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Chen K, Liu ML, Wang JC, Fang S. CAR-macrophage versus CAR-T for solid tumors: The race between a rising star and a superstar. BIOMOLECULES & BIOMEDICINE 2024; 24:465-476. [PMID: 37877819 PMCID: PMC11088881 DOI: 10.17305/bb.2023.9675] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has been demonstrated to be one of the most promising cancer immunotherapy strategies due to its active antitumor capabilities in vivo. Engineering T cells to overexpress chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), for example, has shown potent efficacy in the therapy of some hematologic malignancies. However, the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy against solid tumors is still limited due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) of solid tumors, difficulty in infiltrating tumor sites, lack of tumor-specific antigens, antigen escape, and severe side effects. In contrast, macrophages expressing CARs (CAR-macrophages) have emerged as another promising candidate in immunotherapy, particularly for solid tumors. Now at its nascent stage (with only one clinical trial progressing), CAR-macrophage still shows inspiring potential advantages over CAR-T in treating solid tumors, including more abundant antitumor mechanisms and better infiltration into tumors. In this review, we discuss the relationships and differences between CAR-T and CAR-macrophage therapies in terms of their CAR structures, antitumor mechanisms, challenges faced in treating solid tumors, and insights gleaned from clinical trials and practice for solid tumors. We especially highlight the potential advantages of CAR-macrophage therapy over CAR-T for solid tumors. Understanding these relationships and differences provides new insight into possible optimization strategies of both these two therapies in solid tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Chen
- School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Min-ling Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jian-cheng Wang
- Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuo Fang
- Department of Oncology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
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2
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Huang Y, Qin Y, He Y, Qiu D, Zheng Y, Wei J, Zhang L, Yang DH, Li Y. Advances in molecular targeted drugs in combination with CAR-T cell therapy for hematologic malignancies. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 74:101082. [PMID: 38569225 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Molecular targeted drugs and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represent specific biological treatments that have significantly improved the efficacy of treating hematologic malignancies. However, they face challenges such as drug resistance and recurrence after treatment. Combining molecular targeted drugs and CAR-T cells could regulate immunity, improve tumor microenvironment (TME), promote cell apoptosis, and enhance sensitivity to tumor cell killing. This approach might provide a dual coordinated attack on cancer cells, effectively eliminating minimal residual disease and overcoming therapy resistance. Moreover, molecular targeted drugs can directly or indirectly enhance the anti-tumor effect of CAR-T cells by inducing tumor target antigen expression, reversing CAR-T cell exhaustion, and reducing CAR-T cell associated toxic side effects. Therefore, combining molecular targeted drugs with CAR-T cells is a promising and novel tactic for treating hematologic malignancies. In this review article, we focus on analyzing the mechanism of therapy resistance and its reversal of CAR-T cell therapy resistance, as well as the synergistic mechanism, safety, and future challenges in CAR-T cell therapy in combination with molecular targeted drugs. We aim to explore the benefits of this combination therapy for patients with hematologic malignancies and provide a rationale for subsequent clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxian Huang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yinjie Qin
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingzhi He
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Dezhi Qiu
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Yeqin Zheng
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiayue Wei
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Lenghe Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong-Hua Yang
- New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mineola, NY, USA.
| | - Yuhua Li
- Department of Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, Guangdong, China.
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3
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Verhaar ER, van Keizerswaard WJC, Knoflook A, Balligand T, Ploegh HL. Nanobody-based CAR NK cells for possible immunotherapy of MICA + tumors. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae184. [PMID: 38756234 PMCID: PMC11096969 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The glycoproteins MICA and MICB are upregulated on the surface of cells undergoing stress, for instance due to (viral) infection or malignant transformation. MICA/B are the ligands for the activating receptor NKG2D, found on cytotoxic immune cells like NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and γδ T cells. Upon engagement of NKG2D, these cells are activated to eradicate the MICA/B-positive targets, assisted by the secretion of cytokines. Nanobodies, or VHHs, are derived from the variable regions of camelid heavy-chain only immunoglobulins. Nanobodies are characterized by their small size, ease of production, stability, and specificity of recognition. We generated nanobodies that recognize membrane-bound MICA with high affinity. Here, we use these nanobodies as building blocks for a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to establish VHH-based CAR NK cells. These anti-MICA nanobody-based CAR NK cells recognize and selectively kill MICA-positive tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. We track localization of the VHH-based CAR NK cells to MICA-positive lung metastases by immuno-positron emission tomography imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha R Verhaar
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anouk Knoflook
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Thomas Balligand
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
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4
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Lin K, Xia B, Wang X, He X, Zhou M, Lin Y, Qiao Y, Li R, Chen Q, Li Y, Feng J, Chen T, Chen C, Li X, Zhang H, Lu L, Liu B, Zhang X. Development of nanobodies targeting hepatocellular carcinoma and application of nanobody-based CAR-T technology. J Transl Med 2024; 22:349. [PMID: 38610029 PMCID: PMC11015683 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05159-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, as an emerging anti-tumor treatment, has garnered extensive attention in the study of targeted therapy of multiple tumor-associated antigens in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the suppressive microenvironment and individual heterogeneity results in downregulation of these antigens in certain patients' cancer cells. Therefore, optimizing CAR-T cell therapy for HCC is imperative. METHODS In this study, we administered FGFR4-ferritin (FGFR4-HPF) nanoparticles to the alpaca and constructed a phage library of nanobodies (Nbs) derived from alpaca, following which we screened for Nbs targeting FGFR4. Then, we conducted the functional validation of Nbs. Furthermore, we developed Nb-derived CAR-T cells and evaluated their anti-tumor ability against HCC through in vitro and in vivo validation. RESULTS Our findings demonstrated that we successfully obtained high specificity and high affinity Nbs targeting FGFR4 after screening. And the specificity of Nbs targeting FGFR4 was markedly superior to their binding to other members of the FGFR family proteins. Furthermore, the Nb-derived CAR-T cells, targeting FGFR4, exhibited significantly enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in both experiments when in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS In summary, the results of this study suggest that the CAR-T cells derived from high specificity and high affinity Nbs, targeting FGFR4, exhibited significantly enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. This is an exploration of FGFR4 in the field of Nb-derived CAR-T cell therapy for HCC, holding promise for enhancing safety and effectiveness in the clinical treatment of HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keming Lin
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Baijin Xia
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin He
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Mo Zhou
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingtong Lin
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yidan Qiao
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Rong Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Qier Chen
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuzhuang Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinzhu Feng
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Chen
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Cancan Chen
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Inflammatory Diseases, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijuan Lu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, People's Republic of China.
| | - Bingfeng Liu
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xu Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
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5
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Lu Q, Yang D, Li H, Zhu Z, Zhang Z, Chen Y, Yang N, Li J, Wang Z, Niu T, Tong A. Delivery of CD47-SIRPα checkpoint blocker by BCMA-directed UCAR-T cells enhances antitumor efficacy in multiple myeloma. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216660. [PMID: 38266806 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216660] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients, BCMA-directed autologous CAR-T cells have showed excellent anti-tumor activity. However, their widespread application is limited due to the arguably cost and time-consuming. Multiple myeloma cells highly expressed CD47 molecule and interact with the SIRPα ligand on the surface of macrophages, in which evade the clearance of macrophages through the activation of "don't eat me" signal. In this study, a BCMA-directed universal CAR-T cells, BC404-UCART, secreting a CD47-SIRPα blocker was developed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system. BC404-UCART cells significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival of mice in the xenograft model. The anti-tumor activity of BC404-UCART cells was achieved via two mechanisms, on the one hand, the UCAR-T cells directly killed tumor cells, on the other hand, the BC404-UCART cells enhanced the phagocytosis of macrophages by secreting anti-CD47 nanobody hu404-hfc fusion that blocked the "don't eat me" signal between macrophages and tumor cells, which provides a potential strategy for the development of novel "off-the-shelf" cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Donghui Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Center of Stem Cells Engineering and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Hexian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zhixiong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zongliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yongdong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Nian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ting Niu
- Department of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Aiping Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Research Unit of Gene and Immunotherapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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6
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Verhaar ER, Knoflook A, Pishesha N, Liu X, van Keizerswaard WJC, Wucherpfennig KW, Ploegh HL. MICA-specific nanobodies for diagnosis and immunotherapy of MICA + tumors. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1368586. [PMID: 38550583 PMCID: PMC10973119 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1368586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
MICA and MICB are Class I MHC-related glycoproteins that are upregulated on the surface of cells in response to stress, for instance due to infection or malignant transformation. MICA/B are ligands for NKG2D, an activating receptor on NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and γδ T cells. Upon engagement of MICA/B with NKG2D, these cytotoxic cells eradicate MICA/B-positive targets. MICA is frequently overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells of epithelial and hematopoietic origin. Here, we created nanobodies that recognize MICA. Nanobodies, or VHHs, are the recombinantly expressed variable regions of camelid heavy chain-only immunoglobulins. They retain the capacity of antigen recognition but are characterized by their stability and ease of production. The nanobodies described here detect surface-disposed MICA on cancer cells in vitro by flow cytometry and can be used therapeutically as nanobody-drug conjugates when fused to the Maytansine derivative DM1. The nanobody-DM1 conjugate selectively kills MICA positive tumor cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha R. Verhaar
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anouk Knoflook
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Novalia Pishesha
- Division of Immunology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xin Liu
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Kai W. Wucherpfennig
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hidde L. Ploegh
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
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7
