1
|
Cai W, Peng S, Tian Y, Bao Y, Liu Q, Dong Y, Liang Z, Liu Q, Ren Y, Ding P, Liu J, Xu T, Li Y. Hydrophobic core evolution of major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A for dramatic enhancing binding affinity. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 271:132588. [PMID: 38788878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Interface residues at sites of protein-protein interaction (PPI) are the focus for affinity optimisation. However, protein hydrophobic cores (HCs) play critical roles and shape the protein surface. We hypothesise that manipulating protein HCs can enhance PPI interaction affinities. A cell stress molecule, major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A (MICA), binds to the natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) homodimer to form three molecule interactions. MICA was used as a study subject to support our hypothesis. We redesigned MICA HCs by directed mutagenesis and isolated high-affinity variants through a newly designed partial-denature panning (PDP) method. A few mutations in MICA HCs increased the NKG2D-MICA interaction affinity by 325-5613-fold. Crystal structures of the NKG2D-MICA variant complexes indicated that mutagenesis of MICA HCs stabilised helical elements for decreasing intermolecular interactive free energy (ΔG) of the NKG2D-MICA heterotrimer. The repacking of MICA HC mutants maintained overall surface residues and the authentic binding specificity of MICA. In conclusion, this study provides a new method for MICA redesign and affinity optimisation through HC manipulation without mutating PPI interface residues. Our study introduces a novel approach to protein manipulation, potentially expanding the toolkit for protein affinity optimisation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; TIOC Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Siqi Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ye Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; TIOC Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yifeng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Yan Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Zhaoduan Liang
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Qi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; TIOC Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Yuefei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Peng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Jinsong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Tingting Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biocomputing, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China.
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; TIOC Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou 310018, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510530, China; Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pan Q, Weng D, Liu J, Han Z, Ou Y, Xu B, Peng R, Que Y, Wen X, Yang J, Zhong S, Zeng L, Chen A, Gong H, Lin Y, Chen J, Ma K, Lau JYN, Li Y, Fan Z, Zhang X. Phase 1 clinical trial to assess safety and efficacy of NY-ESO-1-specific TCR T cells in HLA-A∗02:01 patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101133. [PMID: 37586317 PMCID: PMC10439245 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1)-specific T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapy is effective in tumors with NY-ESO-1 expression, but a safe and effective TCR-T cell therapeutic protocol remains to be improved. Here, we report a phase 1 investigational new drug clinical trial with TCR affinity-enhanced specific T cell therapy (TAEST16001) for targeting NY-ESO-1. Enrolled patients receive TAEST16001 cell infusion after dose-reduced lymphodepletion with cyclophosphamide (15 mg/kg/day × 3 days) combined with fludarabine (20 mg/m2/day × 3 days), and the TCR-T cells are maintained with low doses of interleukin-2 injection post-adoptive transfer. Analysis of 12 patients treated with the regimen demonstrates no treatment-related serious adverse events. The overall response rate is 41.7%. The median progression-free survival is 7.2 months, and the median duration of response is 13.1 months. The protocol of TAEST16001 cells delivers a safe and highly effective treatment for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04318964).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuzhong Pan
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Desheng Weng
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Jiayong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, 52 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100142, P.R. China
| | - Zhaosheng Han
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Yusheng Ou
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Bushu Xu
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Ruiqing Peng
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Yi Que
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Xizhi Wen
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Jing Yang
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China
| | - Shi Zhong
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Lun Zeng
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Aiyuan Chen
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Haiping Gong
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Yanmei Lin
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Jiewen Chen
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Ke Ma
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China
| | - Johnson Y N Lau
- Axis Therapeutics, Ltd., Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China; Athenex, Conventus Building, 1001 Main Street, Suite 600, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Xiangxue Life Science Technology (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510663, P.R. China.
| | - Zhengfu Fan
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, 52 Fucheng Road, Beijing 100142, P.R. China.
