1
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Hou AJ, Shih RM, Uy BR, Shafer A, Chang ZL, Comin-Anduix B, Guemes M, Galic Z, Phyu S, Okada H, Grausam KB, Breunig JJ, Brown CE, Nathanson DA, Prins RM, Chen YY. IL-13Rα2/TGF-β bispecific CAR-T cells counter TGF-β-mediated immune suppression and potentiate anti-tumor responses in glioblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2024; 26:1850-1866. [PMID: 38982561 PMCID: PMC11449012 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noae126] [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: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies targeting glioblastoma (GBM)-associated antigens such as interleukin-13 receptor subunit alpha-2 (IL-13Rα2) have achieved limited clinical efficacy to date, in part due to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized by inhibitory molecules such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). The aim of this study was to engineer more potent GBM-targeting CAR-T cells by countering TGF-β-mediated immune suppression in the TME. METHODS We engineered a single-chain, bispecific CAR targeting IL-13Rα2 and TGF-β, which programs tumor-specific T cells to convert TGF-β from an immunosuppressant to an immunostimulant. Bispecific IL-13Rα2/TGF-β CAR-T cells were evaluated for efficacy and safety against both patient-derived GBM xenografts and syngeneic models of murine glioma. RESULTS Treatment with IL-13Rα2/TGF-β CAR-T cells leads to greater T-cell infiltration and reduced suppressive myeloid cell presence in the tumor-bearing brain compared to treatment with conventional IL-13Rα2 CAR-T cells, resulting in improved survival in both patient-derived GBM xenografts and syngeneic models of murine glioma. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that by reprogramming tumor-specific T-cell responses to TGF-β, bispecific IL-13Rα2/TGF-β CAR-T cells resist and remodel the immunosuppressive TME to drive potent anti-tumor responses in GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Hou
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ryan M Shih
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Benjamin R Uy
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Amanda Shafer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - ZeNan L Chang
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Begonya Comin-Anduix
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Miriam Guemes
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Zoran Galic
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Su Phyu
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Katie B Grausam
- Board of Governor’s Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Joshua J Breunig
- Board of Governor’s Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Christine E Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, California, USA
| | - David A Nathanson
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Robert M Prins
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
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2
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Pellegrino C, Favalli N, Volta L, Benz R, Puglioli S, Bassi G, Zitzmann K, Auernhammer CJ, Nölting S, Magnani CF, Neri D, Beuschlein F, Manz MG. Peptide-guided adaptor-CAR T-Cell therapy for the treatment of SSTR2-expressing neuroendocrine tumors. Oncoimmunology 2024; 13:2412371. [PMID: 39376579 PMCID: PMC11457607 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2024.2412371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 09/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2) is one of the five subtypes of somatostatin receptors and is overexpressed on the surface of most gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), pituitary tumors, paraganglioma, and meningioma, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma and breast cancer. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are genetically engineered to express an artificial, T-cell activating binder, leading upon ligation to biocidal activity against target-antigen expressing cells. Adaptor-CAR T-cells recognize, via the CAR, a tag on an antigen-binding molecule, building an activating bridge between the CAR and the target cell. We hypothesized that a novel fluorescent-peptide antagonist of SSTR2, called Octo-Fluo, in combination with anti-FITC adaptor CAR (AdFITC(E2)-CAR) T-cells, may function as an on-off tunable activating bridge between the CAR and SSTR2 expressing target cells. In vitro studies confirmed the binding of Octo-Fluo to Bon1-SSTR2 mCherry-Luc cells without evidence of internalization. AdFITC(E2)-CAR T-cells were activated and efficiently induced Bon1-SSTR2 cell death in vitro, in an Octo-Fluo concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, AdFITC(E2)-CAR T-cells in combination with Octo-Fluo efficiently infiltrated the tumor and eliminated Bon1-SSTR2 tumors in immunodeficient mice in therapeutic settings. Both, AdFITC(E2)-CAR T-cell tumor infiltration and biocidal activity were Octo-Fluo concentration-dependent, with high doses of Octo-Fluo, saturating both the CAR and the SSTR2 antigen independently, leading to the loss of tumor infiltration and biocidal activity due to the loss of bridge formation. Our findings demonstrate the potential of using AdFITC(E2)-CAR T-cells with Octo-Fluo as a versatile, on-off tunable bispecific adaptor for targeted CAR T-cell immunotherapy against SSTR2-positive NETs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Pellegrino
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zürich (USZ) and University of Zürich (UZH), Comprehensive Cancer Center, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Laura Volta
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zürich (USZ) and University of Zürich (UZH), Comprehensive Cancer Center, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ramon Benz
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zürich (USZ) and University of Zürich (UZH), Comprehensive Cancer Center, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sara Puglioli
- Department of Chemistry, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Bassi
- Department of Chemistry, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Zitzmann
- Department of Medicine II, University-Hospital Munich-Grosshadern, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Svenja Nölting
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zürich (USZ), University of Zürich (UZH), Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Chiara F Magnani
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zürich (USZ) and University of Zürich (UZH), Comprehensive Cancer Center, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dario Neri
- Department of Chemistry, Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Switzerland
| | - Felix Beuschlein
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zürich (USZ), University of Zürich (UZH), Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine IV and Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GastroEnteroPancreatic System (GEPNET-KUM), Ludwig Maximilian University, LMU Klinikum, Munich, Germany
- The LOOP Zurich - Medical Research Center, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Markus G Manz
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zürich (USZ) and University of Zürich (UZH), Comprehensive Cancer Center, Zürich, Switzerland
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3
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Li N, Rodriguez JL, Yin Y, Logun MT, Zhang L, Yu S, Hicks KA, Zhang JV, Zhang L, Xie C, Wang J, Wang T, Xu J, Fraietta JA, Binder ZA, Lin Z, O'Rourke DM. Armored bicistronic CAR T cells with dominant-negative TGF-β receptor II to overcome resistance in glioblastoma. Mol Ther 2024; 32:3522-3538. [PMID: 39086131 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.07.020] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown significant efficacy in hematological diseases. However, CAR T therapy has demonstrated limited efficacy in solid tumors, including glioblastoma (GBM). One of the most important reasons is the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which promotes tumor growth and suppresses immune cells used to eliminate tumor cells. The human transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) plays a crucial role in forming the suppressive GBM TME and driving the suppression of the anti-GBM response. To mitigate TGF-β-mediated suppressive activity, we combined a dominant-negative TGF-β receptor II (dnTGFβRII) with our previous bicistronic CART-EGFR-IL13Rα2 construct, currently being evaluated in a clinical trial, to generate CART-EGFR-IL13Rα2-dnTGFβRII, a tri-modular construct we are developing for clinical application. We hypothesized that this approach would more effectively subvert resistance mechanisms observed with GBM. Our data suggest that CART-EGFR-IL13Rα2-dnTGFβRII significantly augments T cell proliferation, enhances functional responses, and improves the fitness of bystander cells, particularly by decreasing the TGF-β concentration in a TGF-β-rich TME. In addition, in vivo studies validate the safety and efficacy of the dnTGFβRII cooperating with CARs in targeting and eradicating GBM in an NSG mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China; Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jesse L Rodriguez
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yibo Yin
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China; Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Meghan T Logun
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Logan Zhang
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shengkun Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211800, China
| | - Kelly A Hicks
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jiasi Vicky Zhang
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Laura Zhang
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chuncheng Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jiabin Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Jiayi Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China
| | - Joseph A Fraietta
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zev A Binder
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhiguo Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, China.
| | - Donald M O'Rourke
- Glioblastoma Translational Center of Excellence, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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4
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Fröse J, Rowley J, Farid AS, Rakhshandehroo T, Leclerc P, Mak H, Allen H, Moravej H, Munaretto L, Millan-Barea L, Codet E, Glockner H, Jacobson C, Hemann M, Rashidian M. Development of an antigen-based approach to noninvasively image CAR T cells in real time and as a predictive tool. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3816. [PMID: 39292778 PMCID: PMC11409975 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
CAR T cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of a spectrum of blood-related malignancies. However, treatment responses vary among cancer types and patients. Accurate monitoring of CAR T cell dynamics is crucial for understanding and evaluating treatment efficacy. Positron emission tomography (PET) offers a comprehensive view of CAR T cell homing, especially in critical organs such as lymphoid structures and bone marrow. This information will help assess treatment response and predict relapse risk. Current PET imaging methods for CAR T require genetic modifications, limiting clinical use. To overcome this, we developed an antigen-based imaging approach enabling whole-body CAR T cell imaging. The probe detects CAR T cells in vivo without affecting their function. In an immunocompetent B cell leukemia model, CAR-PET signal in the spleen predicted early mortality risk. The antigen-based CAR-PET approach allows assessment of CAR T therapy responses without altering established clinical protocols. It seamlessly integrates with FDA-approved and future CAR T cell generations, facilitating broader clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fröse
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jennifer Rowley
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ali Salehi Farid
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Taha Rakhshandehroo
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Paul Leclerc
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Howard Mak
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Harris Allen
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Heydar Moravej
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Leila Munaretto
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Luis Millan-Barea
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Elisabeth Codet
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hannah Glockner
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Caron Jacobson
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Michael Hemann
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Mohammad Rashidian
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
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5
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Volta L, Myburgh R, Pellegrino C, Koch C, Maurer M, Manfredi F, Hofstetter M, Kaiser A, Schneiter F, Müller J, Buehler MM, De Luca R, Favalli N, Magnani CF, Schroeder T, Neri D, Manz MG. Efficient combinatorial adaptor-mediated targeting of acute myeloid leukemia with CAR T-cells. Leukemia 2024:10.1038/s41375-024-02409-1. [PMID: 39294295 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02409-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
CAR T-cell products targeting lineage-specific cell-of-origin antigens, thereby eliminating both tumor and healthy counterpart cells, are currently clinically approved therapeutics in B- and plasma-cell malignancies. While they represent a major clinical improvement, they are still limited in terms of efficacy by e.g. single, sometimes low-expressed antigen targeting, and in terms of safety by e.g., lack of on-off activity. Successful cell-of-origin non-discriminative targeting of heterogeneous hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), will require antigen-versatile targeting and off-switching of effectors in order to then allow rescue by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), preventing permanent myeloablation. To address this, we developed adaptor-CAR (AdFITC-CAR) T-cells targeting fluoresceinated AML antigen-binding diabody adaptors. This platform enables the use of adaptors matching the AML-antigen-expression profile and conditional activity modulation. Combining adaptors significantly improved lysis of AML cells in vitro. In therapeutic xenogeneic mouse models, AdFITC-CAR T-cells co-administered with single diabody adaptors were as efficient as direct CAR T-cells, and combinatorial use of adaptors further enhanced therapeutic efficacy against both, cell lines and primary AML. Collectively, this study provides proof-of-concept that AdFITC-CAR T-cells and combinations of adaptors can efficiently enhance immune-targeting of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Volta
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Renier Myburgh
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Pellegrino
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Koch
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Monique Maurer
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Manfredi
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mara Hofstetter
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne Kaiser
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florin Schneiter
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Müller
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marco M Buehler
- Department of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Chiara F Magnani
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich (CCCZ), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Timm Schroeder
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dario Neri
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Philochem AG, Otelfingen, Switzerland
| | - Markus G Manz
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich (CCCZ), Zurich, Switzerland.
