1
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Cappabianca D, Li J, Zheng Y, Tran C, Kasparek K, Mendez P, Thu R, Maures T, Capitini CM, Deans R, Saha K. Non-viral expression of chimeric antigen receptors with multiplex gene editing in primary T cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1379900. [PMID: 38882639 PMCID: PMC11177325 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1379900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Efficient engineering of T cells to express exogenous tumor-targeting receptors such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or T-cell receptors (TCRs) is a key requirement of effective adoptive cell therapy for cancer. Genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, can further alter the functional characteristics of therapeutic T cells through the knockout of genes of interest while knocking in synthetic receptors that can recognize cancer cells. Performing multiple rounds of gene transfer with precise genome editing, termed multiplexing, remains a key challenge, especially for non-viral delivery platforms. Here, we demonstrate the efficient production of primary human T cells incorporating the knockout of three clinically relevant genes (B2M, TRAC, and PD1) along with the non-viral transfection of a CAR targeting disialoganglioside GD2. Multiplexed knockout results in high on-target deletion for all three genes, with low off-target editing and chromosome alterations. Incorporating non-viral delivery to knock in a GD2-CAR resulted in a TRAC-B2M-PD1-deficient GD2 CAR T-cell product with a central memory cell phenotype and high cytotoxicity against GD2-expressing neuroblastoma target cells. Multiplexed gene-editing with non-viral delivery by CRISPR/Cas9 is feasible and safe, with a high potential for rapid and efficient manufacturing of highly potent allogeneic CAR T-cell products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Cappabianca
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jingling Li
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Yueting Zheng
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Cac Tran
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | | | - Pedro Mendez
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Ricky Thu
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Travis Maures
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Christian M Capitini
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Robert Deans
- Synthego Corporation, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Krishanu Saha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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2
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Hamid MHBA, Cespedes PF, Jin C, Chen JL, Gileadi U, Antoun E, Liang Z, Gao F, Teague R, Manoharan N, Maldonado-Perez D, Khalid-Alham N, Cerundolo L, Ciaoca R, Hester SS, Pinto-Fernández A, Draganov SD, Vendrell I, Liu G, Yao X, Kvalvaag A, Dominey-Foy DCC, Nanayakkara C, Kanellakis N, Chen YL, Waugh C, Clark SA, Clark K, Sopp P, Rahman NM, Verrill C, Kessler BM, Ogg G, Fernandes RA, Fisher R, Peng Y, Dustin ML, Dong T. Unconventional human CD61 pairing with CD103 promotes TCR signaling and antigen-specific T cell cytotoxicity. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:834-846. [PMID: 38561495 PMCID: PMC11065694 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-01802-3] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, leading to increased interest in utilizing immunotherapy strategies for better cancer treatments. In the past decade, CD103+ T cells have been associated with better clinical prognosis in patients with cancer. However, the specific immune mechanisms contributing toward CD103-mediated protective immunity remain unclear. Here, we show an unexpected and transient CD61 expression, which is paired with CD103 at the synaptic microclusters of T cells. CD61 colocalization with the T cell antigen receptor further modulates downstream T cell antigen receptor signaling, improving antitumor cytotoxicity and promoting physiological control of tumor growth. Clinically, the presence of CD61+ tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes is associated with improved clinical outcomes, mediated through enhanced effector functions and phenotype with limited evidence of cellular exhaustion. In conclusion, this study identified an unconventional and transient CD61 expression and pairing with CD103 on human immune cells, which potentiates a new target for immune-based cellular therapies.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Humans
- Mice
- Antigens, CD/metabolism
- Antigens, CD/immunology
- Apyrase
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Integrin alpha Chains/metabolism
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Signal Transduction/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Megat H B A Hamid
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pablo F Cespedes
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Chen Jin
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ji-Li Chen
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Uzi Gileadi
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elie Antoun
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zhu Liang
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fei Gao
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Renuka Teague
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nikita Manoharan
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David Maldonado-Perez
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nasullah Khalid-Alham
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Lucia Cerundolo
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Raul Ciaoca
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Svenja S Hester
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Adán Pinto-Fernández
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simeon D Draganov
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Iolanda Vendrell
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Guihai Liu
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Xuan Yao
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Audun Kvalvaag
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Charunya Nanayakkara
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nikolaos Kanellakis
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Laboratory of Pleural and Lung Cancer Translational Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK
| | - Yi-Ling Chen
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Craig Waugh
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sally-Ann Clark
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kevin Clark
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul Sopp
- Flow Cytometry Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Najib M Rahman
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Laboratory of Pleural and Lung Cancer Translational Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK
| | - Clare Verrill
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Benedikt M Kessler
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Graham Ogg
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ricardo A Fernandes
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Roman Fisher
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael L Dustin
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- CAMS Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unity, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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3
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Lo Presti V, Meringa A, Dunnebach E, van Velzen A, Moreira AV, Stam RW, Kotecha RS, Krippner-Heidenreich A, Heidenreich OT, Plantinga M, Cornel A, Sebestyen Z, Kuball J, van Til NP, Nierkens S. Combining CRISPR-Cas9 and TCR exchange to generate a safe and efficient cord blood-derived T cell product for pediatric relapsed AML. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008174. [PMID: 38580329 PMCID: PMC11002379 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008174] [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: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is an effective treatment for pediatric patients with high-risk, refractory, or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, a large proportion of transplanted patients eventually die due to relapse. To improve overall survival, we propose a combined strategy based on cord blood (CB)-HCT with the application of AML-specific T cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cell therapy derived from the same CB graft. METHODS We produced CB-CD8+ T cells expressing a recombinant TCR (rTCR) against Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) while lacking endogenous TCR (eTCR) expression to avoid mispairing and competition. CRISPR-Cas9 multiplexing was used to target the constant region of the endogenous TCRα (TRAC) and TCRβ (TRBC) chains. Next, an optimized method for lentiviral transduction was used to introduce recombinant WT1-TCR. The cytotoxic and migration capacity of the product was evaluated in coculture assays for both cell lines and primary pediatric AML blasts. RESULTS The gene editing and transduction procedures achieved high efficiency, with up to 95% of cells lacking eTCR and over 70% of T cells expressing rWT1-TCR. WT1-TCR-engineered T cells lacking the expression of their eTCR (eTCR-/- WT1-TCR) showed increased cell surface expression of the rTCR and production of cytotoxic cytokines, such as granzyme A and B, perforin, interferon-γ (IFNγ), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), on antigen recognition when compared with WT1-TCR-engineered T cells still expressing their eTCR (eTCR+/+ WT1-TCR). CRISPR-Cas9 editing did not affect immunophenotypic characteristics or T cell activation and did not induce increased expression of inhibitory molecules. eTCR-/- WT1-TCR CD8+ CB-T cells showed effective migratory and killing capacity in cocultures with neoplastic cell lines and primary AML blasts, but did not show toxicity toward healthy cells. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we show the feasibility of developing a potent CB-derived CD8+ T cell product targeting WT1, providing an option for post-transplant allogeneic immune cell therapy or as an off-the-shelf product, to prevent relapse and improve the clinical outcome of children with AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vania Lo Presti
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Angelo Meringa
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ester Dunnebach
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alice van Velzen
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ronald W Stam
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rishi S Kotecha
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | | | - Maud Plantinga
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annelisa Cornel
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zsolt Sebestyen
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jurgen Kuball
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Niek P van Til
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Child Neurology, Amsterdam Leukodystrophy Center, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S Nierkens
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Center for Translational Immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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4
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Chang CR, Vykunta VS, Goodman DB, Muldoon JJ, Nyberg WA, Liu C, Allain V, Rothrock A, Wang CH, Marson A, Shy BR, Eyquem J. Ultra-high efficiency T cell reprogramming at multiple loci with SEED-Selection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.06.576175. [PMID: 38370809 PMCID: PMC10871224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.06.576175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Multiplexed reprogramming of T cell specificity and function can generate powerful next-generation cellular therapies. However, current manufacturing methods produce heterogenous mixtures of partially engineered cells. Here, we develop a one-step process to enrich for unlabeled cells with knock-ins at multiple target loci using a family of repair templates named Synthetic Exon/Expression Disruptors (SEEDs). SEED engineering associates transgene integration with the disruption of a paired endogenous surface protein, allowing non-modified and partially edited cells to be immunomagnetically depleted (SEED-Selection). We design SEEDs to fully reprogram three critical loci encoding T cell specificity, co-receptor expression, and MHC expression, with up to 98% purity after selection for individual modifications and up to 90% purity for six simultaneous edits (three knock-ins and three knockouts). These methods are simple, compatible with existing clinical manufacturing workflows, and can be readily adapted to other loci to facilitate production of complex gene-edited cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Chang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vivasvan S Vykunta
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel B Goodman
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph J Muldoon
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William A Nyberg
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Vincent Allain
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM UMR976, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Allison Rothrock
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Charlotte H Wang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian R Shy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Justin Eyquem
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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5
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Wojciechowicz K, Kuncewicz K, Lisowska KA, Wardowska A, Spodzieja M. Peptides targeting the BTLA-HVEM complex can modulate T cell immune response. Eur J Pharm Sci 2024; 193:106677. [PMID: 38128840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoints secure the proper function of the immune system and the maintenance of the BTLA-HVEM complex, an inhibitory immune checkpoint, is one of the pathways vital for T cell responsiveness to various stimuli. The present study reports the immunomodulatory potential of five peptides targeting the BTLA-HVEM complex on the activity of human T cells. Isolated T cells were exposed to the peptides alone or combined with CD3/CD28 mAb for 72 h or 120 h. The flow cytometry was used to evaluate the activation markers (CD69, CD62L, CD25), changes within the T cell memory compartment, proliferation rate, and apoptosis of T cells. The immunomodulatory effect of the peptides was visible as an increase in the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing CD69 or CD25, a boost in T cell proliferation, and shifts in the T cell memory compartment. Pep(2) and Pep(5) were the most promising compounds, displaying a putative immune-restoring function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Wojciechowicz
- Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kuncewicz
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna A Lisowska
- Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Wardowska
- Department of Physiopathology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Marta Spodzieja
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Poland.
