1
|
Li Y, Rezvani K, Rafei H. Next-generation chimeric antigen receptors for T- and natural killer-cell therapies against cancer. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:217-235. [PMID: 37548050 PMCID: PMC10841677 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cellular therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of various hematologic malignancies. However, the broad application of this approach for myeloid malignancies and solid cancers has been limited by the paucity and heterogeneity of target antigen expression, and lack of bona fide tumor-specific antigens that can be targeted without cross-reactivity against normal tissues. This may lead to unwanted on-target off-tumor toxicities that could undermine the desired antitumor effect. Recent advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering have enabled reprogramming of immune effector cells to enhance their selectivity toward tumors, thus mitigating on-target off-tumor adverse effects. In this review, we outline the current strategies being explored to improve CAR selectivity toward tumor cells with a focus on natural killer (NK) cells, and the progress made in translating these strategies to the clinic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ye Li
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katayoun Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hind Rafei
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Celichowski P, Turi M, Charvátová S, Radhakrishnan D, Feizi N, Chyra Z, Šimíček M, Jelínek T, Bago JR, Hájek R, Hrdinka M. Tuning CARs: recent advances in modulating chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell activity for improved safety, efficacy, and flexibility. J Transl Med 2023; 21:197. [PMID: 36922828 PMCID: PMC10015723 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04041-6] [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: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies utilizing genetically engineered T cells have emerged as powerful personalized therapeutic agents showing dramatic preclinical and clinical results, particularly in hematological malignancies. Ectopically expressed chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) reprogram immune cells to target and eliminate cancer. However, CAR T cell therapy's success depends on the balance between effective anti-tumor activity and minimizing harmful side effects. To improve CAR T cell therapy outcomes and mitigate associated toxicities, scientists from different fields are cooperating in developing next-generation products using the latest molecular cell biology and synthetic biology tools and technologies. The immunotherapy field is rapidly evolving, with new approaches and strategies being reported at a fast pace. This comprehensive literature review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the latest developments in controlling CAR T cell activity for improved safety, efficacy, and flexibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Celichowski
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Marcello Turi
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Sandra Charvátová
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Dhwani Radhakrishnan
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Neda Feizi
- Department of Internal Clinical Sciences, Anesthesiology and Cardiovascular Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Zuzana Chyra
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Šimíček
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Jelínek
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Juli Rodriguez Bago
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Hájek
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Matouš Hrdinka
- Department of Haematooncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
- Department of Haematooncology, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jayasinghe M, Prathiraja O, Perera PB, Jena R, Silva MS, Weerawarna P, Singhal M, Kayani AMA, Karnakoti S, Jain S. The Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes. Cureus 2022; 14:e27337. [PMID: 36042996 PMCID: PMC9414788 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.27337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease characterized by inadequate or absent insulin production due to the autoimmune destruction of beta (β) cells in the pancreas. It was once called "juvenile diabetes" since the disease frequently occurs in children, but it can also develop in adults. According to the International Diabetes Federation, an estimated 700 million adults will suffer from diabetes by 2045. Although the exact cause of diabetes remains unknown, it is hypothesized that genetic factors, environmental factors, and exposure to certain viruses play a role in the development of T1D. To date, exogenous insulin is the most common treatment for T1D. However, it is not a cure for the disease. Islet cell transplantation and pancreatic transplantation are two additional treatments that have gained popularity in recent years, but their clinical application may be limited by the need for high doses of immunosuppressants, the rarity of human cadaveric islets, and the need for extensive surgery in pancreatic transplantation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a highly promising novel treatment for T1D and their discovery has advanced biological sciences by allowing for modification of cell fate and the development of higher-order cellular structures. They play an essential role in lowering levels of fasting blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, and C-peptide, and in treating microvascular complications associated with T1D. However, some of the disadvantages of its use in clinical practice are limited to its method of collection, proliferation rate, cell activity with age, and the risk of tumour formation identified in some studies. Large-scale studies are required to discover the mechanism of action of MSCs after administration as well as the optimal route, dose, and timing to maximize the benefits to patients. This article focuses primarily on the role of MSCs in the treatment of T1D and compares the feasibility, benefits, and drawbacks of MSCs in the treatment of T1D.
Collapse
|
4
|
Current Trends in the Gene Therapy of Hematologic Disorders. ACTA MEDICA BULGARICA 2021. [DOI: 10.2478/amb-2021-0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Recent advances in molecular genetics and the invention of new technologies led to an advance in the development of gene therapy. Gene therapy is used to correct defective genes in order to cure a disease or help the body better fight a disease. It works by restoring or modifying cellular functions through the introduction of a functional gene into the target cell. The concept of gene therapy is simple, but introducing it to routine clinical practice is not. The main concerns are related to some safety issues as well as to the problem that maintaining a stable and prolonged expression in target cells may not be easily achieved. In spite of the difficulties, gene therapy remains a hope for many hematological disorders that cannot be effectively treated so far. This article reviews the current status of gene therapy with a focus on hematological disorders. In addition, clinically applied approaches are presented through particular examples of approved gene therapy drugs.