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6
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Cheng Z, Cui X, Li S, Liang Y, Yang W, Ouyang J, Wei M, Yan Z, Yu W. Harnessing cytokines to optimize chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy for gastric cancer: Current advances and innovative strategies. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 178:117229. [PMID: 39096620 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117229] [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: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 07/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Enormous patients with gastric cancer (GC) are insensitive to chemotherapy and targeted therapy without the chance of radical surgery, so immunotherapy may supply a novel choice for them. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has the advantages of higher specificity, stronger lethality, and longer-lasting efficacy, and it has the potential for GC in the future. However, its application still faces numerous obstacles in terms of accuracy, efficacy, and safety. Cytokines can mediate the migration, proliferation, and survival of immune cells, regulate the duration and strength of immune responses, and are involved in the occurrence of severe side effects in CAR-T cell therapy. The expression levels of specific cytokines are associated with the genesis, invasion, metastasis, and prognosis of GC. Applications of cytokines and their receptors in CAR-T cell therapy have emerged, and various cytokines and their receptors have contributed to improving CAR-T cell anti-tumor capabilities. Large amounts of central cytokines in this therapy include chemokines, interleukins (ILs), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and colony-stimulating factors (CSFs). Meanwhile, researchers have explored the combination therapy in treating GC, and several approaches applied to other malignancies can also be considered as references. Therefore, our review comprehensively outlines the biological functions and clinical significance of cytokines and summarizes current advances and innovative strategies for harnessing cytokines to optimize CAR-T cell therapy for GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewei Cheng
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaohan Cui
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Song Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yize Liang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wenshuo Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jun Ouyang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Meng Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Zhibo Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wenbin Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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7
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Fang M, Allen A, Luo C, Finn JD. Unlocking the potential of iPSC-derived immune cells: engineering iNK and iT cells for cutting-edge immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1457629. [PMID: 39281684 PMCID: PMC11392856 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1457629] [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: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a revolutionary tool in cell therapies due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types, unlimited supply, and potential as off-the-shelf cell products. New advances in iPSC-derived immune cells have generated potent iNK and iT cells which showed robust killing of cancer cells in animal models and clinical trials. With the advent of advanced genome editing technologies that enable the development of highly engineered cells, here we outline 12 strategies to engineer iPSCs to overcome limitations and challenges of current cell-based immunotherapies, including safety switches, stealth edits, avoiding graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), targeting, reduced lymphodepletion, efficient differentiation, increased in vivo persistence, stemness, metabolic fitness, homing/trafficking, and overcoming suppressive tumor microenvironment and stromal cell barrier. With the development of advanced genome editing techniques, it is now possible to insert large DNA sequences into precise genomic locations without the need for DNA double strand breaks, enabling the potential for multiplexed knock out and insertion. These technological breakthroughs have made it possible to engineer complex cell therapy products at unprecedented speed and efficiency. The combination of iPSC derived iNK, iT and advanced gene editing techniques provides new opportunities and could lead to a new era for next generation of cell immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minggang Fang
- Cell Therapy, Tome Biosciences, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Alexander Allen
- Cell Therapy, Tome Biosciences, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Chong Luo
- Cell Therapy, Tome Biosciences, Watertown, MA, United States
| | - Jonathan D Finn
- Cell Therapy, Tome Biosciences, Watertown, MA, United States
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8
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Leifheit ME, Johnson G, Kuzel TM, Schneider JR, Barker E, Yun HD, Ustun C, Goldufsky JW, Gupta K, Marzo AL. Enhancing Therapeutic Efficacy of FLT3 Inhibitors with Combination Therapy for Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9448. [PMID: 39273395 PMCID: PMC11394928 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179448] [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: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutations are genetic changes found in approximately thirty percent of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). FLT3 mutations in AML represent a challenging clinical scenario characterized by a high rate of relapse, even after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The advent of FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as midostaurin and gilteritinib, has shown promise in achieving complete remission. However, a substantial proportion of patients still experience relapse following TKI treatment, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. This review critically addresses the current landscape of TKI treatments for FLT3+ AML, with a particular focus on gilteritinib. Gilteritinib, a highly selective FLT3 inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy in targeting the mutant FLT3 receptor, thereby inhibiting aberrant signaling pathways that drive leukemic proliferation. However, monotherapy with TKIs may not be sufficient to eradicate AML blasts. Specifically, we provide evidence for integrating gilteritinib with mammalian targets of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and interleukin-15 (IL-15) complexes. The combination of gilteritinib, mTOR inhibitors, and IL-15 complexes presents a compelling strategy to enhance the eradication of AML blasts and enhance NK cell killing, offering a potential for improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malia E Leifheit
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Gunnar Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Timothy M Kuzel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Schneider
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Edward Barker
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Hyun D Yun
- Hematology, Oncology, Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Celalettin Ustun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Josef W Goldufsky
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Kajal Gupta
- Department of Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Amanda L Marzo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, and Oncology and Cell Therapy, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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9
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Wang M, Zhong H, Li Y, Li J, Zhang X, He F, Wei P, Wang HH, Nie Z. Advances in Bioinspired Artificial System Enabling Biomarker-Driven Therapy. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202401593. [PMID: 38923644 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202401593] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Bioinspired molecular engineering strategies have emerged as powerful tools that significantly enhance the development of novel therapeutics, improving efficacy, specificity, and safety in disease treatment. Recent advancements have focused on identifying and utilizing disease-associated biomarkers to optimize drug activity and address challenges inherent in traditional therapeutics, such as frequent drug administrations, poor patient adherence, and increased risk of adverse effects. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in bioinspired artificial systems (BAS) that use molecular engineering to tailor therapeutic responses to drugs in the presence of disease-specific biomarkers. We examine the transition from open-loop systems, which rely on external cues, to closed-loop feedback systems capable of autonomous self-regulation in response to disease-associated biomarkers. We detail various BAS modalities designed to achieve biomarker-driven therapy, including activatable prodrug molecules, smart drug delivery platforms, autonomous artificial cells, and synthetic receptor-based cell therapies, elucidating their operational principles and practical in vivo applications. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives in the advancement of BAS-enabled technology and envision that ongoing advancements toward more programmable and customizable BAS-based therapeutics will significantly enhance precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Yangbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Juan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Fang He
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Ping Wei
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hong-Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Zhou Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
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10
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Shi X, Wang X, Yao W, Shi D, Shao X, Lu Z, Chai Y, Song J, Tang W, Wang X. Mechanism insights and therapeutic intervention of tumor metastasis: latest developments and perspectives. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:192. [PMID: 39090094 PMCID: PMC11294630 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01885-2] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis remains a pivotal characteristic of cancer and is the primary contributor to cancer-associated mortality. Despite its significance, the mechanisms governing metastasis are not fully elucidated. Contemporary findings in the domain of cancer biology have shed light on the molecular aspects of this intricate process. Tumor cells undergoing invasion engage with other cellular entities and proteins en route to their destination. Insights into these engagements have enhanced our comprehension of the principles directing the movement and adaptability of metastatic cells. The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in facilitating the invasion and proliferation of cancer cells by enabling tumor cells to navigate through stromal barriers. Such attributes are influenced by genetic and epigenetic changes occurring in the tumor cells and their surrounding milieu. A profound understanding of the metastatic process's biological mechanisms is indispensable for devising efficacious therapeutic strategies. This review delves into recent developments concerning metastasis-associated genes, important signaling pathways, tumor microenvironment, metabolic processes, peripheral immunity, and mechanical forces and cancer metastasis. In addition, we combine recent advances with a particular emphasis on the prospect of developing effective interventions including the most popular cancer immunotherapies and nanotechnology to combat metastasis. We have also identified the limitations of current research on tumor metastasis, encompassing drug resistance, restricted animal models, inadequate biomarkers and early detection methods, as well as heterogeneity among others. It is anticipated that this comprehensive review will significantly contribute to the advancement of cancer metastasis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Shi
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Cancers, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wentao Yao
- Department of Urology, Suzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongmin Shi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xihuan Shao
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhengqing Lu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Cancers, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yue Chai
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Cancers, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinhua Song
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Cancers, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Cancers, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xuehao Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; NHC Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Cancers, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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11
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Taylor CA, Glover M, Maher J. CAR-T cell technologies that interact with the tumour microenvironment in solid tumours. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:849-871. [PMID: 39021098 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2024.2380894] [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: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells have emerged as a ground-breaking therapy for the treatment of hematological malignancies due to their capacity for rapid tumor-specific killing and long-lasting tumor immunity. However, the same success has not been observed in patients with solid tumors. Largely, this is due to the additional challenges imposed by safe and uniform target selection, inefficient CAR T-cell access to sites of disease and the presence of a hostile immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. AREAS COVERED Literature was reviewed on the PubMed database from the first description of a CAR by Kuwana, Kurosawa and colleagues in December 1987 through to the present day. This literature indicates that in order to tackle solid tumors, CAR T-cells can be further engineered with additional armoring strategies that facilitate trafficking to and infiltration of malignant lesions together with reversal of suppressive immune checkpoints that operate within solid tumor lesions. EXPERT OPINION In this review, we describe a number of recent advances in CAR T-cell technology that set out to combat the problems imposed by solid tumors including tumor recruitment, infiltration, immunosuppression, metabolic compromise, and hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John Maher