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Heremans J, Maximilian Awad R, Bridoux J, Ertveldt T, Caveliers V, Madder A, Hoogenboom R, Devoogdt N, Ballet S, Hernot S, Breckpot K, Martin C. Sustained release of a human PD-L1 single-domain antibody using peptide-based hydrogels. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 196:114183. [PMID: 38246566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114183] [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: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the immune checkpoint axis, which contains the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1, revolutionized the field of oncology. Unfortunately, the large size of mAbs and the presence of an Fc fraction limit their tumor penetrative capacities and support off-target effects, potentially resulting in unresponsive patients and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) respectively. Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) are ten times smaller than conventional mAbs and represent an emerging antibody subclass that has been proposed as next generation immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapeutics. They demonstrate favorable characteristics, such as an excellent stability, high antigen-binding affinity and an enhanced tumor penetration. Because sdAbs have a short half-life, methods to prolong their presence in the circulation and at the target site might be necessary in some cases to unfold their full therapeutic potential. In this study, we investigated a peptide-based hydrogel as an injectable biomaterial depot formulation for the sustained release of the human PD-L1 sdAb K2. We showed that a hydrogel composed of the amphipathic hexapeptide hydrogelator H-FQFQFK-NH2 prolonged the in vivo release of K2 after subcutaneous (s.c.) injection, up to at least 72 h, as monitored by SPECT/CT and fluorescence imaging. Additionally, after encapsulation in the hydrogel and s.c. administration, a significantly extended systemic presence and tumor uptake of K2 was observed in mice bearing a melanoma tumor expressing human PD-L1. Altogether, this study describes how peptide hydrogels can be exploited to provide the sustained release of sdAbs, thereby potentially enhancing its clinical and therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Heremans
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robin Maximilian Awad
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jessica Bridoux
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Ertveldt
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vicky Caveliers
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Annemieke Madder
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Richard Hoogenboom
- Supramolecular Chemistry Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry (CMaC), Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Hernot
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
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8
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Najafi S, Mortezaee K. Modifying CAR-T cells with anti-checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy: A focus on anti PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies. Life Sci 2024; 338:122387. [PMID: 38154609 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122387] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) are genetically engineered cells to express tumor-specific antigens revolutionizing the treatment of hematologic malignancies. The hostile tumor microenvironment (TME) remains a challenge for CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors. As a solution, combinational therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is shown to improve the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy. To avoid side effects related to the application of ICIs in combinational therapy, engineering CARs to express tumor-specific antigens may help improvement of clinical outcomes. Those CARs expressing single chain variable fragments (scFvs) or nanobodies against immune checkpoint stimulatory or inhibitory molecules, such as the programmed death-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) signaling axis are being extensively studied in various clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the significance of anti-PD-(L)1 scFv-expressing CAR-T cells in the treatment of human cancers, describing current challenges and potential strategies to overcome such predicaments in the area of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajad Najafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
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9
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Cong Y, Devoogdt N, Lambin P, Dubois LJ, Yaromina A. Promising Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches Based on VHHs for Cancer Management. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:371. [PMID: 38254860 PMCID: PMC10814765 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the distinctive structure of heavy chain-only antibodies in species belonging to the Camelidae family has elicited significant interest in their variable antigen binding domain (VHH) and gained attention for various applications, such as cancer diagnosis and treatment. This article presents an overview of the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of VHHs as compared to conventional antibodies, and their usage in diverse applications. The singular properties of VHHs are explained, and several strategies that can augment their utility are outlined. The preclinical studies illustrating the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of distinct VHHs in diverse formats against solid cancers are summarized, and an overview of the clinical trials assessing VHH-based agents in oncology is provided. These investigations demonstrate the enormous potential of VHHs for medical research and healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cong
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW—School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands; (Y.C.); (P.L.)
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- Molecular Imaging and Therapy Research Group (MITH), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Philippe Lambin
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW—School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands; (Y.C.); (P.L.)
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ludwig J. Dubois
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW—School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands; (Y.C.); (P.L.)
| | - Ala Yaromina
- The M-Lab, Department of Precision Medicine, GROW—School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands; (Y.C.); (P.L.)
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10
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Babamohamadi M, Mohammadi N, Faryadi E, Haddadi M, Merati A, Ghobadinezhad F, Amirian R, Izadi Z, Hadjati J. Anti-CTLA-4 nanobody as a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:17. [PMID: 38191571 PMCID: PMC10774412 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06391-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most common diseases and causes of death worldwide. Since common treatment approaches do not yield acceptable results in many patients, developing innovative strategies for effective treatment is necessary. Immunotherapy is one of the promising approaches that has been highly regarded for preventing tumor recurrence and new metastases. Meanwhile, inhibiting immune checkpoints is one of the most attractive methods of cancer immunotherapy. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) is an essential immune molecule that plays a vital role in cell cycle modulation, regulation of T cell proliferation, and cytokine production. This molecule is classically expressed by stimulated T cells. Inhibition of overexpression of immune checkpoints such as CTLA-4 receptors has been confirmed as an effective strategy. In cancer immunotherapy, immune checkpoint-blocking drugs can be enhanced with nanobodies that target immune checkpoint molecules. Nanobodies are derived from the variable domain of heavy antibody chains. These small protein fragments have evolved entirely without a light chain and can be used as a powerful tool in imaging and treating diseases with their unique structure. They have a low molecular weight, which makes them smaller than conventional antibodies while still being able to bind to specific antigens. In addition to low molecular weight, specific binding to targets, resistance to temperature, pH, and enzymes, high ability to penetrate tumor tissues, and low toxicity make nanobodies an ideal approach to overcome the disadvantages of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy. In this article, while reviewing the cellular and molecular functions of CTLA-4, the structure and mechanisms of nanobodies' activity, and their delivery methods, we will explain the advantages and challenges of using nanobodies, emphasizing immunotherapy treatments based on anti-CTLA-4 nanobodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehregan Babamohamadi
- Department of Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Innovation Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nastaran Mohammadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Elham Faryadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Maryam Haddadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Merati
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedical, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Farbod Ghobadinezhad
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Roshanak Amirian
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Zhila Izadi
- USERN Office, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Jamshid Hadjati
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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11
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Xia B, Lin K, Wang X, Chen F, Zhou M, Li Y, Lin Y, Qiao Y, Li R, Zhang W, He X, Zou F, Li L, Lu L, Chen C, Li W, Zhang H, Liu B. Nanobody-derived bispecific CAR-T cell therapy enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of T cell lymphoma treatment. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2023; 30:86-102. [PMID: 37593111 PMCID: PMC10427987 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell lymphoma (TCL) is a highly heterogeneous group of diseases with a poor prognosis and low 5-year overall survival rate. The current therapeutic regimens have relatively low efficacy rates. Clinical studies of single-target chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy in T lymphocytes require large and multiple infusions, increasing the risks and cost of treatment; therefore, optimizing targeted therapy is a way to improve overall prognosis. Despite significant advances in bispecific CAR-T cell therapy to avoid antigen escape in treatment of B cell lymphoma, applying this strategy to TCL requires further investigation. Here, we constructed an alpaca nanobody (Nb) phage library and generated high-affinity and -specificity Nbs targeting CD30 and CD5, respectively. Based on multiple rounds of screening, bispecific NbCD30-CD5-CAR T cells were constructed, and their superior anti-tumor effect against TCL was validated in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrated that Nb-derived bispecific CAR-T cells significantly improved anti-tumor efficacy in TCL treatment compared with single-target CAR-T cells and bispecific single chain variable fragment (scFv)-derived CAR-T cells. Because Nbs are smaller and less immunogenic, the synergistic effect of Nb-based bispecific CAR-T cells may improve their safety and efficacy in future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baijin Xia
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Keming Lin
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - FeiLi Chen
- Lymphoma Department, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Mo Zhou
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yuzhuang Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yingtong Lin
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yidan Qiao
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Rong Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Wanying Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xin He
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Fan Zou
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Qianyang Biomedical Research Institute, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510663, China
| | - Linghua Li
- Infectious Diseases Center, Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510440, China
| | - Lijuan Lu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, China
| | - Cancan Chen
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - WenYu Li
- Lymphoma Department, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Bingfeng Liu
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
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12
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Sun S, Ding Z, Gao L, Hammock BD, Huang X, Xu ZP, Wang X, Cheng Q, Mo F, Shi W, Xie S, Liu A, Li H, Yang X, Lu X. A dendritic/tumor fusion cell vaccine enhances efficacy of nanobody-based CAR-T cells against solid tumor. Theranostics 2023; 13:5099-5113. [PMID: 37771772 PMCID: PMC10526666 DOI: 10.7150/thno.84946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is practical in treating cancers of hematopoietic origin, but of that in solid tumors compromises efficacy for the loss of the antigen recognized by the CAR. However, dendritic cell (DC)/tumor fusion vaccines present a spectrum of known or unknown tumor antigens to stimulate T cell expansion and enhanced T cell response. Developing a new strategy of enhanced nanobody-based CAR-T (Nb-CAR-T) cells antitumor activity by DC/tumor fusion vaccines stimulation would provide guidance for more effective CAR-T cell therapies. Methods: Considering the therapeutic potential of nanobody (Nb), we first screened EGFRvIII Nb, then constructed and verified the function of EGFRvIII Nb-CAR-T cells in vitro and in vivo. We further combined DC/tumor fusion vaccines to boost EGFRvIII Nb-CAR-T cells antitumor effect, which was evaluated in vitro Nb-CAR-T cell function and in the tumor-bearing xenograft mouse models. Results: We had for the first time successfully selected EGFRvIII Nb for the generation of the novel EGFRvIII Nb-CAR-T cells. Importantly, our results suggested that DC/tumor fusion vaccines stimulate Nb-CAR-T cells response not only in improving T cell proliferation, T cell activation, cytokine secretion and tumor-specific cytotoxicity in vitro, but also significantly reducing tumor burden, prolonging survival and improving Nb-CAR-T cells infiltration. Conclusions: We have innovatively shown that DC/tumor fusion vaccines significantly enhance the efficacy of Nb-CAR-T cells against solid tumors. This new strategy has provided a promising therapeutic platform for promoting the clinical treatment of CAR-T cells therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang Sun