Collapse
|
5
|
Sheikh S, Ernst D, Keating A. Prodrugs and prodrug-activated systems in gene therapy. Mol Ther 2021; 29:1716-1728. [PMID: 33831557 PMCID: PMC8116605 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The inclusion of genes that control cell fate (so-called suicide, or kill-switch, genes) into gene therapy vectors is based on a compelling rationale for the safe and selective elimination of aberrant transfected cells. Prodrug-activated systems were developed in the 1980s and 1990s and rely on the enzymatic conversion of non-active prodrugs to active metabolites that lead to cell death. Although considerable effort and ingenuity has gone into vector design for gene therapy, less attention has been directed at the efficacy or associated adverse effects of the prodrug systems employed. In this review, we discuss prodrug systems employed in clinical trials and consider their role in the field of gene therapy. We highlight potential drawbacks associated with the use of specific prodrugs, such as systemic toxicity of the activated compound, the paucity of data on biodistribution of prodrugs, bystander effects, and destruction of genetically modified cells, and how these can inform future advances in cell therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Semira Sheikh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Daniel Ernst
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Armand Keating
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cortés-Hernández A, Alvarez-Salazar EK, Soldevila G. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy for Cancer. Challenges and Opportunities: An Overview. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2174:219-244. [PMID: 32813253 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0759-6_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The use of immunotherapy as an alternative treatment for cancer patients has become of great interest in the scientific community as it is required to overcome many of the currently unsolved problems such as tumor escape, immunosuppression and unwanted unspecific toxicity. The use of chimeric antigen receptor T cells has been a very successful strategy in some hematologic malignancies. However, the application of CAR T cells has been limited to solid tumors, and this has aimed the development of new generation of CARs with enhanced effectivity and specificity. Here, we review the state of the art of CAR T cell therapy with special emphasis on the current challenges and opportunities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arimelek Cortés-Hernández
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Evelyn Katy Alvarez-Salazar
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Gloria Soldevila
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhuang X, Maione F, Robinson J, Bentley M, Kaul B, Whitworth K, Jumbu N, Jinks E, Bystrom J, Gabriele P, Garibaldi E, Delmastro E, Nagy Z, Gilham D, Giraudo E, Bicknell R, Lee SP. CAR T cells targeting tumor endothelial marker CLEC14A inhibit tumor growth. JCI Insight 2020; 5:138808. [PMID: 33004686 PMCID: PMC7566713 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.138808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for antigens on hematological cancers has yielded remarkable clinical responses, but with solid tumors, benefit has been more limited. This may reflect lack of suitable target antigens, immune evasion mechanisms in malignant cells, and/or lack of T cell infiltration into tumors. An alternative approach, to circumvent these problems, is targeting the tumor vasculature rather than the malignant cells directly. CLEC14A is a glycoprotein selectively overexpressed on the vasculature of many solid human cancers and is, therefore, of considerable interest as a target antigen. Here, we generated CARs from 2 CLEC14A-specific antibodies and expressed them in T cells. In vitro studies demonstrated that, when exposed to their target antigen, these engineered T cells proliferate, release IFN-γ, and mediate cytotoxicity. Infusing CAR engineered T cells into healthy mice showed no signs of toxicity, yet these T cells targeted tumor tissue and significantly inhibited tumor growth in 3 mouse models of cancer (Rip-Tag2, mPDAC, and Lewis lung carcinoma). Reduced tumor burden also correlated with significant loss of CLEC14A expression and reduced vascular density within malignant tissues. These data suggest the tumor vasculature can be safely and effectively targeted with CLEC14A-specific CAR T cells, offering a potent and widely applicable therapy for cancer. T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor specific for the tumor vascular marker CLEC14A inhibited tumor growth in three mouse cancer models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Zhuang
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Federica Maione
- Laboratory of Transgenic Mouse Models, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy, and Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Joseph Robinson
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Bentley
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Baksho Kaul
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Katharine Whitworth
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Neeraj Jumbu
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Jinks
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jonas Bystrom
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pietro Gabriele
- Radiation Therapy Laboratory, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Garibaldi
- Radiation Therapy Laboratory, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Elena Delmastro
- Radiation Therapy Laboratory, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
| | - Zsuzsanna Nagy
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - David Gilham
- Clinical and Experimental Immunotherapy Group, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Giraudo
- Laboratory of Transgenic Mouse Models, Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy, and Department of Science and Drug Technology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Roy Bicknell
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Steven P Lee
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Namuduri M, Brentjens RJ. Enhancing CAR T cell efficacy: the next step toward a clinical revolution? Expert Rev Hematol 2020; 13:533-543. [PMID: 32267181 DOI: 10.1080/17474086.2020.1753501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The field of immunotherapy has witnessed considerable progress over the last two decades. Beginning with the ability to conceptualize CAR T cell therapy as immunotherapeutic approach, to effortlessly genetically modifying T cells, we have now reached the stage of mass production for clinical needs, all within less than quarter of a century.Areas covered: CAR T cell therapy has been tremendously successful in acute leukemia patients, specifically even in relapsed/refractory disease states. However, similar success is yet to be realized in other malignancies. This review article covers the challenges encountered with the current CD19-targeted CARs, as well as specific obstacles faced by adoptive therapy in solid tumors. It also discusses various strategies to counteract these problems.Expert opinion: CD19-directed trials in the past decade have exposed vulnerabilities in the current CAR T cell design, particularly concerning safety aspects, antigen escape, and T cell persistence. Building on these lessons and factoring in the unique challenges associated with immunotherapy in solid tumors will help generate CARs designed for future trials. Also, research related to the production of allogeneic CAR T cell products will boost the patient reach of this unique technology and possibly reduce financial burden.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manjusha Namuduri
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Renier J Brentjens
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
While impressive clinical responses have been observed using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting CD19+ hematologic malignancies, limited clinical benefit has been observed using CAR T cells for a variety of solid tumors. Results of clinical studies have highlighted several obstacles which CAR T cells face in the context of solid tumors, including insufficient homing to tumor sites, lack of expansion and persistence, encountering a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and heterogeneous antigen expression. In this review, we review clinical outcomes and discuss strategies to improve the antitumor activity of CAR T cells for solid tumors.
Collapse
|
10
|
Witkowski MT, Lasry A, Carroll WL, Aifantis I. Immune-Based Therapies in Acute Leukemia. Trends Cancer 2019; 5:604-618. [PMID: 31706508 PMCID: PMC6859901 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Treatment resistance remains a leading cause of acute leukemia-related deaths. Thus, there is an unmet need to develop novel approaches to improve outcome. New immune-based therapies with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, bi-specific T cell engagers (BiTEs), and immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) have emerged as effective treatment options for chemoresistant B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, many patients show resistance to these immune-based approaches. This review describes crucial lessons learned from immune-based approaches targeting high-risk B-ALL and AML, such as the leukemia-intrinsic (e.g., target antigen loss, tumor heterogeneity) and -extrinsic (e.g., immunosuppressive microenvironment) mechanisms that drive treatment resistance, and discusses alternative approaches to enhance the effectiveness of these immune-based treatment regimens.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological/therapeutic use
- Disease Susceptibility
- Humans
- Immunity
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/immunology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/immunology
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathology
- Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Witkowski
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Audrey Lasry
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - William L Carroll
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Iannis Aifantis
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yu S, Yi M, Qin S, Wu K. Next generation chimeric antigen receptor T cells: safety strategies to overcome toxicity. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:125. [PMID: 31429760 PMCID: PMC6701025 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-019-1057-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy is an emerging and effective cancer immunotherapy. Especially in hematological malignancies, CAR-T cells have achieved exciting results. Two Anti-CD19 CAR-T therapies have been approved for the treatment of CD19-positive leukemia or lymphoma. However, the application of CAR-T cells is obviously hampered by the adverse effects, such as cytokines release syndrome and on-target off-tumor toxicity. In some clinical trials, patients quitted the treatment of CAR-T cells due to life-threatening toxicity. Seeking to alleviate these toxicities or prevent the occurrence, researchers have developed a number of safety strategies of CAR-T cells, including suicide genes, synthetic Notch receptor, on-switch CAR, combinatorial target-antigen recognition, bispecific T cell engager and inhibitory CAR. This review summarized the preclinical studies and clinical trials of the safety strategies of CAR-T cells and their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Yu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuang Qin
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Kongming Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Genetically engineered T cells are powerful new medicines, offering hope for curative responses in patients with cancer. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells were recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and are poised to enter the practice of medicine for leukemia and lymphoma, demonstrating that engineered immune cells can serve as a powerful new class of cancer therapeutics. The emergence of synthetic biology approaches for cellular engineering provides a broadly expanded set of tools for programming immune cells for enhanced function. Advances in T cell engineering, genetic editing, the selection of optimal lymphocytes, and cell manufacturing have the potential to broaden T cell-based therapies and foster new applications beyond oncology, in infectious diseases, organ transplantation, and autoimmunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Guedan
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain;
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA;
| | - Marco Ruella
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA;
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Parker Institute for Cellular Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Carl H June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA;
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Parker Institute for Cellular Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rahbarizadeh F, Ahmadvand D, Moghimi S. CAR T-cell bioengineering: Single variable domain of heavy chain antibody targeted CARs. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019; 141:41-46. [PMID: 31004624 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Redirecting the recognition specificity of T lymphocytes to designated tumour cell surface antigens by transferring chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) genes is becoming an effective strategy to combat cancer. Today, CAR T-cell therapy has proven successful in the treatment of haematological malignancies and the first CD19 CAR T-cell products has already entered the market. This success is expanding CAR design for broader malignancies including solid tumours. Nevertheless, CARs such as those built on antigen-specific single chain antibody variable fragment (scFv) may induce some adverse effects. Here, we briefly review CAR T-cell bioengineering and discuss selected important initiatives for improved T-cell reprogramming, function and safety. In this respect, we further elaborate on unconventional CARs structured on single variable domain of heavy chain (VHH) antibodies (single-domain antibodies) as an alternative to scFv, because of their interesting immunological and physicochemical characteristics and unique structure, which shows a high degree of homology with human VH3 gene family.