- Leucid Bio Ltd, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
- King's College London, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Immunology, Eastbourne Hospital, Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK
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12
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Xiong D, Yu H, Sun ZJ. Unlocking T cell exhaustion: Insights and implications for CAR-T cell therapy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:3416-3431. [PMID: 39220881 PMCID: PMC11365448 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2024.04.022] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy as a form of adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has shown significant promise in cancer treatment, demonstrated by the FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapies targeting CD19 or B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) for hematological malignancies, albeit with moderate outcomes in solid tumors. However, despite these advancements, the efficacy of CAR-T therapy is often compromised by T cell exhaustion, a phenomenon that impedes the persistence and effector function of CAR-T cells, leading to a relapse rate of up to 75% in patients treated with CD19 or CD22 CAR-T cells for hematological malignancies. Strategies to overcome CAR-T exhaustion employ state-of-the-art genomic engineering tools and single-cell sequencing technologies. In this review, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the latest mechanistic insights into T cell exhaustion and their implications for the current efforts to optimize CAR-T cell therapy. These insights, combined with lessons learned from benchmarking CAR-T based products in recent clinical trials, aim to address the challenges posed by T cell exhaustion, potentially setting the stage for the development of tailored next-generation approaches to cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Haijun Yu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Hubei Province Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral & Maxillofacial Reconstruction and Regeneration, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Stomatology, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
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13
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Spiga M, Martini E, Maffia MC, Ciceri F, Ruggiero E, Potenza A, Bonini C. Harnessing the tumor microenvironment to boost adoptive T cell therapy with engineered lymphocytes for solid tumors. Semin Immunopathol 2024; 46:8. [PMID: 39060547 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-024-01011-y] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) and T Cell Receptor (TCR) engineered T cells represents an innovative therapeutic approach for the treatment of hematological malignancies, yet its application for solid tumors is still suboptimal. The tumor microenvironment (TME) places several challenges to overcome for a satisfactory therapeutic effect, such as physical barriers (fibrotic capsule and stroma), and inhibitory signals impeding T cell function. Some of these obstacles can be faced by combining ACT with other anti-tumor approaches, such as chemo/radiotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors. On the other hand, cutting edge technological tools offer the opportunity to overcome and, in some cases, take advantage of TME intrinsic characteristics to boost ACT efficacy. These include: the exploitation of chemokine gradients and integrin expression for preferential T-cell homing and extravasation; metabolic changes that have direct or indirect effects on TCR-T and CAR-T cells by increasing antigen presentation and reshaping T cell phenotype; introduction of additional synthetic receptors on TCR-T and CAR-T cells with the aim of increasing T cells survival and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Spiga
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Martini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Maffia
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Ciceri
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Eliana Ruggiero
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Potenza
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
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14
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Lakhani A, Chen X, Chen LC, Hong M, Khericha M, Chen Y, Chen YY, Park JO. Extracellular domains of CARs reprogramme T cell metabolism without antigen stimulation. Nat Metab 2024; 6:1143-1160. [PMID: 38658805 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-01034-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Metabolism is an indispensable part of T cell proliferation, activation and exhaustion, yet the metabolism of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells remains incompletely understood. CARs are composed of extracellular domains-often single-chain variable fragments (scFvs)-that determine ligand specificity and intracellular domains that trigger signalling following antigen binding. Here, we show that CARs differing only in the scFv variously reprogramme T cell metabolism. Even without exposure to antigens, some CARs increase proliferation and nutrient uptake in T cells. Using stable isotope tracers and mass spectrometry, we observed basal metabolic fluxes through glycolysis doubling and amino acid uptake overtaking anaplerosis in CAR-T cells harbouring a rituximab scFv, unlike other similar anti-CD20 scFvs. Disparate rituximab and 14G2a-based anti-GD2 CAR-T cells are similarly hypermetabolic and channel excess nutrients to nitrogen overflow metabolism. Modest overflow metabolism of CAR-T cells and metabolic compatibility between cancer cells and CAR-T cells are identified as features of efficacious CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliya Lakhani
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ximin Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laurence C Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mihe Hong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mobina Khericha
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yvonne Y Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junyoung O Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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15
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Montoya M, Gallus M, Phyu S, Haegelin J, de Groot J, Okada H. A Roadmap of CAR-T-Cell Therapy in Glioblastoma: Challenges and Future Perspectives. Cells 2024; 13:726. [PMID: 38727262 PMCID: PMC11083543 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090726] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor, with a median overall survival of less than 2 years and a nearly 100% mortality rate under standard therapy that consists of surgery followed by combined radiochemotherapy. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in hematological cancers has prompted preclinical and clinical investigations into CAR-T-cell treatment for GBM. However, recent trials have not demonstrated any major success. Here, we delineate existing challenges impeding the effectiveness of CAR-T-cell therapy for GBM, encompassing the cold (immunosuppressive) microenvironment, tumor heterogeneity, T-cell exhaustion, local and systemic immunosuppression, and the immune privilege inherent to the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma. Additionally, we deliberate on the progress made in developing next-generation CAR-T cells and novel innovative approaches, such as low-intensity pulsed focused ultrasound, aimed at surmounting current roadblocks in GBM CAR-T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Montoya
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Marco Gallus
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Su Phyu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jeffrey Haegelin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - John de Groot
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
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Casey NP, Kleinmanns K, Forcados C, Gelebart PF, Joaquina S, Lode M, Benard E, Kaveh F, Caulier B, Helgestad Gjerde C, García de Jalón E, Warren DJ, Lindemann K, Rokkones E, Davidson B, Myhre MR, Kvalheim G, Bjørge L, McCormack E, Inderberg EM, Wälchli S. Efficient CAR T cell targeting of the CA125 extracellular repeat domain of MUC16. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008179. [PMID: 38604812 PMCID: PMC11015285 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008179] [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: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the Western world. Contributing factors include a high frequency of late-stage diagnosis, the development of chemoresistance, and the evasion of host immune responses. Currently, debulking surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy are the treatment cornerstones, although recurrence is common. As the clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade is low, new immunotherapeutic strategies are needed. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy empowers patients' own T cells to fight and eradicate cancer, and has been tested against various targets in OC. A promising candidate is the MUC16 ectodomain. This ectodomain remains on the cell surface after cleavage of cancer antigen 125 (CA125), the domain distal from the membrane, which is currently used as a serum biomarker for OC. CA125 itself has not been tested as a possible CAR target. In this study, we examined the suitability of the CA125 as a target for CAR T cell therapy. METHODS We tested a series of antibodies raised against the CA125 extracellular repeat domain of MUC16 and adapted them to the CAR format. Comparisons between these candidates, and against an existing CAR targeting the MUC16 ectodomain, identified K101 as having high potency and specificity. The K101CAR was subjected to further biochemical and functional tests, including examination of the effect of soluble CA125 on its activity. Finally, we used cell lines and advanced orthotopic patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to validate, in vivo, the efficiency of our K101CAR construct. RESULTS We observed a high efficacy of K101CAR T cells against cell lines and patient-derived tumors, in vitro and in vivo. We also demonstrated that K101CAR functionality was not impaired by the soluble antigen. Finally, in direct comparisons, K101CAR, which targets the CA125 extracellular repeat domains, was shown to have similar efficacy to the previously validated 4H11CAR, which targets the MUC16 ectodomain. CONCLUSIONS Our in vitro and in vivo results, including PDX studies, demonstrate that the CA125 domain of MUC16 represents an excellent target for treating MUC16-positive malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Casey
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Katrin Kleinmanns
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Christopher Forcados
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pascal F Gelebart
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sandy Joaquina
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Martine Lode
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Emmanuelle Benard
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fatemeh Kaveh
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Benjamin Caulier
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Center for Cancer Cell Reprogramming (CanCell), Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christiane Helgestad Gjerde
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Elvira García de Jalón
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - David J Warren
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Kristina Lindemann
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Erik Rokkones
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ben Davidson
- Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marit Renee Myhre
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Kvalheim
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Line Bjørge
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Emmet McCormack
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers CCBIO, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Centre for Pharmacy, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology Section, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sébastien Wälchli
- Translational Research Unit, Section of Cellular Therapy, Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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17
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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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18
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Stranford DM, Simons LM, Berman KE, Cheng L, DiBiase BN, Hung ME, Lucks JB, Hultquist JF, Leonard JN. Genetically encoding multiple functionalities into extracellular vesicles for the targeted delivery of biologics to T cells. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:397-414. [PMID: 38012307 PMCID: PMC11088532 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01142-x] [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: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The genetic modification of T cells has advanced cellular immunotherapies, yet the delivery of biologics specifically to T cells remains challenging. Here we report a suite of methods for the genetic engineering of cells to produce extracellular vesicles (EVs)-which naturally encapsulate and transfer proteins and nucleic acids between cells-for the targeted delivery of biologics to T cells without the need for chemical modifications. Specifically, the engineered cells secreted EVs that actively loaded protein cargo via a protein tag and that displayed high-affinity T-cell-targeting domains and fusogenic glycoproteins. We validated the methods by engineering EVs that delivered Cas9-single-guide-RNA complexes to ablate the gene encoding the C-X-C chemokine co-receptor type 4 in primary human CD4+ T cells. The strategy is amenable to the targeted delivery of biologics to other cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin M Stranford
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Lacy M Simons
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Northwestern University Havey Institute for Global Health, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Katherine E Berman
