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Lee H, Lee M, Lim CL, Park HS, Song IH, Jeong BK, Kim DK, Kim YH, Choi S, Lee GD, Lee SB, Jung S, Gong G, Kim SB, Yoo C, Kim JY, Lee HJ. Expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in non-small cell lung cancer: Clinical potential and efficacy in EGFR mutation subsets. Clin Immunol 2024; 265:110289. [PMID: 38908769 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2024.110289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Our study aimed to expand tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from primary non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and evaluate their reactivity against tumor cells. We expanded TILs from 103 primary NSCLCs using histopathological analysis, flow cytometry, IFN-γ release assays, cell-mediated cytotoxicity assays, and in vivo efficacy tests. TIL expansion was observed in all cases, regardless of EGFR mutation status. There was also an increase in the median CD4+/CD8+ ratio during expansion. In post-rapid expansion protocol (REP) TILs, 13 out of 16 cases, including all three cases with EGFR mutations, exhibited a two-fold or greater increase in IFN-γ secretion. The cytotoxicity assay revealed enhanced tumor cell death in three of the seven cases, two of which had EGFR mutations. In vivo functional testing in a patient-derived xenograft model showed a reduction in tumor volume. The anti-tumor activity of post-REP TILs underscores their potential as a therapeutic option for advanced NSCLC, irrespective of mutation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Lee
- Department of Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Miseon Lee
- Department of Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chae Lyul Lim
- Research and Development Center, NeogenTC Corp., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Seon Park
- Research and Development Center, NeogenTC Corp., Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - In Hye Song
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Kwan Jeong
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Kwan Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Hee Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sehoon Choi
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Geun Dong Lee
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sae Byul Lee
- Department of Breast Surgery, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - SungWook Jung
- Department of Medical Science, AMIST, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyungyub Gong
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Bae Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhoon Yoo
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Joo Young Kim
- Department of Pathology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hee Jin Lee
- Research and Development Center, NeogenTC Corp., Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Camargo CP, Alapan Y, Muhuri AK, Lucas SN, Thomas SN. Single-cell adhesive profiling in an optofluidic device elucidates CD8 + T lymphocyte phenotypes in inflamed vasculature-like microenvironments. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100743. [PMID: 38554703 PMCID: PMC11046032 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Tissue infiltration by circulating leukocytes occurs via adhesive interactions with the local vasculature, but how the adhesive quality of circulating cells guides the homing of specific phenotypes to different vascular microenvironments remains undefined. We developed an optofluidic system enabling fluorescent labeling of photoactivatable cells based on their adhesive rolling velocity in an inflamed vasculature-mimicking microfluidic device under physiological fluid flow. In so doing, single-cell level multidimensional profiling of cellular characteristics could be characterized and related to the associated adhesive phenotype. When applied to CD8+ T cells, ligand/receptor expression profiles and subtypes associated with adhesion were revealed, providing insight into inflamed tissue infiltration capabilities of specific CD8+ T lymphocyte subsets and how local vascular microenvironmental features may regulate the quality of cellular infiltration. This methodology facilitates rapid screening of cell populations for enhanced homing capabilities under defined biochemical and biophysical microenvironments, relevant to leukocyte homing modulation in multiple pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila P Camargo
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA
| | - Yunus Alapan
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA
| | - Abir K Muhuri
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA
| | - Samuel N Lucas
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA
| | - Susan N Thomas
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta 30332, GA, USA; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta 30322, GA, USA.
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Phoon YP, Lopes JE, Pfannenstiel LW, Marcela Diaz-Montero C, Tian YF, Ernstoff MS, Funchain P, Ko JS, Winquist R, Losey HC, Melenhorst JJ, Gastman BR. Autologous human preclinical modeling of melanoma interpatient clinical responses to immunotherapeutics. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008066. [PMID: 38604813 PMCID: PMC11015209 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite recent advances in immunotherapy, a substantial population of late-stage melanoma patients still fail to achieve sustained clinical benefit. Lack of translational preclinical models continues to be a major challenge in the field of immunotherapy; thus, more optimized translational models could strongly influence clinical trial development. To address this unmet need, we designed a preclinical model reflecting the heterogeneity in melanoma patients' clinical responses that can be used to evaluate novel immunotherapies and synergistic combinatorial treatment strategies. Using our all-autologous humanized melanoma mouse model, we examined the efficacy of a novel engineered interleukin 2 (IL-2)-based cytokine variant immunotherapy. METHODS To study immune responses and antitumor efficacy for human melanoma tumors, we developed an all-autologous humanized melanoma mouse model using clinically annotated, matched patient tumor cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). After inoculating immunodeficient NSG mice with patient tumors and an adoptive cell transfer of autologous PBMCs, mice were treated with anti-PD-1, a novel investigational engineered IL-2-based cytokine (nemvaleukin), or recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2). The pharmacodynamic effects and antitumor efficacy of these treatments were then evaluated. We used tumor cells and autologous PBMCs from patients with varying immunotherapy responses to both model the diversity of immunotherapy efficacy observed in the clinical setting and to recapitulate the heterogeneous nature of melanoma. RESULTS Our model exhibited long-term survival of engrafted human PBMCs without developing graft-versus-host disease. Administration of an anti-PD-1 or nemvaleukin elicited antitumor responses in our model that were patient-specific and were found to parallel clinical responsiveness to checkpoint inhibitors. An evaluation of nemvaleukin-treated mice demonstrated increased tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, preferential expansion of non-regulatory T cell subsets in the spleen, and significant delays in tumor growth compared with vehicle-treated controls or mice treated with rhIL-2. CONCLUSIONS Our model reproduces differential effects of immunotherapy in melanoma patients, capturing the inherent heterogeneity in clinical responses. Taken together, these data demonstrate our model's translatability for novel immunotherapies in melanoma patients. The data are also supportive for the continued clinical investigation of nemvaleukin as a novel immunotherapeutic for the treatment of melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee Peng Phoon
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology (CITI), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Claudia Marcela Diaz-Montero
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology (CITI), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ye F Tian
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Pauline Funchain
- Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jan Joseph Melenhorst
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology (CITI), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Brian R Gastman
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology (CITI), Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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Hall MS, Teer JK, Yu X, Branthoover H, Snedal S, Rodriguez-Valentin M, Nagle L, Scott E, Schachner B, Innamarato P, Hall AM, Blauvelt J, Rich CJ, Richards AD, Ceccarelli J, Langer TJ, Yoder SJ, Beatty MS, Cox CA, Messina JL, Abate-Daga D, Mule JJ, Mullinax JE, Sarnaik AA, Pilon-Thomas S. Neoantigen-specific CD4 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are potent effectors identified within adoptive cell therapy products for metastatic melanoma patients. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007288. [PMID: 37802604 PMCID: PMC10565316 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is a promising immunotherapeutic approach for patients with advanced solid tumors. While numerous advances have been made, the contribution of neoantigen-specific CD4+T cells within TIL infusion products remains underexplored and therefore offers a significant opportunity for progress. METHODS We analyzed infused TIL products from metastatic melanoma patients previously treated with ACT for the presence of neoantigen-specific T cells. TILs were enriched on reactivity to neoantigen peptides derived and prioritized from patient sample-directed mutanome analysis. Enriched TILs were further investigated to establish the clonal neoantigen response with respect to function, transcriptomics, and persistence following ACT. RESULTS We discovered that neoantigen-specific TIL clones were predominantly CD4+ T cells and were present in both therapeutic responders and non-responders. CD4+ TIL demonstrated an effector T cell response with cytotoxicity toward autologous tumor in a major histocompatibility complex class II-dependent manner. These results were validated by paired TCR and single cell RNA sequencing, which elucidated transcriptomic profiles distinct to neoantigen-specific CD4+ TIL. CONCLUSIONS Despite methods which often focus on CD8+T cells, our study supports the importance of prospective identification of neoantigen-specific CD4+ T cells within TIL products as they are a potent source of tumor-specific effectors. We further advocate for the inclusion of neoantigen-specific CD4+ TIL in future ACT protocols as a strategy to improve antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- MacLean S Hall
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Cancer Biology PhD Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jamie K Teer
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Yu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Holly Branthoover
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Sebastian Snedal
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | | | - Luz Nagle
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Ellen Scott
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Ben Schachner
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Patrick Innamarato
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Amy M Hall
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jamie Blauvelt
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Carolyn J Rich
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Allison D Richards
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | | | - T J Langer
- Turnstone Biologics, Inc, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sean J Yoder
- Molecular Genomics Core, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Matthew S Beatty
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Cheryl A Cox
- Cell Therapies Core Facility, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jane L Messina
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Daniel Abate-Daga
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - James J Mule
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - John E Mullinax
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Sarcoma, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Amod A Sarnaik
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Shari Pilon-Thomas
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
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5
