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Maggadóttir SM, Kvalheim G, Wernhoff P, Sæbøe-Larssen S, Revheim ME, Josefsen D, Wälchli S, Helland Å, Inderberg EM. A phase I/II escalation trial design T-RAD: Treatment of metastatic lung cancer with mRNA-engineered T cells expressing a T cell receptor targeting human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Front Oncol 2022; 12:1031232. [PMID: 36439452 PMCID: PMC9685610 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1031232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) with genetically modified T cells aims to redirect T cells against resistant cancers through introduction of a T cell receptor (TCR). The Radium-4 TCR was isolated from a responding patient in a cancer vaccination study and recognizes the enzymatic component of human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (hTERT) presented on MHC class II (HLA-DP04). hTERT is a constitutively overexpressed tumor-associated antigen present in most human cancers, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is the second most common type of cancer worldwide. Treatment alternatives for relapsing NSCLC are limited and survival is poor. To improve patient outcome we designed a TCR-based ACT study targeting hTERT. Methods T-RAD is a phase I/II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Radium-4 mRNA electroporated autologous T cells in the treatment of metastatic NSCLC with no other treatment option. Transient TCR expression is applied for safety considerations. Participants receive two intravenous injections with escalating doses of redirected T cells weekly for 6 consecutive weeks. Primary objectives are safety and tolerability. Secondary objectives include progression-free survival, time to progression, overall survival, patient reported outcomes and overall radiological response. Discussion Treatment for metastatic NSCLC is scarce and new personalized treatment options are in high demand. hTERT is a tumor target applicable to numerous cancer types. This proof-of-concept study will explore for the first time the safety and efficacy of TCR mRNA electroporated autologous T cells targeting hTERT. The T-RAD study will thus evaluate an attractive candidate for future immunotherapy of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sólrún Melkorka Maggadóttir
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Kvalheim
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Patrik Wernhoff
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stein Sæbøe-Larssen
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Dag Josefsen
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sébastien Wälchli
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Åslaug Helland
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Oncology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Translational Research Unit, Department of Oncology, Section for Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- *Correspondence: Else Marit Inderberg,
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Newman H, Teachey DT. A Bright Horizon: Immunotherapy for Pediatric T-Cell Malignancies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:8600. [PMID: 35955734 PMCID: PMC9369002 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of hematologic malignancies in the past two decades. The treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), in particular, has been highly impacted by multiple novel immunotherapies. For pediatric patients with T-cell malignancies, translating immunotherapies has proved more challenging due to the complexities of fratricide, risk of product contamination with malignant cells, and concerns over T-cell aplasia. Despite these hurdles, many creative and promising strategies are on the horizon. We review challenges in the development of immunotherapy for T-cell malignancies, strategies to overcome these challenges, as well as therapies currently being investigated and starting to reach the clinic. Immunotherapy will hopefully successfully treat patients with relapsed and refractory T-cell malignancies and may someday be incorporated in up-front protocols in order to prevent relapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Newman
- Division of Oncology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - David T. Teachey
- Division of Oncology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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3
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Duraiswamy J, Turrini R, Minasyan A, Barras D, Crespo I, Grimm AJ, Casado J, Genolet R, Benedetti F, Wicky A, Ioannidou K, Castro W, Neal C, Moriot A, Renaud-Tissot S, Anstett V, Fahr N, Tanyi JL, Eiva MA, Jacobson CA, Montone KT, Westergaard MCW, Svane IM, Kandalaft LE, Delorenzi M, Sorger PK, Färkkilä A, Michielin O, Zoete V, Carmona SJ, Foukas PG, Powell DJ, Rusakiewicz S, Doucey MA, Dangaj Laniti D, Coukos G. Myeloid antigen-presenting cell niches sustain antitumor T cells and license PD-1 blockade via CD28 costimulation. Cancer Cell 2021; 39:1623-1642.e20. [PMID: 34739845 PMCID: PMC8861565 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms regulating exhaustion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and responsiveness to PD-1 blockade remain partly unknown. In human ovarian cancer, we show that tumor-specific CD8+ TIL accumulate in tumor islets, where they engage antigen and upregulate PD-1, which restrains their functions. Intraepithelial PD-1+CD8+ TIL can be, however, polyfunctional. PD-1+ TIL indeed exhibit a continuum of exhaustion states, with variable levels of CD28 costimulation, which is provided by antigen-presenting cells (APC) in intraepithelial tumor myeloid niches. CD28 costimulation is associated with improved effector fitness of exhausted CD8+ TIL and is required for their activation upon PD-1 blockade, which also requires tumor myeloid APC. Exhausted TIL lacking proper CD28 costimulation in situ fail to respond to PD-1 blockade, and their response may be rescued by local CTLA-4 blockade and tumor APC stimulation via CD40L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaikumar Duraiswamy
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Riccardo Turrini
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aspram Minasyan
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Barras
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Bioinformatics Core Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isaac Crespo
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alizée J Grimm
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julia Casado
- Research Program of Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raphael Genolet
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Benedetti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Wicky
- Center for Precision Oncology, Department of Oncology, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kalliopi Ioannidou
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Wilson Castro
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Neal