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Ziqiang Ding
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Li Gao
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Bruce D. Hammock
- UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Xianing Huang
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Zhi Ping Xu
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Xuan Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Qihong Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Fengzhen Mo
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Wei Shi
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Shenxia Xie
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Aiqun Liu
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Haixia Li
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Xiaomei Yang
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- College of Stomatology/ Hospital of Stomatology/ School of Basic Medical Sciences/ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Nanobody Research/ Guangxi Nanobody Engineering Research Center/ Laboratory Animal Center/ Pharmaceutical College/ Affiliated Tumor Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, China
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13
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Alsajjan R, Mason WP. Bispecific T-Cell Engagers and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapies in Glioblastoma: An Update. Curr Oncol 2023; 30:8501-8549. [PMID: 37754534 PMCID: PMC10529026 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30090619] [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: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults. The prognosis is extremely poor even with standard treatment of maximal safe resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Recurrence is inevitable within months, and treatment options are very limited. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CART) and bispecific T-cell engagers (TCEs) are two emerging immunotherapies that can redirect T-cells for tumor-specific killing and have shown remarkable success in hematological malignancies and been under extensive study for application in glioblastoma. While there have been multiple clinical trials showing preliminary evidence of safety and efficacy for CART, bispecific TCEs are still in the early stages of clinical testing, with preclinical studies showing very promising results. However, there are multiple shared challenges that need to be addressed in the future, including the route of delivery, antigen escape, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and toxicity resulting from the limited choice of tumor-specific antigens. Efforts are underway to optimize the design of both these treatments and find the ideal combination therapy to overcome these challenges. In this review, we describe the work that has been performed as well as novel approaches in glioblastoma and in other solid tumors that may be applicable in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roa Alsajjan
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia
| | - Warren P. Mason
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada
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14
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Li S, Hoefnagel SJM, Krishnadath KK. Single domain Camelid antibody fragments for molecular imaging and therapy of cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1257175. [PMID: 37746282 PMCID: PMC10514897 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1257175] [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: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite innovations in cancer therapeutics, cancer remains associated with high mortality and is one of biggest health challenges worldwide. Therefore, developing precise cancer imaging and effective treatments is an unmet clinical need. A relatively novel type of therapeutics are heavy chain variable domain antibody fragments (VHHs) derived from llamas. Here, we explored the suitability of VHHs for cancer imaging and therapy through reviewing the existing literature. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases and identified 32 papers on molecular imaging and 41 papers on therapy that were suitable for comprehensive reviewing. We found that VHHs harbor a higher specificity and affinity compared to mAbs, which contributes to high-quality imaging and less side-effects on healthy cells. The employment of VHHs in cancer imaging showed remarkably shorter times between administration and imaging. Studies showed that 18F and 99mTc are two optimal radionuclides for imaging with VHHs and that site-specific labelling is the optimal conjugation modality for VHHs with radionuclide or fluorescent molecules. We found different solutions for reducing kidney retention and immunogenicity of VHHs. VHHs as anticancer therapeutics have been tested in photodynamic therapy, targeted radionuclide therapy, immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy. These studies showed that VHHs target unique antigen epitopes, which are distinct from the ones recognized by mAbs. This advantage means that VHHs may be more effective for targeted anticancer therapy and can be combined with mAbs. We found that high cellular internalization and specificity of VHHs contributes to the effectiveness and safety of VHHs as anticancer therapeutics. Two clinical trials have confirmed that VHHs are effective and safe for cancer imaging and therapy. Together, VHHs seem to harbor several advantages compared to mAbs and show potential for application in personalized treatment for cancer patients. VHH-based imaging and therapy are promising options for improving outcomes of cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shulin Li
- Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Kausilia Krishnawatie Krishnadath
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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15
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Chen J, Zhu T, Jiang G, Zeng Q, Li Z, Huang X. Target delivery of a PD-1-TREM2 scFv by CAR-T cells enhances anti-tumor efficacy in colorectal cancer. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:131. [PMID: 37563723 PMCID: PMC10413520 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01830-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -T cell therapy is an efficient therapeutic strategy for specific hematologic malignancies. However, positive outcomes of this novel therapy in treating solid tumors are curtailed by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), wherein signaling of the checkpoint programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 directly inhibits T-cell responses. Although checkpoint-targeted immunotherapy succeeds in increasing the number of T cells produced to control tumor growth, the desired effect is mitigated by the action of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the TME. Previous studies have confirmed that targeting triggering-receptor-expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) on TAMs and MDSCs enhances the outcomes of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. METHODS We constructed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-specific CAR-T cells for colorectal cancer (CRC)-specific antigens with an autocrine PD-1-TREM2 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) to target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, MDSCs and TAMs. RESULTS We found that the PD-1-TREM2-targeting scFv inhibited the activation of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. In addition, these secreted scFvs blocked the binding of ligands to TREM2 receptors present on MDSCs and TAMs, reduced the proportion of MDSCs and TAMs, and enhanced T-cell effector function, thereby mitigating immune resistance in the TME. PD-1-TREM2 scFv-secreting CAR-T cells resulted in highly effective elimination of tumors compared to that achieved with PD-1 scFv-secreting CAR-T therapy in a subcutaneous CRC mouse model. Moreover, the PD-1-TREM2 scFv secreted by CAR-T cells remained localized within tumors and exhibited an extended half-life. CONCLUSIONS Together, these results indicate that PD-1-TREM2 scFv-secreting CAR-T cells have strong potential as an effective therapy for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- Center for Infection and Immunity and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianchuan Zhu
- Center for Infection and Immunity and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Guanmin Jiang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Zeng
- Department of Oncology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhijian Li
- The Fourth People's Hospital of Foshan, 528000, Foshan, Guangdong, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Center for Infection and Immunity and Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 519000, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
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16
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Hao Y, Zhou X, Li Y, Li B, Cheng L. The CD47-SIRPα axis is a promising target for cancer immunotherapies. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 120:110255. [PMID: 37187126 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Cluster of differentiation 47(CD47) is a transmembrane protein that is ubiquitously found on the surface of many cells in the body and uniquely overexpressed by both solid and hematologic malignant cells. CD47 interacts with signal-regulatory protein α (SIRPα), to trigger a "don't eat me" signal and thereby achieve cancer immune escape by inhibiting macrophage-mediated phagocytosis. Thus, blocking the CD47-SIRPα phagocytosis checkpoint, for release of the innate immune system, is a current research focus. Indeed, targeting the CD47-SIRPα axis as a cancer immunotherapy has shown promising efficacies in pre-clinical outcomes. Here, we first reviewed the origin, structure, and function of the CD47-SIRPα axis. Then, we reviewed its role as a target for cancer immunotherapies, as well as the factors regulating CD47-SIRPα axis-based immunotherapies. We specifically focused on the mechanism and progress of CD47-SIRPα axis-based immunotherapies and their combination with other treatment strategies. Finally, we discussed the challenges and directions for future research and identified potential CD47-SIRPα axis-based therapies that are suitable for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xinxuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yiling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bolei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Lei Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & West China Hospital of Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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17
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Dacek MM, Kurtz KG, Wallisch P, Pierre SA, Khayat S, Bourne CM, Gardner TJ, Vogt KC, Aquino N, Younes A, Scheinberg DA. Potentiating antibody-dependent killing of cancers with CAR T cells secreting CD47-SIRPα checkpoint blocker. Blood 2023; 141:2003-2015. [PMID: 36696633 PMCID: PMC10163312 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022016101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown success in the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies; however, relapse remains a significant issue. To overcome this, we engineered "Orexi" CAR T cells to locally secrete a high-affinity CD47 blocker, CV1, at the tumor and treated tumors in combination with an orthogonally targeted monoclonal antibody. Traditional CAR T cells plus the antibody had an additive effect in xenograft models, and this effect was potentiated by CAR T-cell local CV1 secretion. Furthermore, OrexiCAR-secreted CV1 reversed the immunosuppression of myelomonocytoid cells both in vitro and within the tumor microenvironment. Local secretion of the CD47 inhibitor bypasses the CD47 sink found on all cells in the body and may prevent systemic toxicities. This combination of CAR T-cell therapy, local CD47 blockade, and orthogonal antibody may be a combinatorial strategy to overcome the limitations of each monotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. Dacek
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Pharmacology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Keifer G. Kurtz
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Pharmacology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Patrick Wallisch
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Pharmacology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Stephanie A. Pierre
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Tri-institutunal MD-PhD Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Shireen Khayat
- Pharmacology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Immunology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
| | - Christopher M. Bourne
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Thomas J. Gardner
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
| | - Kristen C. Vogt
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
| | - Nica Aquino
- Antitumor Assessment Core, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Anas Younes
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - David A. Scheinberg
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY
- Pharmacology Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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18