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Thompson B, Strange A, Amato CM, Hester-McCullough J, Sarnaik AA, Weber JS, Woods DM. CD4 Phenotypes Are Associated with Reduced Expansion of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Melanoma Patients Treated with Adoptive Cell Therapy. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:735-742. [PMID: 37466381 PMCID: PMC10528290 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) adoptive cell therapy is effective in treating malignant melanoma, but its success relies on the adequate ex vivo expansion of TIL. To assess correlates of TIL expansion, CD4+ and CD8+ TIL were analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing of acetylated histone 3. Patients were grouped into "TIL high" and "TIL low" based on division at the median number of TIL infused. Greater numbers of TIL infused correlated with longer overall survival, and increased frequencies of CD4+ cells infused were negatively correlated with the number of TIL infused. RNA-seq analysis of CD4+ TIL showed increases in Th2/Th17/regulatory T cell-related transcripts and pathways in the TIL-low group. Analysis of a public single-cell RNA-seq dataset validated findings that increased frequencies of CD4+ cells were negatively correlated with the number of TIL infused. TIL-low patients had significantly increased frequencies of CD4+ cells expressing ETS2 and OSM and trended toward increased expression of TNFRSF18.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Thompson
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Ann Strange
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Carol M. Amato
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | | | - Amod A. Sarnaik
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL
| | - Jeffrey S. Weber
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY
| | - David M. Woods
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO
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6
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Camargo CP, Muhuri AK, Alapan Y, Sestito LF, Khosla M, Manspeaker MP, Smith AS, Paulos CM, Thomas SN. A dhesion analysis via a tumor vasculature-like microfluidic device identifies CD8 + T cells with enhanced tumor homing to improve cell therapy. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112175. [PMID: 36848287 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cell recruitment to the tumor microenvironment is critical for the success of adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Unfortunately, only a small fraction of transferred cells home to solid tumors. Adhesive ligand-receptor interactions have been implicated in CD8+ T cell homing; however, there is a lack of understanding of how CD8+ T cells interact with tumor vasculature-expressed adhesive ligands under the influence of hemodynamic flow. Here, the capacity of CD8+ T cells to home to melanomas is modeled ex vivo using an engineered microfluidic device that recapitulates the hemodynamic microenvironment of the tumor vasculature. Adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells with enhanced adhesion in flow in vitro and tumor homing in vivo improve tumor control by ACT in combination with immune checkpoint blockade. These results show that engineered microfluidic devices can model the microenvironment of the tumor vasculature to identify subsets of T cells with enhanced tumor infiltrating capabilities, a key limitation in ACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila P Camargo
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Abir K Muhuri
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Yunus Alapan
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Lauren F Sestito
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Megha Khosla
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Margaret P Manspeaker
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Aubrey S Smith
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | | | - Susan N Thomas
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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Generation of colon cancer-derived tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) for adoptive cell therapy. Cytotherapy 2023; 25:537-547. [PMID: 36775787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using specific immune cells and stem cells has emerged as a promising treatment option that could complement traditional cancer therapies in the future. In particular, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been shown to be effective against solid tumors in various clinical trials. Despite the enormous disease burden and large number of premature deaths caused by colorectal cancer (CRC), studies on TILs isolated from tumor tissue of patients with CRC are still rare. To date, studies on ACT often lack controlled and comparable expansion processes as well as selected ACT-relevant T-cell populations. We describe a procedure for generating patient-specific TILs, which are prerequisites for clinical trials of ACT in CRC. The manufacturing and characteristics of these TILs differ in important modalities from TILs commonly used for this therapeutic approach. Tumor tissue samples were obtained from 12 patients undergoing surgery for primary CRC, predominantly with low microsatellite instability (pMMR-MSI-L). Tumors in the resected specimens were examined pathologically, and an approved volume of tumor tissue was transferred to a disposable perfusion bioreactor. Tissue samples were subjected to an automatically controlled and highly reproducible cultivation process in a GMP-conform, closed perfusion bioreactor system using starting medium containing interleukin-2 and interleukin-12. Outgrowth of TIL from tissue samples was initiated by short-term supplementation with a specific activation cocktail. During subsequent expansion, TILs were grown in interleukin-2-enriched medium. Expansion of TILs in a low-scaled, two-phase process in the Zellwerk ZRP bioreactor under hyperoxic conditions resulted in a number of approximately 2 × 109 cells. The expanded TILs consisted mainly (73%) of the ACT-relevant CD3+/CD8+ effector memory phenotype (CD45RO+/CCR7-). TILs harvested under these conditions exhibited high functional potential, which was confirmed upon nonspecific stimulation (interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α cytokine assay).
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8
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Creasy CA, Meng YJ, Forget MA, Karpinets T, Tomczak K, Stewart C, Torres-Cabala CA, Pilon-Thomas S, Sarnaik AA, Mulé JJ, Garraway L, Bustos M, Zhang J, Patel SP, Diab A, Glitza IC, Yee C, Tawbi H, Wong MK, McQuade J, Hoon DSB, Davies MA, Hwu P, Amaria RN, Haymaker C, Beroukhim R, Bernatchez C. Genomic Correlates of Outcome in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy for Metastatic Melanoma. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:1911-1924. [PMID: 35190823 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) historically yields a 40%-50% response rate in metastatic melanoma. However, the determinants of outcome are largely unknown. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We investigated tumor-based genomic correlates of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and response to therapy by interrogating tumor samples initially collected to generate TIL infusion products. RESULTS Whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from 64 samples indicated a positive correlation between neoantigen load and OS, but not PFS or response to therapy. RNA sequencing analysis of 34 samples showed that expression of PDE1C, RTKN2, and NGFR was enriched in responders who had improved PFS and OS. In contrast, the expression of ELFN1 was enriched in patients with unfavorable response, poor PFS and OS, whereas enhanced methylation of ELFN1 was observed in patients with favorable outcomes. Expression of ELFN1, NGFR, and PDE1C was mainly found in cancer-associated fibroblasts and endothelial cells in tumor tissues across different cancer types in publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing datasets, suggesting a role for elements of the tumor microenvironment in defining the outcome of TIL therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that transcriptional features of melanomas correlate with outcomes after TIL therapy and may provide candidates to guide patient selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Creasy
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Yuzhong Jeff Meng
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Marie-Andrée Forget
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Tatiana Karpinets
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MDACC, Houston, Texas
| | - Katarzyna Tomczak
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MDACC, Houston, Texas
| | - Chip Stewart
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Shari Pilon-Thomas
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida.,Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Amod A Sarnaik
- Department of Cutaneous Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - James J Mulé
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida
| | - Levi Garraway
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Matias Bustos
- Department of Translational Molecular Medicine, Saint John's Cancer Institute, Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, California
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MDACC, Houston, Texas
| | - Sapna P Patel
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Adi Diab
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Isabella C Glitza
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Cassian Yee
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Hussein Tawbi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Michael K Wong
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Jennifer McQuade
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Dave S B Hoon
- Department of Translational Molecular Medicine, Saint John's Cancer Institute, Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, California
| | - Michael A Davies
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Patrick Hwu
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Rodabe N Amaria
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas
| | - Cara Haymaker
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MDACC, Houston, Texas
| | - Rameen Beroukhim
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Chantale Bernatchez
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, Texas.,Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MDACC, Houston, Texas
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Understanding and improving cellular immunotherapies against cancer: From cell-manufacturing to tumor-immune models. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 179:114003. [PMID: 34653533 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is shaped by dynamic metabolic and immune interactions between precancerous and cancerous tumor cells and stromal cells like epithelial cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and hematopoietically-derived immune cells. The metabolic states of the TME, including the hypoxic and acidic niches, influence the immunosuppressive phenotypes of the stromal and immune cells, which confers resistance to both host-mediated tumor killing and therapeutics. Numerous in vitro TME platforms for studying immunotherapies, including cell therapies, are being developed. However, we do not yet understand which immune and stromal components are most critical and how much model complexity is needed to answer specific questions. In addition, scalable sourcing and quality-control of appropriate TME cells for reproducibly manufacturing these platforms remain challenging. In this regard, lessons from the manufacturing of immunomodulatory cell therapies could provide helpful guidance. Although immune cell therapies have shown unprecedented results in hematological cancers and hold promise in solid tumors, their manufacture poses significant scale, cost, and quality control challenges. This review first provides an overview of the in vivo TME, discussing the most influential cell populations in the tumor-immune landscape. Next, we summarize current approaches for cell therapies against cancers and the relevant manufacturing platforms. We then evaluate current immune-tumor models of the TME and immunotherapies, highlighting the complexity, architecture, function, and cell sources. Finally, we present the technical and fundamental knowledge gaps in both cell manufacturing systems and immune-TME models that must be addressed to elucidate the interactions between endogenous tumor immunity and exogenous engineered immunity.