Collapse
|
14
|
DeRenzo C, Krenciute G, Gottschalk S. The Landscape of CAR T Cells Beyond Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia for Pediatric Solid Tumors. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 2018; 38:830-837. [PMID: 30231350 DOI: 10.1200/edbk_200773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy with genetically modified T cells holds the promise to improve outcomes for children with recurrent/refractory solid tumors and has the potential to reduce treatment complications for all patients. Although T cells that express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for CD19 have had remarkable success for B-cell-derived malignancies, which has led to their approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CAR T cells have been less effective for solid tumors and brain tumors. Lack of efficacy is most likely multifactorial, but heterogeneous antigen expression; limited migration of T cells to tumor sites; and the immunosuppressive, hostile tumor microenvironment have emerged as major roadblocks that must be addressed. In this review, we summarize the clinical experience with CAR T-cell therapy for pediatric solid tumors, including brain tumors. In addition, we review strategies that have been and are being developed to enhance their antitumor activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher DeRenzo
- From the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Giedre Krenciute
- From the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- From the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Larson SM, Truscott LC, Chiou TT, Patel A, Kao R, Tu A, Tyagi T, Lu X, Elashoff D, De Oliveira SN. Pre-clinical development of gene modification of haematopoietic stem cells with chimeric antigen receptors for cancer immunotherapy. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2017; 13:1094-1104. [PMID: 28059624 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2016.1268745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with refractory or recurrent B-lineage hematologic malignancies have less than 50% of chance of cure despite intensive therapy and innovative approaches are needed. We hypothesize that gene modification of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) with an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) will produce a multi-lineage, persistent immunotherapy against B-lineage malignancies that can be controlled by the HSVsr39TK suicide gene. High-titer third-generation self-inactivating lentiviral constructs were developed to deliver a second-generation CD19-specific CAR and the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase HSVsr39TK to provide a suicide gene to allow ablation of gene-modified cells if necessary. Human HSC were transduced with such lentiviral vectors and evaluated for function of both CAR and HSVsr39TK. Satisfactory transduction efficiency was achieved; the addition of the suicide gene did not impair CAR expression or antigen-specific cytotoxicity, and determined marked cytotoxicity to ganciclovir. NSG mice transplanted with gene-modified human HSC showed CAR expression not significantly different between transduced cells with or without HSVsr39TK, and expression of anti-CD19 CAR conferred anti-tumor survival advantage. Treatment with ganciclovir led to significant ablation of gene-modified cells in mouse tissues. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is frequently part of the standard of care for patients with relapsed and refractory B cell malignancies; following HSC collection, a portion of the cells could be modified to express the CD19-specific CAR and give rise to a persistent, multi-cell lineage, HLA-independent immunotherapy, enhancing the graft-versus-malignancy activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Larson
- a Department of Internal Medicine , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Laurel C Truscott
- b Department of Pediatrics , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Tzu-Ting Chiou
- b Department of Pediatrics , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Amie Patel
- c Western University of Health Sciences , Pomona , CA , USA
| | - Roy Kao
- b Department of Pediatrics , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Andy Tu
- b Department of Pediatrics , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Tulika Tyagi
- b Department of Pediatrics , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Xiang Lu
- a Department of Internal Medicine , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA.,d Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - David Elashoff
- a Department of Internal Medicine , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA.,d Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| | - Satiro N De Oliveira
- b Department of Pediatrics , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , Los Angeles , CA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Therapeutic potential of CAR-T cell-derived exosomes: a cell-free modality for targeted cancer therapy. Oncotarget 2016; 6:44179-90. [PMID: 26496034 PMCID: PMC4792550 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based T-cell adoptive immunotherapy is a distinctively promising therapy for cancer. The engineering of CARs into T cells provides T cells with tumor-targeting capabilities and intensifies their cytotoxic activity through stimulated cell expansion and enhanced cytokine production. As a novel and potent therapeutic modality, there exists some uncontrollable processes which are the potential sources of adverse events. As an extension of this impactful modality, CAR-T cell-derived exosomes may substitute CAR-T cells to act as ultimate attackers, thereby overcoming some limitations. Exosomes retain most characteristics of parent cells and play an essential role in intercellular communications via transmitting their cargo to recipient cells. The application of CAR-T cell-derived exosomes will make this cell-based therapy more clinically controllable as it also provides a cell-free platform to diversify anticancer mediators, which responds effectively to the complexity and volatility of cancer. It is believed that the appropriate application of both cellular and exosomal platforms will make this effective treatment more practicable.
Collapse
|
17
|
Villa NY, Rahman MM, McFadden G, Cogle CR. Therapeutics for Graft-versus-Host Disease: From Conventional Therapies to Novel Virotherapeutic Strategies. Viruses 2016; 8:85. [PMID: 27011200 PMCID: PMC4810275 DOI: 10.3390/v8030085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has a curative potential for many hematologic malignancies and blood diseases. However, the success of allo-HSCT is limited by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), an immunological syndrome that involves inflammation and tissue damage mediated by donor lymphocytes. Despite immune suppression, GVHD is highly incident even after allo-HSCT using human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched donors. Therefore, alternative and more effective therapies are needed to prevent or control GVHD while preserving the beneficial graft-versus-cancer (GVC) effects against residual disease. Among novel therapeutics for GVHD, oncolytic viruses such as myxoma virus (MYXV) are receiving increased attention due to their dual role in controlling GVHD while preserving or augmenting GVC. This review focuses on the molecular basis of GVHD, as well as state-of-the-art advances in developing novel therapies to prevent or control GVHD while minimizing impact on GVC. Recent literature regarding conventional and the emerging therapies are summarized, with special emphasis on virotherapy to prevent GVHD. Recent advances using preclinical models with oncolytic viruses such as MYXV to ameliorate the deleterious consequences of GVHD, while maintaining or improving the anti-cancer benefits of GVC will be reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Y Villa
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Masmudur M Rahman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Grant McFadden
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Christopher R Cogle
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Nagree MS, López-Vásquez L, Medin JA. Towards in vivo amplification: Overcoming hurdles in the use of hematopoietic stem cells in transplantation and gene therapy. World J Stem Cells 2015; 7:1233-1250. [PMID: 26730268 PMCID: PMC4691692 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v7.i11.1233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
With the advent of safer and more efficient gene transfer methods, gene therapy has become a viable solution for many inherited and acquired disorders. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a prime cell compartment for gene therapy aimed at correcting blood-based disorders, as well as those amenable to metabolic outcomes that can effect cross-correction. While some resounding clinical successes have recently been demonstrated, ample room remains to increase the therapeutic output from HSC-directed gene therapy. In vivo amplification of therapeutic cells is one avenue to achieve enhanced gene product delivery. To date, attempts have been made to provide HSCs with resistance to cytotoxic drugs, to include drug-inducible growth modules specific to HSCs, and to increase the engraftment potential of transduced HSCs. This review aims to summarize amplification strategies that have been developed and tested and to discuss their advantages along with barriers faced towards their clinical adaptation. In addition, next-generation strategies to circumvent current limitations of specific amplification schemas are discussed.