| | - Xing Zhang
- Melanoma and Sarcoma Medical Oncology Unit, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, P.R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liang Z, Chen W, Guo Y, Ren Y, Tian Y, Cai W, Bao Y, Liu Q, Ding P, Li Y. Soluble monomeric human programmed cell death-ligand 1 inhibits the functions of activated T cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1133883. [PMID: 37266424 PMCID: PMC10229872 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1133883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The presence of soluble human programmed cell death-ligand 1 (shPD-L1) in the blood of patients with cancer has been reported to be negatively correlated with disease prognosis. However, little information exists about the mechanisms underlying high levels of shPD-L1 for promoting disease progression. Methods In this study, we first analyzed the correlations between shPD-L1 and apoptosis of T cells in patients with cancer, then tested the effect of shPD-L1 on T-cell functions and the production of regulatory T cells. Results We found that the apoptosis of human peripheral PD-1+CD4+ T cells was significantly elevated in patients with cancer compared with healthy donors and was positively correlated with circulating PD-L1 levels in patients with cancer. In vitro, monomeric shPD-L1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, cytokine secretion, and cancer cell-killing activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) activated by either agonist antibodies or HATac (high-affinity T cell activation core)-NYE (NY-ESO-1 antigen). It also promoted CD4+ T cells to express forkhead family transcription factor 3 (FoxP3) for the conversion of induced T regulatory cells, which was more significant than that mediated by soluble human PD-L1 fusion protein (shPD-L1-Fc). Discussion These results confirm that soluble PD-L1 could be a candidate for inhibiting the functions of activated T cells, promoting peripheral tolerance to tumor cells, and implicating in system tumor immune escape in addition to the tumor microenvironment. This is an important mechanism explaining the negative correlation between peripheral blood PD-L1 levels and cancer prognosis. Therefore, understanding the roles of hPD-L1 in peripheral blood will be helpful for the development of precision immunotherapy programs in treating various tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoduan Liang
- Bioland Laboratory, Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health GuangDong Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenfang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunzhuo Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuefei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ye Tian
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenxuan Cai
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yifeng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Liu
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- T-cell Immunity Optimized Cure (TIOC) Therapeutics Limited, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Natarajan V, Simoneau CR, Erickson AL, Meyers NL, Baron JL, Cooper S, McDevitt TC, Ott M. Modelling T-cell immunity against hepatitis C virus with liver organoids in a microfluidic coculture system. Open Biol 2022; 12:210320. [PMID: 35232252 PMCID: PMC8889170 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a global public health challenge with an estimated 71 million people chronically infected, with surges in new cases and no effective vaccine. New methods are needed to study the human immune response to HCV since in vivo animal models are limited and in vitro cancer cell models often show dysregulated immune and proliferative responses. Here, we developed a CD8+ T cell and adult stem cell liver organoid system using a microfluidic chip to coculture 3D human liver organoids embedded in extracellular matrix with HLA-matched primary human T cells in suspension. We then employed automated phase contrast and immunofluorescence imaging to monitor T cell invasion and morphological changes in the liver organoids. This microfluidic coculture system supports targeted killing of liver organoids when pulsed with a peptide specific for HCV non-structural protein 3 (NS3) (KLVALGINAV) in the presence of patient-derived CD8+ T cells specific for KLVALGINAV. This demonstrates the novel potential of the coculture system to molecularly study adaptive immune responses to HCV in an in vitro setting using primary human cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Camille R. Simoneau
- The Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ann L. Erickson
- Division of General and Transplant Hepatology, California Pacific Medical Center and Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Jody L. Baron
- UCSF Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stewart Cooper
- Division of General and Transplant Hepatology, California Pacific Medical Center and Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Todd C. McDevitt
- The Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Melanie Ott
- The Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF Liver Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Liu Q, Tian Y, Li Y, Zhang W, Cai W, Liu Y, Ren Y, Liang Z, Zhou P, Zhang Y, Bao Y, Li Y. In vivo therapeutic effects of affinity-improved-TCR engineered T-cells on HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 8:jitc-2020-001748. [PMID: 33323464 PMCID: PMC7745518 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) fail to eliminate HCC cells expressing HBV antigens. As the expression of viral antigen in HBV-associated HCC may decrease to allow tumor to escape immune attacks, we hypothesized that an HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)-specific affinity-improved-T-cell receptor (TCR) will enable T cells to target HCC more effectively than corresponding wild-type-TCR. We also postulated that TCR promiscuity can be exploited to efficiently capture HBV variants that can hinder CTL-based therapeutics. Methods We applied flexi-panning to isolate affinity-improved TCRs binding to a variant