1
|
Becker SA, Petrich BG, Yu B, Knight KA, Brown HC, Raikar SS, Doering CB, Spencer HT. Enhancing the effectiveness of γδ T cells by mRNA transfection of chimeric antigen receptors or bispecific T cell engagers. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 29:145-157. [PMID: 37387794 PMCID: PMC10300408 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) utilizing γδ T cells is becoming a promising option for the treatment of cancer, because it offers an off-the-shelf allogeneic product that is safe, potent, and clinically effective. Approaches to engineer or enhance immune-competent cells for ACT, like expression of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or combination treatments with bispecific T cell engagers, have improved the specificity and cytotoxic potential of ACTs and have shown great promise in preclinical and clinical settings. Here, we test whether electroporation of γδ T cells with CAR or secreted bispecific T cell engager (sBite) mRNA is an effective approach to improve the cytotoxicity of γδ T cells. Using a CD19-specific CAR, approximately 60% of γδ T cells are modified after mRNA electroporation and these cells show potent anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo against two CD19-positive cancer cell lines. In addition, expression and secretion of a CD19 sBite enhances γδ T cell cytotoxicity, both in vitro and in vivo, and promotes killing of target cells by modified and unmodified γδ T cells. Taken together, we show that transient transfection of γδ T cells with CAR or sBite mRNA by electroporation can be an effective treatment platform as a cancer therapeutic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott A. Becker
- Molecular and System Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Bing Yu
- Expression Therapeutics, Inc, Tucker, GA, USA
| | - Kristopher A. Knight
- Molecular and System Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Sunil S. Raikar
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christopher B. Doering
- Molecular and System Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - H. Trent Spencer
- Molecular and System Pharmacology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wu SJ, Lin CT, Liao CH, Lin CM. Immunotherapeutic potential of blinatumomab-secreting γ9δ2 T Cells. Transl Oncol 2023; 31:101650. [PMID: 36917873 PMCID: PMC10024132 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101650] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have explored the use of engineered blinatumomab-secreting autologous αβ T cells for CD19-targeted cancer therapy. To create a more flexible allogeneic delivery system, we utilized γ9δ2 T cells rather than αβ T cells in a similar application. First, we showed that γ9δ2 T cells could serve as effector cells for blinatumomab, and these effector memory cells could survive for at least 7 days after infusion. The genetically modified blinatumomab-secreting γ9δ2 T cells induced significant cytotoxicity in CD19+ tumor cell lines and primary cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients. Of note, blinatumomab-secreting γ9δ2 T cells might also exhibit dual-targeting of CD19 and isopentenyl pyrophosphate, a universal tumor-associated antigen. Furthermore, blinatumomab-secreting γ9δ2 T cells killed CD19-transfected adherent cells, suggesting that the γ9δ2 T cells might be effective for treating solid tumors with appropriate cancer antigens. Together, these results demonstrate the promise of blinatumomab-secreting γ9δ2 T cells as a cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Ju Wu
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Hematological Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chien-Ting Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Hematological Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gozlan EC, Chobrutskiy BI, Blanck G. Exploiting adaptive immune receptor recombination read recoveries from exome files to identify subsets of
ALL
and to establish
TCR
features that correlate with better outcomes. Int J Lab Hematol 2022; 44:883-891. [DOI: 10.1111/ijlh.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Etienne C. Gozlan
- Department of Molecular Medicine Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida Tampa Florida USA
| | - Boris I. Chobrutskiy
- Department of Internal Medicine Oregon Health and Science University Hospital Portland Oregon USA
| | - George Blanck
- Department of Molecular Medicine Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida Tampa Florida USA
- Department of Immunology H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Tampa Florida USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jhita N, Raikar SS. Allogeneic gamma delta T cells as adoptive cellular therapy for hematologic malignancies. EXPLORATION OF IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 2:334-350. [PMID: 35783107 PMCID: PMC9249101 DOI: 10.37349/ei.2022.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, especially T-cell driven targeting, has significantly evolved and improved over the past decade, paving the way to treat previously refractory cancers. Hematologic malignancies, given their direct tumor accessibility and less immunosuppressive microenvironment compared to solid tumors, are better suited to be targeted by cellular immunotherapies. Gamma delta (γδ) T cells, with their unique attributes spanning the entirety of the immune system, make a tantalizing therapeutic platform for cancer immunotherapy. Their inherent anti-tumor properties, ability to act like antigen-presenting cells, and the advantage of having no major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restrictions, allow for greater flexibility in their utility to target tumors, compared to their αβ T cell counterpart. Their MHC-independent anti-tumor activity, coupled with their ability to be easily expanded from peripheral blood, enhance their potential to be used as an allogeneic product. In this review, the potential of utilizing γδ T cells to target hematologic malignancies is described, with a specific focus on their applicability as an allogeneic adoptive cellular therapy product.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sunil S. Raikar
- Correspondence: Sunil S. Raikar, Cell and Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pediatrics, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, 1760 Haygood Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| |
Collapse
|