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10
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Dahotre SN, Romanov AM, Su FY, Kwong GA. Synthetic Antigen-Presenting Cells for Adoptive T Cell Therapy. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2021; 4:2100034. [PMID: 34541300 PMCID: PMC8447293 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202100034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapies are transforming the treatment of solid and liquid tumors, yet their widespread adoption is limited in part by the challenge of generating functional cells. T cell activation and expansion using conventional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is unreliable due to the variable quality of donor-derived APCs. As a result, engineered approaches using nanomaterials presenting T cell activation signals are a promising alternative due to their ability to be robustly manufactured with precise control over stimulation cues. In this work, we design synthetic APCs that consist of liposomes surface-functionalized with peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (pMHC). Synthetic APCs selectively target and activate antigen-specific T cell populations to levels similar to conventional protocols using non-specific αCD3 and αCD28 antibodies without the need for costimulation signals. T cells treated with synthetic APCs produce effector cytokines and demonstrate cytotoxic activity when co-cultured with tumor cells presenting target antigen in vitro. Following adoptive transfer into tumor-bearing mice, activated cells control tumor growth and improve overall survival compared to untreated mice. Synthetic APCs could potentially be used in the future to improve the accessibility of adoptive T cell therapies by removing the need for conventional APCs during manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyas N Dahotre
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Anna M Romanov
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Fang-Yi Su
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Gabriel A Kwong
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
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11
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Arnaud M, Bobisse S, Chiffelle J, Harari A. The Promise of Personalized TCR-Based Cellular Immunotherapy for Cancer Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:701636. [PMID: 34394096 PMCID: PMC8363295 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.701636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation-derived neoantigens are now established as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. The field of adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) therapy was significantly reshaped by tumor neoantigens and is now moving towards the genetic engineering of T cells with neoantigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs). Yet, the identification of neoantigen-reactive TCRs remains challenging and the process needs to be adapted to clinical timelines. In addition, the state of recipient T cells for TCR transduction is critical and can affect TCR-ACT efficacy. Here we provide an overview of the main strategies for TCR-engineering, describe the selection and expansion of optimal carrier cells for TCR-ACT and discuss the next-generation methods for rapid identification of relevant TCR candidates for gene transfer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Arnaud
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Bobisse
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Chiffelle
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Qin SS, Melucci AD, Chacon AC, Prieto PA. Adoptive T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors: Pathway to Personalized Standard of Care. Cells 2021; 10:cells10040808. [PMID: 33916369 PMCID: PMC8067276 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) has emerged as a promising therapy for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic solid tumors. One challenge to finding a universal anticancer treatment is the heterogeneity present between different tumors as a result of genetic instability associated with tumorigenesis. As the epitome of personalized medicine, TIL-ACT bypasses the issue of intertumoral heterogeneity by utilizing the patient’s existing antitumor immune response. Despite being one of the few therapies capable of inducing durable, complete tumor regression, many patients fail to respond. Recent research has focused on increasing therapeutic efficacy by refining various aspects of the TIL protocol, which includes the isolation, ex vivo expansion, and subsequent infusion of tumor specific lymphocytes. This review will explore how the therapy has evolved with time by highlighting various resistance mechanisms to TIL therapy and the novel strategies to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang S. Qin
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Alexa D. Melucci
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.D.M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Alexander C. Chacon
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.D.M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Peter A. Prieto
- Department of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.D.M.); (A.C.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(585)-703-4655
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13
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Donia M, Ellebaek E, Andersen MH, Straten PT, Svane IM. Analysis of Vδ1 T cells in clinical grade melanoma-infiltrating lymphocytes. Oncoimmunology 2021; 1:1297-1304. [PMID: 23243593 PMCID: PMC3518502 DOI: 10.4161/onci.21659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
γδ T cells, including Vδ1 and Vδ2 T cells, can recognize tumor-associated ligands neglected by conventional αβ T cells in a MHC-independent manner. Little is known regarding the anticancer potential and the possibility to isolate and expand Vδ1 T cells to therapeutically relevant numbers. In this study, we have detected low frequencies of Vδ1 T cells among tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) products for adoptive cell transfer generated from melanoma metastases. An increased frequency of Vδ1 T cells was found among the cell products from patients with an advanced disease stage. Vδ1 T cells displayed in vitro antitumor activities and sufficient proliferative potential to generate over 1 × 109 cells using current protocols for T cell transfer. Infusion of Vδ1 T cells together with high numbers of αβ TILs in a clinical trial was safe and well tolerated. These data suggest that Vδ1 T cells should be further scrutinized as a potentially useful tool for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Donia
- Center for Cancer Immune Therapy; Department of Haematology; Copenhagen University Hospital at Herlev; Herlev, Denmark ; Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of Catania; Catania, Italy
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14
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Matus EI, Sparkes A, Gariépy J. A soluble activator that favors the ex vivo expansion of CD8+CD27+ T cells. JCI Insight 2020; 5:141293. [PMID: 33208551 PMCID: PMC7710272 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.141293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy involves the infusion of tumor-reactive T cells into patients with cancer to provide antitumor immunity. The ex vivo expansion and differentiation of such T cells are key parameters that affect their therapeutic potential. Human T cells are presently expanded in culture through the use of anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 mAbs immobilized on beads, expressed on cells, or assembled in the context of soluble antibody complexes. Here we report the design of a small, bispecific single-chain variable fragment construct agonizing both CD3 and CD28 pathways. This soluble T cell expansion protein, termed T-CEP, activates, expands, and differentiates human T cells ex vivo at concentrations in the femtomolar range. Importantly, T-CEP promotes the preferential growth of human CD8+ T cells over the course of 12 days in comparison with methods involving immobilized anti-CD3 mAb/soluble anti-CD28 mAb or soluble anti-CD3/CD28 mAb complexes. The differentiation profile of the resulting human T cell population is also singularly affected by T-CEP, favoring the expansion of a preferred CD8+CD27+ T cell phenotype. The activity profile of T-CEP on human T cells ex vivo suggests its use in generating human T cell populations that are more suited for adoptive cell therapy. A bispecific protein construct is described that rapidly expands primary human T cell populations ex vivo at femtomolar concentrations with desirable phenotypic properties for adoptive cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther I Matus
- Sunnybrook Research Institute.,Department of Medical Biophysics, and
| | | | - Jean Gariépy
- Sunnybrook Research Institute.,Department of Medical Biophysics, and.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, USA
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15
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Cunningham S, Hackstein H. Recent Advances in Good Manufacturing Practice-Grade Generation of Dendritic Cells. Transfus Med Hemother 2020; 47:454-463. [PMID: 33442340 DOI: 10.1159/000512451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are pivotal regulators of immune responses, specialized in antigen presentation and bridging the gap between the innate and adaptive immune system. Due to these key features, DCs have become a pillar of the continuously growing field of cellular therapies. Here we review recent advances in good manufacturing practice strategies and their individual specificities in relation to DC production for clinical applications. These take into account both small-scale experimental approaches as well as automated systems for patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Cunningham
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hemostaseology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Holger Hackstein
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hemostaseology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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16
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Crowther MD, Svane IM, Met Ö. T-Cell Gene Therapy in Cancer Immunotherapy: Why It Is No Longer Just CARs on The Road. Cells 2020; 9:cells9071588. [PMID: 32630096 PMCID: PMC7407663 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cells have a natural ability to fight cancer cells in the tumour microenvironment. Due to thymic selection and tissue-driven immunomodulation, these cancer-fighting T-cells are generally low in number and exhausted. One way to overcome these issues is to genetically alter T-cells to improve their effectiveness. This process can involve introducing a receptor that has high affinity for a tumour antigen, with two promising candidates known as chimeric-antigen receptors (CARs), or T-cell receptors (TCRs) with high tumour specificity. This review focuses on the editing of immune cells to introduce such novel receptors to improve immune responses to cancer. These new receptors redirect T-cells innate killing abilities to the appropriate target on cancer cells. CARs are modified receptors that recognise whole proteins on the surface of cancer cells. They have been shown to be very effective in haematological malignancies but have limited documented efficacy in solid cancers. TCRs recognise internal antigens and therefore enable targeting of a much wider range of antigens. TCRs require major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction but novel TCRs may have broader antigen recognition. Moreover, there are multiple cell types which can be used as targets to improve the “off-the-shelf” capabilities of these genetic engineering methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Crowther
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark;
- Correspondence: (M.D.C.); (Ö.M.)
| | - Inge Marie Svane
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark;
| | - Özcan Met
- Department of Oncology, National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 2730 Herlev, Denmark;
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Correspondence: (M.D.C.); (Ö.M.)
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17
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Adoptive Cell Therapy-Harnessing Antigen-Specific T Cells to Target Solid Tumours. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12030683. [PMID: 32183246 PMCID: PMC7140076 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12030683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, much research has been focused on the field of adoptive cell therapies (ACT) that use native or genetically modified T cells as therapeutic tools. Immunotherapy with T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) demonstrated great success in the treatment of haematologic malignancies, whereas adoptive transfer of autologous tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) proved to be highly effective in metastatic melanoma. These encouraging results initiated many studies where ACT was tested as a treatment for various solid tumours. In this review, we provide an overview of the challenges of T cell-based immunotherapies of solid tumours. We describe alternative approaches for choosing the most efficient T cells for cancer treatment in terms of their tumour-specificity and phenotype. Finally, we present strategies for improvement of anti-tumour potential of T cells, including combination therapies.
