transduction with the authors' previously optimized CLL-1 CAR currently in clinical study (NCT04219163), the authors generated two CARs targeting either CD123 or CD33. The authors then tested the anti-tumor activity of T cells expressing each of the three CARs either alone or after co-transduction. The authors analyzed CAR T-cell phenotype, expansion and transduction efficacy and assessed function by in vitro and in vivo activity against AML cell lines expressing high (MOLM-13: CD123 high, CD33 high, CLL-1 intermediate), intermediate (HL-60: CD123 low, CD33 intermediate, CLL-1 intermediate/high) or low (KG-1a: CD123 low, CD33 low, CLL-1 low) levels of the target antigens. RESULTS The in vitro benefit of dual expression was most evident when the target cell line expressed low antigen levels (KG-1a). Mechanistically, dual expression was associated with higher pCD3z levels in T cells compared with single CAR T cells on exposure to KG-1a (P < 0.0001). In vivo, combinatorial targeting with CD123 or CD33 and CLL-1 CAR T cells improved tumor control and animal survival for all lines (KG-1a, MOLM-13 and HL-60); no antigen escape was detected in residual tumors. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these findings demonstrate that combinatorial targeting of CD33 or CD123 and CLL-1 with CAR T cells can control growth of heterogeneous AML tumors.
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40
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Naghizadeh A, Tsao WC, Hyun Cho J, Xu H, Mohamed M, Li D, Xiong W, Metaxas D, Ramos CA, Liu D. In vitro machine learning-based CAR T immunological synapse quality measurements correlate with patient clinical outcomes. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009883. [PMID: 35303007 PMCID: PMC8955962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The human immune system consists of a highly intelligent network of billions of independent, self-organized cells that interact with each other. Machine learning (ML) is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that automatically processes huge amounts of image data. Immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of blood cancer. Specifically, one such therapy involves engineering immune cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), which combine tumor antigen specificity with immune cell activation in a single receptor. To improve their efficacy and expand their applicability to solid tumors, scientists optimize different CARs with different modifications. However, predicting and ranking the efficacy of different "off-the-shelf" immune products (e.g., CAR or Bispecific T-cell Engager [BiTE]) and selection of clinical responders are challenging in clinical practice. Meanwhile, identifying the optimal CAR construct for a researcher to further develop a potential clinical application is limited by the current, time-consuming, costly, and labor-intensive conventional tools used to evaluate efficacy. Particularly, more than 30 years of immunological synapse (IS) research data demonstrate that T cell efficacy is not only controlled by the specificity and avidity of the tumor antigen and T cell interaction, but also it depends on a collective process, involving multiple adhesion and regulatory molecules, as well as tumor microenvironment, spatially and temporally organized at the IS formed by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer (NK) cells. The optimal function of cytotoxic lymphocytes (including CTL and NK) depends on IS quality. Recognizing the inadequacy of conventional tools and the importance of IS in immune cell functions, we investigate a new strategy for assessing CAR-T efficacy by quantifying CAR IS quality using the glass-support planar lipid bilayer system combined with ML-based data analysis. Previous studies in our group show that CAR-T IS quality correlates with antitumor activities in vitro and in vivo. However, current manually quantified IS quality data analysis is time-consuming and labor-intensive with low accuracy, reproducibility, and repeatability. In this study, we develop a novel ML-based method to quantify thousands of CAR cell IS images with enhanced accuracy and speed. Specifically, we used artificial neural networks (ANN) to incorporate object detection into segmentation. The proposed ANN model extracts the most useful information to differentiate different IS datasets. The network output is flexible and produces bounding boxes, instance segmentation, contour outlines (borders), intensities of the borders, and segmentations without borders. Based on requirements, one or a combination of this information is used in statistical analysis. The ML-based automated algorithm quantified CAR-T IS data correlates with the clinical responder and non-responder treated with Kappa-CAR-T cells directly from patients. The results suggest that CAR cell IS quality can be used as a potential composite biomarker and correlates with antitumor activities in patients, which is sufficiently discriminative to further test the CAR IS quality as a clinical biomarker to predict response to CAR immunotherapy in cancer. For translational research, the method developed here can also provide guidelines for designing and optimizing numerous CAR constructs for potential clinical development. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00881920.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Naghizadeh
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Wei-chung Tsao
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jong Hyun Cho
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Hongye Xu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mohab Mohamed
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dali Li
- Center for Inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Wei Xiong
- Center for Inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dimitri Metaxas