Collapse
|
19
|
Hashimoto H, Kitano S, Yamagata S, Miyagi Maeshima A, Ueda R, Ito A, Tada K, Fuji S, Yamashita T, Tomura D, Nukaya I, Mineno J, Fukuda T, Mori S, Takaue Y, Heike Y. Donor lymphocytes expressing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase suicide gene: detailed immunological function following add-back after haplo-identical transplantation. Cytotherapy 2015; 17:1820-30. [PMID: 26452983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Haplo-identical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with add-back of donor lymphocytes expressing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase suicide gene (TK cells) is one of the most widely applied promising new gene therapy approaches. However, the immunological status of added-back TK cells after HSCT has yet to be well characterized. METHODS We investigated TK cells through the use of flow cytometry, T-cell receptor (TCR) Vβ repertoire spectratyping and linear amplification-mediated polymerase chain reaction followed by insertion site analysis in a patient enrolled in our clinical trial. RESULTS A comparison of onset with remission of acute graft-versus-host disease confirmed that TK cells were predominantly eliminated and that proliferative CD8(+) non-TK cells were also depleted in response to ganciclovir administration. The TCR Vβ-chain repertoire of both TK cells and non-TK cells markedly changed after administration of ganciclovir, and, whereas the TCR repertoire of non-TK cells returned to a normal spectratype long after transplantation, that of TK cells remained skewed. With the long-term prophylactic administration of acyclovir, TK cells oligoclonally expanded and the frequency of spliced variants of TK cells increased. Known cancer-associated genes were not evident near the oligoclonally expanded herpes simplex virus (HSV)-TK insertion sites. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate obvious differences in immunological status between TK cells and non-TK cells. In addition, we speculate that long-term prophylactic administration of acyclovir increases the risk of oligoclonal expansion of spliced forms of TK cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hisayoshi Hashimoto
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigehisa Kitano
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shizuka Yamagata
- Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiko Miyagi Maeshima
- Division of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Ueda
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ayumu Ito
- Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kohei Tada
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeo Fuji
- Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuya Yamashita
- Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tomura
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Takara Bio Inc, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ikuei Nukaya
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Takara Bio Inc, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Mineno
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Takara Bio Inc, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Fukuda
- Department of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Mori
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, St Luke's International University and Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoichi Takaue
- Research Planning and Management Department, St Luke's International University and Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Heike
- Immunotherapy and Cell Therapy Service, St Luke's International University and Hospital Tokyo, Japan; Laboratory for Joint Research and Development, St Luke's International University and Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wang M, Yin B, Wang HY, Wang RF. Current advances in T-cell-based cancer immunotherapy. Immunotherapy 2015; 6:1265-78. [PMID: 25524383 DOI: 10.2217/imt.14.86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide; due to the lack of ideal cancer biomarkers for early detection or diagnosis, most patients present with late-stage disease at the time of diagnosis, thus limiting the potential for successful treatment. Traditional cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, have demonstrated very limited efficacy for patients with late-stage disease. Therefore, innovative and effective cancer treatments are urgently needed for cancer patients with late-stage and refractory disease. Cancer immunotherapy, particularly adoptive cell transfer, has shown great promise in the treatment of patients with late-stage disease, including those who are refractory to standard therapies. In this review, we will highlight recent advances and discuss future directions in adoptive cell transfer based cancer immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingjun Wang
- Center for Inflammation & Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Greco R, Oliveira G, Stanghellini MTL, Vago L, Bondanza A, Peccatori J, Cieri N, Marktel S, Mastaglio S, Bordignon C, Bonini C, Ciceri F. Improving the safety of cell therapy with the TK-suicide gene. Front Pharmacol 2015; 6:95. [PMID: 25999859 PMCID: PMC4419602 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
While opening new frontiers for the cure of malignant and non-malignant diseases, the increasing use of cell therapy poses also several new challenges related to the safety of a living drug. The most effective and consolidated cell therapy approach is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the only cure for several patients with high-risk hematological malignancies. The potential of allogeneic HSCT is strictly dependent on the donor immune system, particularly on alloreactive T lymphocytes, that promote the beneficial graft-versus-tumor effect (GvT), but may also trigger the detrimental graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD). Gene transfer technologies allow to manipulate donor T-cells to enforce GvT and foster immune reconstitution, while avoiding or controlling GvHD. The suicide gene approach is based on the transfer of a suicide gene into donor lymphocytes, for a safe infusion of a wide T-cell repertoire, that might be selectively controlled in vivo in case of GvHD. The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) is the suicide gene most extensively tested in humans. Expression of HSV-TK in donor lymphocytes confers lethal sensitivity to the anti-herpes drug, ganciclovir. Progressive improvements in suicide genes, vector technology and transduction protocols have allowed to overcome the toxicity of GvHD while preserving the antitumor efficacy of allogeneic HSCT. Several phase I-II clinical trials in the last 20 years document the safety and the efficacy of HSV-TK approach, able to maintain its clear value over the last decades, in the rapidly progressing horizon of cancer cellular therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Greco
- Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Giacomo Oliveira
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Program in Immunology and Bio-immunotherapy of Cancer, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Lupo Stanghellini
- Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Luca Vago
- Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy ; Unit of Molecular and Functional Immunogenetics, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Attilio Bondanza
- Leukemia Immunotherapy Unit, Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Jacopo Peccatori
- Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Nicoletta Cieri
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Program in Immunology and Bio-immunotherapy of Cancer, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Sarah Marktel
- Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Sara Mastaglio
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Program in Immunology and Bio-immunotherapy of Cancer, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | | | - Chiara Bonini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Program in Immunology and Bio-immunotherapy of Cancer, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| | - Fabio Ciceri
- Unit of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan Italy
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Della Peruta M, Badar A, Rosales C, Chokshi S, Kia A, Nathwani D, Galante E, Yan R, Arstad E, Davidoff AM, Williams R, Lythgoe MF, Nathwani AC. Preferential targeting of disseminated liver tumors using a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector. Hum Gene Ther 2015; 26:94-103. [PMID: 25569358 PMCID: PMC4326028 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2014.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel selectively targeting gene delivery approach has been developed for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer mortality whose prognosis remains poor. We combine the strong liver tropism of serotype-8 capsid-pseudotyped adeno-associated viral vectors (AAV8) with a liver-specific promoter (HLP) and microRNA-122a (miR-122a)-mediated posttranscriptional regulation. Systemic administration of our AAV8 construct resulted in preferential transduction of the liver and encouragingly of HCC at heterotopic sites, a finding that could be exploited to target disseminated disease. Tumor selectivity was enhanced by inclusion of miR-122a-binding sequences (ssAAV8-HLP-TK-122aT4) in the expression cassette, resulting in abrogation of transgene expression in normal murine liver but not in HCC. Systemic administration of our tumor-selective vector encoding herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (TK) suicide gene resulted in a sevenfold reduction in HCC growth in a syngeneic murine model without toxicity. In summary, we have developed a systemically deliverable gene transfer approach that enables high-level expression of therapeutic genes in HCC but not normal tissues, thus improving the prospects of safe and effective treatment for advanced HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Della Peruta
- Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Badar
- Division of Medicine, UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Cecilia Rosales
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- NHS Blood and Transplant, London W1W 8NB, United Kingdom
| | - Shilpa Chokshi
- Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom
| | - Azadeh Kia
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Devhrut Nathwani
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Galante
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ran Yan
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Erik Arstad
- Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Davidoff
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 33105-3678
| | - Roger Williams
- Institute of Hepatology, Foundation for Liver Research, London WC1E 6HX, United Kingdom
| | - Mark F. Lythgoe
- Division of Medicine, UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, University College London, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Amit C. Nathwani
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- NHS Blood and Transplant, London W1W 8NB, United Kingdom
- Katharine Dormandy Haemophilia Centre and Thrombosis Unit, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Chao CN, Huang YL, Lin MC, Fang CY, Shen CH, Chen PL, Wang M, Chang D, Tseng CE. Inhibition of human diffuse large B-cell lymphoma growth by JC polyomavirus-like particles delivering a suicide gene. J Transl Med 2015; 13:29. [PMID: 25623859 PMCID: PMC4312600 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-015-0389-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of the most common types of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. About one-third of patients are either refractory to the treatment or experience relapse afterwards, pointing to the necessity of developing other effective therapies for DLBCL. Human B-lymphocytes are susceptible to JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) infection, and JCPyV virus-like particles (VLPs) can effectively deliver exogenous genes to susceptible cells for expression, suggesting the feasibility of using JCPyV VLPs as gene therapy vectors for DLBCL. Methods The JCPyV VLPs packaged with a GFP reporter gene were used to infect human DLBCL cells for gene delivery assay. Furthermore, we packaged JCPyV VLPs with a suicide gene encoding thymidine kinase (TK) to inhibit the growth of DLBCL in vitro and in vivo. Results Here, we show that JCPyV VLPs effectively entered human germinal center B-cell-like (GCB-like) DLBCL and activated B-cell-like (ABC-like) DLBCL and expressed the packaged reporter gene in vitro. As measured by the MTT assay, treatment with tk-VLPs in combination with gancyclovir (GCV) reduced the viability of DLBCL cells by 60%. In the xenograft mouse model, injection of tk-VLPs through the tail vein in combination with GCV administration resulted in a potent 80% inhibition of DLBCL tumor nodule growth. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of JCPyV VLPs as gene therapy vectors for human DLBCL and provide a potential new strategy for the treatment of DLBCL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Nun Chao
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan. .,Department of Pediatrics, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Yih-Leh Huang
- Department of Medical Research, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Mien-Chun Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan. .,Department of Urology, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Chiung-Yao Fang
- Department of Medical Research, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Huang Shen
- Department of Urology, Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Pei-Lain Chen
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Meilin Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Deching Chang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-En Tseng
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan. .,School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
Current therapy for sarcomas, though effective in treating local disease, is often ineffective for patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. To improve outcomes, novel approaches are needed and cell therapy has the potential to meet this need since it does not rely on the cytotoxic mechanisms of conventional therapies. The recent successes of T-cell therapies for hematological malignancies have led to renewed interest in exploring cell therapies for solid tumors such as sarcomas. In this review, we will discuss current cell therapies for sarcoma with special emphasis on genetic approaches to improve the effector function of adoptively transferred cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Mata
- Center for Cell & Gene Therapy, Texa Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Center for Cell & Gene Therapy, Texa Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Abstract
T-cell therapies using engineered T cells show great promise for cancer immunotherapy, as illustrated by the CD19 paradigm. Much of the excitement about this approach, and second-generation CARs in particular, is due to the dramatic clinical results recently reported by a few centers, especially in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and the applicability of this approach, in principle, to a wide range of cancers. Extending the use of CAR therapies to cancers other than B-cell malignancies will require selective tumor targeting with minimal or acceptable "on-target, off-tumor" effects. The identification of new CAR target antigens is thus one of the next big challenges to address. Recognizing the paucity of currently available tumor-specific targets, we have developed broadly applicable approaches to enhance the tumor selectivity and safety of engineered T cells. Here, we review 2 promising concepts. One is to improve tumor targeting based on combinatorial antigen recognition. The other uses receptors that provide antigen-specific inhibition, which we named iCARs, to divert T cells from the normal tissues one wants to protect.
Collapse
|
26
|
Fedorov VD, Themeli M, Sadelain M. PD-1- and CTLA-4-based inhibitory chimeric antigen receptors (iCARs) divert off-target immunotherapy responses. Sci Transl Med 2014; 5:215ra172. [PMID: 24337479 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3006597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 539] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
T cell therapies have demonstrated long-term efficacy and curative potential for the treatment of some cancers. However, their use is limited by damage to bystander tissues, as seen in graft-versus-host disease after donor lymphocyte infusion, or "on-target, off-tumor" toxicities incurred in some engineered T cell therapies. Nonspecific immunosuppression and irreversible T cell elimination are currently the only means to control such deleterious responses, but at the cost of abrogating therapeutic benefits or causing secondary complications. On the basis of the physiological paradigm of immune inhibitory receptors, we designed antigen-specific inhibitory chimeric antigen receptors (iCARs) to preemptively constrain T cell responses. We demonstrate that CTLA-4- or PD-1-based iCARs can selectively limit cytokine secretion, cytotoxicity, and proliferation induced through the endogenous T cell receptor or an activating chimeric receptor. The initial effect of the iCAR is temporary, thus enabling T cells to function upon a subsequent encounter with the antigen recognized by their activating receptor. iCARs thus provide a dynamic, self-regulating safety switch to prevent, rather than treat, the consequences of inadequate T cell specificity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor D Fedorov
- Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Kaufmann KB, Büning H, Galy A, Schambach A, Grez M. Gene therapy on the move. EMBO Mol Med 2013; 5:1642-61. [PMID: 24106209 PMCID: PMC3840483 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201202287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The first gene therapy clinical trials were initiated more than two decades ago. In the early days, gene therapy shared the fate of many experimental medicine approaches and was impeded by the occurrence of severe side effects in a few treated patients. The understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to treatment- and/or vector-associated setbacks has resulted in the development of highly sophisticated gene transfer tools with improved safety and therapeutic efficacy. Employing these advanced tools, a series of Phase I/II trials were started in the past few years with excellent clinical results and no side effects reported so far. Moreover, highly efficient gene targeting strategies and site-directed gene editing technologies have been developed and applied clinically. With more than 1900 clinical trials to date, gene therapy has moved from a vision to clinical reality. This review focuses on the application of gene therapy for the correction of inherited diseases, the limitations and drawbacks encountered in some of the early clinical trials and the revival of gene therapy as a powerful treatment option for the correction of monogenic disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hildegard Büning