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6
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Webber BR, Johnson MJ, Skeate JG, Slipek NJ, Lahr WS, DeFeo AP, Mills LJ, Qiu X, Rathmann B, Diers MD, Wick B, Henley T, Choudhry M, Starr TK, McIvor RS, Moriarity BS. Cas9-induced targeted integration of large DNA payloads in primary human T cells via homology-mediated end-joining DNA repair. Nat Biomed Eng 2023:10.1038/s41551-023-01157-4. [PMID: 38092857 PMCID: PMC11169092 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01157-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The reliance on viral vectors for the production of genetically engineered immune cells for adoptive cellular therapies remains a translational bottleneck. Here we report a method leveraging the DNA repair pathway homology-mediated end joining, as well as optimized reagent composition and delivery, for the Cas9-induced targeted integration of large DNA payloads into primary human T cells with low toxicity and at efficiencies nearing those of viral vectors (targeted knock-in of 1-6.7 kb payloads at rates of up to 70% at multiple targeted genomic loci and with cell viabilities of over 80%). We used the method to produce T cells with an engineered T-cell receptor or a chimaeric antigen receptor and show that the cells maintained low levels of exhaustion markers and excellent capacities for proliferation and cytokine production and that they elicited potent antitumour cytotoxicity in vitro and in mice. The method is readily adaptable to current good manufacturing practices and scale-up processes, and hence may be used as an alternative to viral vectors for the production of genetically engineered T cells for cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beau R Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Matthew J Johnson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joseph G Skeate
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nicholas J Slipek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Walker S Lahr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Anthony P DeFeo
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Lauren J Mills
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Xiaohong Qiu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Blaine Rathmann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Miechaleen D Diers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bryce Wick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy K Starr
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Ob-Gyn and Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - R Scott McIvor
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Branden S Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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7
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Klebanoff CA, Chandran SS, Baker BM, Quezada SA, Ribas A. T cell receptor therapeutics: immunological targeting of the intracellular cancer proteome. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:996-1017. [PMID: 37891435 PMCID: PMC10947610 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00809-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) complex is a naturally occurring antigen sensor that detects, amplifies and coordinates cellular immune responses to epitopes derived from cell surface and intracellular proteins. Thus, TCRs enable the targeting of proteins selectively expressed by cancer cells, including neoantigens, cancer germline antigens and viral oncoproteins. As such, TCRs have provided the basis for an emerging class of oncology therapeutics. Herein, we review the current cancer treatment landscape using TCRs and TCR-like molecules. This includes adoptive cell transfer of T cells expressing endogenous or engineered TCRs, TCR bispecific engagers and antibodies specific for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-bound peptides (TCR mimics). We discuss the unique complexities associated with the clinical development of these therapeutics, such as HLA restriction, TCR retrieval, potency assessment and the potential for cross-reactivity. In addition, we highlight emerging clinical data that establish the antitumour potential of TCR-based therapies, including tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, for the treatment of diverse human malignancies. Finally, we explore the future of TCR therapeutics, including emerging genome editing methods to safely enhance potency and strategies to streamline patient identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Klebanoff
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Smita S Chandran
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, New York, NY, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, ID, USA
- The Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, ID, USA
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Haematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
- Achilles Therapeutics, London, UK
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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8
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Zhou Y, Jadlowsky J, Baiduc C, Klattenhoff AW, Chen Z, Bennett AD, Pumphrey NJ, Jakobsen BK, Riley JL. Chimeric antigen receptors enable superior control of HIV replication by rapidly killing infected cells. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011853. [PMID: 38100526 PMCID: PMC10773964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011853] [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: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineered T cells hold great promise to become part of an effective HIV cure strategy, but it is currently unclear how best to redirect T cells to target HIV. To gain insight, we generated engineered T cells using lentiviral vectors encoding one of three distinct HIV-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) or a previously optimized HIV-targeting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and compared their functional capabilities. All engineered T cells had robust, antigen-specific polyfunctional cytokine profiles when mixed with artificial antigen-presenting cells. However, only the CAR T cells could potently control HIV replication. TCR affinity enhancement did not augment HIV control but did allow TCR T cells to recognize common HIV escape variants. Interestingly, either altering Nef activity or adding additional target epitopes into the HIV genome bolstered TCR T cell anti-HIV activity, but CAR T cells remained superior in their ability to control HIV replication. To better understand why CAR T cells control HIV replication better than TCR T cells, we performed a time course to determine when HIV-specific T cells were first able to activate Caspase 3 in HIV-infected targets. We demonstrated that CAR T cells recognized and killed HIV-infected targets more rapidly than TCR T cells, which correlates with their ability to control HIV replication. These studies suggest that the speed of target recognition and killing is a key determinant of whether engineered T cell therapies will be effective against infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Julie Jadlowsky
- Department of Microbiology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Baiduc
- Department of Microbiology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alex W. Klattenhoff
- Department of Microbiology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Zhilin Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | | | - Bent K. Jakobsen
- Adaptimmune Ltd, Abingdon, United Kingdom
- Immunocore Ltd., Abingdon, United Kingdom
| | - James L. Riley
- Department of Microbiology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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9
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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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10
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Okada S, Muraoka D, Yasui K, Tawara I, Kawamura A, Okamoto S, Mineno J, Seo N, Shiku H, Eguchi S, Ikeda H. T cell receptor gene-modified allogeneic T cells with siRNA for endogenous T cell receptor induce efficient tumor regression without graft-versus-host disease. Cancer Sci 2023; 114:4172-4183. [PMID: 37675556 PMCID: PMC10637063 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15954] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy using genetically engineered patient-derived lymphocytes to express tumor-reactive receptors is a promising treatment for malignancy. However, utilization of autologous T cells in this therapy limits the quality of gene-engineered T cells, thereby inhibiting the timely infusion of the cells into patients. In this study, we evaluated the anti-tumor efficacy and the potential to induce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in T cell receptor (TCR) gene-engineered allogeneic T cells that downregulate the endogenous TCR and HLA class I molecules with the aim of developing an "off-the-shelf" cell product with expanded application of genetically engineered T cells. We transduced human lymphocytes with a high-affinity TCR specific to the cancer/testis antigen NY-ESO-1 using a novel retrovirus vector with siRNAs specific to the endogenous TCR (siTCR vector). These T cells showed reduced expression of endogenous TCR and minimized reactivity to allogeneic cells in vitro. In non-obese diabetic/SCID/γcnull mice, TCR gene-transduced T cells induced tumor regression without development of GVHD. A lentivirus-based CRISPR/Cas9 system targeting β-2 microglobulin in TCR gene-modified T cells silenced the HLA class I expression and prevented allogeneic CD8+ T cell stimulation without disrupting their anti-tumor capacity. This report is the first demonstration that siTCR technology is effective in preventing GVHD. Adoptive cell therapy with allogeneic T cells engineered with siTCR vector may be useful in developing an "off-the-shelf" therapy for patients with malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satomi Okada
- Department of OncologyNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
- Department of SurgeryNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
| | - Daisuke Muraoka
- Department of OncologyNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
- Division of Translational OncoimmunologyAichi Cancer Center Research InstituteNagoyaJapan
| | - Kiyoshi Yasui
- Department of OncologyNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
| | - Isao Tawara
- Department of Hematology and OncologyMie University Graduate School of MedicineMieJapan
| | | | | | | | - Naohiro Seo
- Department of Personalized Cancer ImmunotherapyMie University Graduate School of MedicineMieJapan
- Department of Bioengineering, School of EngineeringThe University of TokyoTokyoJapan
| | - Hiroshi Shiku
- Department of Personalized Cancer ImmunotherapyMie University Graduate School of MedicineMieJapan
| | - Susumu Eguchi
- Department of SurgeryNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
| | - Hiroaki Ikeda
- Department of OncologyNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
- Leading Medical Research Core UnitNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasakiJapan
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11
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Hunt MS, Yang SJ, Mortensen E, Boukhris A, Buckner J, Cook PJ, Rawlings DJ. Dual-locus, dual-HDR editing permits efficient generation of antigen-specific regulatory T cells with robust suppressive activity. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2872-2886. [PMID: 37481700 PMCID: PMC10556186 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive regulatory T (Treg) cell therapy is predicted to modulate immune tolerance in autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the requirement for antigen (ag) specificity to optimally orchestrate tissue-specific, Treg cell-mediated tolerance limits effective clinical application. To address this challenge, we present a single-step, combinatorial gene editing strategy utilizing dual-locus, dual-homology-directed repair (HDR) to generate and specifically expand ag-specific engineered Treg (EngTreg) cells derived from donor CD4+ T cells. Concurrent delivery of CRISPR nucleases and recombinant (r)AAV homology donor templates targeting FOXP3 and TRAC was used to achieve three parallel goals: enforced, stable expression of FOXP3; replacement of the endogenous T cell receptor (TCR) with an islet-specific TCR; and selective enrichment of dual-edited cells. Each HDR donor template contained an alternative component of a heterodimeric chemically inducible signaling complex (CISC), designed to activate interleukin-2 (IL-2) signaling in response to rapamycin, promoting expansion of only dual-edited EngTreg cells. Using this approach, we generated purified, islet-specific EngTreg cells that mediated robust direct and bystander suppression of effector T (Teff) cells recognizing the same or a different islet antigen peptide, respectively. This platform is broadly adaptable for use with alternative TCRs or other targeting moieties for application in tissue-specific autoimmune or inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina S Hunt
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Soo Jung Yang
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 Ninth Avenue, Seattle WA 98101, USA
| | - Emma Mortensen
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 Ninth Avenue, Seattle WA 98101, USA
| | - Ahmad Boukhris
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Jane Buckner
- Center for Translational Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, 1201 Ninth Avenue, Seattle WA 98101, USA
| | - Peter J Cook
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
| | - David J Rawlings
- Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies and Program for Cell and Gene Therapy, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 Ninth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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12
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Martini GR, Tikhonova E, Rosati E, DeCelie MB, Sievers LK, Tran F, Lessing M, Bergfeld A, Hinz S, Nikolaus S, Kümpers J, Matysiak A, Hofmann P, Saggau C, Schneiders S, Kamps AK, Jacobs G, Lieb W, Maul J, Siegmund B, Seegers B, Hinrichsen H, Oberg HH, Wesch D, Bereswill S, Heimesaat MM, Rupp J, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA, Brunke S, Hube B, Aden K, Franke A, Iliev ID, Scheffold A, Schreiber S, Bacher P. Selection of cross-reactive T cells by commensal and food-derived yeasts drives cytotoxic T H1 cell responses in Crohn's disease. Nat Med 2023; 29:2602-2614. [PMID: 37749331 PMCID: PMC10579100 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02556-5] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant CD4+ T cell reactivity against intestinal microorganisms is considered to drive mucosal inflammation in inflammatory bowel diseases. The disease-relevant microbial species and the corresponding microorganism-specific, pathogenic T cell phenotypes remain largely unknown. In the present study, we identified common gut commensal and food-derived yeasts, as direct activators of altered CD4+ T cell reactions in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Yeast-responsive CD4+ T cells in CD display a cytotoxic T helper cell (TH1 cell) phenotype and show selective expansion of T cell clones that are highly cross-reactive to several commensal, as well as food-derived, fungal species. This indicates cross-reactive T cell selection by repeated encounter with conserved fungal antigens in the context of chronic intestinal disease. Our results highlighted a role of yeasts as drivers of aberrant CD4+ T cell reactivity in patients with CD and suggest that both gut-resident fungal commensals and daily dietary intake of yeasts might contribute to chronic activation of inflammatory CD4+ T cell responses in patients with CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Rios Martini
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Tikhonova
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Elisa Rosati
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Meghan Bialt DeCelie
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura Katharina Sievers
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Florian Tran
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Matthias Lessing
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Arne Bergfeld
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sophia Hinz
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Susanna Nikolaus
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Julia Kümpers
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anna Matysiak
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Philipp Hofmann
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Carina Saggau
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stephan Schneiders
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristin Kamps
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Gunnar Jacobs
- Institute of Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and popgen Biobank, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Lieb
- Institute of Epidemiology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and popgen Biobank, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jochen Maul
- Gastroenterologie am Bayerischen Platz, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Britta Siegmund
- Department of Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Infectious Diseases, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Hans-Heinrich Oberg
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Daniela Wesch
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefan Bereswill
- Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Markus M Heimesaat
- Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jan Rupp
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller Universität, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Friedrich Schiller Universität, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Konrad Aden
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Andre Franke
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Iliyan D Iliev
- The Jill Roberts Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander Scheffold
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Stefan Schreiber
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Petra Bacher
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.