antigen, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02:01-restricted nonapeptide HBs371-379-ILSPFLPLL, from libraries constructed with a TCR cloned using the decapeptide HBs370-379-SIVSPFIPLL. The potency and safety of the affinity-improved-TCR engineered T-cells (Ai-TCR-T) were verified with potentially cross-reactive human and HBV-variant peptides, tumor and normal cells, and xenograft mouse models. Results Ai-TCR-T cells retained cognate HBV antigen specificity and recognized a wide range of HBV genotypic variants with improved sensitivity and cytotoxicity. Cell infusions produced complete elimination of HCC without recurrence in the xenograft mouse models. Elevated accumulation of CD8+ Ai-TCR-T cells in tumors correlated with tumor shrinkage. Conclusion The in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that HBsAg-specific Ai-TCR-T cells had safety profiles similar to those of their wild-type counterparts and significantly enhanced potency. This study presents an approach to develop new therapeutic strategies for HBV-related HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Hefei Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Wenxuan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaju Liu
- Hefei Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuefei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China.,School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhaoduan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peipei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China.,Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yajing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yifeng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Guangzhou, China .,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang Y, Yu X, Liu Q, Gong H, Chen AA, Zheng H, Zhong S, Li Y. SAGE1: a Potential Target Antigen for Lung Cancer T-Cell Immunotherapy. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:2302-2313. [PMID: 34465596 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental understanding of cancer-specific antigens is crucial for successful T-cell immunotherapy. Sarcoma antigen 1 (SAGE1) is a cancer/testis antigen that has not yet been verified for T-cell immunotherapy applications. Here, we examined SAGE1 RNA expression and carried out IHC analyses, revealing that SAGE1 is expressed in 50% of non-small cell lung-cancer samples (n = 40). To verify the immunogenicity of SAGE1, we discovered a novel HLA-A*24:02 (HLA-A24)-restricted SAGE1 epitope (SAGE1597-606, VFSTAPPAFI) using mass spectrometry and identified SAGE1597-606-specific T-cell clones and T-cell receptors (TCR) from peripheral bloods of HLA-A24+ donors. The highest affinity TCR VF3 (KD = 4.3 μM) demonstrated the highest antitumor potency. Moreover, VF3-transduced T cells mediated the efficient killing of HLA-A24+/SAGE1+ tumor cells in vitro and effectively inhibited the growth of lung cancer xenografts in mice. Together, our data suggest that SAGE1 could be a target for T-cell immunotherapies against lung cancer, while its specific TCRs could be candidates for developing reagents to treat SAGE1+ tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Yu
- Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiuping Liu
- Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Haiping Gong
- Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - An-An Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hongjun Zheng
- Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shi Zhong
- Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Designing an HCV diagnostic kit for common genotypes of the virus in Iran based on conserved regions of core, NS3-protease, NS4A/B, and NS5A/B antigens: an in silico approach. Biologia (Bratisl) 2020. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-020-00566-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
8
|
El-Tahan RR, Ghoneim AM, Zaghloul H. Dissection of two drug-targeted regions of Hepatitis C virus subtype 4a infecting Egyptian patients. Virus Genes 2020; 56:564-581. [PMID: 32572756 PMCID: PMC7307947 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-020-01776-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recently, treatment of HCV infection has been improved after the development of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) which target different viral proteins (NS3-4A, NS5A and NS5B). The activity and effectiveness of these DAAs are affected by the presence of resistance associated substitutions (RASs). This study aimed to characterize HCV genotypes circulating among Egyptian HCV patients, to dissect the full sequences of HCV NS3-4A and NS5B regions, and to characterize RASs associated with NS3-4A and NS5B inhibitors in HCV treatment-naïve patients. Genotyping of 80 HCV samples from treatment-naïve patients was done using restriction fragment length polymorphism and phylogenetic analysis based on some full NS5B sequences. Results showed the prevalence of HCV subtype 4a. Twenty four new full sequences of NS3-4A and NS5B regions of subtype 4a were deposited in the GenBank database. In general, the substitutions associated with NS3-4A-targeting drugs were absent predicting possible responsiveness of Egyptian HCV patients to these drugs. In addition, the absence of amino acid substitutions associated with resistance to Sofosbuvir may predict good response to treatment with Sofosbuvir. Some amino acid substitutions associated with resistance to different classes of non-nucleoside inhibitors were detected. Further investigations on treated Egyptian HCV patients may evaluate the effectiveness of the massively used drugs. Many predicted T-cell-binding epitopes in NS3-4A and NS5B regions were found to be highly conserved in the currently studied isolates; a finding that might be important for HCV vaccine development. We demonstrated potential NS3 epitopes that could be used in engineering T cells against HCV epitopes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Radwa R El-Tahan
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta, P.O. 34517, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Ghoneim
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta, P.O. 34517, Damietta, Egypt.