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Training Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Luyi Cheng
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Training Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Beth N DiBiase
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Michelle E Hung
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Training Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Julius B Lucks
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Training Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Judd F Hultquist
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Northwestern University Havey Institute for Global Health, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joshua N Leonard
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Training Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Member, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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19
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Sirpilla O, Sakemura RL, Hefazi M, Huynh TN, Can I, Girsch JH, Tapper EE, Cox MJ, Schick KJ, Manriquez-Roman C, Yun K, Stewart CM, Ogbodo EJ, Kimball BL, Mai LK, Gutierrez-Ruiz OL, Rodriguez ML, Gluscevic M, Larson DP, Abel AM, Wierson WA, Olivier G, Siegler EL, Kenderian SS. Mesenchymal stromal cells with chimaeric antigen receptors for enhanced immunosuppression. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:443-460. [PMID: 38561490 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01195-6] [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: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a safe treatment option for many disorders of the immune system. However, clinical trials using MSCs have shown inconsistent therapeutic efficacy, mostly owing to MSCs providing insufficient immunosuppression in target tissues. Here we show that antigen-specific immunosuppression can be enhanced by genetically modifying MSCs with chimaeric antigen receptors (CARs), as we show for E-cadherin-targeted CAR-MSCs for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease in mice. CAR-MSCs led to superior T-cell suppression and localization to E-cadherin+ colonic cells, ameliorating the animals' symptoms and survival rates. On antigen-specific stimulation, CAR-MSCs upregulated the expression of immunosuppressive genes and receptors for T-cell inhibition as well as the production of immunosuppressive cytokines while maintaining their stem cell phenotype and safety profile in the animal models. CAR-MSCs may represent a widely applicable therapeutic technology for enhancing immunosuppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Sirpilla
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - R Leo Sakemura
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Mehrdad Hefazi
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Truc N Huynh
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ismail Can
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - James H Girsch
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Erin E Tapper
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Michelle J Cox
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Kendall J Schick
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Claudia Manriquez-Roman
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Kun Yun
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Carli M Stewart
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ekene J Ogbodo
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Brooke L Kimball
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Long K Mai
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Omar L Gutierrez-Ruiz
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Makena L Rodriguez
- T Cell Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Martina Gluscevic
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Daniel P Larson
- Division of Hematopathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alex M Abel
- LifEngine Animal Health Laboratories Incorporated, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Wesley A Wierson
- LifEngine Animal Health Laboratories Incorporated, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Gloria Olivier
- Department of Business Development, Mayo Clinic, 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.
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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20
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Recktenwald M, Hutt E, Davis L, MacAulay J, Daringer NM, Galie PA, Staehle MM, Vega SL. Engineering transcriptional regulation for cell-based therapies. SLAS Technol 2024; 29:100121. [PMID: 38340892 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2024.100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
A major aim in the field of synthetic biology is developing tools capable of responding to user-defined inputs by activating therapeutically relevant cellular functions. Gene transcription and regulation in response to external stimuli are some of the most powerful and versatile of these cellular functions being explored. Motivated by the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, transmembrane receptor-based platforms have been embraced for their ability to sense extracellular ligands and to subsequently activate intracellular signal transduction. The integration of transmembrane receptors with transcriptional activation platforms has not yet achieved its full potential. Transient expression of plasmid DNA is often used to explore gene regulation platforms in vitro. However, applications capable of targeting therapeutically relevant endogenous or stably integrated genes are more clinically relevant. Gene regulation may allow for engineered cells to traffic into tissues of interest and secrete functional proteins into the extracellular space or to differentiate into functional cells. Transmembrane receptors that regulate transcription have the potential to revolutionize cell therapies in a myriad of applications, including cancer treatment and regenerative medicine. In this review, we will examine current engineering approaches to control transcription in mammalian cells with an emphasis on systems that can be selectively activated in response to extracellular signals. We will also speculate on the potential therapeutic applications of these technologies and examine promising approaches to expand their capabilities and tighten the control of gene regulation in cellular therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Recktenwald
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Evan Hutt
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Leah Davis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - James MacAulay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Nichole M Daringer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Peter A Galie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Mary M Staehle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
| | - Sebastián L Vega
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
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21
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Jeffreys N, Brockman JM, Zhai Y, Ingber DE, Mooney DJ. Mechanical forces amplify TCR mechanotransduction in T cell activation and function. APPLIED PHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 11:011304. [PMID: 38434676 PMCID: PMC10848667 DOI: 10.1063/5.0166848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell immunotherapies, including engineered T cell receptor (eTCR) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapies, have shown efficacy in treating a subset of hematologic malignancies, exhibit promise in solid tumors, and have many other potential applications, such as in fibrosis, autoimmunity, and regenerative medicine. While immunoengineering has focused on designing biomaterials to present biochemical cues to manipulate T cells ex vivo and in vivo, mechanical cues that regulate their biology have been largely underappreciated. This review highlights the contributions of mechanical force to several receptor-ligand interactions critical to T cell function, with central focus on the TCR-peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (pMHC). We then emphasize the role of mechanical forces in (i) allosteric strengthening of the TCR-pMHC interaction in amplifying ligand discrimination during T cell antigen recognition prior to activation and (ii) T cell interactions with the extracellular matrix. We then describe approaches to design eTCRs, CARs, and biomaterials to exploit TCR mechanosensitivity in order to potentiate T cell manufacturing and function in adoptive T cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yunhao Zhai
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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22
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Teng F, Cui T, Zhou L, Gao Q, Zhou Q, Li W. Programmable synthetic receptors: the next-generation of cell and gene therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:7. [PMID: 38167329 PMCID: PMC10761793 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01680-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell and gene therapies hold tremendous promise for treating a range of difficult-to-treat diseases. However, concerns over the safety and efficacy require to be further addressed in order to realize their full potential. Synthetic receptors, a synthetic biology tool that can precisely control the function of therapeutic cells and genetic modules, have been rapidly developed and applied as a powerful solution. Delicately designed and engineered, they can be applied to finetune the therapeutic activities, i.e., to regulate production of dosed, bioactive payloads by sensing and processing user-defined signals or biomarkers. This review provides an overview of diverse synthetic receptor systems being used to reprogram therapeutic cells and their wide applications in biomedical research. With a special focus on four synthetic receptor systems at the forefront, including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and synthetic Notch (synNotch) receptors, we address the generalized strategies to design, construct and improve synthetic receptors. Meanwhile, we also highlight the expanding landscape of therapeutic applications of the synthetic receptor systems as well as current challenges in their clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Teng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
| | - Tongtong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Li Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qingqin Gao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Wei Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
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23
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Kalim M, Jing R, Li X, Jiang Z, Zheng N, Wang Z, Wei G, Lu Y. Essentials of CAR-T Therapy and Associated Microbial Challenges in Long Run Immunotherapy. JOURNAL OF CELLULAR IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 6:22-50. [PMID: 38883270 PMCID: PMC11172397 DOI: 10.33696/immunology.6.189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has shown potential in improving outcomes for individuals with hematological malignancies. However, achieving long-term full remission for blood cancer remains challenging due to severe life-threatening toxicities such as limited anti-tumor efficacy, antigen escape, trafficking restrictions, and limited tumor invasion. Furthermore, the interactions between CAR-T cells and their host tumor microenvironments have a significant impact on CAR-T function. To overcome these considerable hurdles, fresh methodologies and approaches are needed to produce more powerful CAR-T cells with greater anti-tumor activity and less toxicity. Despite advances in CAR-T research, microbial resistance remains a significant obstacle. In this review, we discuss and describe the basics of CAR-T structures, generations, challenges, and potential risks of infections in CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Kalim
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rui Jing
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xin Li
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhiwu Jiang
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ningbo Zheng
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Guo Wei
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yong Lu
- Houston Methodist Cancer Center/Weill Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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24
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Seigner J, Zajc CU, Dötsch S, Eigner C, Laurent E, Busch DH, Lehner M, Traxlmayr MW. Solving the mystery of the FMC63-CD19 affinity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23024. [PMID: 38155191 PMCID: PMC10754921 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The majority of approved CAR T cell products are based on the FMC63-scFv directed against CD19. Surprisingly, although antigen binding affinity is a major determinant for CAR function, the affinity of the benchmark FMC63-scFv has not been unambiguously determined. That is, a wide range of affinities have been reported in literature, differing by more than 100-fold. Using a range of techniques, we demonstrate that suboptimal experimental designs can cause artefacts that lead to over- or underestimation of the affinity. To minimize these artefacts, we performed SPR with strictly monomeric and correctly folded soluble CD19, yielding an FMC63-scFv affinity of 2-6 nM. Together, apart from analyzing the FMC63-scFv affinity under optimized conditions, we also provide potential explanations for the wide range of published affinities. We expect that this study will be highly valuable for interpretations of CAR affinity-function relationships, as well as for the design of future CAR T cell generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Seigner
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Animal Cell Technology and Systems Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Charlotte U Zajc
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- CD Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Dötsch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Caroline Eigner
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Laurent
- BOKU Core Facility Biomolecular and Cellular Analysis, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Manfred Lehner
- CD Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, CCRI, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Pediatrics, St. Anna Kinderspital, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael W Traxlmayr
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
- CD Laboratory for Next Generation CAR T Cells, Vienna, Austria.