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13
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Blaeschke F, Chen YY, Apathy R, Daniel B, Chen AY, Chen PA, Sandor K, Zhang W, Li Z, Mowery CT, Yamamoto TN, Nyberg WA, To A, Yu R, Bueno R, Kim MC, Schmidt R, Goodman DB, Feuchtinger T, Eyquem J, Jimmie Ye C, Carnevale J, Satpathy AT, Shifrut E, Roth TL, Marson A. Modular pooled discovery of synthetic knockin sequences to program durable cell therapies. Cell 2023; 186:4216-4234.e33. [PMID: 37714135 PMCID: PMC10508323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.013] [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: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit the efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. Improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin (KI) sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed modular pooled KI screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA KI libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors (SRs). Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR- and CAR-T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically stimulated CAR-T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI's modularity allowed us to generate an ∼10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral KI of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct enhanced fitness. Overexpressed BATF and TFAP4 co-occupy and regulate key gene targets to reprogram T cell function. ModPoKI facilitates the discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Blaeschke
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Yan Yi Chen
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ryan Apathy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Bence Daniel
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Andy Y Chen
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Peixin Amy Chen
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Katalin Sandor
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wenxi Zhang
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zhongmei Li
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Cody T Mowery
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tori N Yamamoto
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - William A Nyberg
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Angela To
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ruby Yu
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Raymund Bueno
- Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Min Cheol Kim
- Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Ralf Schmidt
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Daniel B Goodman
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
| | - Tobias Feuchtinger
- Department of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich 80337, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich 80336, Germany; National Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Justin Eyquem
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chun Jimmie Ye
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Institute for Computational Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Julia Carnevale
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ansuman T Satpathy
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Program in Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Eric Shifrut
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Theodore L Roth
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Alexander Marson
- Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Institute for Human Genetics (IHG), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Diabetes Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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14
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Schaft N, Dörrie J, Schuler G, Schuler-Thurner B, Sallam H, Klein S, Eisenberg G, Frankenburg S, Lotem M, Khatib A. The future of affordable cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1248867. [PMID: 37736099 PMCID: PMC10509759 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1248867] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The treatment of cancer was revolutionized within the last two decades by utilizing the mechanism of the immune system against malignant tissue in so-called cancer immunotherapy. Two main developments boosted cancer immunotherapy: 1) the use of checkpoint inhibitors, which are characterized by a relatively high response rate mainly in solid tumors; however, at the cost of serious side effects, and 2) the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, which were shown to be very efficient in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but failed to show high clinical effectiveness in solid tumors until now. In addition, active immunization against individual tumors is emerging, and the first products have reached clinical approval. These new treatment options are very cost-intensive and are not financially compensated by health insurance in many countries. Hence, strategies must be developed to make cancer immunotherapy affordable and to improve the cost-benefit ratio. In this review, we discuss the following strategies: 1) to leverage the antigenicity of "cold tumors" with affordable reagents, 2) to use microbiome-based products as markers or therapeutics, 3) to apply measures that make adoptive cell therapy (ACT) cheaper, e.g., the use of off-the-shelf products, 4) to use immunotherapies that offer cheaper platforms, such as RNA- or peptide-based vaccines and vaccines that use shared or common antigens instead of highly personal antigens, 5) to use a small set of predictive biomarkers instead of the "sequence everything" approach, and 6) to explore affordable immunohistochemistry markers that may direct individual therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Schaft
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Dörrie
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gerold Schuler
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Beatrice Schuler-Thurner
- Department of Dermatology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen European Metropolitan Area of Nuremberg (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Husam Sallam
- Molecular Genetics and Genetic Toxicology, Health Science Department, American Arab University, Ramallah, Palestine
| | - Shiri Klein
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Galit Eisenberg
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shoshana Frankenburg
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michal Lotem
- Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
- Hadassah Cancer Research Institute, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Areej Khatib
- Women's Health Research Unit, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
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15
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Sykulev Y. Factors contributing to the potency of CD8 + T cells. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:693-700. [PMID: 37558570 PMCID: PMC10511257 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.07.005] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play a crucial role in targeting virus-infected and cancer cells. Although other cytotoxic lymphocytes such as CD4+ T and natural killer (NK) cells, as well as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells, can also identify and destroy aberrant cells, they seem to be significantly less potent based on available experimental data. Here, I contemplate the molecular mechanisms controlling the sensitivity and kinetics of granule-mediated CD8+ T cell cytolytic responses. I posit that the clustering of MHC-I molecules and T cell receptors (TCRs) on the cell surface, as well as the contribution of the CD8 co-receptor, are major factors driving exceptionally potent cytolytic responses. I also contend that CD8+ T cells with known specificity and engineered TCR-T cells might be among the most efficient cytolytic effectors for treating patients suffering from viral infections or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Sykulev
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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16
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Reimann H, Moosmann C, Schober K, Lang V, Verhagen J, Zeun J, Mackensen A, Kremer AN, Völkl S, Aigner M. Identification and characterization of T-cell receptors with therapeutic potential showing conserved specificity against all SARS-CoV 2 strains. Immunobiology 2023; 228:152720. [PMID: 37541134 DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2023.152720] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Treatment of severe COVID-19 disease can be challenging in immunocompromized patients due to newly emerging virus variants of concern (VOC) escaping the humoral response. Thus, T cells recognizing to date unmutated epitopes are not only relevant for patients' immune responses against VOC, but might also serve as a therapeutic option for patients with severe COVID-19 disease in the future, e.g. following allogenic stem cell transplantation. METHODS To this purpose, the activation, cytokine profile and specificity of T-cell clones against unmutated and omicron Spike (S)-protein was analyzed, HLA restriction was determined and most promising T-cell receptor (TCR) was introduced into allogeneic T cells via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated orthotopic TCR replacement. Finally, T-cell responses of engineered T cells was determined and durability of the TCR replacement measured. PERSPECTIVE SARS-CoV-2 specific engineered T cells recognizing a genomically stable region of the S-protein of all SARS-CoV 2 variants were successfully generated. Such transgenic T cells exhibit favorable effector functions and provide a treatment option of immunocompromised COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Reimann
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Carolin Moosmann
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Lang
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johan Verhagen
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine 3, Rheumatology and Immunology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julia Zeun
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Mackensen
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anita N Kremer
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Völkl
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Michael Aigner
- Department of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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17
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Pachmayr LO, Muehlbauer A, Flommersfeld S, Graml F, Hoenninger J, von Baumgarten L, Buchholz VR, Grassmann S. Unbiased chemokine receptor screening reveals similar efficacy of lymph node- and tumor-targeted T cell immunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:3111-3124. [PMID: 37301772 PMCID: PMC10412482 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03472-w] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Localization is a crucial prerequisite for immune cell function and solid tumors evade immune control by modulating immune cell infiltration into the tumor stroma. Immunosuppressive cells like regulatory T cells are attracted, while cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are excluded. Engineering CD8+ T cells with chemokine receptors is a potent strategy to turn this mechanism of directed immune cell recruitment against the tumor. Here, we utilized fluorescent tagging to track the migratory behavior of tumor-specific T cells engineered with a library of all murine chemokine receptors in vivo. We then asked whether chemokine receptor-mediated redirection of antigen-specific T cells into tumors or tumor-draining lymph nodes showed superior anti-tumoral activity. We found that both targeting approaches showed higher therapeutic efficacy than control T cells. However, multiple receptors conveying the same homing pattern did not augment infiltration. Instead, in the MC38 colon carcinoma model, anti-tumoral efficacy as well as lymph node vs. tumor-homing patterns were mostly driven by CCR4 and CCR6, respectively. Overall, our data, based on fluorescent receptor tagging, identify the tumor-draining lymph node and the tumor itself as viable targets for chemokine receptor-mediated enhancement of adoptive T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig O Pachmayr
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Anton Muehlbauer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Sophie Flommersfeld
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Franziska Graml
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Julian Hoenninger
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Veit R Buchholz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany.
| | - Simon Grassmann
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany.
- Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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18
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Gong H, Xue B, Ru J, Pei G, Li Y. Targeted Therapy for EWS-FLI1 in Ewing Sarcoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4035. [PMID: 37627063 PMCID: PMC10452796 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15164035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a rare and predominantly pediatric malignancy of bone and soft tissue in children and adolescents. Although international collaborations have greatly improved the prognosis of most EwS, the occurrence of macrometastases or relapse remains challenging. The prototypic oncogene EWS-FLI1 acts as an aberrant transcription factor that drives the cellular transformation of EwS. In addition to its involvement in RNA splicing and the DNA damage response, this chimeric protein directly binds to GGAA repeats, thereby modifying the transcriptional profile of EwS. Direct pharmacological targeting of EWS-FLI1 is difficult because of its intrinsically disordered structure. However, targeting the EWS-FLI1 protein complex or downstream pathways provides additional therapeutic options. This review describes the EWS-FLI1 protein partners and downstream pathways, as well as the related target therapies for the treatment of EwS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helong Gong
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, China;
| | - Busheng Xue
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China;
| | - Jinlong Ru
- Institute of Virology, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
| | - Guoqing Pei
- Department of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, China;
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19
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Du S, Yan J, Xue Y, Zhong Y, Dong Y. Adoptive cell therapy for cancer treatment. EXPLORATION (BEIJING, CHINA) 2023; 3:20210058. [PMID: 37933232 PMCID: PMC10624386 DOI: 10.1002/exp.20210058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a rapidly growing anti-cancer strategy that has shown promise in treating various cancer types. The concept of ACT involves activating patients' own immune cells ex vivo and then transferring them back to the patients to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. Currently, the commonly used ACT includes tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), genetically engineered immune cells, and dendritic cells (DCs) vaccines. With the advancement of cell culture and genetic engineering techniques, ACT has been used in clinics to treat malignant hematological diseases and many new ACT-based regimens are in different stages of clinical trials. Here, representative ACT approaches are introduced and the opportunities and challenges for clinical translation of ACT are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Du
- Division of Pharmaceutics and PharmacologyCollege of PharmacyOhio State UniversityColumbusUSA
- Icahn Genomics InstitutePrecision Immunology InstituteDepartment of Oncological SciencesTisch Cancer InstituteFriedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUSA
| | - Jingyue Yan
- Division of Pharmaceutics and PharmacologyCollege of PharmacyOhio State UniversityColumbusUSA
- Icahn Genomics InstitutePrecision Immunology InstituteDepartment of Oncological SciencesTisch Cancer InstituteFriedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUSA
| | - Yonger Xue
- Division of Pharmaceutics and PharmacologyCollege of PharmacyOhio State UniversityColumbusUSA
- Icahn Genomics InstitutePrecision Immunology InstituteDepartment of Oncological SciencesTisch Cancer InstituteFriedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUSA
| | - Yichen Zhong
- Division of Pharmaceutics and PharmacologyCollege of PharmacyOhio State UniversityColumbusUSA
- Icahn Genomics InstitutePrecision Immunology InstituteDepartment of Oncological SciencesTisch Cancer InstituteFriedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUSA
| | - Yizhou Dong
- Division of Pharmaceutics and PharmacologyCollege of PharmacyOhio State UniversityColumbusUSA
- Icahn Genomics InstitutePrecision Immunology InstituteDepartment of Oncological SciencesTisch Cancer InstituteFriedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkUSA
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20
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Chen YL, Ng JSW, Ottakandathil Babu R, Woo J, Nahler J, Hardman CS, Kurupati P, Nussbaum L, Gao F, Dong T, Ladell K, Price DA, Duncan DA, Johnson D, Gileadi U, Koohy H, Ogg GS. Group A Streptococcus induces CD1a-autoreactive T cells and promotes psoriatic inflammation. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadd9232. [PMID: 37267382 PMCID: PMC7615662 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add9232] [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: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection is associated with multiple clinical sequelae, including different subtypes of psoriasis. Such post-streptococcal disorders have been long known but are largely unexplained. CD1a is expressed at constitutively high levels by Langerhans cells and presents lipid antigens to T cells, but the potential relevance to GAS infection has not been studied. Here, we investigated whether GAS-responsive CD1a-restricted T cells contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Healthy individuals had high frequencies of circulating and cutaneous GAS-responsive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with rapid effector functions, including the production of interleukin-22 (IL-22). Human skin and blood single-cell CITE-seq analyses of IL-22-producing T cells showed a type 17 signature with proliferative potential, whereas IFN-γ-producing T cells displayed cytotoxic T lymphocyte characteristics. Furthermore, individuals with psoriasis had significantly higher frequencies of circulating GAS-reactive T cells, enriched for markers of activation, cytolytic potential, and tissue association. In addition to responding to GAS, subsets of expanded GAS-reactive T cell clones/lines were found to be autoreactive, which included the recognition of the self-lipid antigen lysophosphatidylcholine. CD8+ T cell clones/lines produced cytolytic mediators and lysed infected CD1a-expressing cells. Furthermore, we established cutaneous models of GAS infection in a humanized CD1a transgenic mouse model and identified enhanced and prolonged local and systemic inflammation, with resolution through a psoriasis-like phenotype. Together, these findings link GAS infection to the CD1a pathway and show that GAS infection promotes the proliferation and activation of CD1a-autoreactive T cells, with relevance to post-streptococcal disease, including the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ling Chen
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica Soo Weei Ng
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rosana Ottakandathil Babu
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jeongmin Woo
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Janina Nahler
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Clare S Hardman
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Prathiba Kurupati
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lea Nussbaum
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fei Gao
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- CAMS-Oxford International Centre for Translational Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- CAMS-Oxford International Centre for Translational Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristin Ladell
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - David A Price
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Systems Immunity Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - David A Duncan
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals National Health Services Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Uzi Gileadi
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hashem Koohy
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Alan Turing Fellow in Health and Medicine, Oxford, UK
| | - Graham S Ogg
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- CAMS-Oxford International Centre for Translational Immunology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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21
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Fraessle SP, Tschulik C, Effenberger M, Cletiu V, Gerget M, Schober K, Busch DH, Germeroth L, Stemberger C, Poltorak MP. Activation-inducible CAR expression enables precise control over engineered CAR T cell function. Commun Biol 2023; 6:604. [PMID: 37277433 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04978-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CAR T cell therapy is a rapidly growing area of oncological treatments having a potential of becoming standard care for multiple indications. Coincidently, CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technology is entering next-generation CAR T cell product manufacturing with the promise of more precise and more controllable cell modification methodology. The intersection of these medical and molecular advancements creates an opportunity for completely new ways of designing engineered cells to help overcome current limitations of cell therapy. In this manuscript we present proof-of-concept data for an engineered feedback loop. We manufactured activation-inducible CAR T cells with the help of CRISPR-mediated targeted integration. This new type of engineered T cells expresses the CAR gene dependent on their activation status. This artifice opens new possibilities to regulate CAR T cell function both in vitro and in vivo. We believe that such a physiological control system can be a powerful addition to the currently available toolbox of next-generation CAR constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Fraessle
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Tschulik
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Manuel Effenberger
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany.
| | - Vlad Cletiu
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Gerget
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Institute for Medical Microbiology Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lothar Germeroth
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Stemberger
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Mateusz P Poltorak
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
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22
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Duane C, O'Dwyer M, Glavey S. Adoptive Immunotherapy and High-Risk Myeloma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092633. [PMID: 37174099 PMCID: PMC10177276 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite significant improvements in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), it remains mostly incurable, highlighting a need for new therapeutic approaches. Patients with high-risk disease characteristics have a particularly poor prognosis and limited response to current frontline therapies. The recent development of immunotherapeutic strategies, particularly T cell-based agents have changed the treatment landscape for patients with relapsed and refractory disease. Adoptive cellular therapies include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, which have emerged as a highly promising therapy, particularly for patients with refractory disease. Other adoptive cellular approaches currently in trials include T cell receptor-based therapy (TCR), and the expansion of CAR technology to natural killer (NK) cells. In this review we explore the emerging therapeutic field of adoptive cellular therapy for MM, with a particular focus on the clinical impact of these therapies for patients with high-risk myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Duane
- Department of Haematology, Beaumont Hospital, D09 V2N0 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael O'Dwyer
- Department of Haematology, University of Galway, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland
| | - Siobhan Glavey
- Department of Haematology, Beaumont Hospital, D09 V2N0 Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Pathology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, D09 V2N0 Dublin, Ireland
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23
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Grünewald J, Schmidts A. A gentler yield of ex vivo-edited T cells. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:607-608. [PMID: 37208465 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01042-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Grünewald
- Department of Medicine I: Cardiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmidts
- Department of Medicine III: Hematology/Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Munich, Germany.
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24
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VanderBurgh JA, Corso TN, Levy SL, Craighead HG. Scalable continuous-flow electroporation platform enabling T cell transfection for cellular therapy manufacturing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6857. [PMID: 37185305 PMCID: PMC10133335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33941-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors represent a bottleneck in the manufacturing of cellular therapies. Electroporation has emerged as an approach for non-viral transfection of primary cells, but standard cuvette-based approaches suffer from low throughput, difficult optimization, and incompatibility with large-scale cell manufacturing. Here, we present a novel electroporation platform capable of rapid and reproducible electroporation that can efficiently transfect small volumes of cells for research and process optimization and scale to volumes required for applications in cellular therapy. We demonstrate delivery of plasmid DNA and mRNA to primary human T cells with high efficiency and viability, such as > 95% transfection efficiency for mRNA delivery with < 2% loss of cell viability compared to control cells. We present methods for scaling delivery that achieve an experimental throughput of 256 million cells/min. Finally, we demonstrate a therapeutically relevant modification of primary T cells using CRISPR/Cas9 to knockdown T cell receptor (TCR) expression. This study displays the capabilities of our system to address unmet needs for efficient, non-viral engineering of T cells for cell manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas N Corso
- CyteQuest, Inc, 95 Brown Road, Box 1011, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Stephen L Levy
- CyteQuest, Inc, 95 Brown Road, Box 1011, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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25
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Ugalde L, Fañanas S, Torres R, Quintana-Bustamante O, Río P. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. A promising strategy in hematological disorders. Cytotherapy 2023; 25:277-285. [PMID: 36610813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2022.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system has revolutionized the gene editing field, making it possible to interrupt, insert or replace a sequence of interest with high precision in the human genome. Its easy design and wide applicability open up a variety of therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of genetic diseases. Indeed, very promising approaches for the correction of hematological disorders have been developed in the recent years, based on the self-renewal and multipotent differentiation properties of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which make this cell subset the ideal target for gene therapy purposes. This technology has been applied in different congenital blood disorders, such as primary immunodeficiencies, X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, X-linked chronic granulomatous disease or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, and inherited bone marrow failure syndromes, such as Fanconi anemia, congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia or severe congenital neutropenia. Furthermore, CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing has been implemented successfully as a novel therapy for cancer immunotherapy, by the development of promising strategies such as the use of oncolytic viruses or adoptive cellular therapy to the chimeric antigen receptor-T-cell therapy. Therefore, considering the variety of genes and mutations affected, we can take advantage of the different DNA repair mechanisms by CRISPR/Cas9 in different manners, from homology-directed repair to non-homologous-end-joining to the latest emerging technologies such as base and prime editing. Although the delivery systems into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are still the bottleneck of this technology, some of the advances in genome editing shown in this review have already reached a clinical stage and show very promising preliminary results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ugalde
- Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Fañanas
- Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Torres
- Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), Madrid, Spain; Molecular Cytogenetics Group, Human Cancer Genetics Program, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Quintana-Bustamante
- Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Río
- Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), Madrid, Spain.