| | - Hosam Zaghloul
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Li Z, Gong H, Liu Q, Wu W, Cheng J, Mei Y, Chen Y, Zheng H, Yu X, Zhong S, Li Y. Identification of an HLA-A*24:02-restricted α-fetoprotein signal peptide-derived antigen and its specific T-cell receptor for T-cell immunotherapy. Immunology 2020; 159:384-392. [PMID: 31849039 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer with limited treatments. Asia has the highest HCC incidence rates; China accounts for over 50% of all HCC cases worldwide. T-cell receptor (TCR) -engineered T-cell immunotherapies specific for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -A*02:01-restricted α-fetoprotein (AFP) peptide have shown encouraging results in clinics. HLA-A*24:02 is more common than HLA-A*02:01 in Asian countries, including China. Here we identified a novel HLA-A*24:02-restricted peptide KWVESIFLIF (AFP2-11 ) located in AFP signal peptide domain by mass spectrometric analysis of HLA-bound peptides from HepG2 cells. A TCR (KWV3.1) specific for AFP2-11 -HLA-A*24:02 was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a healthy donor. The binding affinity of soluble KWV3.1 to its antigen was determined to be ~55 μm, within the affinity range of native TCRs for self-antigens. KWV3.1-transfected T cells could specifically activate and kill AFP2-11 pulsed T2-A24 cells and AFP+ HLA-A*24:02+ tumor cell lines, demonstrating that AFP2-11 can be naturally presented on the surface of AFP+ tumor cell lines. The newly identified antigenic peptide can provide a novel target for immunotherapeutic strategies for patients with AFP+ HLA-A*24:02+ HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjuan Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.,Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiping Gong
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuping Liu
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Wanli Wu
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianting Cheng
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingyi Mei
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaolong Chen
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongjun Zheng
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaohong Yu
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Shi Zhong
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Li
- Guangdong Xiangxue Life Sciences, Ltd., Guangzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Liang Z, Li Y, Tian Y, Zhang H, Cai W, Chen A, Chen L, Bao Y, Xiang B, Kan H, Li Y. High-affinity human programmed death-1 ligand-1 variant promotes redirected T cells to kill tumor cells. Cancer Lett 2019; 447:164-173. [PMID: 30677447 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Tumor cells can escape immune surveillance through the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) axis suppressing T cells. However, we recently demonstrated that high-affinity variants of soluble human programmed death-ligand 1 (shPD-L1) could diminish the suppression. We propose that in comparison to the wild-type shPD-L1, the further affinity enhancement will confer the molecule with opposite characteristics that augment T-cell activation and immunotherapeutic drug potential. In this study, a new shPD-L1 variant, L3C7c, has been generated to demonstrate ∼167 fold greater affinity than wild-type hPD-L1. The L3C7c-Fc fusion protein demonstrated completely opposite effects of conventional PD-1 axis by promoting redirected T-cell proliferation, activation and cytotoxicity in vitro, as being slightly better than that of anti-PD1-Ab (Pembrolizumab). Moreover, L3C7c-Fc was more effective than Pembrolizumab in enhancing redirected T cells' ability to suppress Mel624 melanoma growth in vivo. As a downsized L3C7c-Fc variant, L3C7v-Fc improved the anti-tumor efficacy in vivo when combined with dendritic cell vaccines. In conclusion, our studies demonstrate that high-affinity hPD-L1 variants could be developed as the next generation reagents for tumor immunotherapy based on the blockade of the PD-1 axis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoduan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Yanyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China; School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96, Jinzhai road, Hefei, Anhui province, China.
| | - Ye Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Huanling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China; School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, No. 96, Jinzhai road, Hefei, Anhui province, China.