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Xu H, Li N, Wang G, Cao Y. Predictive short/long-term efficacy biomarkers and resistance mechanisms of CD19-directed CAR-T immunotherapy in relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1110028. [PMID: 37051246 PMCID: PMC10083339 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1110028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetically modified T-cell immunotherapies are revolutionizing the therapeutic options for hematological malignancies, especially those of B-cell origin. Impressive efficacies of CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy have been reported in refractory/relapsed (R/R) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients who were resistant to current standard therapies, with a complete remission (CR) rate of approximately 50%. At the same time, problems of resistance and relapse following CAR-T therapy have drawn growing attention. Recently, great efforts have been made to determine various factors that are connected to the responses and outcomes following CAR-T therapy, which may not only allow us to recognize those with a higher likelihood of responding and who could benefit most from the therapy but also identify those with a high risk of resistance and relapse and to whom further appropriate treatment should be administered following CAR-T therapy. Thus, we concentrate on the biomarkers that can predict responses and outcomes after CD19-directed CAR-T immunotherapy. Furthermore, the mechanisms that may lead to treatment failure are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xu
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ningwen Li
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Gaoxiang Wang
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- *Correspondence: Gaoxiang Wang, ; Yang Cao,
| | - Yang Cao
- Department of Hematology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Immunotherapy Research Center for Hematologic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- *Correspondence: Gaoxiang Wang, ; Yang Cao,
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19
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Huynh D, Winter P, Märkl F, Endres S, Kobold S. Beyond direct killing-novel cellular immunotherapeutic strategies to reshape the tumor microenvironment. Semin Immunopathol 2023; 45:215-227. [PMID: 36167831 PMCID: PMC10121530 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-022-00962-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The clinical use of cellular immunotherapies is gaining momentum and the number of approved indications is steadily increasing. One class of cellular therapies-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells-has achieved impressive results in distinct blood cancer indications. These existing cellular therapies treating blood cancers face significant relapse rates, and their application beyond hematology has been underwhelming, especially in solid oncology. Major reasons for resistance source largely in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME in fact functionally suppresses, restricts, and excludes adoptive immune cells, which limits the efficacy of cellular immunotherapies from the onset. Many promising efforts are ongoing to adapt cellular immunotherapies to address these obstacles, with the aim of reshaping the tumor microenvironment to ameliorate function and to achieve superior efficacy against both hematological and solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Huynh
- Department of Medicine IV, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU Lindwurmstrasse 2a, 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - Pia Winter
- Department of Medicine IV, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU Lindwurmstrasse 2a, 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Märkl
- Department of Medicine IV, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU Lindwurmstrasse 2a, 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Endres
- Department of Medicine IV, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU Lindwurmstrasse 2a, 80337, Munich, Germany
- Einheit Für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Munich, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kobold
- Department of Medicine IV, Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Klinikum der Universität München, LMU Lindwurmstrasse 2a, 80337, Munich, Germany.
- Einheit Für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany.
- German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), partner site Munich, Heidelberg, Germany.
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20
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Beckett AN, Chockley P, Pruett-Miller SM, Nguyen P, Vogel P, Sheppard H, Krenciute G, Gottschalk S, DeRenzo C. CD47 expression is critical for CAR T-cell survival in vivo. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005857. [PMID: 36918226 PMCID: PMC10016274 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CD47 is an attractive immunotherapeutic target because it is highly expressed on multiple solid tumors. However, CD47 is also expressed on T cells. Limited studies have evaluated CD47-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, and the role of CD47 in CAR T-cell function remains largely unknown. METHODS Here, we describe the development of CD47-CAR T cells derived from a high affinity signal regulatory protein α variant CV1, which binds CD47. CV1-CAR T cells were generated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The role of CD47 in CAR T-cell function was examined by knocking out CD47 in T cells followed by downstream functional analyses. RESULTS While CV1-CAR T cells are specific and exhibit potent activity in vitro they lacked antitumor activity in xenograft models. Mechanistic studies revealed CV1-CAR T cells downregulate CD47 to overcome fratricide, but CD47 loss resulted in their failure to expand and persist in vivo. This effect was not limited to CV1-CAR T cells, since CD47 knockout CAR T cells targeting another solid tumor antigen exhibited the same in vivo fate. Further, CD47 knockout T cells were sensitive to macrophage-mediated phagocytosis. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight that CD47 expression is critical for CAR T-cell survival in vivo and is a 'sine qua non' for successful adoptive T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex N Beckett
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Peter Chockley
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Phuong Nguyen
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Peter Vogel
- Department of Pathology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Heather Sheppard
- Department of Pathology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Giedre Krenciute
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Christopher DeRenzo
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
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21
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Maali A, Gholizadeh M, Feghhi-Najafabadi S, Noei A, Seyed-Motahari SS, Mansoori S, Sharifzadeh Z. Nanobodies in cell-mediated immunotherapy: On the road to fight cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1012841. [PMID: 36761751 PMCID: PMC9905824 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1012841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system is essential in recognizing and eliminating tumor cells. The unique characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), such as heterogeneity, reduced blood flow, hypoxia, and acidity, can reduce the efficacy of cell-mediated immunity. The primary goal of cancer immunotherapy is to modify the immune cells or the TME to enable the immune system to eliminate malignancies successfully. Nanobodies, known as single-domain antibodies, are light chain-free antibody fragments produced from Camelidae antibodies. The unique properties of nanobodies, including high stability, reduced immunogenicity, enhanced infiltration into the TME of solid tumors and facile genetic engineering have led to their promising application in cell-mediated immunotherapy. They can promote the cancer therapy either directly by bridging between tumor cells and immune cells and by targeting cancer cells using immune cell-bound nanobodies or indirectly by blocking the inhibitory ligands/receptors. The T-cell activation can be engaged through anti-CD3 and anti-4-1BB nanobodies in the bispecific (bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs)) and trispecific (trispecific T-cell engager (TriTEs)) manners. Also, nanobodies can be used as natural killer (NK) cell engagers (BiKEs, TriKEs, and TetraKEs) to create an immune synapse between the tumor and NK cells. Nanobodies can redirect immune cells to attack tumor cells through a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) incorporating a nanobody against the target antigen. Various cancer antigens have been targeted by nanobody-based CAR-T and CAR-NK cells for treating both hematological and solid malignancies. They can also cause the continuation of immune surveillance against tumor cells by stopping inappropriate inhibition of immune checkpoints. Other roles of nanobodies in cell-mediated cancer immunotherapy include reprogramming macrophages to reduce metastasis and angiogenesis, as well as preventing the severe side effects occurring in cell-mediated immunotherapy. Here, we highlight the critical functions of various immune cells, including T cells, NK cells, and macrophages in the TME, and discuss newly developed immunotherapy methods based on the targeted manipulation of immune cells and TME with nanobodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhosein Maali
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Monireh Gholizadeh
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Ahmad Noei
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Sheila Seyed-Motahari
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Zahra Sharifzadeh
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Zahra Sharifzadeh,
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22
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Kang-Pettinger T, Walker K, Brown R, Cowan R, Wright H, Baravalle R, Waters LC, Muskett FW, Bowler MW, Sawmynaden K, Coombs PJ, Carr MD, Hall G. Identification, binding, and structural characterization of single domain anti-PD-L1 antibodies inhibitory of immune regulatory proteins PD-1 and CD80. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102769. [PMID: 36470427 PMCID: PMC9811221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102769] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a key immune regulatory protein that interacts with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), leading to T-cell suppression. Whilst this interaction is key in self-tolerance, cancer cells evade the immune system by overexpressing PD-L1. Inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway with standard monoclonal antibodies has proven a highly effective cancer treatment; however, single domain antibodies (VHH) may offer numerous potential benefits. Here, we report the identification and characterization of a diverse panel of 16 novel VHHs specific to PD-L1. The panel of VHHs demonstrate affinities of 0.7 nM to 5.1 μM and were able to completely inhibit PD-1 binding to PD-L1. The binding site for each VHH on PD-L1 was determined using NMR chemical shift perturbation mapping and revealed a common binding surface encompassing the PD-1-binding site. Additionally, we solved crystal structures of two representative VHHs in complex with PD-L1, which revealed unique binding modes. Similar NMR experiments were used to identify the binding site of CD80 on PD-L1, which is another immune response regulatory element and interacts with PD-L1 localized on the same cell surface. CD80 and PD-1 were revealed to share a highly overlapping binding site on PD-L1, with the panel of VHHs identified expected to inhibit CD80 binding. Comparison of the CD80 and PD-1 binding sites on PD-L1 enabled the identification of a potential antibody binding region able to confer specificity for the inhibition of PD-1 binding only, which may offer therapeutic benefits to counteract cancer cell evasion of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Kang-Pettinger
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Kayleigh Walker
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Richard Brown
- LifeArc, Centre for Therapeutics Discovery, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, UK
| | - Richard Cowan
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Helena Wright
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Roberta Baravalle
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Lorna C. Waters
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Frederick W. Muskett
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Kovilen Sawmynaden
- LifeArc, Centre for Therapeutics Discovery, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, UK
| | - Peter J. Coombs
- LifeArc, Centre for Therapeutics Discovery, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, UK
| | - Mark D. Carr
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK,For correspondence: Gareth Hall; Mark D. Carr
| | - Gareth Hall
- Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK,For correspondence: Gareth Hall; Mark D. Carr
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23
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Safarzadeh Kozani P, Naseri A, Mirarefin SMJ, Salem F, Nikbakht M, Evazi Bakhshi S, Safarzadeh Kozani P. Nanobody-based CAR-T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Biomark Res 2022; 10:24. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1186/s40364-022-00371-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractChimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is the result of combining genetic engineering-based cancer immunotherapy with adoptive cell therapy (ACT). CAR-T therapy has been successful in treating various types of hematological cancers. CARs are receptors made of an extracellular domain, a membrane-spanning domain, and an intracellular domain. The extracellular domain of CARs harbors an antigen-targeting domain responsible for recognizing and binding cell surface-expressed target antigens. Conventionally, the single-chain fragment variable (scFv) of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) is used as the antigen-targeting domain of CARs. However, of late, researchers have exploited nanobodies for this aim based on numerous rationales including the small size of nanobodies, their stability, specificity, and high affinity, and their easy and feasible development process. Many findings have confirmed that nanobody-based CAR-Ts can be as functional as scFv-based CAR-Ts in preclinical and clinical settings. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scFvs and nanobodies in regards to their application as the targeting domain of CARs. Ultimately, we discuss various CAR target antigens which have been targeted using nanobody-based CAR-T cells for the treatment of different types of malignancies.