- Department of Computer Science, Rutgers University, Piscataway Township, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Carlos A. Ramos
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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Greco B, Malacarne V, De Girardi F, Scotti GM, Manfredi F, Angelino E, Sirini C, Camisa B, Falcone L, Moresco MA, Paolella K, Di Bono M, Norata R, Sanvito F, Arcangeli S, Doglioni C, Ciceri F, Bonini C, Graziani A, Bondanza A, Casucci M. Disrupting N-glycan expression on tumor cells boosts chimeric antigen receptor T cell efficacy against solid malignancies. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabg3072. [PMID: 35044789 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg3072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells showed exceptional successes in patients with refractory B cell malignancies. However, first-in-human studies in solid tumors revealed unique hurdles contributing to poor demonstration of efficacy. Understanding the determinants of tumor recognition by CAR T cells should translate into the design of strategies that can overcome resistance. Here, we show that multiple carcinomas express extracellular N-glycans, whose abundance negatively correlates with CAR T cell killing. By knocking out mannoside acetyl-glucosaminyltransferase 5 (MGAT5) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), we showed that N-glycans protect tumors from CAR T cell killing by interfering with proper immunological synapse formation and reducing transcriptional activation, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity. To overcome this barrier, we exploited the high metabolic demand of tumors to safely inhibit N-glycans synthesis with the glucose/mannose analog 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG). Treatment with 2DG disrupts the N-glycan cover on tumor cells and results in enhanced CAR T cell activity in different xenograft mouse models of PAC. Moreover, 2DG treatment interferes with the PD-1-PD-L1 axis and results in a reduced exhaustion profile of tumor-infiltrating CAR T cells in vivo. The combined 2DG and CAR T cell therapy was successful against multiple carcinomas besides PAC, including those arising from the lung, ovary, and bladder, and with different clinically relevant CAR specificities, such as CD44v6 and CEA. Overall, our results indicate that tumor N-glycosylation regulates the quality and magnitude of CAR T cell responses, paving the way for the rational design of improved therapies against solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Greco
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Malacarne
- Lipid Signaling in Cancer and Metabolism Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Federica De Girardi
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Maria Scotti
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Manfredi
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Elia Angelino
- Lipid Signaling in Cancer and Metabolism Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Camilla Sirini
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Camisa
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Falcone
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Angiola Moresco
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Katia Paolella
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Mattia Di Bono
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Rossana Norata
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sanvito
- Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Arcangeli
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Doglioni
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Pathology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Ciceri
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Graziani
- Lipid Signaling in Cancer and Metabolism Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Attilio Bondanza
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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Lisby AN, Carlson RD, Baybutt TR, Weindorfer M, Snook AE. Evaluation of CAR-T cell cytotoxicity: Real-time impedance-based analysis. Methods Cell Biol 2022; 167:81-98. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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43
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A Novel Peptide-MHC Targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Forms a T Cell-like Immune Synapse. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9121875. [PMID: 34944696 PMCID: PMC8699022 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121875] [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: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a promising form of adoptive cell therapy that re-engineers patient-derived T cells to express a hybrid receptor specific to a tumour-specific antigen of choice. Many well-characterised tumour antigens are intracellular and therefore not accessible to antibodies at the cell surface. Therefore, the ability to target peptide-MHC tumour targets with antibodies is key for wider applicability of CAR T cell therapy in cancer. One way to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of ligating tumour target cells is studying the immune synapse. Here we generated a second-generation CAR to targeting the HLA-A*02:01 restricted H3.3K27M epitope, identified as a possible therapeutic target in ~75% of diffuse midline gliomas, used as a model antigen to study the immune synapse. The pMHCI-specific CAR demonstrated specificity, potent activation, cytokine secretion and cytotoxic function. Furthermore, we characterised killing kinetics using live cell imaging as well as CAR synapse confocal imaging. Here we provide evidence of robust CAR targeting of a model peptide-MHC antigen and that, in contrast to protein-specific CARs, these CARs form a TCR-like immune synapse which facilitates TCR-like killing kinetics.