- Department I of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of CologneCologne, Germany
| | | | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical SchoolHannover, Germany
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA
| | - Manuel Grez
- Institute for Biomedical ResearchGeorg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Lee JY, Lee DH, Kim HA, Choi SA, Lee HJ, Park CK, Phi JH, Wang KC, Kim SU, Kim SK. Double suicide gene therapy using human neural stem cells against glioblastoma: double safety measures. J Neurooncol 2013; 116:49-57. [DOI: 10.1007/s11060-013-1264-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
29
|
Nienhuis AW. Development of gene therapy for blood disorders: an update. Blood 2013; 122:1556-64. [PMID: 23843498 PMCID: PMC3757369 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2013-04-453209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This review addresses the current status of gene therapy for immunodeficiencies, chronic granulomatous disease, suicide gene therapy for graft-versus-host disease, viral infections, malignant hematologic disorders, hemophilia, and the hemoglobin disorders. New developments in vector design have fostered improved expression as well as enhanced safety, particularly of integrating retroviral vectors. Several immunodeficiencies have been treated successfully by stem cell-targeted, retroviral-mediated gene transfer with reconstitution of the immune system following infusion of the transduced cells. In a trial for hemophilia B, long-term expression of human FIX has been observed following adeno-associated viral vector-mediated gene transfer into the liver. This approach should be successful in treating any disorder in which liver production of a specific protein is therapeutic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arthur W Nienhuis
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Sadelain M, Brentjens R, Rivière I. The basic principles of chimeric antigen receptor design. Cancer Discov 2013; 3:388-98. [PMID: 23550147 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-12-0548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 995] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) are recombinant receptors that provide both antigen-binding and T-cell-activating functions. A multitude of CARs has been reported over the past decade, targeting an array of cell surface tumor antigens. Their biologic functions have dramatically changed following the introduction of tripartite receptors comprising a costimulatory domain, termed second-generation CARs. These have recently shown clinical benefit in patients treated with CD19-targeted autologous T cells. CARs may be combined with costimulatory ligands, chimeric costimulatory receptors, or cytokines to further enhance T-cell potency, specificity, and safety. CARs represent a new class of drugs with exciting potential for cancer immunotherapy. SIGNIFICANCE CARs are a new class of drugs with great potential for cancer immunotherapy. Upon their expression in T lymphocytes, CARs direct potent, targeted immune responses that have recently shown encouraging clinical outcomes in a subset of patients with B-cell malignancies. This review focuses on the design of CARs, including the requirements for optimal antigen recognition and different modalities to provide costimulatory support to targeted T cells, which include the use of second- and third generation CARs, costimulatory ligands, chimeric costimulatory receptors, and cytokines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel Sadelain
- Center for Cell Engineering, Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, and Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Kochenderfer JN, Rosenberg SA. Treating B-cell cancer with T cells expressing anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptors. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2013; 10:267-76. [PMID: 23546520 DOI: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2013.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 340] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Most B-cell malignancies express CD19, and a majority of patients with B-cell malignancies are not cured by current standard therapies. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are fusion proteins consisting of antigen recognition moieties and T-cell activation domains. T cells can be genetically modified to express CARs, and adoptive transfer of anti-CD19 CAR T cells is now being tested in clinical trials. Effective clinical treatment with anti-CD19 CAR T cells was first reported in 2010 after a patient with advanced-stage lymphoma treated at the NCI experienced a partial remission of lymphoma and long-term eradication of normal B cells. Additional patients have subsequently obtained long-term remissions of advanced-stage B-cell malignancies after infusions of anti-CD19 CAR T cells. Long-term eradication of normal CD19(+) B cells from patients receiving infusions of anti-CD19 CAR T cells demonstrates the potent antigen-specific activity of these T cells. Some patients treated with anti-CD19 CAR T cells have experienced acute adverse effects, which were associated with increased levels of serum inflammatory cytokines. Although anti-CD19 CAR T cells are at an early stage of development, the potent antigen-specific activity observed in patients suggests that infusions of anti-CD19 CAR T cells might become a standard therapy for some B-cell malignancies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James N Kochenderfer
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Long-term in vivo monitoring of mouse and human hematopoietic stem cell engraftment with a human positron emission tomography reporter gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:1857-62. [PMID: 23319634 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221840110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) reporter genes allow noninvasive whole-body imaging of transplanted cells by detection with radiolabeled probes. We used a human deoxycytidine kinase containing three amino acid substitutions within the active site (hdCK3mut) as a reporter gene in combination with the PET probe [(18)F]-L-FMAU (1-(2-deoxy-2-(18)fluoro-β-L-arabinofuranosyl)-5-methyluracil) to monitor models of mouse and human hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation. These mutations in hdCK3mut expanded the substrate capacity allowing for reporter-specific detection with a thymidine analog probe. Measurements of long-term engrafted cells (up to 32 wk) demonstrated that hdCK3mut expression is maintained in vivo with no counter selection against reporter-labeled cells. Reporter cells retained equivalent engraftment and differentiation capacity being detected in all major hematopoietic lineages and tissues. This reporter gene and probe should be applicable to noninvasively monitor therapeutic cell transplants in multiple tissues.
Collapse
|
33
|
|
34
|
Rezvani K, Brody JD, Kohrt HE, Logan AC, Advani R, Czerwinski DK, Weng WK, Negrin RS, Carlton V, Faham M, Levy R, Barrett J. Cancer vaccines and T cell therapy. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2012; 19:S97-S101. [PMID: 23041602 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2012.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katayoun Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Chemoselection of allogeneic HSC after murine neonatal transplantation without myeloablation or post-transplant immunosuppression. Mol Ther 2012; 20:2180-9. [PMID: 22871662 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2012.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The feasibility of allogeneic transplantation, without myeloablation or post-transplant immunosuppression, was tested using in vivo chemoselection of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) after transduction with a novel tricistronic lentiviral vector (MGMT(P140K)-2A-GFP-IRES-TK (MAGIT)). This vector contains P140K-O(6)-methylguanine-methyltransferase (MGMT(P140K)), HSV-thymidine kinase (TK(HSV)), and enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) enabling (i) in vivo chemoselection of HSC by conferring resistance to benzylguanine (BG), an inhibitor of endogenous MGMT, and to chloroethylating agents such as 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)nitrosourea (BCNU) and, (ii) depletion of proliferating cells such as malignant clones or transduced donor T cells mediating graft versus host disease (GVHD), by expression of the suicide gene TK(HSV) and Ganciclovir (GCV) administration. Non-myeloablative transplantation of transduced, syngeneic, lineage-depleted (Lin(-)) BM in neonates resulted in 0.67% GFP(+) mononuclear cells in peripheral blood. BG/BCNU chemoselection, 4 and 8 weeks post-transplant, produced 50-fold donor cell enrichment. Transplantation and chemoselection of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched MAGIT-transduced Lin(-) BM also produced similar expansion for >40 weeks. The efficacy of this allotransplant approach was validated in Hbb(th3) heterozygous mice by correction of β-thalassemia intermedia, without toxicity or GVHD. Negative selection, by administration of GCV resulted in donor cell depletion without graft ablation, as re-expansion of donor cells was achieved with BG/BCNU treatment. These studies show promise for developing non-ablative allotransplant approaches using in vivo positive/negative selection.