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24
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Ye ZH, Yu WB, Huang MY, Chen J, Lu JJ. Building on the backbone of CD47-based therapy in cancer: Combination strategies, mechanisms, and future perspectives. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 13:1467-1487. [PMID: 37139405 PMCID: PMC10149906 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Described as a "don't eat me" signal, CD47 becomes a vital immune checkpoint in cancer. Its interaction with signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) prevents macrophage phagocytosis. In recent years, a growing body of evidences have unveiled that CD47-based combination therapy exhibits a superior anti-cancer effect. Latest clinical trials about CD47 have adopted the regimen of collaborating with other therapies or developing CD47-directed bispecific antibodies, indicating the combination strategy as a general trend of the future. In this review, clinical and preclinical cases about the current combination strategies targeting CD47 are collected, their underlying mechanisms of action are discussed, and ideas from future perspectives are shared.
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25
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Modern Advances in CARs Therapy and Creating a New Approach to Future Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315006. [PMID: 36499331 PMCID: PMC9739283 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically engineered T and NK cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) are promising cytotoxic cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Despite the successful therapies using CAR-T cells, they have some disadvantages, such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity, or graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). CAR-NK cells have lack or minimal cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, but also multiple mechanisms of cytotoxic activity. NK cells are suitable for developing an "off the shelf" therapeutic product that causes little or no graft versus host disease (GvHD), but they are more sensitive to apoptosis and have low levels of gene expression compared to CAR-T cells. To avoid these adverse effects, further developments need to be considered to enhance the effectiveness of adoptive cellular immunotherapy. A promising approach to enhance the effectiveness of adoptive cellular immunotherapy is overcoming terminal differentiation or senescence and exhaustion of T cells. In this case, EVs derived from immune cells in combination therapy with drugs may be considered in the treatment of cancer patients, especially effector T and NK cells-derived exosomes with the cytotoxic activity of their original cells.
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26
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Okuma A, Ishida Y, Kawara T, Hisada S, Araki S. Secretory co-factors in next-generation cellular therapies for cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:907022. [PMID: 36059449 PMCID: PMC9433659 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.907022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Since chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for hematologic malignancies were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, numerous "next-generation" CAR T cells have been developed to improve their safety, efficacy, and applicability. Although some of these novel therapeutic strategies are promising, it remains difficult to apply these therapies to solid tumors and to control adverse effects, such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. CAR T cells are generated using highly scalable genetic engineering techniques. One of the major strategies for producing next-generation CAR T cells involves the integration of useful co-factor(s) into the artificial genetic design of the CAR gene, resulting in next-generation CAR T cells that express both CAR and the co-factor(s). Many soluble co-factors have been reported for CAR T cells and their therapeutic effects and toxicity have been tested by systemic injection; therefore, CAR T cells harnessing secretory co-factors could be close to clinical application. Here, we review the various secretory co-factors that have been reported to improve the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T cells and ameliorate adverse events. In addition, we discuss the different co-factor expression systems that have been used to optimize their beneficial effects. Altogether, we demonstrate that combining CAR T cells with secretory co-factors will lead to next-generation CAR T-cell therapies that can be used against broader types of cancers and might provide advanced tools for more complicated synthetic immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Okuma
- Center for Exploratory Research, Research and Development Group, Hitachi Ltd., Kobe, Japan
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27
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Understanding CAR T cell-tumor interactions: Paving the way for successful clinical outcomes. MED 2022; 3:538-564. [PMID: 35963235 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
Abstract
Since their approval 5 years ago, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have gained great importance in the daily clinical practice and treatment of hematological malignancies, although many challenges to their use remain, such as limited long-term CAR T cell efficacy due to disease resistance or recurrence. After a brief overview of CAR T cells, their approval, therapeutic successes, and ongoing limitations, this review discusses what is known about CAR T cell activation, their expansion and persistence, their mechanisms of cytotoxicity, and how the CAR design and/or tumor-intrinsic factors influence these functions. This review also examines the role of cytokines in CAR T cell-associated toxicity and their effects on CAR T cell function. Furthermore, we discuss several resistance mechanisms, including obstacles associated with CAR treatment of solid tumors. Finally, we provide a future outlook on next-generation strategies to further optimize CARs and improve clinical outcomes.
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28
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Yu T, Yu SK, Xiang Y, Lu KH, Sun M. Revolution of CAR Engineering For Next-Generation Immunotherapy In Solid Tumors. Front Immunol 2022; 13:936496. [PMID: 35903099 PMCID: PMC9315443 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.936496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have enormous potentials for clinical therapies. The CAR-T therapy has been approved for treating hematological malignancies. However, their application is limited in solid tumors owing to antigen loss and mutation, physical barriers, and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. To overcome the challenges of CAR-T, increasing efforts are put into developing CAR-T to expand its applied ranges. Varied receptors are utilized for recognizing tumor-associated antigens and relieving immunosuppression. Emerging co-stimulatory signaling is employed for CAR-T activation. Furthermore, other immune cells such as NK cells and macrophages have manifested potential for delivering CAR. Hence, we collected and summarized the last advancements of CAR engineering from three aspects, namely, the ectodomains, endogenous domains, and immune cells, aiming to inspire the design of next-generation adoptive immunotherapy for treating solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shao-kun Yu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yan Xiang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kai-Hua Lu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Kai-Hua Lu, ; Ming Sun,
| | - Ming Sun
- Suzhou Cancer Center Core Laboratory, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Gusu School, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Kai-Hua Lu, ; Ming Sun,
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29
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Yélamos J. Current innovative engineered antibodies. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 369:1-43. [PMID: 35777861 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2022.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Antibody engineering has developed very intensively since the invention of the hybridoma technology in 1975, and it now can generate therapeutic agents with high specificity and reduced adverse effects. Indeed, antibodies have become one of the most innovative therapeutic agents in recent years, with some landing in the top 10 bestselling pharmaceutical drugs. New antibodies are being approved every year, in different formats and for treating various illnesses, including cancer, autoimmune inflammatory diseases, metabolic diseases and infectious diseases. In this review, I summarize current progress in innovative engineered antibodies. Overall, this progress has led to the approval by regulatory authorities of more than 100 antibody-based molecules, with many others at various stages of clinical development, indicating the high growth potential of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Yélamos
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Unidad Asociada IIBB-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Immunology Unit, Department of Pathology, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
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30
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Awad RM, Meeus F, Ceuppens H, Ertveldt T, Hanssens H, Lecocq Q, Mateusiak L, Zeven K, Valenta H, De Groof TWM, De Vlaeminck Y, Krasniqi A, De Veirman K, Goyvaerts C, D'Huyvetter M, Hernot S, Devoogdt N, Breckpot K. Emerging applications of nanobodies in cancer therapy. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 369:143-199. [PMID: 35777863 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease, requiring treatment tailored to the unique phenotype of the patient's tumor. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and variants thereof have enabled targeted therapies to selectively target cancer cells. Cancer cell-specific mAbs have been used for image-guided surgery and targeted delivery of radionuclides or toxic agents, improving classical treatment strategies. Cancer cell-specific mAbs can further inhibit tumor cell growth or can stimulate immune-mediated destruction of cancer cells, a feature that has also been achieved through mAb-mediated manipulation of immune cells and pathways. Drawbacks of mAbs and their variants, together with the discovery of camelid heavy chain-only antibodies and the many advantageous features of their variable domains, referred to as VHHs, single domain antibodies or nanobodies (Nbs), resulted in the exploration of Nbs as an alternative targeting moiety. We therefore review the state-of-the-art as well as novel exploitation strategies of Nbs for targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Maximilian Awad
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fien Meeus
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hannelore Ceuppens
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Ertveldt
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Heleen Hanssens
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Quentin Lecocq
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lukasz Mateusiak
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katty Zeven
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hana Valenta
- Lab for Nanobiology, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Timo W M De Groof
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yannick De Vlaeminck
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ahmet Krasniqi
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kim De Veirman
- Laboratory for Hematology and Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cleo Goyvaerts
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthias D'Huyvetter
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Hernot
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medical Imaging, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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31