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44
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Chung H, Jung H, Noh JY. Emerging Approaches for Solid Tumor Treatment Using CAR-T Cell Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212126. [PMID: 34830003 PMCID: PMC8621681 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is becoming more important in the clinical setting, especially for cancers resistant to conventional chemotherapy, including targeted therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, which uses patient’s autologous T cells, combined with engineered T cell receptors, has shown remarkable results, with five US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals to date. CAR-T cells have been very effective in hematologic malignancies, such as diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and multiple myeloma (MM); however, its effectiveness in treating solid tumors has not been evaluated clearly. Therefore, many studies and clinical investigations are emerging to improve the CAR-T cell efficacy in solid tumors. The novel therapeutic approaches include modifying CARs in multiple ways or developing a combination therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapies. In this review, we focus on the challenges and recent advancements in CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunmin Chung
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
| | - Haiyoung Jung
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- Department of Functional Genomics, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), 113 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Correspondence: (H.J.); (J.-Y.N.)
| | - Ji-Yoon Noh
- Immunotherapy Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- Correspondence: (H.J.); (J.-Y.N.)
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45
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Zhang A, Sun Y, Du J, Dong Y, Pang H, Ma L, Si S, Zhang Z, He M, Yue Y, Zhang X, Zhao W, Pi J, Chang M, Wang Q, Zhang Y. Reducing Hinge Flexibility of CAR-T Cells Prolongs Survival In Vivo With Low Cytokines Release. Front Immunol 2021; 12:724211. [PMID: 34675920 PMCID: PMC8524077 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.724211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells targeting CD19 demonstrate unparalleled responses in B cell malignancies. However, high tumor burden limits clinical efficacy and increases the risk of cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, which is associated with over-activation of the CAR-T cells. The hinge domain plays an important role in the function of CAR-T cells. We hypothesized that deletion of glycine, an amino acid with good flexibility, may reduce the flexibility of the hinge region, thereby mitigating CAR-T cell over-activation. This study involved generating a novel CAR by deletion of two consecutive glycine residues in the CD8 hinge domain of second-generation (2nd) CAR, thereafter named 2nd-GG CAR. The 2nd-GG CAR-T cells showed similar efficacy of CAR expression but lower hinge flexibility, and its protein affinity to CD19 protein was lower than that of 2nd CAR-T cells. Compared to the 2nd CAR-T cells, 2nd-GG CAR-T cells reduced proinflammatory cytokine secretion without diminishing the specific cytotoxicity toward tumor cells in vitro. Furthermore, 2nd-GG CAR-T cells prolonged overall survival in an immunodeficient mouse model bearing NALM-6 when tumor burden was high. This study demonstrated that a lower-flexibility of CD8α hinge improved survival under high tumor burden and reduced proinflammatory cytokines in preclinical studies. While there is potential for improved safety and efficacy, yet this needs validation with clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Hematology, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Sun
- Department of Hematology, Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Du
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co. Ltd, HeBei, China
| | - Yansheng Dong
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co. Ltd, HeBei, China
| | - Honggang Pang
- Department of Emergency, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Lei Ma
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoyan Si
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,Comprehensive Basic Experiment, Beijing, China
| | - Zhong Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mingyi He
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Hematology, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yue
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Hematology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Hematology, Beijing, China
| | - Weichao Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jianjun Pi
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mindong Chang
- Strategic Support Force Medical Center, The Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Quanjun Wang
- National Beijing Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Countermeasures and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yikun Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China.,The Department of Hematology, Beijing, China
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46