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25
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Soto KEG, Loureiro LR, Bartsch T, Arndt C, Kegler A, Mitwasi N, Drewitz L, Hoffmann L, Saleh HA, Crespo E, Mehnert M, Daglar C, Abken H, Momburg F, Bachmann M, Feldmann A. Targeting colorectal cancer cells using AND-gated adaptor RevCAR T-cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1302354. [PMID: 38169746 PMCID: PMC10758449 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1302354] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells especially for treating hematological malignancies, critical drawbacks, such as "on-target, off-tumor" toxicities, need to be addressed to improve safety in translating to clinical application. This is especially true, when targeting tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) that are not exclusively expressed by solid tumors but also on hea9lthy tissues. To improve the safety profile, we developed switchable adaptor CAR systems including the RevCAR system. RevCAR T-cells are activated by cross-linking of bifunctional adaptor molecules termed target modules (RevTM). In a further development, we established a Dual-RevCAR system for an AND-gated combinatorial targeting by splitting the stimulatory and co-stimulatory signals of the RevCAR T-cells on two individual CARs. Examples of common markers for colorectal cancer (CRC) are the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), while these antigens are also expressed by healthy cells. Here we describe four novel structurally different RevTMs for targeting of CEA and EpCAM. All anti-CEA and anti-EpCAM RevTMs were validated and the simultaneous targeting of CEA+ and EpCAM+ cancer cells redirected specific in vitro and in vivo killing by Dual-RevCAR T-cells. In summary, we describe the development of CEA and EpCAM specific adaptor RevTMs for monospecific and AND-gated targeting of CRC cells via the RevCAR platform as an improved approach to increase tumor specificity and safety of CAR T-cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla E. G. Soto
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Liliana R. Loureiro
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tabea Bartsch
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Claudia Arndt
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alexandra Kegler
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicola Mitwasi
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Laura Drewitz
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lydia Hoffmann
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Haidy A. Saleh
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Eugenia Crespo
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Mehnert
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cansu Daglar
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hinrich Abken
- Department of Gene-Immunotherapy, Leibniz-Institute of Immunotherapy, and University Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Frank Momburg
- Antigen Presentation and T/NK Cell Activation Group, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Bachmann
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), partner site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anja Feldmann
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden (NCT/UCC), partner site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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26
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Sun Y, Yang XN, Yang SS, Lyu YZ, Zhang B, Liu KW, Li N, Cui JC, Huang GX, Liu CL, Xu J, Mi JQ, Chen Z, Fan XH, Chen SJ, Chen S. Antigen-induced chimeric antigen receptor multimerization amplifies on-tumor cytotoxicity. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:445. [PMID: 38062078 PMCID: PMC10703879 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01686-z] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ligand-induced receptor dimerization or oligomerization is a widespread mechanism for ensuring communication specificity, safeguarding receptor activation, and facilitating amplification of signal transduction across the cellular membrane. However, cell-surface antigen-induced multimerization (dubbed AIM herein) has not yet been consciously leveraged in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineering for enriching T cell-based therapies. We co-developed ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), whose CAR incorporates two B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted nanobodies in tandem, for treating multiple myeloma. Here we elucidated a structural and functional model in which BCMA-induced cilta-cel CAR multimerization amplifies myeloma-targeted T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Crystallographic analysis of BCMA-nanobody complexes revealed atomic details of antigen-antibody hetero-multimerization whilst analytical ultracentrifugation and small-angle X-ray scattering characterized interdependent BCMA apposition and CAR juxtaposition in solution. BCMA-induced nanobody CAR multimerization enhanced cytotoxicity, alongside elevated immune synapse formation and cytotoxicity-mediating cytokine release, towards myeloma-derived cells. Our results provide a framework for contemplating the AIM approach in designing next-generation CARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Sun
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xiu-Na Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Shuang-Shuang Yang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Yi-Zhu Lyu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Department of Hematology, Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Kai-Wen Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Na Li
- National Facility for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Jia-Chen Cui
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Guang-Xiang Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Cheng-Lin Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Jian-Qing Mi
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zhu Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xiao-Hu Fan
- Legend Biotech China, Nanjing, 211112, China.
- Wondercel Biotechnology, Shenzhen, 518052, China.
| | - Sai-Juan Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Shuo Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Hematology, National Research Center for Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute, Shanghai Cancer Institute, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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27
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Giordano Attianese GMP, Ash S, Irving M. Coengineering specificity, safety, and function into T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:166-198. [PMID: 37548063 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) therapies, including of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T cells gene-modified to express either a T cell receptor (TCR) or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), have demonstrated clinical efficacy for a proportion of patients and cancer-types. The field of ACT has been driven forward by the clinical success of CD19-CAR therapy against various advanced B-cell malignancies, including curative responses for some leukemia patients. However, relapse remains problematic, in particular for lymphoma. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, relative limited efficacy has been demonstrated for ACT of non-hematological solid tumors. Indeed, in addition to pre-infusion challenges including lymphocyte collection and manufacturing, ACT failure can be attributed to several biological processes post-transfer including, (i) inefficient tumor trafficking, infiltration, expansion and retention, (ii) chronic antigen exposure coupled with insufficient costimulation resulting in T-cell exhaustion, (iii) a range of barriers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated by both tumor cells and suppressive immune infiltrate, (iv) tumor antigen heterogeneity and loss, or down-regulation of antigen presentation machinery, (v) gain of tumor intrinsic mechanisms of resistance such as to apoptosis, and (vi) various forms of toxicity and other adverse events in patients. Affinity-optimized TCRs can improve T-cell function and innovative CAR designs as well as gene-modification strategies can be used to coengineer specificity, safety, and function into T cells. Coengineering strategies can be designed not only to directly support the transferred T cells, but also to block suppressive barriers in the TME and harness endogenous innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we review a selection of the remarkable T-cell coengineering strategies, including of tools, receptors, and gene-cargo, that have been developed in recent years to augment tumor control by ACT, more and more of which are advancing to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Maria Paola Giordano Attianese
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Ash
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melita Irving
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Vincent RL, Gurbatri CR, Li F, Vardoshvili A, Coker C, Im J, Ballister ER, Rouanne M, Savage T, de los Santos-Alexis K, Redenti A, Brockmann L, Komaranchath M, Arpaia N, Danino T. Probiotic-guided CAR-T cells for solid tumor targeting. Science 2023; 382:211-218. [PMID: 37824640 PMCID: PMC10915968 DOI: 10.1126/science.add7034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge facing tumor-antigen targeting therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells is the identification of suitable targets that are specifically and uniformly expressed on heterogeneous solid tumors. By contrast, certain species of bacteria selectively colonize immune-privileged tumor cores and can be engineered as antigen-independent platforms for therapeutic delivery. To bridge these approaches, we developed a platform of probiotic-guided CAR-T cells (ProCARs), in which tumor-colonizing probiotics release synthetic targets that label tumor tissue for CAR-mediated lysis in situ. This system demonstrated CAR-T cell activation and antigen-agnostic cell lysis that was safe and effective in multiple xenograft and syngeneic models of human and mouse cancers. We further engineered multifunctional probiotics that co-release chemokines to enhance CAR-T cell recruitment and therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa L. Vincent
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Candice R. Gurbatri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Fangda Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ana Vardoshvili
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Courtney Coker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Jongwon Im
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Edward R. Ballister
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mathieu Rouanne
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Thomas Savage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kenia de los Santos-Alexis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Andrew Redenti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Leonie Brockmann
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Meghna Komaranchath
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Nicholas Arpaia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Tal Danino
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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29
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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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30
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Zhu I, Piraner DI, Roybal KT. Synthesizing a Smarter CAR T Cell: Advanced Engineering of T-cell Immunotherapies. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1030-1043. [PMID: 37429007 PMCID: PMC10527511 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0962] [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: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The immune system includes an array of specialized cells that keep us healthy by responding to pathogenic cues. Investigations into the mechanisms behind immune cell behavior have led to the development of powerful immunotherapies, including chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Although CAR T cells have demonstrated efficacy in treating blood cancers, issues regarding their safety and potency have hindered the use of immunotherapies in a wider spectrum of diseases. Efforts to integrate developments in synthetic biology into immunotherapy have led to several advancements with the potential to expand the range of treatable diseases, fine-tune the desired immune response, and improve therapeutic cell potency. Here, we examine current synthetic biology advances that aim to improve on existing technologies and discuss the promise of the next generation of engineered immune cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iowis Zhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Dan I. Piraner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Kole T. Roybal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA 8Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Gladstone UCSF Institute for Genetic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
- UCSF Cell Design Institute, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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31
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Papaioannou I, Owen JS, Yáñez‐Muñoz RJ. Clinical applications of gene therapy for rare diseases: A review. Int J Exp Pathol 2023; 104:154-176. [PMID: 37177842 PMCID: PMC10349259 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare diseases collectively exact a high toll on society due to their sheer number and overall prevalence. Their heterogeneity, diversity, and nature pose daunting clinical challenges for both management and treatment. In this review, we discuss recent advances in clinical applications of gene therapy for rare diseases, focusing on a variety of viral and non-viral strategies. The use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors is discussed in the context of Luxturna, licenced for the treatment of RPE65 deficiency in the retinal epithelium. Imlygic, a herpes virus vector licenced for the treatment of refractory metastatic melanoma, will be an example of oncolytic vectors developed against rare cancers. Yescarta and Kymriah will showcase the use of retrovirus and lentivirus vectors in the autologous ex vivo production of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), licenced for the treatment of refractory leukaemias and lymphomas. Similar retroviral and lentiviral technology can be applied to autologous haematopoietic stem cells, exemplified by Strimvelis and Zynteglo, licenced treatments for adenosine deaminase-severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID) and β-thalassaemia respectively. Antisense oligonucleotide technologies will be highlighted through Onpattro and Tegsedi, RNA interference drugs licenced for familial transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis, and Spinraza, a splice-switching treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). An initial comparison of the effectiveness of AAV and oligonucleotide therapies in SMA is possible with Zolgensma, an AAV serotype 9 vector, and Spinraza. Through these examples of marketed gene therapies and gene cell therapies, we will discuss the expanding applications of such novel technologies to previously intractable rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James S. Owen