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26
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Qasim W. Genome-edited allogeneic donor "universal" chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Blood 2023; 141:835-845. [PMID: 36223560 PMCID: PMC10651779 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
αβ T cell receptor (TCRαβ) T cells modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), are now available as authorized therapies for certain B-cell malignancies. However the process of autologous harvest and generation of patient-specific products is costly, with complex logistics and infrastructure requirements. Premanufactured banks of allogeneic donor-derived CAR T cells could help widen applicability if the challenges of HLA-mismatched T-cell therapy can be addressed. Genome editing is being applied to overcome allogeneic barriers, most notably, by disrupting TCRαβ to prevent graft-versus-host disease, and multiple competing editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9 and base editing, have reached clinical phase testing. Improvements in accuracy and efficiency have unlocked applications for a wider range of blood malignancies, with multiplexed editing incorporated to target HLA molecules, shared antigens and checkpoint pathways. Clinical trials will help establish safety profiles and determine the durability of responses as well as the role of consolidation with allogeneic transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Qasim
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Zayed Centre for Research, London, United Kingdom
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27
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Baulu E, Gardet C, Chuvin N, Depil S. TCR-engineered T cell therapy in solid tumors: State of the art and perspectives. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf3700. [PMID: 36791198 PMCID: PMC9931212 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf3700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
T cell engineering has changed the landscape of cancer immunotherapy. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells have demonstrated a remarkable efficacy in the treatment of B cell malignancies in hematology. However, their clinical impact on solid tumors has been modest so far. T cells expressing an engineered T cell receptor (TCR-T cells) represent a promising therapeutic alternative. The target repertoire is not limited to membrane proteins, and intrinsic features of TCRs such as high antigen sensitivity and near-to-physiological signaling may improve tumor cell detection and killing while improving T cell persistence. In this review, we present the clinical results obtained with TCR-T cells targeting different tumor antigen families. We detail the different methods that have been developed to identify and optimize a TCR candidate. We also discuss the challenges of TCR-T cell therapies, including toxicity assessment and resistance mechanisms. Last, we share some perspectives and highlight future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Baulu
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
- ErVaccine Technologies, Lyon, France
| | - Célia Gardet
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Stéphane Depil
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Lyon, France
- ErVaccine Technologies, Lyon, France
- Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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28
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Mohr M, Damas N, Gudmand-Høyer J, Zeeberg K, Jedrzejczyk D, Vlassis A, Morera-Gómez M, Pereira-Schoning S, Puš U, Oliver-Almirall A, Lyholm Jensen T, Baumgartner R, Tate Weinert B, Gill RT, Warnecke T. The CRISPR-Cas12a Platform for Accurate Genome Editing, Gene Disruption, and Efficient Transgene Integration in Human Immune Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:375-389. [PMID: 36750230 PMCID: PMC9942205 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a nucleases have expanded the toolbox for targeted genome engineering in a broad range of organisms. Here, using a high-throughput engineering approach, we explored the potential of a novel CRISPR-MAD7 system for genome editing in human cells. We evaluated several thousand optimization conditions and demonstrated accurate genome reprogramming with modified MAD7. We identified crRNAs that allow for ≤95% non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and 66% frameshift mutations in various genes and observed the high-cleavage fidelity of MAD7 resulting in undetectable off-target activity. We explored the dsDNA delivery efficiency of CRISPR-MAD7, and by using our optimized transfection protocol, we obtained ≤85% chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) insertions in primary T cells, thus exceeding the baseline integration efficiencies of therapeutically relevant transgenes using currently available virus-free technologies. Finally, we evaluated multiplex editing efficiency with CRISPR-MAD7 and demonstrated simultaneous ≤35% CAR transgene insertions and ≤80% gene disruption efficiencies. Both the platform and our transfection procedure are easily adaptable for further preclinical studies and could potentially be used for clinical manufacturing of CAR T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mohr
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nkerorema Damas
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Johanne Gudmand-Høyer
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katrine Zeeberg
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dominika Jedrzejczyk
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Arsenios Vlassis
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martí Morera-Gómez
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sara Pereira-Schoning
- Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Urška Puš
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna Oliver-Almirall
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tanja Lyholm Jensen
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Roland Baumgartner
- Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Brian Tate Weinert
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ryan T. Gill
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark,Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States,
| | - Tanya Warnecke
- Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States,
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29
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Rollins MR, Raynor JF, Miller EA, Butler JZ, Spartz EJ, Lahr WS, You Y, Burrack AL, Moriarity BS, Webber BR, Stromnes IM. Germline T cell receptor exchange results in physiological T cell development and function. Nat Commun 2023; 14:528. [PMID: 36726009 PMCID: PMC9892040 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36180-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice represent an invaluable tool to study antigen-specific immune responses. In the pre-existing models, a monoclonal TCR is driven by a non-physiologic promoter and randomly integrated into the genome. Here, we create a highly efficient methodology to develop T cell receptor exchange (TRex) mice, in which TCRs, specific to the self/tumor antigen mesothelin (Msln), are integrated into the Trac locus, with concomitant Msln disruption to circumvent T cell tolerance. We show that high affinity TRex thymocytes undergo all sequential stages of maturation, express the exogenous TCR at DN4, require MHC class I for positive selection and undergo negative selection only when both Msln alleles are present. By comparison of TCRs with the same specificity but varying affinity, we show that Trac targeting improves functional sensitivity of a lower affinity TCR and confers resistance to T cell functional loss. By generating P14 TRex mice with the same specificity as the widely used LCMV-P14 TCR transgenic mouse, we demonstrate increased avidity of Trac-targeted TCRs over transgenic TCRs, while preserving physiologic T cell development. Together, our results support that the TRex methodology is an advanced tool to study physiological antigen-specific T cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan R Rollins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jackson F Raynor
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ebony A Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jonah Z Butler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ellen J Spartz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Medicine, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Walker S Lahr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yun You
- Mouse Genetics Laboratory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Adam L Burrack
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Branden S Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Beau R Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ingunn M Stromnes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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30
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Martinov T, Greenberg PD. Targeting Driver Oncogenes and Other Public Neoantigens Using T Cell Receptor-Based Cellular Therapy. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY 2023; 7:331-351. [PMID: 37655310 PMCID: PMC10470615 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-061521-082114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
T cell reactivity to tumor-specific neoantigens can drive endogenous and therapeutically induced antitumor immunity. However, most tumor-specific neoantigens are unique to each patient (private) and targeting them requires personalized therapy. A smaller subset of neoantigens includes epitopes that span recurrent mutation hotspots, translocations, or gene fusions in oncogenic drivers and tumor suppressors, as well as epitopes that arise from viral oncogenic proteins. Such antigens are likely to be shared across patients (public), uniformly expressed within a tumor, and required for cancer cell survival and fitness. Although a limited number of these public neoantigens are naturally immunogenic, recent studies affirm their clinical utility. In this review, we highlight efforts to target mutant KRAS, mutant p53, and epitopes derived from oncogenic viruses using T cells engineered with off-the-shelf T cell receptors. We also discuss the challenges and strategies to achieving more effective T cell therapies, particularly in the context of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijana Martinov
- Program in Immunology and Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Philip D Greenberg
- Program in Immunology and Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Immunology Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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31
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Nyberg WA, Ark J, To A, Clouden S, Reeder G, Muldoon JJ, Chung JY, Xie WH, Allain V, Steinhart Z, Chang C, Talbot A, Kim S, Rosales A, Havlik LP, Pimentel H, Asokan A, Eyquem J. An evolved AAV variant enables efficient genetic engineering of murine T cells. Cell 2023; 186:446-460.e19. [PMID: 36638795 PMCID: PMC10540678 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Precise targeting of large transgenes to T cells using homology-directed repair has been transformative for adoptive cell therapies and T cell biology. Delivery of DNA templates via adeno-associated virus (AAV) has greatly improved knockin efficiencies, but the tropism of current AAV serotypes restricts their use to human T cells employed in immunodeficient mouse models. To enable targeted knockins in murine T cells, we evolved Ark313, a synthetic AAV that exhibits high transduction efficiency in murine T cells. We performed a genome-wide knockout screen and identified QA2 as an essential factor for Ark313 infection. We demonstrate that Ark313 can be used for nucleofection-free DNA delivery, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockouts, and targeted integration of large transgenes. Ark313 enables preclinical modeling of Trac-targeted CAR-T and transgenic TCR-T cells in immunocompetent models. Efficient gene targeting in murine T cells holds great potential for improved cell therapies and opens avenues in experimental T cell immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Nyberg
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jonathan Ark
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Angela To
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sylvanie Clouden
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Gabriella Reeder
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA
| | - Joseph J Muldoon
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jing-Yi Chung
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - William H Xie
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA
| | - Vincent Allain
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Université de Paris Cité, INSERM UMR976, Hôpital St-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Zachary Steinhart
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Christopher Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA
| | - Alexis Talbot
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Université de Paris Cité, INSERM UMR976, Hôpital St-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Sandy Kim
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Alan Rosales
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - L Patrick Havlik
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Harold Pimentel
- Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Sloan Foundation, Departments of Computational Medicine, Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Aravind Asokan
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
| | - Justin Eyquem
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Gladstone-UCSF Institute of Genomic Immunology, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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32
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Kobayashi E, Ozawa T, Hamana H, Muraguchi A, Kishi H. Gene modified NK cell line as a powerful tool for evaluation of cloned TCRs for TCR-T cell therapy. Cell Immunol 2023; 383:104656. [PMID: 36521300 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
T cell receptor-engineered T cell (TCR-T) therapy is anticipated as a next generation-immunotherapy for cancer and recent advances of TCR isolation technology have enabled patient's T cells to express TCRs recognizing multiple combinations of specific peptides and human leukocyte antigens (HLA). However, evaluation processes for the TCR-induced cytotoxicity activity using primary T cells are laborious and time-consuming. In this study, we established a cell line that do not express endogenous TCRs, enabling to generate large numbers of homogeneous cells, and can measure the cytotoxic activity of the isolated TCRs. To this end, we transduced a Natural Killer (NK) cell line with human CD3 molecules and interleukin (IL)-2. The TCR expressing NK cells killed target cells as similarly to TCR-transduced primary T cells and secreted various cytokines/chemokines including IL-2. Thus, the gene-modified NK cell can be a powerful tool to rapidly and efficiently evaluate the functions of isolated TCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Kobayashi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
| | - Tatsuhiko Ozawa
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hamana
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Muraguchi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kishi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Degirmencay A, Thomas S, Mohammed F, Willcox BE, Stauss HJ. Modifications outside CDR1, 2 and 3 of the TCR variable β domain increase TCR expression and antigen-specific function. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148890. [PMID: 37122739 PMCID: PMC10134071 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) gene modified T cells are a promising form of adoptive cellular therapy against human malignancies and viral infections. Since the first human clinical trial was carried out in 2006, several strategies have been developed to improve the efficacy and safety of TCR engineered T cells by enhancing the surface expression of the introduced therapeutic TCRs whilst reducing the mis-pairing with endogenous TCR chains. In this study, we explored how modifications of framework residues in the TCR variable domains affect TCR expression and function. We used bioinformatic and protein structural analyses to identify candidate amino acid residues in the framework of the variable β domain predicted to drive high TCR surface expression. Changes of these residues in poorly expressed TCRs resulted in improved surface expression and boosted target cell specific killing by engineered T cells expressing the modified TCRs. Overall, these results indicate that small changes in the framework of the TCR variable domains can result in improved expression and functionality, while at the same time reducing the risk of toxicity associated with TCR mis-pairing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Degirmencay