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Kantari-Mimoun C, Barrin S, Vimeux L, Haghiri S, Gervais C, Joaquina S, Mittelstaet J, Mockel-Tenbrinck N, Kinkhabwala A, Damotte D, Lupo A, Sibony M, Alifano M, Dondi E, Bercovici N, Trautmann A, Kaiser AD, Donnadieu E. CAR T-cell Entry into Tumor Islets Is a Two-Step Process Dependent on IFNγ and ICAM-1. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:1425-1438. [PMID: 34686489 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) has shown remarkable clinical efficacy against advanced B-cell malignancies but not yet against solid tumors. Here, we used fluorescent imaging microscopy and ex vivo assays to compare the early functional responses (migration, Ca2+, and cytotoxicity) of CD20 and EGFR CAR T cells upon contact with malignant B cells and carcinoma cells. Our results indicated that CD20 CAR T cells rapidly form productive ICAM-1-dependent conjugates with their targets. By comparison, EGFR CAR T cells only initially interacted with a subset of carcinoma cells located at the periphery of tumor islets. After this initial peripheral activation, EGFR CAR T cells progressively relocated to the center of tumor cell regions. The analysis of this two-step entry process showed that activated CAR T cells triggered the upregulation of ICAM-1 on tumor cells in an IFNγ-dependent pathway. The ICAM-1/LFA-1 interaction interference, through antibody or shRNA blockade, prevented CAR T-cell enrichment in tumor islets. The requirement for IFNγ and ICAM-1 to enable CAR T-cell entry into tumor islets is of significance for improving CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chahrazade Kantari-Mimoun
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Barrin
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Lene Vimeux
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Haghiri
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Claire Gervais
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Sandy Joaquina
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - Diane Damotte
- Department of Pathology, Paris Centre University Hospitals, AP-HP, Paris, France.,INSERM U1138, Cordeliers Research Center, Team Cancer, Immune Control and Escape, Paris, France; University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Lupo
- Department of Pathology, Paris Centre University Hospitals, AP-HP, Paris, France.,INSERM U1138, Cordeliers Research Center, Team Cancer, Immune Control and Escape, Paris, France; University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Sibony
- Department of Pathology, Paris Centre University Hospitals, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Marco Alifano
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Paris Centre University Hospitals, AP-HP, Paris, France; University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Elisabetta Dondi
- INSERM, UMR 978, Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Labex Inflamex, Bobigny, France
| | - Nadège Bercovici
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Alain Trautmann
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France.,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | | | - Emmanuel Donnadieu
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, F-75014, Paris, France. .,Equipe labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
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47
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Ma MT, Badeti S, Chen CH, Kim J, Choudhary A, Honnen B, Reichman C, Calianese D, Pinter A, Jiang Q, Shi L, Zhou R, Xu H, Li Q, Gause W, Liu D. CAR-NK Cells Effectively Target SARS-CoV-2-Spike-Expressing Cell Lines In Vitro. Front Immunol 2021; 12:652223. [PMID: 34367128 PMCID: PMC8343231 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.652223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly contagious and presents a significant public health issue. Current therapies used to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) include monoclonal antibody cocktail, convalescent plasma, antivirals, immunomodulators, and anticoagulants. The vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have recently been authorized for emergency use, which are invaluable for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, their long-term side effects are not yet documented, and populations with immunocompromised conditions (e.g., organ-transplantation and immunodeficient patients) may not be able to mount an effective immune response. In addition, there are concerns that wide-scale immunity to SARS-CoV-2 may introduce immune pressure that could select for escape mutants to the existing vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies. Emerging evidence has shown that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)- natural killer (NK) immunotherapy has potent antitumor response in hematologic cancers with minimal adverse effects in recent studies, however, the potentials of CAR-NK cells in treating COVID-19 has not yet been fully exploited. Here, we improve upon a novel approach for the generation of CAR-NK cells for targeting SARS-CoV-2 and its various mutants. CAR-NK cells were generated using the scFv domain of S309 (henceforward, S309-CAR-NK), a SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (NAbs) that targets the highly conserved region of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein and is therefore more likely to recognize different variants of SARS-CoV-2 isolates. S309-CAR-NK cells can specifically bind to pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 virus and its D614G, N501Y, and E484K mutants. Furthermore, S309-CAR-NK cells can specifically kill target cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 S protein in vitro and show superior killing activity and cytokine production, compared to that of the recently reported CR3022-CAR-NK cells. Thus, these results pave the way for generating ‘off-the-shelf’ S309-CAR-NK cells for treatment in high-risk individuals as well as provide an alternative strategy for patients unresponsive to current vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Tuyet Ma
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Newark, NJ, United States.,School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Saiaditya Badeti