- Division of MedicineUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Rafael J. Yáñez‐Muñoz
- AGCTlab.orgCentre of Gene and Cell TherapyCentre for Biomedical SciencesDepartment of Biological SciencesSchool of Life Sciences and the EnvironmentRoyal Holloway University of LondonEghamUK
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32
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Śledź M, Wojciechowska A, Zagożdżon R, Kaleta B. In Situ Programming of CAR-T Cells: A Pressing Need in Modern Immunotherapy. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2023; 71:18. [PMID: 37419996 PMCID: PMC10329070 DOI: 10.1007/s00005-023-00683-y] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell-based therapy has become a successful option for treatment of numerous hematological malignancies, but also raises hope in a range of non-malignant diseases. However, in a traditional approach, generation of CAR-T cells is associated with the separation of patient's lymphocytes, their in vitro modification, and expansion and infusion back into patient's bloodstream. This classical protocol is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. Those problems could be solved by successful protocols to produce CAR-T cells, but also CAR-natural killer cells or CAR macrophages, in situ, using viral platforms or non-viral delivery systems. Moreover, it was demonstrated that in situ CAR-T induction may be associated with reduced risk of the most common toxicities associated with CAR-T therapy, such as cytokine release syndrome, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, and "on-target, off-tumor" toxicity. This review aims to summarize the current state-of-the-art and future perspectives for the in situ-produced CAR-T cells. Indeed, preclinical work in this area, including animal studies, raises hope for prospective translational development and validation in practical medicine of strategies for in situ generation of CAR-bearing immune effector cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Śledź
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Radosław Zagożdżon
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Kaleta
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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33
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Wang X, Liu D, Luo J, Kong D, Zhang Y. Exploring the Role of Enhancer-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation in Precision Biology. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10843. [PMID: 37446021 PMCID: PMC10342031 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310843] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of precision biology has been driven by the development of advanced technologies and techniques in high-resolution biological research systems. Enhancer-mediated transcriptional regulation, a complex network of gene expression and regulation in eukaryotes, has attracted significant attention as a promising avenue for investigating the underlying mechanisms of biological processes and diseases. To address biological problems with precision, large amounts of data, functional information, and research on the mechanisms of action of biological molecules is required to address biological problems with precision. Enhancers, including typical enhancers and super enhancers, play a crucial role in gene expression and regulation within this network. The identification and targeting of disease-associated enhancers hold the potential to advance precision medicine. In this review, we present the concepts, progress, importance, and challenges in precision biology, transcription regulation, and enhancers. Furthermore, we propose a model of transcriptional regulation for multi-enhancers and provide examples of their mechanisms in mammalian cells, thereby enhancing our understanding of how enhancers achieve precise regulation of gene expression in life processes. Precision biology holds promise in providing new tools and platforms for discovering insights into gene expression and disease occurrence, ultimately benefiting individuals and society as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China; (D.L.); (J.L.); (D.K.)
| | - Danli Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China; (D.L.); (J.L.); (D.K.)
| | - Jing Luo
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China; (D.L.); (J.L.); (D.K.)
| | - Dashuai Kong
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China; (D.L.); (J.L.); (D.K.)
| | - Yubo Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China;
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-Omics of MARA, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China; (D.L.); (J.L.); (D.K.)
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34
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Nixon BG, Gao S, Wang X, Li MO. TGFβ control of immune responses in cancer: a holistic immuno-oncology perspective. Nat Rev Immunol 2023; 23:346-362. [PMID: 36380023 PMCID: PMC10634249 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-022-00796-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The immune system responds to cancer in two main ways. First, there are prewired responses involving myeloid cells, innate lymphocytes and innate-like adaptive lymphocytes that either reside in premalignant tissues or migrate directly to tumours, and second, there are antigen priming-dependent responses, in which adaptive lymphocytes are primed in secondary lymphoid organs before homing to tumours. Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) - one of the most potent and pleiotropic regulatory cytokines - controls almost every stage of the tumour-elicited immune response, from leukocyte development in primary lymphoid organs to their priming in secondary lymphoid organs and their effector functions in the tumour itself. The complexity of TGFβ-regulated immune cell circuitries, as well as the contextual roles of TGFβ signalling in cancer cells and tumour stromal cells, necessitates the use of rigorous experimental systems that closely recapitulate human cancer, such as autochthonous tumour models, to uncover the underlying immunobiology. The diverse functions of TGFβ in healthy tissues further complicate the search for effective and safe cancer therapeutics targeting the TGFβ pathway. Here we discuss the contextual complexity of TGFβ signalling in tumour-elicited immune responses and explain how understanding this may guide the development of mechanism-based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana G Nixon
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shengyu Gao
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xinxin Wang
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ming O Li
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
- Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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35
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Liu H, Baeumler TA, Nakamura K, Okada Y, Cho S, Eguchi A, Kuroda D, Tsumoto K, Ueki R, Sando S. An Engineered Synthetic Receptor-Aptamer Pair for an Artificial Signal Transduction System. ACS NANO 2023; 17:9039-9048. [PMID: 37154259 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c11744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Cell membrane receptors regulate cellular responses through sensing extracellular environmental signals and subsequently transducing them. Receptor engineering provides a means of directing cells to react to a designated external cue and exert programmed functions. However, rational design and precise modulation of receptor signaling activity remain challenging. Here, we report an aptamer-based signal transduction system and its applications in controlling and customizing the functions of engineered receptors. A previously reported membrane receptor-aptamer pair was used to design a synthetic receptor system that transduces cell signaling depending on exogenous aptamer input. To eliminate the cross-reactivity of the receptor with its native ligand, the extracellular domain of the receptor was engineered to ensure that the receptor was solely activated by the DNA aptamer. The present system features tunability in the signaling output level using aptamer ligands with different receptor dimerization propensities. In addition, the functional programmability of DNA aptamers enables the modular sensing of extracellular molecules without the need for genetic engineering of the receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Daisuke Kuroda
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1, Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
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Clubb JD, Gao TA, Chen YY. Synthetic Biology in the Engineering of CAR-T and CAR-NK Cell Therapies: Facts and Hopes. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:1390-1402. [PMID: 36454122 PMCID: PMC10106357 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-1491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The advent of modern synthetic-biology tools has enabled the development of cellular treatments with engineered specificity, leading to a new paradigm in anticancer immunotherapy. T cells have been at the forefront of such development, with six chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cell products approved by the FDA for the treatment of hematologic malignancies in the last 5 years. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes with potent cytotoxic activities, and they have become an increasingly attractive alternative to T-cell therapies due to their potential for allogeneic, "off-the-shelf" applications. However, both T cells and NK cells face numerous challenges, including antigen escape, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and potential for severe toxicity. Many synthetic-biology strategies have been developed to address these obstacles, most commonly in the T-cell context. In this review, we discuss the array of strategies developed to date, their application in the NK-cell context, as well as opportunities and challenges for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin D. Clubb
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Torahito A. Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yvonne Y. Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Lim SY, Shklovskaya E, Lee JH, Pedersen B, Stewart A, Ming Z, Irvine M, Shivalingam B, Saw RPM, Menzies AM, Carlino MS, Scolyer RA, Long GV, Rizos H. The molecular and functional landscape of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade in melanoma. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1516. [PMID: 36934113 PMCID: PMC10024679 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36979-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies in melanoma is common and remains an intractable clinical challenge. In this study, we comprehensively profile immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance mechanisms in short-term tumor cell lines and matched tumor samples from melanoma patients progressing on immune checkpoint inhibitors. Combining genome, transcriptome, and high dimensional flow cytometric profiling with functional analysis, we identify three distinct programs of immunotherapy resistance. Here we show that resistance programs include (1) the loss of wild-type antigen expression, resulting from tumor-intrinsic IFNγ signaling and melanoma de-differentiation, (2) the disruption of antigen presentation via multiple independent mechanisms affecting MHC expression, and (3) immune cell exclusion associated with PTEN loss. The dominant role of compromised antigen production and presentation in melanoma resistance to immune checkpoint inhibition highlights the importance of treatment salvage strategies aimed at the restoration of MHC expression, stimulation of innate immunity, and re-expression of wild-type differentiation antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Yin Lim
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Elena Shklovskaya
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jenny H Lee
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bernadette Pedersen
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ashleigh Stewart
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Zizhen Ming
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mal Irvine
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brindha Shivalingam
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Robyn P M Saw
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alexander M Menzies
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matteo S Carlino
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Blacktown Cancer and Haematology Centre, Blacktown Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard A Scolyer
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Tissue Pathology and Diagnostic Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Georgina V Long
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Northern Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Mater Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Helen Rizos