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Guedan S, Luu M, Ammar D, Barbao P, Bonini C, Bousso P, Buchholz CJ, Casucci M, De Angelis B, Donnadieu E, Espie D, Greco B, Groen R, Huppa JB, Kantari-Mimoun C, Laugel B, Mantock M, Markman JL, Morris E, Quintarelli C, Rade M, Reiche K, Rodriguez-Garcia A, Rodriguez-Madoz JR, Ruggiero E, Themeli M, Hudecek M, Marchiq I. Time 2EVOLVE: predicting efficacy of engineered T-cells - how far is the bench from the bedside? J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003487. [PMID: 35577501 PMCID: PMC9115015 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy with gene engineered CAR and TCR transgenic T-cells is a transformative treatment in cancer medicine. There is a rich pipeline with target antigens and sophisticated technologies that will enable establishing this novel treatment not only in rare hematological malignancies, but also in common solid tumors. The T2EVOLVE consortium is a public private partnership directed at accelerating the preclinical development of and increasing access to engineered T-cell immunotherapies for cancer patients. A key ambition in T2EVOLVE is to assess the currently available preclinical models for evaluating safety and efficacy of engineered T cell therapy and developing new models and test parameters with higher predictive value for clinical safety and efficacy in order to improve and accelerate the selection of lead T-cell products for clinical translation. Here, we review existing and emerging preclinical models that permit assessing CAR and TCR signaling and antigen binding, the access and function of engineered T-cells to primary and metastatic tumor ligands, as well as the impact of endogenous factors such as the host immune system and microbiome. Collectively, this review article presents a perspective on an accelerated translational development path that is based on innovative standardized preclinical test systems for CAR and TCR transgenic T-cell products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Guedan
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maik Luu
- 19 Lehrstuhl für Zelluläre Immuntherapie, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
| | | | - Paula Barbao
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Philippe Bousso
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, Inserm U1223, Paris, France
| | | | - Monica Casucci
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Biagio De Angelis
- Department Onco-Haematology, and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emmanuel Donnadieu
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Institut Cochin, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - David Espie
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Institut Cochin, F-75014 Paris, France.,CAR-T Cells Department, Invectys, Paris, France
| | - Beatrice Greco
- Innovative Immunotherapies Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Richard Groen
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers at Vrije Universiteit, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes B Huppa
- Medical University of Vienna, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunolgy, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Bruno Laugel
- Institut de Recherches internationales Servier (IRIS), Suresnes, France
| | | | - Janet L Markman
- Takeda Development Centers Americas, Inc. Lexington, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emma Morris
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, University College London Medical School - Royal Free Campus, London, UK
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department Onco-Haematology, and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Rade
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kristin Reiche
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Eliana Ruggiero
- Experimental Hematology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Maria Themeli
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers at Vrije Universiteit, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Hudecek
- 19 Lehrstuhl für Zelluläre Immuntherapie, Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik II, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, Wurzburg, Germany
| | - Ibtissam Marchiq
- Institut de Recherches internationales Servier (IRIS), Suresnes, France
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Safarzadeh Kozani P, Naseri A, Mirarefin SMJ, Salem F, Nikbakht M, Evazi Bakhshi S, Safarzadeh Kozani P. Nanobody-based CAR-T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Biomark Res 2022; 10:24. [PMID: 35468841 PMCID: PMC9036779 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00371-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is the result of combining genetic engineering-based cancer immunotherapy with adoptive cell therapy (ACT). CAR-T therapy has been successful in treating various types of hematological cancers. CARs are receptors made of an extracellular domain, a membrane-spanning domain, and an intracellular domain. The extracellular domain of CARs harbors an antigen-targeting domain responsible for recognizing and binding cell surface-expressed target antigens. Conventionally, the single-chain fragment variable (scFv) of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) is used as the antigen-targeting domain of CARs. However, of late, researchers have exploited nanobodies for this aim based on numerous rationales including the small size of nanobodies, their stability, specificity, and high affinity, and their easy and feasible development process. Many findings have confirmed that nanobody-based CAR-Ts can be as functional as scFv-based CAR-Ts in preclinical and clinical settings. In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of scFvs and nanobodies in regards to their application as the targeting domain of CARs. Ultimately, we discuss various CAR target antigens which have been targeted using nanobody-based CAR-T cells for the treatment of different types of malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouya Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Paramedicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Abdolhossein Naseri
- School of Allied Medical Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Faeze Salem
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Nikbakht
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Evazi Bakhshi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Pooria Safarzadeh Kozani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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Petit PF, Bombart R, Desimpel PH, Naulaerts S, Thouvenel L, Collet JF, Van den Eynde BJ, Zhu J. T-cell mediated targeted delivery of anti-PD-L1 nanobody overcomes poor antibody penetration and improves PD-L1 blocking at the tumor site. Cancer Immunol Res 2022; 10:713-727. [PMID: 35439300 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies blocking immune checkpoints such as PD-L1 have yielded strong clinical benefits in many cancer types. Still, the current limitations are the lack of clinical response in a majority of patients and the development of immune-related adverse events in some. As an alternative to PD-L1-specific antibody injection, we have developed an approach based on the engineering of tumor-targeting T cells to deliver intratumorally an anti-PD-L1 nanobody. In the MC38-OVA model, our strategy enhanced tumor control as compared to injection of PD-L1-specific antibody combined with adoptive transfer of tumor-targeting T cells. As a possible explanation for this, we demonstrated that PD-L1-specific antibody massively occupied PD-L1 in the periphery but failed to penetrate to PD-L1-expressing cells at the tumor site. In sharp contrast, locally delivered anti-PD-L1 nanobody improved PD-L1 blocking at the tumor site while avoiding systemic exposure. Our approach appears promising to overcome the limitations of immunotherapy based on PD-L1-specific antibody treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raphaele Bombart
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Stefan Naulaerts
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurie Thouvenel
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Benoit J Van den Eynde
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jingjing Zhu
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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34
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Qu T, Li B, Wang Y. Targeting CD47/SIRPα as a therapeutic strategy, where we are and where we are headed. Biomark Res 2022; 10:20. [PMID: 35418166 PMCID: PMC9009010 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-022-00373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy using PD-1 and CTLA4 inhibitors to stimulate T cell immunity has achieved significant clinical success. However, only a portion of patients benefit from T cell-based immunotherapy. Macrophages, the most abundant type of innate immune cells in the body, play an important role in eliminating tumor cells and infectious microbes. The phagocytic check point protein CD47 inhibits the phagocytic activity of macrophages through binding to SIRPα expressed on macrophages. Blockade of the interaction between CD47 and SIRPα could restore phagocytic activity and eliminate tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In this manuscript, we review the mechanism of action and development status of agents (antibodies targeting CD47 and SIRPα, SIRPα-Fc fusion proteins, and bi-specific antibodies) that block CD47/SIRPα interaction in preclinical studies and in the clinical setting. In addition, small molecules, mRNA, and CAR-T/M that target the CD47/SIRPα axis are also reviewed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tailong Qu
- College of life Science and Technology, Jinan University, No.601, West Huangpu Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632 People’s Republic of China
- Department of Antibody Discovery, Akeso Biopharma, No.6 of Shennong Road, Torch Development District, Zhongshan, 528437 People’s Republic of China
| | - Baiyong Li
- Department of Antibody Discovery, Akeso Biopharma, No.6 of Shennong Road, Torch Development District, Zhongshan, 528437 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yifei Wang
- College of life Science and Technology, Jinan University, No.601, West Huangpu Avenue, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632 People’s Republic of China
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Nguyen A, Johanning G, Shi Y. Emerging Novel Combined CAR-T Cell Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14061403. [PMID: 35326556 PMCID: PMC8945996 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14061403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary As a result of FDA approval of CAR-T cell treatments in the last few years, this immunotherapy has provided further direction to precision medicine through its combination with other therapeutic approaches. In the past year, several review articles have been published focusing on advances in this fast-developing field, especially with respect to efforts to overcome hurdles associated with applying CAR-T cells in solid tumors. This review paper focuses on combining CAR-T cell therapy with small molecule drugs, up-to-date progress in CAR-T cell therapy research, and advances in combined CAR-T immunotherapy with other treatments targeting solid tumors. Abstract Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cells are T cells engineered to express membrane receptors with high specificity to recognize specific target antigens presented by cancer cells and are co-stimulated with intracellular signals to increase the T cell response. CAR-T cell therapy is emerging as a novel therapeutic approach to improve T cell specificity that will lead to advances in precision medicine. CAR-T cells have had impressive outcomes in hematological malignancies. However, there continue to be significant limitations of these therapeutic responses in targeting solid malignancies such as heterogeneous antigens in solid tumors, tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment, risk of on-target/off-tumor, infiltrating CAR-T cells, immunosuppressive checkpoint molecules, and cytokines. This review paper summarizes recent approaches and innovations through combination therapies of CAR-T cells and other immunotherapy or small molecule drugs to counter the above disadvantages to potentiate the activity of CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Nguyen
- College of Graduate Studies, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA;
| | | | - Yihui Shi
- College of Medicine, California Northstate University, Elk Grove, CA 95757, USA
- Correspondence:
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36