Collapse
|
36
|
|
37
|
T-cell suicide gene therapy prompts thymic renewal in adults after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Blood 2012; 120:1820-30. [PMID: 22709689 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2012-01-405670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic modification of T cells with a suicide gene grants a mechanism of control of adverse reactions, allowing safe infusion after partially incompatible hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the TK007 clinical trial, 22 adults with hematologic malignancies experienced a rapid and sustained immune recovery after T cell-depleted HSCT and serial infusions of purified donor T cells expressing the HSV thymidine kinase suicide gene (TK+ cells). After a first wave of circulating TK+ cells, the majority of T cells supporting long-term immune reconstitution did not carry the suicide gene and displayed high numbers of naive lymphocytes, suggesting the thymus-dependent development of T cells, occurring only upon TK+ -cell engraftment. Accordingly, after the infusions, we documented an increase in circulating TCR excision circles and CD31+ recent thymic emigrants and a substantial expansion of the active thymic tissue as shown by chest tomography scans. Interestingly, a peak in the serum level of IL-7 was observed after each infusion of TK+ cells, anticipating the appearance of newly generated T cells. The results of the present study show that the infusion of genetically modified donor T cells after HSCT can drive the recovery of thymic activity in adults, leading to immune reconstitution.
Collapse
|
38
|
Russo V, Bondanza A, Ciceri F, Bregni M, Bordignon C, Traversari C, Bonini C. A dual role for genetically modified lymphocytes in cancer immunotherapy. Trends Mol Med 2012; 18:193-200. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2011.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Revised: 12/04/2011] [Accepted: 12/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
|
39
|
Sockel K, Ehninger G, Hofbauer LC, Platzbecker U. Optimizing management of myelodysplastic syndromes post-allogeneic transplantation. Expert Rev Hematol 2012; 4:669-80. [PMID: 22077530 DOI: 10.1586/ehm.11.58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is still the only potentially curative treatment for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Improvements in donor selection, supportive care and the introduction of reduced-intensity conditioning have led to a decrease in early transplant mortality. However, relapse rates have not changed significantly in recent years. Furthermore, treatment options for patients relapsing after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are limited and often short-lived. Thus, optimizing the post-transplant outcome by maintenance approaches or minimal residual disease-directed preemptive therapy is an important goal of current clinical research. Further strategies aiming at an improved prevention of graft-versus-host disease are currently under investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Sockel
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I, Universitätsklinikum 'Carl Gustav Carus' Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Wu C, Dunbar CE. Stem cell gene therapy: the risks of insertional mutagenesis and approaches to minimize genotoxicity. Front Med 2011; 5:356-71. [PMID: 22198747 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-011-0159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Virus-based vectors are widely used in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy, and have the ability to integrate permanently into genomic DNA, thus driving long-term expression of corrective genes in all hematopoietic lineages. To date, HSC gene therapy has been successfully employed in the clinic for improving clinical outcomes in small numbers of patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1), adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA-SCID), adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), thalassemia, chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS). However, adverse events were observed during some of these HSC gene therapy clinical trials, linked to insertional activation of proto-oncogenes by integrated proviral vectors leading to clonal expansion and eventual development of leukemia. Numerous studies have been performed to understand the molecular basis of vector-mediated genotoxicity, with the aim of developing safer vectors and lower-risk gene therapy protocols. This review will summarize current information on the mechanisms of insertional mutagenesis in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells due to integrating gene transfer vectors, discuss the available assays for predicting genotoxicity and mapping vector integration sites, and introduce newly-developed approaches for minimizing genotoxicity as a way to further move HSC gene therapy forward into broader clinical application.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chuanfeng Wu
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
|
42
|
Transient proteasome inhibition as a strategy to enhance lentiviral transduction of hematopoietic CD34(+) cells and T lymphocytes: implications for the use of low viral doses and large-size vectors. J Biotechnol 2011; 156:218-26. [PMID: 21933686 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2011.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2011] [Revised: 08/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The proteasome system restricts lentiviral transduction of stem cells. We exploited proteasome inhibition as a strategy to enhance transduction of both hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and T lymphocytes with low dose or large-size lentiviral vectors (LV). HSC showed higher transduction efficiency if transiently exposed to proteasome inhibitor MG132 (41.8% vs 10.7%, p<0.0001). Treatment with MG132 (0.5 μM) retained its beneficial effect with 3 different LV of increasing size up to 10.9 Kb (p<0.01). We extended, for the first time, the application of proteasome inhibition to the transduction of T lymphocytes. A transient exposure to MG132 significantly improved lentiviral T-cell transduction. The mean percentage of transduced T cells progressively increased from 13.5% of untreated cells, to 21% (p=0.3), 30% (p=0.03) and 37% (p=0.01) of T lymphocytes that were pre-treated with MG132 at 0.1, 0.5 and 1 μM, respectively. MG132 did not affect viability or functionality of HSC or T cells, nor significantly increased the number of integrated vector copies. Transient proteasome inhibition appears as a new procedure to safely enhance lentiviral transduction of HSC and T lymphocytes with low viral doses. This approach could be useful in settings where the use of large size vectors may impair optimal viral production.
Collapse
|
43
|
Battaglia M, Roncarolo MG. Immune intervention with T regulatory cells: past lessons and future perspectives for type 1 diabetes. Semin Immunol 2011; 23:182-94. [PMID: 21831659 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2011.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
In type 1 diabetes (T1D), insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells are attacked and destroyed by the immune system. Although man-made insulin is life-saving, it is not a cure and it cannot prevent long-term complications. In addition, most T1D patients would do almost anything to achieve release from the burden of daily glucose monitoring and insulin injection. Despite the formation of very large and promising clinical trials, a means to prevent/cure T1D in humans remains elusive. This has led to an increasing interest in the possibility of using T cells with regulatory properties (Treg cells) as a biological therapy to preserve and restore tolerance to self-antigens. In the present review we will attempt to consolidate learning from the past and to describe what we now believe could in the future become a successful Treg-cell based immune intervention in T1D.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Battaglia
- San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy.
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation led to the discovery of the allogeneic GVL effect, which remains the most convincing evidence that immune cells can cure cancer in humans. However, despite its great paradigmatic and clinical relevance, induction of GVL by conventional allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation remains a quite rudimentary form of leukemia immunotherapy. It is toxic and its efficacy is far from optimal. It is therefore sobering that since the discovery of the GVL effect 3 decades ago, the way GVL is induced and manipulated has practically not changed. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that injection of T cells primed against a single Ag present on neoplastic cells could enhance the GVL effect without causing any GVHD. We therefore contend that Ag-targeted adoptive T-cell immunotherapy represents the future of leukemia immunotherapy, and we discuss the specific strategies that ought to be evaluated to reach this goal. Differences between these strategies hinge on 2 key elements: the nature of the target Ag and the type of Ag receptor expressed on T cells.