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Melanoma Institute Australia, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Khawar MB, Afzal A, Abbasi MH, Sheikh N, Sun H. Nano-immunoengineering of CAR-T cell therapy against tumor microenvironment: The way forward in combating cancer. OPENNANO 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.onano.2023.100124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Naeem M, Hazafa A, Bano N, Ali R, Farooq M, Razak SIA, Lee TY, Devaraj S. Explorations of CRISPR/Cas9 for improving the long-term efficacy of universal CAR-T cells in tumor immunotherapy. Life Sci 2023; 316:121409. [PMID: 36681183 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy has shown remarkable success in discovering novel CAR-T cell products for treating malignancies. Despite of successful results from clinical trials, CAR-T cell therapy is ineffective for long-term disease progression. Numerous challenges of CAR-T cell immunotherapy such as cell dysfunction, cytokine-related toxicities, TGF-β resistance, GvHD risks, antigen escape, restricted trafficking, and tumor cell infiltration still exist that hamper the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cells for malignancies. The accumulated data revealed that these challenges could be overcome with the advanced CRISPR genome editing technology, which is the most promising tool to knockout TRAC and HLA genes, inhibiting the effects of dominant negative receptors (PD-1, TGF-β, and B2M), lowering the risks of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and regulating CAR-T cell function in the tumor microenvironment (TME). CRISPR technology employs DSB-free genome editing methods that robustly allow efficient and controllable genetic modification. The present review explored the innovative aspects of CRISPR/Cas9 technology for developing next-generation/universal allogeneic CAR-T cells. The present manuscript addressed the ongoing status of clinical trials of CRISPR/Cas9-engineered CAR-T cells against cancer and pointed out the off-target effects associated with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. It is concluded that CAR-T cells modified by CRISPR/Cas9 significantly improved antitumor efficacy in a cost-effective manner that provides opportunities for novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Naeem
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, 050024 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Abu Hazafa
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana", University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy; Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, 38040 Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Naheed Bano
- Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Rashid Ali
- Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, 38000 Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farooq
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
| | - Saiful Izwan Abd Razak
- BioInspired Device and Tissue Engineering Research Group (BioInspira), Department of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia; Sports Innovation & Technology Centre, Institute of Human Centred Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Tze Yan Lee
- School of Liberal Arts, Science and Technology (PUScLST) Perdana University, Suite 9.2, 9th Floor, Wisma Chase Perdana, Changkat Semantan Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sutha Devaraj
- Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, 08100 Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia
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Development of a TGFβ-IL-2/15 Switch Receptor for Use in Adoptive Cell Therapy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020459. [PMID: 36830995 PMCID: PMC9953633 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapy employing T cells modified with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) is effective in hematological malignancies but not yet in solid cancers. CAR T cell activity in solid tumors is limited by immunosuppressive factors, including transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). Here, we describe the development of a switch receptor (SwR), in which the extracellular domains of the TGFβ receptor are fused to the intracellular domains from the IL-2/15 receptor. We evaluated the SwR in tandem with two variants of a CAR that we have developed against STEAP1, a protein highly expressed in prostate cancer. The SwR-CAR T cell activity was assessed against a panel of STEAP1+/- prostate cancer cell lines with or without over-expression of TGFβ, or with added TGFβ, by use of flow cytometry cytokine and killing assays, Luminex cytokine profiling, cell counts, and flow cytometry phenotyping. The results showed that the SwR-CAR constructs improved the functionality of CAR T cells in TGFβ-rich environments, as measured by T cell proliferation and survival, cytokine response, and cytotoxicity. In assays with four repeated target-cell stimulations, the SwR-CAR T cells developed an activated effector memory phenotype with retained STEAP1-specific activity. In conclusion, the SwR confers CAR T cells with potent and durable in vitro functionality in TGFβ-rich environments. The SwR may be used as an add-on construct for CAR T cells or other forms of adoptive cell therapy.
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Schaible P, Bethge W, Lengerke C, Haraszti RA. RNA Therapeutics for Improving CAR T-cell Safety and Efficacy. Cancer Res 2023; 83:354-362. [PMID: 36512627 PMCID: PMC7614194 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-2155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have recently emerged as potent tools in the fight against cancer, with promising therapeutic efficacy against hematological malignancies. However, several limitations hamper their widespread clinical use, including availability of target antigen, severe toxic effects, primary and secondary resistance, heterogeneous quality of autologous T cells, variable persistence, and low activity against solid tumors. Development of allogeneic off-the-shelf CAR T cells could help address some of these limitations but is impeded by alloimmunity with either rejection and limited expansion of allo-CAR T cells or CAR T cells versus host reactions. RNA therapeutics, such as small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, and antisense oligonucleotides, are able to silence transcripts in a sequence-specific and proliferation-sensitive way, which may offer a way to overcome some of the challenges facing CAR T-cell development and clinical utility. Here, we review how different RNA therapeutics or a combination of RNA therapeutics and genetic engineering could be harnessed to improve the safety and efficacy of autologous and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Schaible
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Bethge
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claudia Lengerke
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Reka Agnes Haraszti
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Huang Z, Dewanjee S, Chakraborty P, Jha NK, Dey A, Gangopadhyay M, Chen XY, Wang J, Jha SK. CAR T cells: engineered immune cells to treat brain cancers and beyond. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:22. [PMID: 36721153 PMCID: PMC9890802 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01712-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignant brain tumors rank among the most challenging type of malignancies to manage. The current treatment protocol commonly entails surgery followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, however, the median patient survival rate is poor. Recent developments in immunotherapy for a variety of tumor types spark optimism that immunological strategies may help patients with brain cancer. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells exploit the tumor-targeting specificity of antibodies or receptor ligands to direct the cytolytic capacity of T cells. Several molecules have been discovered as potential targets for immunotherapy-based targeting, including but not limited to EGFRvIII, IL13Rα2, and HER2. The outstanding clinical responses to CAR T cell-based treatments in patients with hematological malignancies have generated interest in using this approach to treat solid tumors. Research results to date support the astounding clinical response rates of CD19-targeted CAR T cells, early clinical experiences in brain tumors demonstrating safety and evidence for disease-modifying activity, and the promise for further advances to ultimately assist patients clinically. However, several variable factors seem to slow down the progress rate regarding treating brain cancers utilizing CAR T cells. The current study offers a thorough analysis of CAR T cells' promise in treating brain cancer, including design and delivery considerations, current strides in clinical and preclinical research, issues encountered, and potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoufang Huang
- grid.452437.3Department of Hematology, Ganzhou Key Laboratory of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Saikat Dewanjee
- grid.216499.10000 0001 0722 3459Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032 India
| | - Pratik Chakraborty
- grid.216499.10000 0001 0722 3459Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032 India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- grid.412552.50000 0004 1764 278XDepartment of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201310 India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- grid.412537.60000 0004 1768 2925Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, West Bengal 700032 India
| | - Moumita Gangopadhyay
- grid.502979.00000 0004 6087 8632Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata, West Bengal 700126 India
| | - Xuan-Yu Chen
- grid.264091.80000 0001 1954 7928Institute for Biotechnology, St. John’s University, Queens, New York, 11439 USA
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, the Affiliated Jiangyin People’s Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangyin, 214400 China
| | - Saurabh Kumar Jha
- grid.412552.50000 0004 1764 278XDepartment of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201310 India ,grid.448792.40000 0004 4678 9721Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413 India ,grid.449906.60000 0004 4659 5193Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007 India
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Boardman DA, Wong MQ, Rees WD, Wu D, Himmel ME, Orban PC, Vent-Schmidt J, Zachos NC, Steiner TS, Levings MK. Flagellin-specific human CAR Tregs for immune regulation in IBD. J Autoimmun 2023; 134:102961. [PMID: 36470208 PMCID: PMC9908852 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2022.102961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Regulatory T cell (Treg) therapy is a promising strategy to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Data from animal models has shown that Tregs specific for intestinal antigens are more potent than polyclonal Tregs at inhibiting colitis. Flagellins, the major structural proteins of bacterial flagella, are immunogenic antigens frequently targeted in IBD subjects, leading to the hypothesis that flagellin-specific Tregs could be an effective cell therapy for IBD. We developed a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) specific for flagellin derived from Escherichia coli H18 (FliC). We used this CAR to confer FliC-specificity to human Tregs and investigated their therapeutic potential. FliC-CAR Tregs were activated by recombinant FliC protein but not a control flagellin protein, demonstrating CAR specificity and functionality. In a humanized mouse model, expression of the FliC-CAR drove preferential migration to the colon and expression of the activation marker PD1. In the presence of recombinant FliC protein in vitro, FliC-CAR Tregs were significantly more suppressive than control Tregs and promoted the establishment of colon-derived epithelial cell monolayers. These results demonstrate the potential of FliC-CAR Tregs to treat IBD and more broadly show the therapeutic potential of CARs targeting microbial-derived antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic A Boardman
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - May Q Wong
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - William D Rees
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dan Wu
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Megan E Himmel
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul C Orban
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jens Vent-Schmidt
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicholas C Zachos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Theodore S Steiner
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Megan K Levings
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Villar VH, Subotički T, Đikić D, Mitrović-Ajtić O, Simon F, Santibanez JF. Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Cancer Immunology: Opportunities for Immunotherapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1408:309-328. [PMID: 37093435 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-26163-3_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β) regulates a plethora of cell-intrinsic processes that modulate tumor progression in a context-dependent manner. Thus, although TGF-β acts as a tumor suppressor in the early stages of tumorigenesis, in late stages, this factor promotes tumor progression and metastasis. In addition, TGF-β also impinges on the tumor microenvironment by modulating the immune system. In this aspect, TGF-β exhibits a potent immunosuppressive effect, which allows both cancer cells to escape from immune surveillance and confers resistance to immunotherapy. While TGF-β inhibits the activation and antitumoral functions of T-cell lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, it promotes the generation of T-regulatory cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which hinder antitumoral T-cell activities. Moreover, TGF-β promotes tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils polarization from M1 into M2 and N1 to N2, respectively. Altogether, these effects contribute to the generation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and support tumor promotion. This review aims to analyze the relevant evidence on the complex role of TGF-β in cancer immunology, the current outcomes of combined immunotherapies, and the anti-TGF-β therapies that may improve the success of current and new oncotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor H Villar
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Tijana Subotički
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragoslava Đikić
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olivera Mitrović-Ajtić
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Felipe Simon
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute On Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channel-Associated Diseases, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan F Santibanez
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
- Integrative Center for Biology and Applied Chemistry (CIBQA), Bernardo O'Higgins University, Santiago, Chile.