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sharyn Thomas
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fiyaz Mohammed
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Centre, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin E. Willcox
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Centre, Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hans J. Stauss
- Institute of Immunity and Transplantation, Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Hans J. Stauss,
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34
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Hiltensperger M, Krackhardt AM. Current and future concepts for the generation and application of genetically engineered CAR-T and TCR-T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1121030. [PMID: 36949949 PMCID: PMC10025359 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1121030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has seen a steep rise of new therapeutic approaches in its immune-oncology pipeline over the last years. This is in great part due to the recent approvals of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies and their remarkable efficacy in certain soluble tumors. A big focus of ACT lies on T cells and how to genetically modify them to target and kill tumor cells. Genetically modified T cells that are currently utilized are either equipped with an engineered CAR or a T cell receptor (TCR) for this purpose. Both strategies have their advantages and limitations. While CAR-T cell therapies are already used in the clinic, these therapies face challenges when it comes to the treatment of solid tumors. New designs of next-generation CAR-T cells might be able to overcome these hurdles. Moreover, CARs are restricted to surface antigens. Genetically engineered TCR-T cells targeting intracellular antigens might provide necessary qualities for the treatment of solid tumors. In this review, we will summarize the major advancements of the CAR-T and TCR-T cell technology. Moreover, we will cover ongoing clinical trials, discuss current challenges, and provide an assessment of future directions within the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hiltensperger
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- IIIrd Medical Department, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Michael Hiltensperger, ; Angela M. Krackhardt,
| | - Angela M. Krackhardt
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Munich and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- IIIrd Medical Department, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), Erlangen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Michael Hiltensperger, ; Angela M. Krackhardt,
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35
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de Lima SCG, Fantacini DMC, Furtado IP, Rossetti R, Silveira RM, Covas DT, de Souza LEB. Genome Editing for Engineering the Next Generation of Advanced Immune Cell Therapies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1429:85-110. [PMID: 37486518 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-33325-5_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Our current genetic engineering capacity through synthetic biology and genome editing is the foundation of a revolution in biomedical science: the use of genetically programmed cells as therapeutics. The prime example of this paradigm is the adoptive transfer of genetically engineered T cells to express tumor-specific receptors, such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or engineered T-cell receptors (TCR). This approach has led to unprecedented complete remission rates in patients with otherwise incurable hematological malignancies. However, this approach is still largely ineffective against solid tumors, which comprise the vast majority of neoplasms. Also, limitations associated with the autologous nature of this therapy and shared markers between cancer cells and T cells further restrict the access to these therapies. Here, we described how cutting-edge genome editing approaches have been applied to unlock the full potential of these revolutionary therapies, thereby increasing therapeutic efficacy and patient accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Caroline Gomes de Lima
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Izadora Peter Furtado
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Rossetti
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Roberta Maraninchi Silveira
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Dimas Tadeu Covas
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Lucas Eduardo Botelho de Souza
- Blood Center of Ribeirão Preto - Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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36
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Nahmad A, Reuveni E, Goldschmidt E, Tenne T, Liberman M, Horovitz-Fried M, Khosravi R, Kobo H, Reinstein E, Madi A, Ben-David U, Barzel A. Frequent aneuploidy in primary human T cells after CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1807-1813. [PMID: 35773341 PMCID: PMC7613940 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01377-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Multiple clinical trials of allogeneic T cell therapy use site-specific nucleases to disrupt T cell receptor (TCR) and other genes1-6. In this study, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we investigated genome editing outcomes in primary human T cells transfected with CRISPR-Cas9 and guide RNAs targeting genes for TCR chains and programmed cell death protein 1. Four days after transfection, we found a loss of chromosome 14, harboring the TCRα locus, in up to 9% of the cells and a chromosome 14 gain in up to 1.4% of the cells. Chromosome 7, harboring the TCRβ locus, was truncated in 9.9% of the cells. Aberrations were validated using fluorescence in situ hybridization and digital droplet PCR. Aneuploidy was associated with reduced proliferation, induced p53 activation and cell death. However, at 11 days after transfection, 0.9% of T cells still had a chromosome 14 loss. Aneuploidy and chromosomal truncations are, thus, frequent outcomes of CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage that should be monitored and minimized in clinical protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.D. Nahmad
- The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel,The Varda and Boaz Dotan Center for Advanced Therapies, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
| | - E. Reuveni
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - E. Goldschmidt
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - T. Tenne
- Medical Genetics Institute, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel
| | - M. Liberman
- Medical Genetics Institute, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel
| | - M. Horovitz-Fried
- The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel,The Varda and Boaz Dotan Center for Advanced Therapies, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
| | - R. Khosravi
- Single-Cell Genomics Core, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - H. Kobo
- Genomics Research Unit, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - E. Reinstein
- Medical Genetics Institute, Meir Medical Center, Kfar-Saba, Israel,Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - A. Madi
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - U. Ben-David
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - A. Barzel
- The School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel,The Varda and Boaz Dotan Center for Advanced Therapies, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
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37
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Xue B, von Heyking K, Gassmann H, Poorebrahim M, Thiede M, Schober K, Mautner J, Hauer J, Ruland J, Busch DH, Thiel U, Burdach SEG. T Cells Directed against the Metastatic Driver Chondromodulin-1 in Ewing Sarcoma: Comparative Engineering with CRISPR/Cas9 vs. Retroviral Gene Transfer for Adoptive Transfer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225485. [PMID: 36428578 PMCID: PMC9688113 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is a highly malignant sarcoma of bone and soft tissue with early metastatic spread and an age peak in early puberty. The prognosis in advanced stages is still dismal, and the long-term effects of established therapies are severe. Efficacious targeted therapies are urgently needed. Our previous work has provided preliminary safety and efficacy data utilizing T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic T cells, generated by retroviral gene transfer, targeting HLA-restricted peptides on the tumor cell derived from metastatic drivers. Here, we compared T cells engineered with either CRISPR/Cas9 or retroviral gene transfer. Firstly, we confirmed the feasibility of the orthotopic replacement of the endogenous TCR by CRISPR/Cas9 with a TCR targeting our canonical metastatic driver chondromodulin-1 (CHM1). CRISPR/Cas9-engineered T cell products specifically recognized and killed HLA-A*02:01+ EwS cell lines. The efficiency of retroviral transduction was higher compared to CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Both engineered T cell products specifically recognized tumor cells and elicited cytotoxicity, with CRISPR/Cas9 engineered T cells providing prolonged cytotoxic activity. In conclusion, T cells engineered with CRISPR/Cas9 could be feasible for immunotherapy of EwS and may have the advantage of more prolonged cytotoxic activity, as compared to T cells engineered with retroviral gene transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Busheng Xue
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Kristina von Heyking
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Hendrik Gassmann
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Mansour Poorebrahim
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Thiede
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81674 Munich, Germany
| | - Josef Mautner
- Department of Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Centre Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- DZIF, German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany Institute of Clinical, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Julia Hauer
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Jürgen Ruland
- DZIF, German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany Institute of Clinical, 81675 Munich, Germany
- DKTK German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H. Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81674 Munich, Germany
- DZIF, German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich, Germany Institute of Clinical, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Uwe Thiel
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.T.); (S.E.G.B.)
| | - Stefan E. G. Burdach
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Cancer Research Center, Kinderklinik München Schwabing, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 80804 Munich, Germany
- Munich Childhood Health Alliance (CHANCE) e.V, 80337 Munich, Germany
- DKTK German Cancer Consortium, Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Translational Pediatric Cancer Research-Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Department of Molecular Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre and Academy of Translational Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3, Canada
- Correspondence: (U.T.); (S.E.G.B.)
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38
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Mateyka LM, Strobl PM, Jarosch S, Scheu SJC, Busch DH, D'Ippolito E. Gene Signatures of T-Cell Activation Can Serve as Predictors of Functionality for SARS-CoV-2-Specific T-Cell Receptors. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10101617. [PMID: 36298482 PMCID: PMC9611811 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10101617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of T cells in controlling SARS-CoV-2 infections has been demonstrated widely, but insights into the quality of these responses are still limited due to technical challenges. Indeed, understanding the functionality of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of a polyclonal antigen-specific population still requires the tedious work of T-cell cloning or TCR re-expression and subsequent characterization. In this work, we show that it is possible to discriminate highly functional and bystander TCRs based on gene signatures of T-cell activation induced by recent peptide stimulation. SARS-CoV-2-specific TCRs previously identified by cytokine release after peptide restimulation and subsequent single-cell RNA sequencing were re-expressed via CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing into a Jurkat-based reporter cell line system suitable for high-throughput screening. We could observe differences in SARS-CoV-2 epitope recognition as well as a wide range of functional avidities. By correlating these in vitro TCR engineered functional data with the transcriptomic profiles of the corresponding TCR-expressing parental T cells, we could validate that gene signatures of recent T-cell activation accurately identify and predict truly SARS-CoV-2-specific TCRs. In summary, this work paves the way for alternative approaches useful for the functional analysis of global antigen-specific TCR repertoires with largely improved throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Mateyka
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp M Strobl
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Jarosch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian J C Scheu
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Elvira D'Ippolito
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
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39
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Vazquez-Lombardi R, Jung JS, Schlatter FS, Mei A, Mantuano NR, Bieberich F, Hong KL, Kucharczyk J, Kapetanovic E, Aznauryan E, Weber CR, Zippelius A, Läubli H, Reddy ST. High-throughput T cell receptor engineering by functional screening identifies candidates with enhanced potency and specificity. Immunity 2022; 55:1953-1966.e10. [PMID: 36174557 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge in adoptive T cell immunotherapy is the discovery of natural T cell receptors (TCRs) with high activity and specificity to tumor antigens. Engineering synthetic TCRs for increased tumor antigen recognition is complicated by the risk of introducing cross-reactivity and by the poor correlation that can exist between binding affinity and activity of TCRs in response to antigen (peptide-MHC). Here, we developed TCR-Engine, a method combining genome editing, computational design, and deep sequencing to engineer the functional activity and specificity of TCRs on the surface of a human T cell line at high throughput. We applied TCR-Engine to successfully engineer synthetic TCRs for increased potency and specificity to a clinically relevant tumor-associated antigen (MAGE-A3) and validated their translational potential through multiple in vitro and in vivo assessments of safety and efficacy. Thus, TCR-Engine represents a valuable technology for engineering of safe and potent synthetic TCRs for immunotherapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Vazquez-Lombardi
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Engimmune Therapeutics AG, Hegenheimermattweg 167A, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.