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18
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Wang W, Hou X, Yang X, Liu A, Tang Z, Mo F, Yin S, Lu X. Highly sensitive detection of CTLA-4-positive T-cell subgroups based on nanobody and fluorescent carbon quantum dots. Oncol Lett 2019; 18:109-116. [PMID: 31289479 PMCID: PMC6540141 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.10320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4-positive (CTLA-4+) T-cell subgroups in peripheral blood samples and tumor tissues is of great significance. In the present study, a rapid, succinct and efficient method was designed for the detection of CTLA-4+ human T cells using a CTLA-4-specific nanobody-fluorescent carbon quantum dots complex (QDs-Nb36). QDs-Nb36 was used for high sensitivity detection of CTLA-4+ T cells by flow cytometry or immumofluorescent staining. The present study demonstrated that the novel technique was more specific and effective in the detection of CTLA-4+ T-cell ratio in the peripheral blood and tumor tissues compared with a traditional monoclonal antibody approach. Furthermore, no significant toxicity was identified in vitro and in vivo, thus suggesting that the method may have broad applications for the detection of certain lowly expressed targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wu Wang
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoqiong Hou
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaomei Yang
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Aiqun Liu
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Zhuoran Tang
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Fengzhen Mo
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Shihua Yin
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- School of Basic Medicine/International Nanobody Research Center of Guangxi, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, P.R. China
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19
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Weiden J, Voerman D, Dölen Y, Das RK, van Duffelen A, Hammink R, Eggermont LJ, Rowan AE, Tel J, Figdor CG. Injectable Biomimetic Hydrogels as Tools for Efficient T Cell Expansion and Delivery. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2798. [PMID: 30546367 PMCID: PMC6279891 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomaterial-based scaffolds are promising tools for controlled immunomodulation. They can be applied as three dimensional (3D) culture systems in vitro, whereas in vivo they may be used to dictate cellular localization and exert spatiotemporal control over cues presented to the immune system. As such, scaffolds can be exploited to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies such as adoptive T cell transfer, in which localization and persistence of tumor-specific T cells dictates treatment outcome. Biomimetic polyisocyanopeptide (PIC) hydrogels are polymeric scaffolds with beneficial characteristics as they display reversible thermally-induced gelation at temperatures above 16°C, which allows for their minimally invasive delivery via injection. Moreover, incorporation of azide-terminated monomers introduces functional handles that can be exploited to include immune cell-modulating cues. Here, we explore the potential of synthetic PIC hydrogels to promote the in vitro expansion and in vivo local delivery of pre-activated T cells. We found that PIC hydrogels support the survival and vigorous expansion of pre-stimulated T cells in vitro even at high cell densities, highlighting their potential as 3D culture systems for efficient expansion of T cells for their adoptive transfer. In particular, the reversible thermo-sensitive behavior of the PIC scaffolds favors straightforward recovery of cells. PIC hydrogels that were injected subcutaneously gelated instantly in vivo, after which a confined 3D structure was formed that remained localized for at least 4 weeks. Importantly, we noticed no signs of inflammation, indicating that PIC hydrogels are non-immunogenic. Cells co-delivered with PIC polymers were encapsulated within the scaffold in vivo. Cells egressed gradually from the PIC gel and migrated into distant organs. This confirms that PIC hydrogels can be used to locally deliver cells within a supportive environment. These results demonstrate that PIC hydrogels are highly promising for both the in vitro expansion and in vivo delivery of pre-activated T cells. Covalent attachment of biomolecules onto azide-functionalized PIC polymers provides the opportunity to steer the phenotype, survival or functional response of the adoptively transferred cells. As such, PIC hydrogels can be used as valuable tools to improve current adoptive T cell therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorieke Weiden
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Dion Voerman
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Yusuf Dölen
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Rajat K. Das
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Anne van Duffelen
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Roel Hammink
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Loek J. Eggermont
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alan E. Rowan
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jurjen Tel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Carl G. Figdor
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Oncode Institute, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Abstract
Single-cell analysis has become an established method to study cell heterogeneity and for rare cell characterization. Despite the high cost and technical constraints, applications are increasing every year in all fields of biology. Following the trend, there is a tremendous development of tools for single-cell analysis, especially in the RNA sequencing field. Every improvement increases sensitivity and throughput. Collecting a large amount of data also stimulates the development of new approaches for bioinformatic analysis and interpretation. However, the essential requirement for any analysis is the collection of single cells of high quality. The single-cell isolation must be fast, effective, and gentle to maintain the native expression profiles. Classical methods for single-cell isolation are micromanipulation, microdissection, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). In the last decade several new and highly efficient approaches have been developed, which not just supplement but may fully replace the traditional ones. These new techniques are based on microfluidic chips, droplets, micro-well plates, and automatic collection of cells using capillaries, magnets, an electric field, or a punching probe. In this review we summarize the current methods and developments in this field. We discuss the advantages of the different commercially available platforms and their applicability, and also provide remarks on future developments.
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21
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Wrangle JM, Patterson A, Johnson CB, Neitzke DJ, Mehrotra S, Denlinger CE, Paulos CM, Li Z, Cole DJ, Rubinstein MP. IL-2 and Beyond in Cancer Immunotherapy. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2018; 38:45-68. [PMID: 29443657 PMCID: PMC5815463 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2017.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of the T- and natural killer (NK) cell growth factor IL-2 has been a sentinel force ushering in the era of immunotherapy in cancer. With the advent of clinical grade recombinant IL-2 in the mid-1980s, oncologists could for the first time directly manipulate lymphocyte populations with systemic therapy. By itself, recombinant IL-2 can induce clinical responses in up to 15% of patients with metastatic cancer or renal cell carcinoma. When administered with adoptively transferred tumor-reactive lymphocytes, IL-2 promotes T cell engraftment and response rates of up to 50% in metastatic melanoma patients. Importantly, these IL-2-driven responses can yield complete and durable responses in a subset of patients. However, the use of IL-2 is limited by toxicity and concern of the expansion of T regulatory cells. To overcome these limitations and improve response rates, other T cell growth factors, including IL-15 and modified forms of IL-2, are in clinical development. Administering T cell growth factors in combination with other agents, such as immune checkpoint pathway inhibitors, may also improve efficacy. In this study, we review the development of T- and NK cell growth factors and highlight current combinatorial approaches based on these reagents.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Wrangle
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Alicia Patterson
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - C. Bryce Johnson
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Daniel J. Neitzke
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Shikhar Mehrotra
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Chadrick E. Denlinger
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Chrystal M. Paulos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Zihai Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - David J. Cole
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Mark P. Rubinstein
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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22
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Hall M, Liu H, Malafa M, Centeno B, Hodul PJ, Pimiento J, Pilon-Thomas S, Sarnaik AA. Expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) from human pancreatic tumors. J Immunother Cancer 2016; 4:61. [PMID: 27777771 PMCID: PMC5067894 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-016-0164-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluated whether tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) could be expanded from surgically resected tumors from pancreatic cancer patients. METHODS Tumors were resected from pancreatic cancer patients. Tumors were minced into fragments and cultured in media containing high dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) for up to 6 weeks. T cell phenotype, activation markers, and reactivity were measured. RESULTS TIL expansion was measured in 19 patient samples. The majority of these TIL were CD4+ T cells and were highly activated. Purified CD8+ T cells produced IFN-γ in response to HLA-matched pancreatic tumor targets. PD-1 blockade and 4-1BB stimulation were demonstrated as effective strategies to improve effective TIL yield, including the production of tumor-reactive pancreatic TIL. CONCLUSIONS TIL expanded from pancreatic tumors are functional and able to respond to pancreatic tumor associated antigens. PD-1 blockade, 41BB stimulation, and CD8+ T cell enrichment are effective strategies to improve TIL yield and tumor reactivity. These results support the development of adoptive cell therapy strategies using TIL for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- MacLean Hall
- Department of Immunology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Hao Liu
- Department of Immunology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Mokenge Malafa
- Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Barbara Centeno
- Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Pamela J Hodul
- Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA
| | - José Pimiento
- Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA
| | - Shari Pilon-Thomas
- Department of Immunology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA.,Cutaneous Oncology Program, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 10920 N. McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
| | - Amod A Sarnaik
- Department of Immunology, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL USA.,Cutaneous Oncology Program, H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 10920 N. McKinley Dr, Tampa, FL 33612 USA
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23
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Geukes Foppen MH, Donia M, Svane IM, Haanen JBAG. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for the treatment of metastatic cancer. Mol Oncol 2015; 9:1918-35. [PMID: 26578452 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2015.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few years melanoma incidence has been rising steadily, resulting in an increase in melanoma related mortality. Until recently, therapeutic options for metastatic melanoma were scarce. Chemotherapy and, in some countries, IL-2 were the only registered treatment modalities. In the last five years, treatment with immunotherapy (anti CTLA-4, anti PD-1, or the combination of these antibodies) has shown very promising results and was able to improve survival in patients with metastatic melanoma. Adoptive cell therapy using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is yet another, but highly promising, immunotherapeutic strategy for patients with metastatic melanoma. This review will discuss the development of TIL as a treatment option for melanoma, its mode of action and simplification over time, and the possibilities to expand this therapy to other types of cancer. Also, the future directions of TIL based therapies will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- M H Geukes Foppen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - M Donia
- Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Haematology and Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, Denmark.