- Molecular Oncology Group, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 4, POB 102, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia.
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Liu L, Qu Y, Cheng L, Yoon CW, He P, Monther A, Guo T, Chittle S, Wang Y. Engineering chimeric antigen receptor T cells for solid tumour therapy. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e1141. [PMID: 36495108 PMCID: PMC9736813 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-based immunotherapy, for example, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy, has revolutionized cancer treatment, particularly for blood cancers. However, factors such as insufficient T cell tracking, tumour heterogeneity, inhibitory tumour microenvironment (TME) and T cell exhaustion limit the broad application of CAR-based immunotherapy for solid tumours. In particular, the TME is a complex and evolving entity, which is composed of cells of different types (e.g., cancer cells, immune cells and stromal cells), vasculature, soluble factors and extracellular matrix (ECM), with each component playing a critical role in CAR-T immunotherapy. Thus, developing approaches to mitigate the inhibitory TME factors is critical for future success in applying CAR-T cells for solid tumour treatment. Accordingly, understanding the bilateral interaction of CAR-T cells with the TME is in pressing need to pave the way for more efficient therapeutics. In the following review, we will discuss TME-associated aspects with an emphasis on T cell trafficking, ECM barriers, abnormal vasculature, solid tumour heterogenicity and immune suppressive microenvironment. We will then summarize current engineering strategies to overcome the challenges posed by the TME-associated factors. Lastly, the future directions for engineering efficient CAR-T cells for solid tumour therapy will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longwei Liu
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yunjia Qu
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Leonardo Cheng
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chi Woo Yoon
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Peixiang He
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Abdula Monther
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tianze Guo
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sarah Chittle
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yingxiao Wang
- Department of BioengineeringInstitute of Engineering in MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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Zhu X, Li Q, Zhu X. Mechanisms of CAR T cell exhaustion and current counteraction strategies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1034257. [PMID: 36568989 PMCID: PMC9773844 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1034257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional state of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells determines their efficacy in vivo. Exhausted CAR T cells exhibit decreased proliferative capacity, impaired anti-tumor activity, and attenuated persistence. CAR T cell exhaustion has been recognized as a vital cause of nonresponse and relapse after CAR T cell therapy. However, the triggers and mechanisms leading to CAR T cell exhaustion remain blurry and complicated. Therefore, it is essential to clear the regulation network of CAR T cell exhaustion and explore potent solutions. Here, we review the diverse inducers of CAR T cell exhaustion in terms of manufacture process and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In addition to the admitted immune checkpoint blockade, we also describe promising strategies that may reverse CAR T cell exhaustion including targeting the tumor microenvironment, epigenetics and transcriptomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Zhu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Hematology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Qing Li, ; Xiaojian Zhu,
| | - Xiaojian Zhu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China,*Correspondence: Qing Li, ; Xiaojian Zhu,
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Adachi K, Tamada K. Paving the road to make chimeric antigen receptor-T-cell therapy effective against solid tumors. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:4020-4029. [PMID: 36047968 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The three major standard therapies, that is, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have conventionally been applied to the treatments for cancers and have saved many patients. In addition, for intractable, refractory, or advanced malignancies that cannot be cured by the three standard therapies, immunotherapy is an important subject of basic and clinical researches. Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy (ICI) has shown significant therapeutic efficacies on some types of tumors in large-scale randomized clinical trials, making a major impact on clinical oncology by scientifically proving and establishing the effectiveness of an immunotherapy. In 2018, ICI was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and immunotherapy is now becoming the "fourth" standard therapy for cancers. Recently, adoptive cell therapies, in which genetically modified T cells with enhanced reactivity against tumors are infused into the patients, have been attracting considerable attention as a hopeful immunotherapy following ICI. Particularly, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapies demonstrate marked therapeutic efficacies against some hematologic malignancies, and have been approved in many countries. However, current CAR-T-cell therapy is considered to be little effective against solid tumors, which is one of the challenging issues to be overcome in CAR-T-cell therapy. In this review, we at first introduce CAR and CAR-T cell, and then focus on the recent progress of CAR-T-cell therapy against solid tumors as well as the novel concept on a role of CAR-T cells, aiming to further understandings of the novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keishi Adachi
- Department of Immunology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
| | - Koji Tamada
- Department of Immunology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
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Yang X, Wei J, Zhou J. Overcoming resistance to anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy in B-cell malignancies. Hematol Oncol 2022; 40:821-834. [PMID: 35635796 DOI: 10.1002/hon.3036] [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: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has rapidly changed current treatment pattern, providing a better option for individuals with primary refractory or relapsed B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL). However, despite the outstanding efficacy, a high relapse rate is still found in some B-cell malignancies after anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, which emerges as a main barrier for improving the overall response and long-term outcomes. Understanding the resistance mechanism is crucial to improve current CAR T products, better incorporate them into the current therapy system and develop novel CAR approaches. Herein, we discuss the latest advances in understanding the mechanisms limiting efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy, resulting in CD19 negative (CD19- ) and CD19 positive (CD19+ ) relapses. We also provide a whole scenario of current potential strategies to overcome these barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingcheng Yang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jia Wei
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Department of Hematology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jianfeng Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Asmamaw Dejenie T, Tiruneh G/Medhin M, Dessie Terefe G, Tadele Admasu F, Wale Tesega W, Chekol Abebe E. Current updates on generations, approvals, and clinical trials of CAR T-cell therapy. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2114254. [PMID: 36094837 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2114254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel, customized immunotherapy that is considered a 'living' and self-replicating drug to treat cancer, sometimes resulting in a complete cure. CAR T-cells are manufactured through genetic engineering of T-cells by equipping them with CARs to detect and target antigen-expressing cancer cells. CAR is designed to have an ectodomain extracellularly, a transmembrane domain spanning the cell membrane, and an endodomain intracellularly. Since its first discovery, the CAR structure has evolved greatly, from the first generation to the fifth generation, to offer new therapeutic alternatives for cancer patients. This treatment has achieved long-term and curative therapeutic efficacy in multiple blood malignancies that nowadays profoundly change the treatment landscape of lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. But CART-cell therapy is associated with several hurdles, such as limited therapeutic efficacy, little effect on solid tumors, adverse effects, expensive cost, and feasibility issues, hindering its broader implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadesse Asmamaw Dejenie
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Markeshaw Tiruneh G/Medhin
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Gashaw Dessie Terefe
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Fitalew Tadele Admasu
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Science Arbaminch University, Arbaminch, Ethiopia
| | - Wondwossen Wale Tesega
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | - Endeshaw Chekol Abebe
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Science Arbaminch University, Arbaminch, Ethiopia
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Lim WA. The emerging era of cell engineering: Harnessing the modularity of cells to program complex biological function. Science 2022; 378:848-852. [DOI: 10.1126/science.add9665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A new era of biological engineering is emerging in which living cells are used as building blocks to address therapeutic challenges. These efforts are distinct from traditional molecular engineering—their focus is not on optimizing individual genes and proteins as therapeutics, but rather on using molecular components as modules to reprogram how cells make decisions and communicate to achieve higher-order physiological functions in vivo. This cell-centric approach is enabled by a growing tool kit of components that can synthetically control core cell-level functional outputs, such as where in the body a cell should go, what other cells it should interact with, and what messages it should transmit or receive. The power of cell engineering has been clinically validated by the development of immune cells designed to kill cancer. This same tool kit for rewiring cell connectivity is beginning to be used to engineer cell therapies for a host of other diseases and to program the self-organization of tissues and organs. By forcing the conceptual distillation of complex biological functions into a finite set of instructions that operate at the cell level, these efforts also shed light on the fundamental hierarchical logic that links molecular components to higher-order physiological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendell A. Lim
- Cell Design Institute and Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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