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Andrea AE, Chiron A, Mallah S, Bessoles S, Sarrabayrouse G, Hacein-Bey-Abina S. Advances in CAR-T Cell Genetic Engineering Strategies to Overcome Hurdles in Solid Tumors Treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:830292. [PMID: 35211124 PMCID: PMC8861853 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.830292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During this last decade, adoptive transfer of T lymphocytes genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) emerged as a valuable therapeutic strategy in hematological cancers. However, this immunotherapy has demonstrated limited efficacy in solid tumors. The main obstacle encountered by CAR-T cells in solid malignancies is the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME impedes tumor trafficking and penetration of T lymphocytes and installs an immunosuppressive milieu by producing suppressive soluble factors and by overexpressing negative immune checkpoints. In order to overcome these hurdles, new CAR-T cells engineering strategies were designed, to potentiate tumor recognition and infiltration and anti-cancer activity in the hostile TME. In this review, we provide an overview of the major mechanisms used by tumor cells to evade immune defenses and we critically expose the most optimistic engineering strategies to make CAR-T cell therapy a solid option for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain E. Andrea
- Laboratoire de Biochimie et Thérapies Moléculaires, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Andrada Chiron
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Sarah Mallah
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Stéphanie Bessoles
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Sarrabayrouse
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
| | - Salima Hacein-Bey-Abina
- Université de Paris, CNRS, INSERM, UTCBS, Unité des technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Paris, France
- Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Groupe Hospitalier Universitaire Paris-Sud, Hôpital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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Hanssens H, Meeus F, De Veirman K, Breckpot K, Devoogdt N. The antigen-binding moiety in the driver's seat of CARs. Med Res Rev 2022; 42:306-342. [PMID: 34028069 PMCID: PMC9292017 DOI: 10.1002/med.21818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Immuno-oncology has been at the forefront of cancer treatment in recent decades. In particular immune checkpoint and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy have achieved spectacular results. Over the years, CAR-T cell development has followed a steady evolutionary path, focusing on increasing T cell potency and sustainability, which has given rise to different CAR generations. However, there was less focus on the mode of interaction between the CAR-T cell and the cancer cell; more specifically on the targeting moiety used in the CAR and its specific properties. Recently, the importance of optimizing this domain has been recognized and the possibilities have been exploited. Over the last 10 years-in addition to the classical scFv-based CARs-single domain CARs, natural receptor-ligand CARs, universal CARs and CARs targeting more than one antigen have emerged. In addition, the specific parameters of the targeting domain and their influence on T cell activation are being examined. In this review, we concisely present the history of CAR-T cell therapy, and then expand on various developments in the CAR ectodomain. We discuss different formats, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, as well as the developments in affinity tuning, avidity effects, epitope location, and influence of the extracellular spacer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heleen Hanssens
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Laboratory of Hematology and ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical SciencesVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Fien Meeus
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical SciencesVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Kim De Veirman
- Laboratory of Hematology and ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical SciencesVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Nick Devoogdt
- In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging LaboratoryVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
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38
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Payload Delivery: Engineering Immune Cells to Disrupt the Tumour Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13236000. [PMID: 34885108 PMCID: PMC8657158 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown impressive clinical success against haematological malignancies such as B cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, their efficacy against non-haematological solid malignancies has been largely disappointing. Solid tumours pose many additional challenges for CAR T cells that have severely blunted their potency, including homing to the sites of disease, survival and persistence within the adverse conditions of the tumour microenvironment, and above all, the highly immunosuppressive nature of the tumour milieu. Gene engineering approaches for generating immune cells capable of overcoming these hurdles remain an unmet therapeutic need and ongoing area of research. Recent advances have involved gene constructs for membrane-bound and/or secretable proteins that provide added effector cell function over and above the benefits of classical CAR-mediated cytotoxicity, rendering immune cells not only as direct cytotoxic effectors against tumours, but also as vessels for payload delivery capable of both modulating the tumour microenvironment and orchestrating innate and adaptive anti-tumour immunity. We discuss here the novel concept of engineered immune cells as vessels for payload delivery into the tumour microenvironment, how these cells are better adapted to overcome the challenges faced in a solid tumour, and importantly, the novel gene engineering approaches required to deliver these more complex polycistronic gene constructs.
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Khorasani ABS, Sanaei MJ, Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Ghaffari SH, Bashash D. CAR T cell therapy in solid tumors; with an extensive focus on obstacles and strategies to overcome the challenges. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 101:108260. [PMID: 34678690 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The application of the CAR T cell therapy in hematologic malignancies holds prosperous results that intensified the unprecedented enthusiasm to employ this fascinating strategy in other types of human malignancies. Although the researchers invested a great deal of effort to exploit the utmost efficacy of these cells in the context of solid tumors, few articles reviewed obstacles and opportunities. The current review aims to provide comprehensive literature of recent advances of CAR T cell therapy in a wide range of solid tumors; and also, to discuss the original data obtained from international research laboratories on this topic. Despite promising results, several radical obstacles are on the way of this approach. This review discusses the most important drawbacks and also responds to questions on how the intrinsic features of solid tumors in addition to the tumor microenvironment-related challenges and the immune-relating adverse effects can curb satisfactory outcomes of CAR T cells. The last section allocates a special focus on innovative and contemporary policies which have already been adopted to surmount these challenges. Finally, we comment on the future research aspects in which the efficacy, as well as the safety of CAR T cell therapy, might be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohammad-Javad Sanaei
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed H Ghaffari
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Shariati Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Ruiz-López E, Schuhmacher AJ. Transportation of Single-Domain Antibodies through the Blood-Brain Barrier. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11081131. [PMID: 34439797 PMCID: PMC8394617 DOI: 10.3390/biom11081131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-domain antibodies derive from the heavy-chain-only antibodies of Camelidae (camel, dromedary, llama, alpaca, vicuñas, and guananos; i.e., nanobodies) and cartilaginous fishes (i.e., VNARs). Their small size, antigen specificity, plasticity, and potential to recognize unique conformational epitopes represent a diagnostic and therapeutic opportunity for many central nervous system (CNS) pathologies. However, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) poses a challenge for their delivery into the brain parenchyma. Nevertheless, numerous neurological diseases and brain pathologies, including cancer, result in BBB leakiness favoring single-domain antibodies uptake into the CNS. Some single-domain antibodies have been reported to naturally cross the BBB. In addition, different strategies and methods to deliver both nanobodies and VNARs into the brain parenchyma can be exploited when the BBB is intact. These include device-based and physicochemical disruption of the BBB, receptor and adsorptive-mediated transcytosis, somatic gene transfer, and the use of carriers/shuttles such as cell-penetrating peptides, liposomes, extracellular vesicles, and nanoparticles. Approaches based on single-domain antibodies are reaching the clinic for other diseases. Several tailoring methods can be followed to favor the transport of nanobodies and VNARs to the CNS, avoiding the limitations imposed by the BBB to fulfill their therapeutic, diagnostic, and theragnostic promises for the benefit of patients suffering from CNS pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Ruiz-López
- Molecular Oncology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Alberto J. Schuhmacher
- Molecular Oncology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain;
- Fundación Aragonesa para la Investigación y el Desarrollo (ARAID), 500018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Hawkins ER, D'Souza RR, Klampatsa A. Armored CAR T-Cells: The Next Chapter in T-Cell Cancer Immunotherapy. Biologics 2021; 15:95-105. [PMID: 33883875 PMCID: PMC8053711 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s291768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy engineers T-cells to express a synthetic receptor which redirects effector function to the tumor, to improve efficacy and reduce toxicities associated with conventional treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This approach has proved effective in treating hematological malignancies; however, the same effects have not been observed in solid tumors. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) creates a significant barrier to solid tumor efficacy and reduces the anti-cancer activity of endogenous tumor-resident immune cells, enabling cancer progression. In recent years, researchers have attempted to enhance CAR T-cell function in the TME by engineering the cells to express various proteins alongside the CAR. Examples of this engineering include inducing CAR T-cells to secrete cytokines or express cytokine receptors to modulate the cytokine milieu of the TME. Alternatively, the CAR T-cell may secrete antibody-like proteins to target a range of tumor antigens. Collectively, these methods are termed armored CAR T-cell therapy, and in this review, we will discuss the range of armored CAR T-cell approaches which have been investigated to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Hawkins
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Reena R D'Souza
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Astero Klampatsa
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
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Abstract
ABSTRACT Redirection of T cell cytotoxicity by the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) structure may not be sufficient for optimal antitumor function in the patient tumor microenvironment. Comodifying CAR T cells to secrete different classes of proteins can be used to optimize CAR T cell function, overcome suppressive signals, and/or alter the tumor microenvironment milieu. These modifications aim to improve initial responses to therapy and enhance the durability of response. Furthermore, CAR T cells can deliver these molecules locally to the tumor microenvironment, avoiding systemic distribution. This approach has been tested in preclinical models using a variety of different classes of agonistic and antagonistic proteins, and clinical trials are currently underway to assess efficacy in patients.