| | - I M Svane
- Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Department of Haematology and Oncology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, Denmark.
| | - J B A G Haanen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Feng Z, Puri S, Moudgil T, Wood W, Hoyt CC, Wang C, Urba WJ, Curti BD, Bifulco CB, Fox BA. Multispectral imaging of formalin-fixed tissue predicts ability to generate tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 2015; 3:47. [PMID: 26500776 PMCID: PMC4617712 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-015-0091-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) has shown great promise in melanoma, with over 50 % response rate in patients where autologous tumor-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can be cultured and expanded. A major limitation of ACT is the inability to generate or expand autologous tumor-reactive TIL in 25–45 % of patients tested. Methods that successfully identify tumors that are not suitable for TIL generation by standard methods would eliminate the costs of fruitless expansion and enable these patients to receive alternate therapy immediately. Methods Multispectral fluorescent immunohistochemistry with a panel including CD3, CD8, FoxP3, CD163, PD-L1 was used to analyze the tumor microenvironment in 17 patients with melanoma among our 36-patient cohort to predict successful TIL generation. Additionally, we compared tumor fragments and enzymatic digestion of tumor samples for efficiency in generating tumor-reactive TIL. Results Tumor-reactive TIL were generated from 21/36 (58 %) of melanomas and for 12/13 (92 %) tumors where both enzymatic and fragment methods were compared. TIL generation was successful in 10/13 enzymatic preparations and in 10/13 fragment cultures; combination of both methods resulted in successful generation of autologous tumor-reactive TIL in 12/13 patients. In 17 patients for whom tissue blocks were available, IHC analysis identified that while the presence of CD8+ T cells alone was insufficient to predict successful TIL generation, the CD8+ to FoxP3+ ratio was predictive with a positive-predictive value (PPV) of 91 % and negative-predictive value (NPV) of 86 %. Incorporation of CD163+ macrophage numbers and CD8:PD-L1 ratio did not improve the PPV. However, the NPV could be improved to 100 % by including the ratio of CD8+:PD-L1+ expressing cells. Conclusion This is the first study to apply 7-color multispectral immunohistochemistry to analyze the immune environment of tumors from patients with melanoma. Assessment of the data using unsupervised hierarchical clustering identified tumors from which we were unable to generate TIL. If substantiated, this immune profile could be applied to select patients for TIL generation. Additionally, this biomarker profile may also indicate a pre-existing immune response, and serve as a predictive biomarker of patients who will respond to checkpoint blockade. We postulate that expanding the spectrum of inhibitory cells and molecules assessed using this technique could guide combination immunotherapy treatments and improve response rates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40425-015-0091-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zipei Feng
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA.,Departments of Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Sachin Puri
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA
| | - Tarsem Moudgil
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA
| | - William Wood
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA
| | | | | | - Walter J Urba
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA
| | - Brendan D Curti
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA
| | - Carlo B Bifulco
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA.,Department of, Providence Portland Regional Laboratory, Portland, OR USA
| | - Bernard A Fox
- Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, 4805 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97213 USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR USA.,UbiVac, Portland, OR USA
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25
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Karpanen T, Olweus J. T-cell receptor gene therapy--ready to go viral? Mol Oncol 2015; 9:2019-42. [PMID: 26548533 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes can be redirected to recognize a tumor target and harnessed to combat cancer by genetic introduction of T-cell receptors of a defined specificity. This approach has recently mediated encouraging clinical responses in patients with cancers previously regarded as incurable. However, despite the great promise, T-cell receptor gene therapy still faces a multitude of obstacles. Identification of epitopes that enable effective targeting of all the cells in a heterogeneous tumor while sparing normal tissues remains perhaps the most demanding challenge. Experience from clinical trials has revealed the dangers associated with T-cell receptor gene therapy and highlighted the need for reliable preclinical methods to identify potentially hazardous recognition of both intended and unintended epitopes in healthy tissues. Procedures for manufacturing large and highly potent T-cell populations can be optimized to enhance their antitumor efficacy. Here, we review the current knowledge gained from preclinical models and clinical trials using adoptive transfer of T-cell receptor-engineered T lymphocytes, discuss the major challenges involved and highlight potential strategies to increase the safety and efficacy to make T-cell receptor gene therapy a standard-of-care for large patient groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terhi Karpanen
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet and K.G. Jebsen Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Oslo, Ullernchausseen 70, N-0379 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Johanna Olweus
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet and K.G. Jebsen Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Oslo, Ullernchausseen 70, N-0379 Oslo, Norway.
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Monette A, Ceccaldi C, Assaad E, Lerouge S, Lapointe R. Chitosan thermogels for local expansion and delivery of tumor-specific T lymphocytes towards enhanced cancer immunotherapies. Biomaterials 2015; 75:237-249. [PMID: 26513416 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The success of promising anti-cancer adoptive cell therapies relies on the abilities of the perfused CD8(+) T lymphocytes to gain access to and persist within the tumor microenvironment to carry out their cytotoxic functions. We propose a new method for their local delivery as a living concentrate, which may not only reduce the numbers of cells required for treatment but also enhance their site-specific mobilization. Using combinations of sodium hydrogen carbonate and phosphate buffer as gelling agents, novel injectable chitosan-based biocompatible thermogels (CTGels) having excellent mechanical properties and cytocompatibility have been developed. Three thermogel formulations with acceptable physicochemical properties, such as physiological pH and osmolality, macroporosity, and gelation rates were compared. The CTGel2 formulation outperformed the others by providing an environment suitable for the encapsulation of viable CD8(+) T lymphocytes, supporting their proliferation and gradual release. In addition, the encapsulated T cell phenotypes were influenced by surrounding conditions and by tumor cells, while maintaining their capacity to kill tumor cells. This strongly suggests that cells encapsulated in this formulation retain their anti-cancer functions, and that this locally injectable hydrogel may be further developed to complement a wide variety of existing immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Monette
- Laboratoire d'Immuno-Oncologie, ICM, Université de Montréal/CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Caroline Ceccaldi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de technologie supérieure (ETS)/ Laboratory of Endovascular Biomaterials (LBeV), CRCHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elias Assaad
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de technologie supérieure (ETS)/ Laboratory of Endovascular Biomaterials (LBeV), CRCHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sophie Lerouge
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, École de technologie supérieure (ETS)/ Laboratory of Endovascular Biomaterials (LBeV), CRCHUM, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Réjean Lapointe
- Laboratoire d'Immuno-Oncologie, ICM, Université de Montréal/CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montréal, QC, Canada.
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27
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Chacon JA, Sarnaik AA, Pilon-Thomas S, Radvanyi L. Triggering co-stimulation directly in melanoma tumor fragments drives CD8 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte expansion with improved effector-memory properties. Oncoimmunology 2015; 4:e1040219. [PMID: 26587314 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2015.1040219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
TIL from solid tumors can express activation/co-stimulatory molecules like 4-1BB/CD137, a sign of recent antigenic stimulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This activated state can be exploited ex vivo to enhance the expansion of tumor-reactive CD8+ TIL for adoptive cell therapy through direct addition of immunomodulators to tumor fragments in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Ann Chacon
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center; The University of Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Amod A Sarnaik
- Donald A Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center ; Tampa, FL USA
| | - Shari Pilon-Thomas
- Donald A Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center ; Tampa, FL USA
| | - Laszlo Radvanyi
- Department of Immunology; H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center ; Tampa, FL USA ; Lion Biotechnologies ; Tampa, FL USA
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Chacon JA, Sarnaik AA, Chen JQ, Creasy C, Kale C, Robinson J, Weber J, Hwu P, Pilon-Thomas S, Radvanyi L. Manipulating the tumor microenvironment ex vivo for enhanced expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for adoptive cell therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2014; 21:611-21. [PMID: 25472998 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-14-1934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cultured tumor fragments from melanoma metastases have been used for years as a source of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) for adoptive cell therapy (ACT). The expansion of tumor-reactive CD8(+) T cells with interleukin-2 (IL2) in these early cultures is critical in generating clinically active TIL infusion products, with a population of activated 4-1BB CD8(+) T cells recently found to constitute the majority of tumor-specific T cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We used an agonistic anti-4-1BB antibody added during the initial tumor fragment cultures to provide in situ 4-1BB costimulation. RESULTS We found that addition of an agonistic anti-4-1BB antibody could activate 4-1BB signaling within early cultured tumor fragments and accelerated the rate of memory CD8(+) TIL outgrowth that were highly enriched for melanoma antigen specificity. This was associated with NFκB activation and the induction of T-cell survival and memory genes, as well as enhanced IL2 responsiveness, in the CD8(+) T cells in the fragments and emerging from the fragments. Early provision of 4-1BB costimulation also affected the dendritic cells (DC) by activating NFκB in DC and promoting their maturation inside the tumor fragments. Blocking HLA class I prevented the enhanced outgrowth of CD8(+) T cells with anti-4-1BB, suggesting that an ongoing HLA class I-mediated antigen presentation in early tumor fragment cultures plays a role in mediating tumor-specific CD8(+) TIL outgrowth. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight a previously unrecognized concept in TIL ACT that the tumor microenvironment can be dynamically regulated in the initial tumor fragment cultures to regulate the types of T cells expanded and their functional characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Ann Chacon
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. The Immunology Program of the University of Texas Health Science Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
| | - Amod A Sarnaik
- Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jie Qing Chen
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Lion Biotechnologies, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
| | - Caitlin Creasy
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Charuta Kale
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - John Robinson
- Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jeffrey Weber
- Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Patrick Hwu
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. The Immunology Program of the University of Texas Health Science Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Shari Pilon-Thomas
- Donald A. Adam Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Laszlo Radvanyi
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. The Immunology Program of the University of Texas Health Science Center, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida. Lion Biotechnologies, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.