| | - Johanna S Jung
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Fabrice S Schlatter
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anna Mei
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Florian Bieberich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kai-Lin Hong
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jakub Kucharczyk
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Edo Kapetanovic
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Erik Aznauryan
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cédric R Weber
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alfred Zippelius
- Department of Biomedicine, Universitätsspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Läubli
- Department of Biomedicine, Universitätsspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sai T Reddy
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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40
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T-Cell-Based Cellular Immunotherapy of Multiple Myeloma: Current Developments. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14174249. [PMID: 36077787 PMCID: PMC9455067 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14174249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Over the past two decades, there has been significant progress in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Starting with the approval of bortezomib and lenalidomide, followed by newer agents in the same classes, monoclonal antibodies, and most recently idecabtagene vicleucel and ciltacabtagene autoleucel, which are genetically engineered autologous T-cell-based therapies, our view of this disease has changed from incurable to controllable and potentially curable. In addition to multiple myeloma and B-cell lymphomas, T-cell-based therapies are also actively investigated in various types of hematological and non-hematological malignancies and are considered one of the most impactful evolutions in cancer therapeutics. This review aims to summarize existing data regarding the efficacy, toxicity, and management of unique adverse events in T-cell-based therapies that are both clinically available and under investigation. We will also address undergoing efforts to improve the survival outcomes of multiple myeloma patients through this treatment modality. Abstract T-cell-based cellular therapy was first approved in lymphoid malignancies (B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and large B-cell lymphoma) and expanding its investigation and application both in hematological and non-hematological malignancies. Two anti-BCMA (B cell maturation antigen) CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T-cell therapies have been recently approved for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma with excellent efficacy even in the heavily pre-treated patient population. This new therapeutic approach significantly changes our practice; however, there is still room for further investigation to optimize antigen receptor engineering, cell harvest/selection, treatment sequence, etc. They are also associated with unique adverse events, especially CRS (cytokine release syndrome) and ICANS (immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome), which are not seen with other anti-myeloma therapies and require expertise for management and prevention. Other T-cell based therapies such as TCR (T Cell Receptor) engineered T-cells and non-genetically engineered adoptive T-cell transfers (Vγ9 Vδ2 T-cells and Marrow infiltrating lymphocytes) are also actively studied and worth attention. They can potentially overcome therapeutic challenges after the failure of CAR T-cell therapy through different mechanisms of action. This review aims to provide readers clinical data of T-cell-based therapies for multiple myeloma, management of unique toxicities and ongoing investigation in both clinical and pre-clinical settings.
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41
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Mateyka LM, Grass V, Pichlmair A, Busch DH, D’Ippolito E. SARS-CoV-2 CD8 + T cell killing assays using replicating viruses and transgenic antigens. STAR Protoc 2022; 3:101699. [PMID: 36152303 PMCID: PMC9411149 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101699] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality of an antigen-specific CD8+ T cell repertoire is crucial for the clearance of intracellular pathogens, in particular for viral infections. Here, we describe killing assays to determine the function of CD8+ T cells engineered with SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell receptors in a near-physiological system for antigen presentation. We detail the use of target cells either infected with replicating SARS-CoV-2 virus or engineered with SARS-CoV-2 open reading frames. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Moosmann et al. (2022) and Wagner et al. (2022).
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Mateyka
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany,Corresponding author
| | - Vincent Grass
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Pichlmair
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H. Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Elvira D’Ippolito
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 81675 Munich, Germany,Corresponding author
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42
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Purcarea A, Jarosch S, Barton J, Grassmann S, Pachmayr L, D'Ippolito E, Hammel M, Hochholzer A, Wagner KI, van den Berg JH, Buchholz VR, Haanen JBAG, Busch DH, Schober K. Signatures of recent activation identify a circulating T cell compartment containing tumor-specific antigen receptors with high avidity. Sci Immunol 2022; 7:eabm2077. [PMID: 35960818 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abm2077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR) avidity is assumed to be a major determinant of the spatiotemporal fate and protective capacity of tumor-specific T cells. However, monitoring polyclonal T cell responses with known TCR avidities in vivo over space and time remains challenging. Here, we investigated the fate and functionality of tumor neoantigen-specific T cells with TCRs of distinct avidities in a well-established, reductionist preclinical tumor model and human patients with melanoma. To this end, we used polyclonal T cell transfers with in-depth characterized TCRs together with flow cytometric phenotyping in mice inoculated with MC38 OVA tumors. Transfer of T cells from retrogenic mice harboring TCRs with high avidity resulted in best tumor protection. Unexpectedly, we found that both high- and low-avidity T cells are similarly abundant within the tumor and adopt concordant phenotypic signs of exhaustion. Outside the tumor, high-avidity TCR T cells were not generally overrepresented but, instead, selectively enriched in T cell populations with intermediate PD-1 protein expression. Single-cell sequencing of neoantigen-specific T cells from two patients with melanoma-combined with transgenic reexpression of identified TCRs by CRISPR-Cas9-mediated orthotopic TCR replacement-revealed high-functionality TCRs to be enriched in T cells with RNA signatures of recent activation. Furthermore, of 130 surface protein candidates, PD-1 surface expression was most consistently enriched in functional TCRs. Together, our findings show that tumor-reactive TCRs with high protective capacity circulating in peripheral blood are characterized by a signature of recent activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Purcarea
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Jarosch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Jack Barton
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Grassmann
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Ludwig Pachmayr
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Elvira D'Ippolito
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Monika Hammel
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Hochholzer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - Karolin I Wagner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | | | - Veit R Buchholz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany
| | - John B A G Haanen
- Division of Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany.,Focus Group "Clinical Cell Processing and Purification", Institute for Advanced Study, TUM, Munich, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Hygiene, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany.,Mikrobiologisches Institut-Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie, und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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43
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CRISPR/Cas9-medaited knockout of endogenous T-cell receptor in Jurkat cells and generation of NY-ESO-1-specific T cells: An in vitro study. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 110:109055. [PMID: 35853277 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells has been successful in mediating favorable clinical outcomes. TCR-engineered T cells can be applied for targeting cancers whose associated antigens are intracellular and presented through major histocompatibility complexes (MHC). The mispairing of the exogenous TCR chains with the endogenous TCR chains leads to functionally impaired TCR-engineered T cells. The CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing system can be utilized for the knockout of the endogenous TCR in T cells before introducing the exogenous TCR chains. In this study, we used the lentiviral delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 for disrupting the expression of the endogenous TCR in the Jurkat cell line. Next, an exogenous TCR targeting human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*0201-restricted New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 (NY-ESO-1) peptide was transduced into the TCR-knockout (KO) Jurkat cells. Further, we assessed lentiviral transduction efficacy using tetramer assay and evaluated the functionality of the NY-ESO-1-specific TCR-engineered T cells by quantifying the cell surface expression of CD69 upon co-cultivation with peptide-pulsed T2 cells. We successfully knocked out the endogenous TCR in ∼40% of the Jurkat cells. TCR-KO cells were selected and subjected to express NY-ESO-1-specific TCRs using lentiviral vectors. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed that up to 55% of the cells expressed the transgenic TCR on their surface. The functionality assay demonstrated that >90% of the engineered cells expressed CD69 when co-cultured with peptide-pulsed T2 cells. Conclusively, we developed a pipeline to engineer Jurkat cells using the state-of-the-art technique CRISPR/Cas9 and generated TCR-engineered cells that can become activated by a tumor-specific antigen.
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Endowing universal CAR T-cell with immune-evasive properties using TALEN-gene editing. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3453. [PMID: 35773273 PMCID: PMC9247096 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30896-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Universal CAR T-cell therapies are poised to revolutionize cancer treatment and to improve patient outcomes. However, realizing these advantages in an allogeneic setting requires universal CAR T-cells that can kill target tumor cells, avoid depletion by the host immune system, and proliferate without attacking host tissues. Here, we describe the development of a novel immune-evasive universal CAR T-cells scaffold using precise TALEN-mediated gene editing and DNA matrices vectorized by recombinant adeno-associated virus 6. We simultaneously disrupt and repurpose the endogenous TRAC and B2M loci to generate TCRαβ- and HLA-ABC-deficient T-cells expressing the CAR construct and the NK-inhibitor named HLA-E. This highly efficient gene editing process enables the engineered T-cells to evade NK cell and alloresponsive T-cell attacks and extend their persistence and antitumor activity in the presence of cytotoxic levels of NK cell in vivo and in vitro, respectively. This scaffold could enable the broad use of universal CAR T-cells in allogeneic settings and holds great promise for clinical applications.