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Newark, NJ, United States.,School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Chih-Hsiung Chen
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - James Kim
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Newark, NJ, United States.,School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Alok Choudhary
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Bill Honnen
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Charles Reichman
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - David Calianese
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Abraham Pinter
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Public Health Research Institute Center, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Qingkui Jiang
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Lanbo Shi
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Renping Zhou
- Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Huanbin Xu
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA, United States
| | - Qingsheng Li
- Nebraska Center for Virology and School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - William Gause
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Dongfang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, Newark, NJ, United States.,School of Graduate Studies, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States.,Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, United States
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48
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Okuno S, Adachi Y, Terakura S, Julamanee J, Sakai T, Umemura K, Miyao K, Goto T, Murase A, Shimada K, Nishida T, Murata M, Kiyoi H. Spacer Length Modification Facilitates Discrimination between Normal and Neoplastic Cells and Provides Clinically Relevant CD37 CAR T Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 206:2862-2874. [PMID: 34099546 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the remarkable initial efficacy of CD19 chimeric Ag receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, a high incidence of relapse has been observed. To further increase treatment efficacy and reduce the rate of escape of Ag-negative cells, we need to develop CAR-T cells that target other Ags. Given its restricted expression pattern, CD37 was considered a preferred novel target for immunotherapy in hematopoietic malignancies. Therefore, we designed a CD37-targeting CAR-T (CD37CAR-T) using the single-chain variable fragment of a humanized anti-CD37 Ab, transmembrane and intracellular domains of CD28, and CD3ζ signaling domains. High levels of CD37 expression were confirmed in B cells from human peripheral blood and bone marrow B cell precursors at late developmental stages; by contrast, more limited expression of CD37 was observed in early precursor B cells. Furthermore, we found that human CD37CAR-T cells with longer spacer lengths exhibited high gene transduction efficacy but reduced capacity to proliferate; this may be due to overactivation and fratricide. Spacer length optimization resulted in a modest transduction efficiency together with robust capacity to proliferate. CD37CAR-T cells with optimized spacer length efficiently targeted various CD37+ human tumor cell lines but had no impact on normal leukocytes both in vitro and in vivo. CD37CAR-T cells effectively eradicated Raji cells in xenograft model. Collectively, these results suggested that spacer-optimized CD37CAR-T cells could target CD37-high neoplastic B cells both in vitro and in vivo, with only limited interactions with their normal leukocyte lineages, thereby providing an additional promising therapeutic intervention for patients with B cell malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Okuno
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Yoshitaka Adachi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Seitaro Terakura
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Jakrawadee Julamanee
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and.,Division of Clinical Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Toshiyasu Sakai
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Koji Umemura
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Kotaro Miyao
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Tatsunori Goto
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Atsushi Murase
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Kazuyuki Shimada
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Tetsuya Nishida
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Makoto Murata
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
| | - Hitoshi Kiyoi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; and
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49
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Wurzer H, Filali L, Hoffmann C, Krecke M, Biolato AM, Mastio J, De Wilde S, François JH, Largeot A, Berchem G, Paggetti J, Moussay E, Thomas C. Intrinsic Resistance of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells to NK Cell-Mediated Lysis Can Be Overcome In Vitro by Pharmacological Inhibition of Cdc42-Induced Actin Cytoskeleton Remodeling. Front Immunol 2021; 12:619069. [PMID: 34108958 PMCID: PMC8181408 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.619069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate effector lymphocytes with strong antitumor effects against hematologic malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, NK cells fail to control CLL progression on the long term. For effective lysis of their targets, NK cells use a specific cell-cell interface, known as the immunological synapse (IS), whose assembly and effector function critically rely