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29
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Weber JS. At the Bedside: Adoptive cell therapy for melanoma-clinical development. J Leukoc Biol 2014; 95:875-82. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.0513293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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Ye Q, Song DG, Poussin M, Yamamoto T, Best A, Li C, Coukos G, Powell DJ. CD137 accurately identifies and enriches for naturally occurring tumor-reactive T cells in tumor. Clin Cancer Res 2013; 20:44-55. [PMID: 24045181 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-13-0945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Upregulation of CD137 (4-1BB) on recently activated CD8(+) T cells has been used to identify rare viral or tumor antigen-specific T cells from peripheral blood. Here, we evaluated the immunobiology of CD137 in human cancer and the utility of a CD137-positive separation methodology for the identification and enrichment of fresh tumor-reactive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) or tumor-associated lymphocytes (TAL) from ascites for use in adoptive immunotherapy. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN TILs from resected ovarian cancer or melanoma were measured for surface CD137 expression directly or after overnight incubation in the presence of tumor cells and homeostatic cytokines. CD137(pos) TILs were sorted and evaluated for antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Fresh ovarian TILs and TALs naturally expressed higher levels of CD137 than circulating T cells. An HLA-dependent increase in CD137 expression was observed following incubation of fresh enzyme-digested tumor or ascites in IL-7 and IL-15 cytokines, but not IL-2. Enriched CD137(pos) TILs, but not PD-1(pos) or PD-1(neg) CD137(neg) cells, possessed autologous tumor reactivity in vitro and in vivo. In melanoma studies, all MART-1-specific CD8(+) TILs upregulated CD137 expression after incubation with HLA-matched, MART-expressing cancer cells and antigen-specific effector function was restricted to the CD137(pos) subset in vitro. CD137(pos) TILs also mediated superior antitumor effects in vivo, compared with CD137(neg) TILs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal a role for the TNFR-family member CD137 in the immunobiology of human cancer where it is preferentially expressed on tumor-reactive subset of TILs, thus rationalizing its agonistic engagement in vivo and its use in TIL selection for adoptive immunotherapy trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunrui Ye
- Authors' Affiliations: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ovarian Cancer Research Center; and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Turcotte S, Gros A, Hogan K, Tran E, Hinrichs CS, Wunderlich JR, Dudley ME, Rosenberg SA. Phenotype and function of T cells infiltrating visceral metastases from gastrointestinal cancers and melanoma: implications for adoptive cell transfer therapy. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 191:2217-25. [PMID: 23904171 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive cell transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can mediate cancer regression in patients with metastatic melanoma, but whether this approach can be applied to common epithelial malignancies remains unclear. In this study, we compared the phenotype and function of TILs derived from liver and lung metastases from patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (n = 14) or melanoma (n = 42). Fewer CD3(+) T cells were found to infiltrate GI compared with melanoma metastases, but the proportions of CD8(+) cells, T cell differentiation stage, and expression of costimulatory molecules were similar for both tumor types. Clinical-scale expansion up to ~50 × 10(9) T cells on average was obtained for all patients with GI cancer and melanoma. From GI tumors, however, TIL outgrowth in high-dose IL-2 yielded 22 ± 1.4% CD3(+)CD8(+) cells compared with 63 ± 2.4% from melanoma (p < 0.001). IFN-γ ELISA demonstrated MHC class I-mediated reactivity of TIL against autologous tumor in 5 of 7 GI cancer patients tested (9% of 188 distinct TIL cultures) and in 9 of 10 melanoma patients (43% of 246 distinct TIL cultures). In these assays, MHC class I-mediated up-regulation of CD137 (4-1BB) expression on CD8(+) cells suggested that 0-3% of TILs expanded from GI cancer metastases were tumor-reactive. This study implies that the main challenge to the development of TIL adoptive cell transfer for metastatic GI cancers may not be the in vitro expansion of bulk TILs, but the ability to select and enrich for tumor-reactive T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Turcotte
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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32
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Itzhaki O, Levy D, Zikich D, Treves AJ, Markel G, Schachter J, Besser MJ. Adoptive T-cell transfer in melanoma. Immunotherapy 2013; 5:79-90. [PMID: 23256800 DOI: 10.2217/imt.12.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy holds a highly promising treatment approach for metastatic melanoma patients. Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) involves the ex vivo expansion of autologous antitumor reactive lymphocytes and their reinfusion into lymphodepleted patients, accompanied by IL-2 administration. ACT with tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes demonstrates objective clinical responses in 50-72% of the patients, including 10-40% complete responses and was shown to produce durable disease control with long progression-free survival. Tumor-infiltrating T-lymphocyte ACT might even have curative potential as the vast majority of the complete responders are without any evidence of disease many years after treatment. Other adoptive transfer studies employ the genetic modification of T lymphocytes with genes encoding tumor-specific T cell receptors or antibody-based chimeric antigen receptors. These approaches opened numerous possibilities to treat cancers other than melanoma. In this article we will summarize the ACT strategies in melanoma, the new developments in this field and combinations with other therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Itzhaki
- Ella Institute for Melanoma, Sheba Medical Center, 52621 Ramat Gan, Israel
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Zheng Y, Stephan MT, Gai SA, Abraham W, Shearer A, Irvine DJ. In vivo targeting of adoptively transferred T-cells with antibody- and cytokine-conjugated liposomes. J Control Release 2013; 172:426-35. [PMID: 23770010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In adoptive cell therapy (ACT), autologous tumor-specific T-cells isolated from cancer patients are activated and expanded ex vivo, then infused back into the individual to eliminate metastatic tumors. A major limitation of this promising approach is the rapid loss of ACT T-cell effector function in vivo due to the highly immunosuppressive environment in tumors. Protection of T-cells from immunosuppressive signals can be achieved by systemic administration of supporting adjuvant drugs such as interleukins, chemotherapy, and other immunomodulators, but these adjuvant treatments are often accompanied by serious toxicities and may still fail to optimally stimulate lymphocytes in all tumor and lymphoid compartments. Here we propose a novel strategy to repeatedly stimulate or track ACT T-cells, using cytokines or ACT-cell-specific antibodies as ligands to target PEGylated liposomes to transferred T-cells in vivo. Using F(ab')2 fragments against a unique cell surface antigen on ACT cells (Thy1.1) or an engineered interleukin-2 (IL-2) molecule on an Fc framework as targeting ligands, we demonstrate that >95% of ACT cells can be conjugated with liposomes following a single injection in vivo. Further, we show that IL-2-conjugated liposomes both target ACT cells and are capable of inducing repeated waves of ACT T-cell proliferation in tumor-bearing mice. These results demonstrate the feasibility of repeated functional targeting of T-cells in vivo, which will enable delivery of imaging contrast agents, immunomodulators, or chemotherapy agents in adoptive cell therapy regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Zheng
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, USA; Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, USA
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Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) can mediate objective and durable tumor regressions in patients with metastatic melanoma. CD8+ tumor-reactive TIL are well studied in humans and animals, yet the function of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T lymphocytes in patient treatments remains controversial. We recently demonstrated that CD4+ TILs are not necessary for objective responses in patients. Coinfusion with tumor-specific CD4 TIL may enhance or increase the durability of tumor regressions, but the number of patients with tumor-reactive CD4 TIL is unknown. We screened 44 CD8+-depleted TIL for in vitro reactivity against autologous tumor. Nine (20%) showed specific reactivity by interferon-γ release assay, of which 8 were specifically blocked by an anti-HLA-DR antibody. Flow-cytometric analysis of these reactive TIL confirmed a high CD4+ composition (median 89%). Highlighting the contribution of CD4+ TIL to tumor regression, a patient with widespread metastatic disease was administered TIL containing HLA class II-restricted tumor activity with high-dose interleukin-2 therapy after lymphodepletion that mediated regression of extensive metastatic disease in the liver and spleen. These results demonstrate that at least 20% of metastatic melanomas contain CD4+ lymphocytes with specific tumor recognition and suggest a possible role for CD4+ cells in the effectiveness of adoptive cell therapy.