| | - Wenxuan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Anan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Lin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Yifeng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Bo Xiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838, North Guangzhou Avenue, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Heping Kan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, 1838, North Guangzhou Avenue, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 190 Kai Yuan Avenue, Science Park, Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Zhang H, Li Y, Liu X, Liang Z, Yan M, Liu Q, Chen A, Bao Y, Zhou C, Li S, Yee C, Li Y. ImmTAC/Anti-PD-1 antibody combination to enhance killing of cancer cells by reversing regulatory T-cell-mediated immunosuppression. Immunology 2018; 155:238-250. [PMID: 29791021 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, bi-functional molecules that can redirect immune effectors to tumour cells have emerged as potentially robust mediators of tumour regression in clinical trials. Two modalities in particular, bi-specific antibodies for T-cell redirection and activation (BiTe) and immune-mobilizing monoclonal T-cell receptors against cancer (ImmTAC), are being evaluated in efficacy studies as 'off-the-shelf' reagents. Optimal therapy will require an understanding and means to address regulatory mechanisms of limiting efficacy. In light of this, we evaluated the impact of induced regulatory T (iTreg) cells on the efficacy of tumour cell killing redirected by ImmTAC and demonstrated down-regulation of T-cell proliferation and expression of CD25, CD107a, Granzyme B and Perforin by ImmTAC-redirected T cells. Significant recovery of ImmTAC potency, however, could be achieved when combined with an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, we found that among lung cancer patients failing to respond to ImmTAC therapy, there was a significantly higher fraction of Treg cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of lung cancer patients than in healthy donors. These results provide in vitro evidence for an iTreg cell-mediated immunosuppression of ImmTAC-redirected T-cell responses. Whilst immune checkpoint blockade can reverse the Treg cell suppression, it forms a rational basis for a combination of the blockade with ImmTAC in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huanling Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.,State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.,State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhaoduan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Mengyong Yan
- XiangXue Life Sciences Research Centre, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Anan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yifeng Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiyue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Centre for Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Cassian Yee
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Department of Immunology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,XiangXue Life Sciences Research Centre, XiangXue Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Legut M, Sewell AK. Designer T-cells and T-cell receptors for customized cancer immunotherapies. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2018; 41:96-103. [PMID: 29852403 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, focused on harnessing and empowering the immune system against tumours, has transformed modern oncology. One of the most promising avenues in development involves using genetically engineered T-cells to target cancer antigens via specific T-cell receptors (TCRs). TCRs have a naturally low affinity towards cancer-associated antigens, and therefore show scope for improvement. Here we describe approaches to procure TCRs with enhanced affinity and specificity towards cancer, using protein engineering or selection of natural TCRs from unadulterated repertoires. In particular, we discuss novel methods facilitating the targeting of tumour-specific mutations. Finally, we provide a prospective outlook on the potential development of novel, off-the-shelf immunotherapies by leveraging recent advances in genome editing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Legut
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Henry Wellcome Building, University Hospital Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XN, Wales, UK
| | - Andrew K Sewell
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Henry Wellcome Building, University Hospital Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XN, Wales, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
High-affinity human PD-L1 variants attenuate the suppression of T cell activation. Oncotarget 2017; 8:88360-88375. [PMID: 29179441 PMCID: PMC5687611 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The activated T cells can be suppressed by programed death-1 (PD-1) axis through low affinity interaction between PD-1 and PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in solution or on antigen presenting cells. In clinic, the concentration of soluble PD-L1 in peripheral blood negatively correlates with cancer prognosis. However, there is little information about the relation between the affinity of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction and the suppressive capacity of PD-1 axis. In this study, we analyzed inhibitory roles of high affinity soluble human PD-L1 (hPD-L1) variants, which were generated with directed molecular evolution. Resultant two clones L3C7-hPD-L1 and L3B3-hPD-L1 showed over 20 folds greater affinity than that of native hPD-L1. We found that L3B3-hPD-L1 and L3C7-hPD-L1 could compete with an anti-PD-1 antibody (EH12.1) for binding to hPD-1. More importantly, although native soluble hPD-L1 can induce suppressive effects on activated T cells, we found L3B3-hPD-L1 and L3C7-hPD-L1 attenuated the strength of PD-1 axis for suppressing the proliferation and interferon γ (IFN-γ) secretion of PBMC. In conclusion, our data provide direct evidence in which immune checkpoint receptor-ligand interactive strength can alter the the suppressive function, in particular, the suppressive capacity of PD-1 axis could be decreased with enhanced affinity of soluble PD-L1 and PD-1 interaction. Our study might provide a new direction for manipulating immune checkpoints.
Collapse
|