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Sun S, Ding Z, Yang X, Zhao X, Zhao M, Gao L, Chen Q, Xie S, Liu A, Yin S, Xu Z, Lu X. Nanobody: A Small Antibody with Big Implications for Tumor Therapeutic Strategy. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:2337-2356. [PMID: 33790553 PMCID: PMC7997558 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s297631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of monoclonal antibody treatments for successful tumor-targeted therapies took several decades. However, the efficacy of antibody-based therapy is still confined and desperately needs further improvement. Nanobodies are the recombinant variable domains of heavy-chain-only antibodies, with many unique properties such as small size (~15kDa), excellent solubility, superior stability, ease of manufacture, quick clearance from blood, and deep tissue penetration, which gain increasing acceptance as therapeutical tools and are considered also as building blocks for chimeric antigen receptors as well as for targeted drug delivery. Thus, one of the promising novel developments that may address the deficiency of monoclonal antibody-based therapies is the utilization of nanobodies. This article provides readers the significant factors that the structural and biochemical properties of nanobodies and the research progress on nanobodies in the fields of tumor treatment, as well as their application prospect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang Sun
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ziqiang Ding
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaomei Yang
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Minlong Zhao
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Gao
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qu Chen
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shenxia Xie
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Aiqun Liu
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shihua Yin
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiping Xu
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- International Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People’s Republic of China
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44
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The Application of Nanobody in CAR-T Therapy. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020238. [PMID: 33567640 PMCID: PMC7914546 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy represents a form of immune cellular therapy with clinical efficacy and a specific target. A typical chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) construct consists of an antigen binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic domain. Nanobodies have been widely applied as the antigen binding domain of CAR-T due to their small size, optimal stability, high affinity, and manufacturing feasibility. The nanobody-based CAR structure has shown a proven function in more than ten different tumor-specific targets. After being transduced in Jurkat cells, natural killer cells, or primary T cells, the resulting nanobody-based CAR-T or CAR-NK cells demonstrate anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, anti-BCMA CAR-T modulated by a single nanobody or bi-valent nanobody displays comparable clinical effects with that of single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-modulated CAR-T. The application of nanobodies in CAR-T therapy has been well demonstrated from bench to bedside and displays great potential in forming advanced CAR-T for more challenging tasks.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an innovative form of adoptive cellular immunotherapy targeting CD19 in its most advanced form. Up to 30% of infused patients achieve long-term survival, meaning that 70% of patients still fail to respond or relapse after therapy. This review will address the unresolved issues relating to responders' characterization, relapse prediction, and prevention, CAR T-cell construct optimization, rational combination with other therapies and treatment toxicity, focusing on the management of relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients. RECENT FINDINGS Many new antigenic targets are currently investigated and raise the hope of broader successes. However, literature data report that treatment failure is not only related to CAR T construct and infusion but is also due to hostile tumor microenvironment and poor interaction with the host effector cells. Further research should not only target CAR T structure, toxicity and associated therapies, but also tumor-related and host-related microenvironment interactions that lead to treatment failure in relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients. SUMMARY Poor persistence of CAR T and loss of CD19 antigen are well established mechanisms of relapse in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). A fourth generation of CAR T construct is currently investigated to overcome this issue. In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, mechanisms of treatment failure remain poorly understood but tumor and host microenvironment are undoubtedly involved and should be further investigated. A deeper understanding of CAR T-cell therapy failure in individuals will help personalize CAR T-cell therapy in the future.
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Verhaar ER, Woodham AW, Ploegh HL. Nanobodies in cancer. Semin Immunol 2020; 52:101425. [PMID: 33272897 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2020.101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
For treatment and diagnosis of cancer, antibodies have proven their value and now serve as a first line of therapy for certain cancers. A unique class of antibody fragments called nanobodies, derived from camelid heavy chain-only antibodies, are gaining increasing acceptance as diagnostic tools and are considered also as building blocks for chimeric antigen receptors as well as for targeted drug delivery. The small size of nanobodies (∼15 kDa), their stability, ease of manufacture and modification for diverse formats, short circulatory half-life, and high tissue penetration, coupled with excellent specificity and affinity, account for their attractiveness. Here we review applications of nanobodies in the sphere of tumor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha R Verhaar
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States
| | - Andrew W Woodham
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hidde L Ploegh
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
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Upreti D, Bakhshinyan D, Bloemberg D, Vora P, Venugopal C, Singh SK. Strategies to Enhance the Efficacy of T-Cell Therapy for Central Nervous System Tumors. Front Immunol 2020; 11:599253. [PMID: 33281826 PMCID: PMC7689359 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.599253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mortality rates in patients diagnosed with central nervous system (CNS) tumors, originating in the brain or spinal cord, continue to remain high despite the advances in multimodal treatment regimens, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Recent success of adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy treatments using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered T cells against in chemotherapy resistant CD19 expressing B-cell lymphomas, has provided the foundation for investigating efficacy of CAR T immunotherapies in the context of brain tumor. Although significant efforts have been made in developing and translating the novel CAR T therapies for CNS tumors, including glioblastoma (GBM), researchers are yet to achieve a similar level of success as with liquid malignancies. In this review, we discuss strategies and considerations essential for developing robust preclinical models for the translation of T cell-based therapies for CNS tumors. Some of the key considerations include route of delivery, increasing persistence of T cells in tumor environment, remodeling of myeloid environment, establishing the window of treatment opportunity, harnessing endogenous immune system, designing multiple antigen targeting T cells, and rational combination of immunotherapy with the current standard of care. Although this review focuses primarily on CAR T therapies for GBM, similar strategies, and considerations are applicable to all CNS tumors in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Upreti
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - David Bakhshinyan
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Darin Bloemberg
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Parvez Vora
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Chitra Venugopal
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Sheila K Singh
- McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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48
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Zhu L, Yang X, Zhong D, Xie S, Shi W, Li Y, Hou X, HuaYao, Zhou H, Zhao M, Ding Z, Zhao X, Mo F, Yin S, Liu A, Lu X. Single-Domain Antibody-Based TCR-Like CAR-T: A Potential Cancer Therapy. J Immunol Res 2020; 2020:2454907. [PMID: 32964055 PMCID: PMC7492946 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2454907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Retargeting the antigen-binding specificity of T cells to intracellular antigens that are degraded and presented on the tumor surface by engineering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), also named TCR-like antibody CAR-T, remains limited. With the exception of the commercialized CD19 CAR-T for hematological malignancies and other CAR-T therapies aiming mostly at extracellular antigens achieving great success, the rareness and scarcity of TCR-like CAR-T therapies might be due to their current status and limitations. This review provides the probable optimized initiatives for improving TCR-like CAR-T reprogramming and discusses single-domain antibodies administered as an alternative to conventional scFvs and secreted by CAR-T cells, which might be of great value to the development of CAR-T immunotherapies for intracellular antigens.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology
- Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte/immunology
- Genetic Engineering
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/adverse effects
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Single-Chain Antibodies/immunology
- Single-Domain Antibodies/genetics
- Single-Domain Antibodies/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- Treatment Outcome
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Affiliation(s)
- Lichen Zhu
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Xiaomei Yang
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Dani Zhong
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- Department of Chemotherapy, Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Shenxia Xie
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Wei Shi
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Yangzi Li
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Hou
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - HuaYao
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Huihui Zhou
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Minlong Zhao
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Ziqiang Ding
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Fengzhen Mo
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Shihua Yin
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Aiqun Liu
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- Nanobody Research Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
- School of Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi 530021, China
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49
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Tristán-Manzano M, Justicia-Lirio P, Maldonado-Pérez N, Cortijo-Gutiérrez M, Benabdellah K, Martin F. Externally-Controlled Systems for Immunotherapy: From Bench to Bedside. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2044. [PMID: 33013864 PMCID: PMC7498544 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a very promising therapeutic approach against cancer that is particularly effective when combined with gene therapy. Immuno-gene therapy approaches have led to the approval of four advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) for the treatment of p53-deficient tumors (Gendicine and Imlygic), refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Kymriah) and large B-cell lymphomas (Yescarta). In spite of these remarkable successes, immunotherapy is still associated with severe side effects for CD19+ malignancies and is inefficient for solid tumors. Controlling transgene expression through an externally administered inductor is envisioned as a potent strategy to improve safety and efficacy of immunotherapy. The aim is to develop smart immunogene therapy-based-ATMPs, which can be controlled by the addition of innocuous drugs or agents, allowing the clinicians to manage the intensity and durability of the therapy. In the present manuscript, we will review the different inducible, versatile and externally controlled gene delivery systems that have been developed and their applications to the field of immunotherapy. We will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each system and their potential applications in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Tristán-Manzano
- Gene and Cell Therapy Unit, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
| | - Pedro Justicia-Lirio
- Gene and Cell Therapy Unit, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain.,LentiStem Biotech, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
| | - Noelia Maldonado-Pérez
- Gene and Cell Therapy Unit, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
| | - Marina Cortijo-Gutiérrez
- Gene and Cell Therapy Unit, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
| | - Karim Benabdellah
- Gene and Cell Therapy Unit, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Martin
- Gene and Cell Therapy Unit, Genomic Medicine Department, Pfizer-University of Granada-Junta de Andalucía Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain
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50
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Chen W, Yuan Y, Jiang X. Antibody and antibody fragments for cancer immunotherapy. J Control Release 2020; 328:395-406. [PMID: 32853733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibody has become the most rapidly expanding class of pharmaceuticals for treating a wide variety of human diseases including cancers. Especially, with the fast development of cancer immunotherapy, antibody drugs have become the most promising therapeutic for curing cancers. Immune-mediated cell killing by antibodies including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cell phagocytosis (ADCP) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) as well as regulation of T cell function through immune checkpoint blockade. Due to the absence of Fc fragment, antibody fragments including single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) and single-domain antibodies (sdAds) are mainly applied in chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T cell therapy for redirecting T cells to tumors and T cell activation by immune checkpoint blockade. In this review, the cancer immunity is first discussed. Then the principal mechanisms of antibody-based immunotherapy will be reviewed. Next, the antibody and antibody fragments applied for cancer immunotherapy will be summarized. Bispecific and multispecific antibodies and a combination of cancer immunotherapy with other tumor treatments will also be mentioned. Finally, an outlook and perspective of antibody-based cancer immunotherapy will be given. This review would provide a comprehensive guidance for the researchers who are interested in and intended to involve in the antibodies- or antibody fragments-based tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhi Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China
| | - Yang Yuan
- MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China
| | - Xiqun Jiang
- MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and Technology, Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, College of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China.
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