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35
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Dudley ME, Gross CA, Somerville RPT, Hong Y, Schaub NP, Rosati SF, White DE, Nathan D, Restifo NP, Steinberg SM, Wunderlich JR, Kammula US, Sherry RM, Yang JC, Phan GQ, Hughes MS, Laurencot CM, Rosenberg SA. Randomized selection design trial evaluating CD8+-enriched versus unselected tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for adoptive cell therapy for patients with melanoma. J Clin Oncol 2013; 31:2152-9. [PMID: 23650429 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2012.46.6441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) administered to lymphodepleted patients with melanoma can cause durable tumor regressions. The optimal TIL product for ACT is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with metastatic melanoma were prospectively assigned to receive unselected young TILs versus CD8(+)-enriched TILs. All patients received lymphodepleting chemotherapy and high-dose IL-2 therapy and were assessed for response, toxicity, survival, and immunologic end points. RESULTS Thirty-four patients received unselected young TILs with a median of 8.0% CD4(+) lymphocytes, and 35 patients received CD8(+)-enriched TILs with a median of 0.3% CD4(+) lymphocytes. One month after TIL infusion, patients who received CD8(+)-enriched TILs had significantly fewer CD4(+) peripheral blood lymphocytes (P = .01). Twelve patients responded to therapy with unselected young TILs (according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST]), and seven patients responded to CD8(+)-enriched TILs (35% v 20%; not significant). Retrospective studies showed a significant association between response to treatment and interferon gamma secretion by the infused TILs in response to autologous tumor (P = .04), and in the subgroup of patients who received TILs from subcutaneous tumors, eight of 15 patients receiving unselected young TILs responded but none of eight patients receiving CD8(+)-enriched TILs responded. CONCLUSION A randomized selection design trial was feasible for improving individualized TIL therapy. Since the evidence indicates that CD8(+)-enriched TILs are not more potent therapeutically and they are more laborious to prepare, future studies should focus on unselected young TILs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Dudley
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, CRC 3W-5752, 10 Center Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Digiusto DL, Kiem HP. Current translational and clinical practices in hematopoietic cell and gene therapy. Cytotherapy 2013; 14:775-90. [PMID: 22799276 DOI: 10.3109/14653249.2012.694420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials over the last 15 years have demonstrated that cell and gene therapies for cancer, monogenic and infectious disease are feasible and can lead to long-term benefit for patients. However, these trials have been limited to proof-of-principle and were conducted on modest numbers of patients or over long periods of time. In order for these studies to move towards standard practice and commercialization, scalable technologies for the isolation, ex vivo manipulation and delivery of these cells to patients must be developed. Additionally, regulatory strategies and clinical protocols for the collection, creation and delivery of cell products must be generated. In this article we review recent progress in hematopoietic cell and gene therapy, describe some of the current issues facing the field and discuss clinical, technical and regulatory approaches used to navigate the road to product development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Digiusto
- Department of Virology and Laboratory for Cellular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, California 91010, USA.
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Shapira-Frommer R, Schachter J. Adoptive immunotherapy of advanced melanoma. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2012; 13:340-53. [PMID: 22864561 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-012-0203-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has emerged as an effective therapy for patients with metastatic melanoma. Since the first introduction of the protocol in 1988 [1], major improvements have been achieved with response rates of 40%-72% among patients who were resistant to previous treatment lines. Both cell product and conditioning regimen are major determinants of treatment efficacy; therefore, developing ACT protocols explore diverse ways to establish autologous intra-tumoral lymphocyte cultures or peripheral effector cells as well as different lymphodepleting regimens. While a proof of feasibility and a proof of concept had been established with previous published results, ACT will need to move beyond single-center experiences, to confirmatory, multi-center studies. If ACT is to move into widespread practice, it will be necessary to develop reproducible high quality cell production methods and accepted lymphodepleting regimen. Two new drugs, ipilimumab (Yervoy, Bristol-Myers Squibb) and vemurafenib (Zelboraf, Roche), were approved in 2011 for the treatment of metastatic melanoma based on positive phase III trials. Both drugs show a clear overall survival benefit, so the timing of when to use ACT will need to be carefully thought out. In contrast to these 2 new, commercially available outpatient treatments, ACT is a personally-specified product and labor-intensive therapy that demands both acquisition of high standard laboratory procedures and close clinical inpatient monitoring during treatment. It is unique among other anti-melanoma treatments, providing the potential for a durable response following a single, self-limited treatment. This perspective drives the efforts to make this protocol accessible for more patients and to explore modifications that may optimize treatment results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronnie Shapira-Frommer
- Ella Institute for the Treatment and Research of Melanoma, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, 52621, Israel.
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Methods to improve adoptive T-cell therapy for melanoma: IFN-γ enhances anticancer responses of cell products for infusion. J Invest Dermatol 2012; 133:545-52. [PMID: 23014345 DOI: 10.1038/jid.2012.336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Further development of adoptive T-cell therapy (ACT) with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has the potential to markedly change the long-term prognosis of patients with metastatic melanoma, and modifications of the original protocol that can improve its clinical efficacy are highly desirable. In this study, we demonstrated that a high in vitro tumor reactivity of infusion products was associated with clinical responses upon adoptive transfer. In addition, we systematically characterized the responses of a series of TIL products to relevant autologous short term-cultured melanoma cell lines from 12 patients. We provide evidence that antitumor reactivity of both CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells could be enhanced in most TIL products by autologous melanoma sensitization by pretreatment with low-dose IFN-γ. IFN-γ selectively enhanced responses to tumor-associated antigens other than melanoma differentiation antigens. In addition, IFN-γ treatment was invariably associated with restored/increased cancer immunogenicity as demonstrated by upregulation of major histocompatibility complex molecules. These findings suggest a potential synergism between IFN-γ and ACT, and have important implications for clinical development of combination strategies for the treatment of metastatic melanoma.
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Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens. The prospect for newly diagnosed metastatic melanoma patients is grim, with a median survival of less than 1 year. Currently, the only therapies resulting in long-term disease-free intervals, high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) and more recently anti-CTLA-4, work through activation of the immune system. However, with both therapies the response rate is low. Advances in our knowledge of how the immune system interacts with cancer have led to a number of strategies to manipulate anti-tumor immune responses through immunotherapy. This review will focus on one avenue of immunotherapy using the transfer of T cells referred to as "adoptive cell therapy" (ACT), which involves the ex vivo expansion of autologous tumor-specific T cells to large numbers that are ultimately transferred back to the patient to boost anti-tumor immunity. This approach has been shown to be effective in the treatment of virally induced cancers, as well as metastatic melanoma. Recent successes with ACT hold promise and further emphasize the tremendous potential benefit of harnessing the immune system in the fight against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantale Bernatchez
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
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Adoptive T-cell therapy using autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for metastatic melanoma: current status and future outlook. Cancer J 2012; 18:160-75. [PMID: 22453018 DOI: 10.1097/ppo.0b013e31824d4465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy using autologous T cells has emerged to be a powerful treatment option for patients with metastatic melanoma. These include the adoptive transfer of autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), T cells transduced with high-affinity T cell receptors against major tumor antigens, and T cells transduced with chimeric antigen receptors composed of hybrid immunoglobulin light chains with endodomains of T-cell signaling molecules. Among these and other options for T-cell therapy, TILs together with high-dose interleukin 2 have had the longest clinical history with multiple clinical trials in centers across the world consistently demonstrating durable clinical response rates near 50% or more. A distinct advantage of TIL therapy making it still the T-cell therapy of choice is the broad nature of the T-cell recognition against both defined and undefined tumors antigens against all possible major histocompatibility complex, rather than the single specificity and limited major histocompatibility complex coverage of the newer T cell receptors and chimeric antigen receptor transduction technologies. In the past decade, significant inroads have been made in defining the phenotypes of T cells in TIL-mediating tumor regression. CD8+ T cells are emerging to be critical, although the exact subset of CD8+ T cells exhibiting the highest clinical activity in terms of memory and effector markers is still controversial. We present a model in which both effector-memory and more differentiated effector T cells ultimately may need to cooperate to mediate long-term tumor control in responding patients. Although TIL therapy has shown great potential to treat metastatic melanoma, a number of issues have emerged that need to be addressed to bring it more into the mainstream of melanoma care. First, we have a reached the point where a pivotal phase II or phase III trial is needed in an attempt to gain regulatory approval of TILs as standard of care. Second, improvements in how we expand TILs for therapy are needed that minimize the time the T cells are in culture and improve the memory and effector characteristics of the T cells for longer persistence and enhanced anti-tumor activity in vivo. Third, there is a critical need to identify surrogate and predictive biomarkers to better select suitable patients for TIL therapy to improve response rate and duration. Overall, the outlook for TIL therapy for melanoma is very bright. We predict that TILs will indeed emerge to become an approved treatment in the upcoming years through pivotal clinical trials. Moreover, new approaches combining TILs with targeted signaling pathway drugs, such as mutant B-RAF inhibitors, and synergistic immunomodulatory interventions enhancing T-cell costimulation and preventing negative regulation should further increase therapeutic efficacy and durable complete response rates.