Collapse
|
45
|
Casucci M, Bondanza A. Suicide gene therapy to increase the safety of chimeric antigen receptor-redirected T lymphocytes. J Cancer 2011; 2:378-82. [PMID: 21750689 PMCID: PMC3133962 DOI: 10.7150/jca.2.378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/16/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are generated by fusing the antigen-binding motif of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) with the signal transduction machinery of the T-cell receptor (TCR). The genetic modification of T lymphocytes with chimeric receptors specific for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) allows for the redirection towards tumor cells. Clinical experience with CAR-redirected T cells suggests that antitumor efficacy associates with some degree of toxicity, especially when TAA expression is shared with healthy tissues. This situation closely resembles the case of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), wherein allorecognition causes both the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Suicide gene therapy, i.e. the genetic induction of a conditional suicide phenotype into donor T cells, enables dissociating the GVL effect from GVHD. Applying suicide gene modification to CAR-redirected T cells may therefore greatly increase their safety profile and facilitate their clinical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Casucci
- Experimental Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, Milano, ITALY
| | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Preuss E, Muik A, Weber K, Otte J, von Laer D, Fehse B. Cancer suicide gene therapy with TK.007: superior killing efficiency and bystander effect. J Mol Med (Berl) 2011; 89:1113-24. [PMID: 21698427 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-011-0777-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 06/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Suicide gene therapy is a promising concept in oncology. We have recently introduced a novel suicide gene, TK.007, which was shown to excel established herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) variants when used for donor-lymphocyte modification in adoptive immunotherapy models. Here, the potential of TK.007 in killing cancer cells was studied. Initially, we transduced tumour cell lines derived from different neoplasias (glioblastoma, melanoma, lung cancer, colon cancer) with lentiviral LeGO vectors encoding TK.007 or the splice-corrected (sc)HSVtk together with an eGFP/Neo-marker. Based on direct in vitro comparison, we found that TK.007 facilitates more efficient tumour cell killing at significantly lower ganciclovir doses in all tumour cell lines tested. Also, using different readout systems, we found a significantly stronger bystander effect of TK.007 as compared to scHSVtk. Importantly, in vitro data were confirmed in vivo using a subcutaneous G62 glioblastoma model in NOD/SCID mice. In mice transplanted with scHSVtk-positive tumours, treatment with low (10 mg/kg) or standard (50 mg/kg) ganciclovir doses resulted only in short-term growth inhibition or transient tumour remission, respectively. In striking contrast, in the TK.007 group, all animals achieved continuous complete remission after both standard and low-dose ganciclovir. Finally, a substantial bystander effect for TK.007 was also confirmed with the G62 model in vivo, where significantly prolonged survival for mice bearing tumours containing only 10% or 50% TK.007-expressing cells was observed. In summary, our data indicate strongly improved anti-tumour activity of TK.007 as compared to conventional HSVtk. We therefore suppose that TK.007 is an excellent candidate for cancer suicide gene therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Preuss
- Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy, Clinic for Stem Cell Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Sangiolo D, Leuci V, Gallo S, Aglietta M, Piacibello W. Gene-modified T lymphocytes in the setting of hematopoietic cell transplantation: potential benefits and possible risks. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2011; 11:655-66. [PMID: 21375466 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2011.565325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a consolidated treatment for several hematologic malignancies. Donor T lymphocytes can mediate a graft versus tumor (GVT) effect and control opportunistic infections but can also cause severe graft versus host disease (GVHD). Gene-transfer strategies are appealing tools to modulate T cell functions when infused after HCT. AREAS COVERED The current and potential future applications of T cell gene-transfer approaches to HCT. This review is not limited to GVHD control but covers the issues of GVT and immune reconstitution. Clinical data are used to discuss more general issues, perspectives and concerns common to gene-modification of T cells. An overview of the results and limitations emerging from clinical trials with herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) engineered lymphocytes is provided. The review provides perspectives on additional gene-transfer strategies, currently at preclinical level or that have just entered clinical trials, to increase the efficacy and safety of HCT. EXPERT OPINION Gene-transfer can positively interfere with T cell functions after HCT. TK-lymphocytes have proven effective in controlling GVHD while retaining an acceptable GVT effect. Strategies exploiting new suicide molecules or engineered T cell receptors (TCRs) should be further explored to address current limitations with TK-lymphocytes and augment the efficacy and specificity of GVT and antiviral activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Sangiolo
- IRCC Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Laboratory of Cell Therapy, Department of Oncological Sciences, Strada Provinciale 142, Km 3.95, 10060 Candiolo, Turin, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Bleakley M, Riddell SR. Exploiting T cells specific for human minor histocompatibility antigens for therapy of leukemia. Immunol Cell Biol 2011; 89:396-407. [PMID: 21301477 PMCID: PMC3061548 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2010.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Minor histocompatibility (H) antigens are major targets of a graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect mediated by donor CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) between human leukocyte antigen identical individuals. In the 15 years since the first molecular characterization of human minor H antigens, significant strides in minor H antigen discovery have been made as a consequence of advances in cellular, genetic and molecular techniques. Much has been learned about the mechanisms of minor H antigen immunogenicity, their expression on normal and malignant cells, and their role in GVL responses. T cells specific for minor H antigens expressed on leukemic cells, including leukemic stem cells, can be isolated and expanded in vitro and infused into allogeneic HCT recipients to augment the GVL effect to prevent and treat relapse. The first report of the adoptive transfer of minor H antigen-specific T-cell clones to patients with leukemic relapse in 2010 illustrates the potential for the manipulation of alloreactivity for therapeutic benefit. This review describes the recent developments in T-cell recognition of human minor H antigens, and efforts to translate these discoveries to reduce leukemia relapse after allogeneic HCT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bleakley
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-981024, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Bleakley M, Riddell SR. Exploiting T cells specific for human minor histocompatibility antigens for therapy of leukemia. Immunol Cell Biol 2011. [PMID: 21301477 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2010.124.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Minor histocompatibility (H) antigens are major targets of a graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect mediated by donor CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) between human leukocyte antigen identical individuals. In the 15 years since the first molecular characterization of human minor H antigens, significant strides in minor H antigen discovery have been made as a consequence of advances in cellular, genetic and molecular techniques. Much has been learned about the mechanisms of minor H antigen immunogenicity, their expression on normal and malignant cells, and their role in GVL responses. T cells specific for minor H antigens expressed on leukemic cells, including leukemic stem cells, can be isolated and expanded in vitro and infused into allogeneic HCT recipients to augment the GVL effect to prevent and treat relapse. The first report of the adoptive transfer of minor H antigen-specific T-cell clones to patients with leukemic relapse in 2010 illustrates the potential for the manipulation of alloreactivity for therapeutic benefit. This review describes the recent developments in T-cell recognition of human minor H antigens, and efforts to translate these discoveries to reduce leukemia relapse after allogeneic HCT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bleakley
- Program in Immunology, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109-981024, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Toubert A. Grand challenges in alloimmunity and transplantation. Front Immunol 2011; 2:38. [PMID: 22566828 PMCID: PMC3342515 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2011.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/16/2011] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Toubert
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Universitaire d'Hématologie, INSERM UMR940, Laboratoire d'Immunologie et d'Histocompatibilité, Laboratoire Jean Dausset, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|