on dynamic cytoskeletal changes in NK cells. Here we explored the role of CLL cell actin cytoskeleton during NK cell attack. We found that CLL cells can undergo fast actin cytoskeleton remodeling which is characterized by a NK cell contact-induced accumulation of actin filaments at the IS. Such polarization of the actin cytoskeleton was strongly associated with resistance against NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and reduced amounts of the cell-death inducing molecule granzyme B in target CLL cells. Selective pharmacological targeting of the key actin regulator Cdc42 abrogated the capacity of CLL cells to reorganize their actin cytoskeleton during NK cell attack, increased levels of transferred granzyme B and restored CLL cell susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxicity. This resistance mechanism was confirmed in primary CLL cells from patients. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of actin dynamics in combination with blocking antibodies increased conjugation frequency and improved CLL cell elimination by NK cells. Together our results highlight the critical role of CLL cell actin cytoskeleton in driving resistance against NK cell cytotoxicity and provide new potential therapeutic point of intervention to target CLL immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Wurzer
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.,Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Liza Filali
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Céline Hoffmann
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Max Krecke
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.,Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Andrea Michela Biolato
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.,Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Jérôme Mastio
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Sigrid De Wilde
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Central Hospitalier du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Jean Hugues François
- Laboratory of Hematology, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Anne Largeot
- Tumor-Stroma Interactions, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Guy Berchem
- Department of Hemato-Oncology, Central Hospitalier du Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.,Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Jérôme Paggetti
- Tumor-Stroma Interactions, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Etienne Moussay
- Tumor-Stroma Interactions, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Clément Thomas
- Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression, Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
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50
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Stornaiuolo A, Valentinis B, Sirini C, Scavullo C, Asperti C, Zhou D, Martinez De La Torre Y, Corna S, Casucci M, Porcellini S, Traversari C. Characterization and Functional Analysis of CD44v6.CAR T Cells Endowed with a New Low-Affinity Nerve Growth Factor Receptor-Based Spacer. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:744-760. [PMID: 33554732 PMCID: PMC8312023 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2020.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Effectiveness of adoptively transferred chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells strongly depends on the quality of CAR-mediated interaction of the effector cells with the target antigen on tumor cells. A major role in this interaction is played by the affinity of the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) for the antigen, and by the CAR design. In particular, the spacer domain may impact on the CAR T cell function by affecting the length and flexibility of the resulting CAR. This study addresses the need to improve the manufacturing process and the antitumor activity of CD44v6-specific CAR T cells by defining the optimal structure of a spacer region derived from the extracellular domain of the human low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR). We tailored the LNGFR spacer to modulate CAR length to efficiently recognize distal or proximal epitopes and to allow selection of transduced CAR T cells by the use of clinical-grade validated manufacturing systems. The different LNGFR spacers investigated in this study are responsible for the generation of CAR T cells with a different memory phenotype, which is mainly related to the level of CAR expression and the extent of the associated tonic signaling. In particular, the CD44v6-NWN2.CAR T cells are enriched in central memory cells and show improved in vitro functions in terms of killing capability, and in vivo antitumor activity against hematological and solid tumors. Clinical Trial Registration numbers: clinicaltrial.gov NCT04097301; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00423124.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stornaiuolo
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Valentinis
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Camilla Sirini
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy.,Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; and.,Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Cinzia Scavullo
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Asperti
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Dan Zhou
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Corna
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; and
| | - Simona Porcellini
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
| | - Catia Traversari
- Research Department, AGC Biologics SpA (Formerly MolMed SpA), Milan, Italy
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