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Ning N, Pan Q, Zheng F, Teitz-Tennenbaum S, Egenti M, Yet J, Li M, Ginestier C, Wicha MS, Moyer JS, Prince MEP, Xu Y, Zhang XL, Huang S, Chang AE, Li Q. Cancer stem cell vaccination confers significant antitumor immunity. Cancer Res 2012; 72:1853-64. [PMID: 22473314 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-1400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Most studies of cancer stem cells (CSC) involve the inoculation of cells from human tumors into immunosuppressed mice, preventing an assessment on the immunologic interactions and effects of CSCs. In this study, we examined the vaccination effects produced by CSC-enriched populations from histologically distinct murine tumors after their inoculation into different syngeneic immunocompetent hosts. Enriched CSCs were immunogenic and more effective as an antigen source than unselected tumor cells in inducing protective antitumor immunity. Immune sera from CSC-vaccinated hosts contained high levels of IgG which bound to CSCs, resulting in CSC lysis in the presence of complement. CTLs generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells or splenocytes harvested from CSC-vaccinated hosts were capable of killing CSCs in vitro. Mechanistic investigations established that CSC-primed antibodies and T cells were capable of selective targeting CSCs and conferring antitumor immunity. Together, these proof-of-concept results provide a rationale for a new type of cancer immunotherapy based on the development of CSC vaccines that can specifically target CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Ning
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Tissue-Specific Homing of Immune Cells in Malignant Skin Tumors. Pathol Oncol Res 2012; 18:749-59. [DOI: 10.1007/s12253-012-9529-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Somerville RPT, Devillier L, Parkhurst MR, Rosenberg SA, Dudley ME. Clinical scale rapid expansion of lymphocytes for adoptive cell transfer therapy in the WAVE® bioreactor. J Transl Med 2012; 10:69. [PMID: 22475724 PMCID: PMC3402993 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-10-69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To simplify clinical scale lymphocyte expansions, we investigated the use of the WAVE®, a closed system bioreactor that utilizes active perfusion to generate high cell numbers in minimal volumes. Methods We have developed an optimized rapid expansion protocol for the WAVE bioreactor that produces clinically relevant numbers of cells for our adoptive cell transfer clinical protocols. Results TIL and genetically modified PBL were rapidly expanded to clinically relevant scales in both static bags and the WAVE bioreactor. Both bioreactors produced comparable numbers of cells; however the cultures generated in the WAVE bioreactor had a higher percentage of CD4+ cells and had a less activated phenotype. Conclusions The WAVE bioreactor simplifies the process of rapidly expanding tumor reactive lymphocytes under GMP conditions, and provides an alternate approach to cell generation for ACT protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P T Somerville
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Jotereau F, Gervois N, Labarrière N. Adoptive transfer with high-affinity TCR to treat human solid tumors: how to improve the feasibility? Target Oncol 2012; 7:3-14. [PMID: 22350487 DOI: 10.1007/s11523-012-0207-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2011] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-specific T cells recently achieved clinical efficacy for a fraction of melanoma patients refractory to other therapies. Unfortunately, the application of this strategy to the remaining melanoma and most other cancer patients is hampered by the difficulty to generate high-affinity tumor-reactive T cells. Two strategies are currently developed to extend the feasibility of this therapeutic approach: clinical grade tool production for MHC-peptide multimer-driven sorting of antigen-specific T cells from the endogenous peripheral T cell repertoire and de novo engineering of the missing repertoire by genetic transfer of cloned specific T cell receptor (TCR) into T cells. The expected multiplication of adoptive transfer treatments, by these strategies, and their careful evaluation should enable the cure of a number of otherwise compromised cancer patients and to gain insight into the characteristics of transferred T cells best fitted to eradicate tumor cells, in terms of antigen specificities, phenotype, and functions. In particular, identification of tumor-rejection antigens by this approach would improve the design and efficacy of all immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Augmented lymphocyte expansion from solid tumors with engineered cells for costimulatory enhancement. J Immunother 2012; 34:651-61. [PMID: 21989413 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0b013e31823284c3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Treatment of patients with adoptive T-cell therapy requires expansion of unique tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cultures from single-cell suspensions processed from melanoma biopsies. Strategies which increase the expansion and reliability of TIL generation from tumor digests are necessary to improve access to TIL therapy. Previous studies have evaluated artificial antigen presenting cells for their antigen-specific and costimulatory properties. We investigated engineered cells for costimulatory enhancement (ECCE) consisting of K562 cells that express 4-1BBL in the absence of artificial antigen stimulation. ECCE accelerated TIL expansion and significantly improved TIL numbers (P=0.001) from single-cell melanoma suspensions. TIL generated with ECCE contain significantly more CD8CD62L and CD8CD27 T cells then comparable interleukin-2-expanded TIL and maintained antitumor reactivity. Moreover, ECCE improved TIL expansion from nonmelanoma-cell suspensions similar to that seen with melanoma tumors. These data demonstrate that the addition of ECCE to TIL production will enable the treatment of patients that are ineligible using current methods.
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Ju SA, Park SM, Lee YS, Bae JH, Yu R, An WG, Suh JH, Kim BS. Administration of 6-gingerol greatly enhances the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in murine tumors. Int J Cancer 2011; 130:2618-28. [DOI: 10.1002/ijc.26316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Noonan K, Borrello I. The immune microenvironment of myeloma. CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT 2011; 4:313-23. [PMID: 21866321 DOI: 10.1007/s12307-011-0086-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The bone marrow (BM) is the site of disease in myeloma and possesses unique immune characteristics involved in the pathobiology of the disease. Interactions of plasma cells with stromal cells, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, myeloid and lymphoid cells make up the unique bone marrow milieu that mediates myeloma disease progression. Independently or through a complex network of interactions these cells impart immune changes leading to immune evasion and disease progression. The critical role of these factors in disease progression has led to the intense development of therapeutic strategies aimed at either disrupting the immune mechanisms mediating disease progression or augmenting those with anti-tumor benefits. This review discusses the major contributors of immunity in the bone marrow microenvironment, their interactions, and mechanisms whereby immune modulation can be translated into therapies with anti-myeloma efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Noonan
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, 1650 Orleans St CRB-1, Rm 453, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
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Ye Q, Loisiou M, Levine BL, Suhoski MM, Riley JL, June CH, Coukos G, Powell DJ. Engineered artificial antigen presenting cells facilitate direct and efficient expansion of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. J Transl Med 2011; 9:131. [PMID: 21827675 PMCID: PMC3162913 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-9-131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2010] [Accepted: 08/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Development of a standardized platform for the rapid expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) with anti-tumor function from patients with limited TIL numbers or tumor tissues challenges their clinical application. Methods To facilitate adoptive immunotherapy, we applied genetically-engineered K562 cell-based artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs) for the direct and rapid expansion of TILs isolated from primary cancer specimens. Results TILs outgrown in IL-2 undergo rapid, CD28-independent expansion in response to aAPC stimulation that requires provision of exogenous IL-2 cytokine support. aAPCs induce numerical expansion of TILs that is statistically similar to an established rapid expansion method at a 100-fold lower feeder cell to TIL ratio, and greater than those achievable using anti-CD3/CD28 activation beads or extended IL-2 culture. aAPC-expanded TILs undergo numerical expansion of tumor antigen-specific cells, remain amenable to secondary aAPC-based expansion, and have low CD4/CD8 ratios and FOXP3+ CD4+ cell frequencies. TILs can also be expanded directly from fresh enzyme-digested tumor specimens when pulsed with aAPCs. These "young" TILs are tumor-reactive, positively skewed in CD8+ lymphocyte composition, CD28 and CD27 expression, and contain fewer FOXP3+ T cells compared to parallel IL-2 cultures. Conclusion Genetically-enhanced aAPCs represent a standardized, "off-the-shelf" platform for the direct ex vivo expansion of TILs of suitable number, phenotype and function for use in adoptive immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qunrui Ye
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Copier J, Bodman-Smith M, Dalgleish A. Current status and future applications of cellular therapies for cancer. Immunotherapy 2011; 3:507-16. [DOI: 10.2217/imt.11.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapies based on the use of autologous immune cells are among the best candidates for cancer immunotherapy. Dendritic cell vaccines have demonstrated very encouraging responses for some solid tumors, while in melanoma autologous T-cell therapies have exceeded 70% objective response rates in selected Phase I trials. However, it is clear that a number of barriers exist to the effective, practical application of these therapies. The aim of this article is to consider modifications to such strategies over the last 3 years and the resultant clinical research in autologous dendritic cell vaccines, T-cell therapy and γδ T-cell therapy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Copier
- Department of Oncology, Division of Clinical Sciences, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK
| | - Mark Bodman-Smith
- Department of Oncology, Division of Clinical Sciences, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, UK
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50
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Current world literature. Curr Opin Oncol 2011; 23:227-34. [PMID: 21307677 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0b013e328344b687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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