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45
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Moretti A, Ponzo M, Nicolette CA, Tcherepanova IY, Biondi A, Magnani CF. The Past, Present, and Future of Non-Viral CAR T Cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:867013. [PMID: 35757746 PMCID: PMC9218214 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.867013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T lymphocytes is a powerful technology that has revolutionized the way we conceive immunotherapy. The impressive clinical results of complete and prolonged response in refractory and relapsed diseases have shifted the landscape of treatment for hematological malignancies, particularly those of lymphoid origin, and opens up new possibilities for the treatment of solid neoplasms. However, the widening use of cell therapy is hampered by the accessibility to viral vectors that are commonly used for T cell transfection. In the era of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and CRISPR/Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-CRISPR-associated) precise genome editing, novel and virus-free methods for T cell engineering are emerging as a more versatile, flexible, and sustainable alternative for next-generation CAR T cell manufacturing. Here, we discuss how the use of non-viral vectors can address some of the limitations of the viral methods of gene transfer and allow us to deliver genetic information in a stable, effective and straightforward manner. In particular, we address the main transposon systems such as Sleeping Beauty (SB) and piggyBac (PB), the utilization of mRNA, and innovative approaches of nanotechnology like Lipid-based and Polymer-based DNA nanocarriers and nanovectors. We also describe the most relevant preclinical data that have recently led to the use of non-viral gene therapy in emerging clinical trials, and the related safety and efficacy aspects. We will also provide practical considerations for future trials to enable successful and safe cell therapy with non-viral methods for CAR T cell generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Moretti
- Tettamanti Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca/Fondazione Monza e Brianza per il Bambino e la sua Mamma (MBBM), Monza, Italy
| | - Marianna Ponzo
- Tettamanti Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca/Fondazione Monza e Brianza per il Bambino e la sua Mamma (MBBM), Monza, Italy
| | | | | | - Andrea Biondi
- Tettamanti Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca/Fondazione Monza e Brianza per il Bambino e la sua Mamma (MBBM), Monza, Italy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano - Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Clinica Pediatrica, University of Milano - Bicocca/Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Chiara F. Magnani
- Tettamanti Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca/Fondazione Monza e Brianza per il Bambino e la sua Mamma (MBBM), Monza, Italy
- Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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46
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Kath J, Du W, Pruene A, Braun T, Thommandru B, Turk R, Sturgeon ML, Kurgan GL, Amini L, Stein M, Zittel T, Martini S, Ostendorf L, Wilhelm A, Akyüz L, Rehm A, Höpken UE, Pruß A, Künkele A, Jacobi AM, Volk HD, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Stripecke R, Reinke P, Wagner DL. Pharmacological interventions enhance virus-free generation of TRAC-replaced CAR T cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:311-330. [PMID: 35573047 PMCID: PMC9062427 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) redirected T cells are potent therapeutic options against hematological malignancies. The current dominant manufacturing approach for CAR T cells depends on retroviral transduction. With the advent of gene editing, insertion of a CD19-CAR into the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha constant (TRAC) locus using adeno-associated viruses for gene transfer was demonstrated, and these CD19-CAR T cells showed improved functionality over their retrovirally transduced counterparts. However, clinical-grade production of viruses is complex and associated with extensive costs. Here, we optimized a virus-free genome-editing method for efficient CAR insertion into the TRAC locus of primary human T cells via nuclease-assisted homology-directed repair (HDR) using CRISPR-Cas and double-stranded template DNA (dsDNA). We evaluated DNA-sensor inhibition and HDR enhancement as two pharmacological interventions to improve cell viability and relative CAR knockin rates, respectively. While the toxicity of transfected dsDNA was not fully prevented, the combination of both interventions significantly increased CAR knockin rates and CAR T cell yield. Resulting TRAC-replaced CD19-CAR T cells showed antigen-specific cytotoxicity and cytokine production in vitro and slowed leukemia progression in a xenograft mouse model. Amplicon sequencing did not reveal significant indel formation at potential off-target sites with or without exposure to DNA-repair-modulating small molecules. With TRAC-integrated CAR+ T cell frequencies exceeding 50%, this study opens new perspectives to exploit pharmacological interventions to improve non-viral gene editing in T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kath
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Weijie Du
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alina Pruene
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | - Tobias Braun
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | | | - Rolf Turk
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | | | - Gavin L. Kurgan
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | - Leila Amini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Stein
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatiana Zittel
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefania Martini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lennard Ostendorf
- Department of Nephrology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Armin Rehm
- Department of Translational Tumorimmunology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Uta E. Höpken
- Department of Microenvironmental Regulation in Autoimmunity and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Künkele
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Schmueck-Henneresse
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, Cancer Center Cologne Essen, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Reinke
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitrios L. Wagner
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Corresponding author Dimitrios Laurin Wagner, MD, PhD, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT) BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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Ishihara M, Kitano S, Kageyama S, Miyahara Y, Yamamoto N, Kato H, Mishima H, Hattori H, Funakoshi T, Kojima T, Sasada T, Sato E, Okamoto S, Tomura D, Nukaya I, Chono H, Mineno J, Kairi MF, Diem Hoang Nguyen P, Simoni Y, Nardin A, Newell E, Fehlings M, Ikeda H, Watanabe T, Shiku H. NY-ESO-1-specific redirected T cells with endogenous TCR knockdown mediate tumor response and cytokine release syndrome. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003811. [PMID: 35768164 PMCID: PMC9244667 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Because of the shortage of ideal cell surface antigens, the development of T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells (TCR-T) that target intracellular antigens such as NY-ESO-1 is a promising approach for treating patients with solid tumors. However, endogenous TCRs in vector-transduced T cells have been suggested to impair cell-surface expression of transduced TCR while generating mispaired TCRs that can become self-reactive. Methods We conducted a first-in-human phase I clinical trial with the TCR-transduced T-cell product (TBI-1301) in patients with NY-ESO-1-expressing solid tumors. In manufacturing TCR-T cells, we used a novel affinity-enhanced NY-ESO-1-specific TCR that was transduced by a retroviral vector that enables siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated silencing of endogenous TCR. The patients were divided into two cohorts. Cohort 1 was given a dose of 5×108 cells (whole cells including TCR-T cells) preconditioned with 1500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide. Cohort 2 was given 5× 109 cells preconditioned with 1500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide. Results In vitro study showed that both the CD8+ and CD4+ T fractions of TCR-T cells exhibited cytotoxic effects against NY-ESO-1-expressing tumor cells. Three patients and six patients were allocated to cohort 1 and cohort 2, respectively. Three of the six patients who received 5×109 cells showed tumor response, while three patients developed early-onset cytokine release syndrome (CRS). One of the patients developed a grade 3 lung injury associated with the infiltration of the TCR-T cells. No siRNA-related adverse events other than CRS were observed. Cytokines including interleukin 6 I and monocyte chemotactic protein-1/chemokine (C-C motif) ligand (CCL2) increased in the sera of patients with CRS. In vitro analysis showed these cytokines were not secreted from the T cells infused. A significant fraction of the manufactured T cells in patients with CRS was found to express either CD244, CD39, or both at high levels. Conclusions The trial showed that endogenous TCR-silenced and affinity-enhanced NY-ESO-1 TCR-T cells were safely administered except for grade 3 lung injury. The TCR-T cell infusion exhibited significant tumor response and early-onset CRS in patients with tumors that express NY-ESO-1 at high levels. The differentiation properties of the manufactured T cells may be prognostic for TCR-T-related CRS. Trial registration number NCT02366546.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shigehisa Kitano
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy Development, Advanced Medical Development Center, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Institue Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Kageyama
- Departments of Immuno-Gene Therapy and Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Miyahara
- Departments of Immuno-Gene Therapy and Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
| | - Noboru Yamamoto
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Institue Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Kato
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Japan
| | | | - Hiroyoshi Hattori
- Laboratory of Advanced Therapy, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takeru Funakoshi
- Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kojima
- Department of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Sasada
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Eiichi Sato
- Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hiroaki Ikeda
- Department of Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takashi Watanabe
- Departments of Immuno-Gene Therapy and Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shiku
- Departments of Immuno-Gene Therapy and Personalized Cancer Immunotherapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
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48
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Gene Engineering T Cells with T-Cell Receptor for Adoptive Therapy. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2453:209-229. [PMID: 35622329 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2115-8_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Prior to clinical testing of adoptive T-cell therapy with T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells, TCRs need to be retrieved, annotated, gene-transferred, and extensively tested in vitro to accurately assess specificity and sensitivity of target recognition. Here, we present a fundamental series of protocols that cover critical preclinical parameters, thereby enabling the selection of candidate TCRs for clinical testing.
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49
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Weber S, Kehl V, Erber J, Wagner KI, Jetzlsperger AM, Burrell T, Schober K, Schommers P, Augustin M, Crowell CS, Gerhard M, Winter C, Moosmann A, Spinner CD, Protzer U, Hoffmann D, D’Ippolito E, Busch DH. CMV seropositivity is a potential novel risk factor for severe COVID-19 in non-geriatric patients. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268530. [PMID: 35613127 PMCID: PMC9132318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 has so far affected more than 250 million individuals worldwide, causing more than 5 million deaths. Several risk factors for severe disease have been identified, most of which coincide with advanced age. In younger individuals, severe COVID-19 often occurs in the absence of obvious comorbidities. Guided by the finding of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific T cells with some cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 in a COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) patient, we decided to investigate whether CMV seropositivity is associated with severe or critical COVID-19. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) serostatus was investigated as control. METHODS National German COVID-19 bio-sample and data banks were used to retrospectively analyze the CMV and HSV serostatus of patients who experienced mild (n = 101), moderate (n = 130) or severe to critical (n = 80) disease by IgG serology. We then investigated the relationship between disease severity and herpesvirus serostatus via statistical models. RESULTS Non-geriatric patients (< 60 years) with severe COVID-19 were found to have a very high prevalence of CMV-seropositivity, while CMV status distribution in individuals with mild disease was similar to the prevalence in the German population; interestingly, this was not detectable in older patients. Prediction models support the hypothesis that the CMV serostatus, unlike HSV, might be a strong biomarker in identifying younger individuals with a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, in particular in absence of other co-morbidities. CONCLUSIONS We identified 'CMV-seropositivity' as a potential novel risk factor for severe COVID-19 in non-geriatric individuals in the studied cohorts. More mechanistic analyses as well as confirmation of similar findings in cohorts representing the currently most relevant SARS-CoV-2 variants should be performed shortly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Weber
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Victoria Kehl
- Institute for AI and Informatics in Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johanna Erber
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Rechts Der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Karolin I. Wagner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Teresa Burrell
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Mikrobiologisches Institut–Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Philipp Schommers
- Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Bonn-Cologne, Germany
| | - Max Augustin
- Medical Faculty and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Bonn-Cologne, Germany
| | - Claudia S. Crowell
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Gerhard
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Christof Winter
- Institute of Clinicl Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Moosmann
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christoph D. Spinner
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Rechts Der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Hoffmann
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Elvira D’Ippolito
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H. Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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50
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Oh SA, Senger K, Madireddi S, Akhmetzyanova I, Ishizuka IE, Tarighat S, Lo JH, Shaw D, Haley B, Rutz S. High-efficiency nonviral CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of human T cells using plasmid donor DNA. J Exp Med 2022; 219:213176. [PMID: 35452075 PMCID: PMC9040063 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome engineering of T lymphocytes, the main effectors of antitumor adaptive immune responses, has the potential to uncover unique insights into their functions and enable the development of next-generation adoptive T cell therapies. Viral gene delivery into T cells, which is currently used to generate CAR T cells, has limitations in regard to targeting precision, cargo flexibility, and reagent production. Nonviral methods for effective CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knock-out in primary human T cells have been developed, but complementary techniques for nonviral gene knock-in can be cumbersome and inefficient. Here, we report a convenient and scalable nonviral method that allows precise gene edits and transgene integration in primary human T cells, using plasmid donor DNA template and Cas9-RNP. This method is highly efficient for single and multiplex gene manipulation, without compromising T cell function, and is thus valuable for use in basic and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung A Oh
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Kate Senger
- Molecular Biology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA
| | | | | | | | - Somayeh Tarighat
- Cell Therapy Engineering and Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Jerry H Lo
- Oncology Bioinformatics, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA
| | - David Shaw
- Cell Therapy Engineering and Development, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Sascha Rutz
- Cancer Immunology, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA
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