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Amandine Moriot
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stéphanie Renaud-Tissot
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Victor Anstett
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Noémie Fahr
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Janos L Tanyi
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Monika A Eiva
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Connor A Jacobson
- Harvard Ludwig Center, Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kathleen T Montone
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Inge Marie Svane
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy, Copenhagen University Hospital, 2730 Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lana E Kandalaft
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mauro Delorenzi
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, UNIL, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter K Sorger
- Harvard Ludwig Center, Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anniina Färkkilä
- Research Program of Systems Oncology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olivier Michielin
- Center for Precision Oncology, Department of Oncology, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Zoete
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Santiago J Carmona
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Periklis G Foukas
- 2nd Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sylvie Rusakiewicz
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland; Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie-Agnès Doucey
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denarda Dangaj Laniti
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Dillard P, Köksal H, Maggadottir SM, Winge-Main A, Pollmann S, Menard M, Myhre MR, Mælandsmo GM, Flørenes VA, Gaudernack G, Kvalheim G, Wälchli S, Inderberg EM. Targeting Telomerase with an HLA Class II-Restricted TCR for Cancer Immunotherapy. Mol Ther 2020; 29:1199-1213. [PMID: 33212301 PMCID: PMC7934585 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cell therapy is a promising cancer treatment approach. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is overexpressed in the majority of tumors and a potential target for adoptive cell therapy. We isolated a novel hTERT-specific TCR sequence, named Radium-4, from a clinically responding pancreatic cancer patient vaccinated with a long hTERT peptide. Radium-4 TCR-redirected primary CD4+ and CD8+ T cells demonstrated in vitro efficacy, producing inflammatory cytokines and killing hTERT+ melanoma cells in both 2D and 3D settings, as well as malignant, patient-derived ascites cells. Importantly, T cells expressing Radium-4 TCR displayed no toxicity against bone marrow stem cells or mature hematopoietic cells. Notably, Radium-4 TCR+ T cells also significantly reduced tumor growth and improved survival in a xenograft mouse model. Since hTERT is a universal cancer antigen, and the very frequently expressed HLA class II molecules presenting the hTERT peptide to this TCR provide a very high (>75%) population coverage, this TCR represents an attractive candidate for immunotherapy of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Dillard
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hakan Köksal
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Anna Winge-Main
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sylvie Pollmann
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Mathilde Menard
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Marit Renée Myhre
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunhild M Mælandsmo
- Department of Tumor Biology, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Vivi Ann Flørenes
- Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Gustav Gaudernack
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Gunnar Kvalheim
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sébastien Wälchli
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Else Marit Inderberg
- Department of Cellular Therapy, Oslo University Hospital-The Norwegian Radium Hospital, 0379 Oslo, Norway.
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5
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Mehravar M, Roshandel E, Salimi M, Chegeni R, Gholizadeh M, Mohammadi MH, Hajifathali A. Utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in cellular therapies for lymphoid malignancies. Immunol Lett 2020; 226:71-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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6
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Shin AR, Lee SE, Choi H, Sohn HJ, Cho HI, Kim TG. An effective peptide vaccine strategy circumventing clonal MHC heterogeneity of murine myeloid leukaemia. Br J Cancer 2020; 123:919-931. [PMID: 32595211 PMCID: PMC7492404 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-0955-y] [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: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutic cancer vaccines are an attractive approach for treating malignant tumours, and successful tumour eradication depends primarily on controlling tumour immunosuppression status as well as heterogeneity of tumour cells driven by epigenetic alterations. METHODS Peptide-loaded dendritic cell (DC) prime and non-infectious peptide booster heterologous immunisations were assessed for the immunogenicity of polo-like kinase-1 (PLK1)-derived peptides. Heterologous vaccination regimen targeting multiple shared tumour antigens simultaneously with PD-L1 blockade was assessed against murine myeloid leukaemia. RESULTS A synthetic PLK1122 (DSDFVFVVL)-based heterologous vaccination generated large numbers of long-lasting antigen-specific CD8 T-cells eliciting therapeutic effects against various established tumours. The therapeutic efficacy of single antigen-targeting PLK1122-based vaccine with sufficient endurance of PD-L1 blockade toward C1498 leukaemia relied on the heterogeneous clonal levels of MHC-I and PD-L1 expression. A novel multi-peptide-based vaccination targeting PLK1 and survivin simultaneously along with PD1 blockade led to complete tumour eradication and long-term survival in mice with clonally heterologous C1498 myeloid leukaemia. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that PLK1 could be an attractive immunotherapeutic target antigen for cancer immunotherapy, and that similar strategies would be applicable for the optimisation of cancer vaccines for the treatment of numerous viral diseases and malignant tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- A-Ri Shin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea
| | - Sang-Eun Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea
| | - Haeyoun Choi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Jung Sohn
- Translational and Clinical Division, ViGenCell Inc., Seoul, 06591, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Il Cho
- Translational and Clinical Division, ViGenCell Inc., Seoul, 06591, South Korea.
- Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea.
| | - Tai-Gyu Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea.
- Catholic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 06591, South Korea.
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7
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Anti-cancer Immunotherapies Targeting Telomerase. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12082260. [PMID: 32806719 PMCID: PMC7465444 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that maintains telomeres length, compensating for the attrition of chromosomal ends that occurs during each replication cycle. Telomerase is expressed in germ cells and stem cells, whereas it is virtually undetectable in adult somatic cells. On the other hand, telomerase is broadly expressed in the majority of human tumors playing a crucial role in the replicative behavior and immortality of cancer cells. Several studies have demonstrated that telomerase-derived peptides are able to bind to HLA (human leukocyte antigen) class I and class II molecules and effectively activate both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells subsets. Due to its broad and selective expression in cancer cells and its significant immunogenicity, telomerase is considered an ideal universal tumor-associated antigen, and consequently, a very attractive target for anti-cancer immunotherapy. To date, different telomerase targeting immunotherapies have been studied in pre-clinical and clinical settings, these approaches include peptide vaccination and cell-based vaccination. The objective of this review paper is to discuss the role of human telomerase in cancer immunotherapy analyzing recent developments and future perspectives in this field.
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Fernandes SG, Dsouza R, Pandya G, Kirtonia A, Tergaonkar V, Lee SY, Garg M, Khattar E. Role of Telomeres and Telomeric Proteins in Human Malignancies and Their Therapeutic Potential. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1901. [PMID: 32674474 PMCID: PMC7409176 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Telomeres are the ends of linear chromosomes comprised of repetitive nucleotide sequences in humans. Telomeres preserve chromosomal stability and genomic integrity. Telomere length shortens with every cell division in somatic cells, eventually resulting in replicative senescence once telomere length becomes critically short. Telomere shortening can be overcome by telomerase enzyme activity that is undetectable in somatic cells, while being active in germline cells, stem cells, and immune cells. Telomeres are bound by a shelterin complex that regulates telomere lengthening as well as protects them from being identified as DNA damage sites. Telomeres are transcribed by RNA polymerase II, and generate a long noncoding RNA called telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), which plays a key role in regulating subtelomeric gene expression. Replicative immortality and genome instability are hallmarks of cancer and to attain them cancer cells exploit telomere maintenance and telomere protection mechanisms. Thus, understanding the role of telomeres and their associated proteins in cancer initiation, progression and treatment is very important. The present review highlights the critical role of various telomeric components with recently established functions in cancer. Further, current strategies to target various telomeric components including human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) as a therapeutic approach in human malignancies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina George Fernandes
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai 400056, India; (S.G.F.); (R.D.)
| | - Rebecca Dsouza
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai 400056, India; (S.G.F.); (R.D.)
| | - Gouri Pandya
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India; (G.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Anuradha Kirtonia
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India; (G.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Vinay Tergaonkar
- Laboratory of NF-κB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (V.T.); (S.Y.L.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Sook Y. Lee
- Laboratory of NF-κB Signaling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore; (V.T.); (S.Y.L.)
| | - Manoj Garg
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR), Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida 201313, India; (G.P.); (A.K.)
| | - Ekta Khattar
- Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM’s NMIMS (Deemed to be University), Vile Parle West, Mumbai 400056, India; (S.G.F.); (R.D.)
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9
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Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy with engineered T cells is at the forefront of cancer treatment. T cells can be engineered to express T-cell receptors (TCRs) specific for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) derived from intracellular or cell surface proteins. T cells engineered with TCRs (TCR-T) allow for targeting diverse types of TAAs, including proteins overexpressed in malignant cells, those with lineage-restricted expression, cancer-testis antigens, and neoantigens created from abnormal, malignancy-restricted proteins. Minor histocompatibility antigens can also serve as TAAs for TCR-T to treat relapsed hematologic malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Moreover, TCR constructs can be modified to improve safety and enhance function and persistence of TCR-T. Transgenic T-cell receptor therapies targeting 3 different TAAs are in early-phase clinical trials for treatment of hematologic malignancies. Preclinical studies of TCR-T specific for many other TAAs are underway and offer great promise as safe and effective therapies for a wide range of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A Biernacki
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Michelle Brault
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Marie Bleakley
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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10
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Abstract
Pediatric T-cell hematologic malignancies are a diverse group of rare cancers. The most common pediatric T-cell malignancies include T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Although the overall survival rates have improved markedly in recent years, children with relapsed T-ALL and ALCL have very low rates of cure and few salvage therapies exist. Current treatment regimens rely on toxic chemotherapies with significant short- and long-term morbidity. Immunotherapies, including antibodies and adoptive cellular therapies, have revolutionized the treatment of B-cell malignancies in pediatrics. The adaptation of these therapies to T-cell malignancies has been slower because of challenges implicit in the design and implementation of immunotherapies for T-cell malignancies, including the potential risks of fratricide, immunosuppression, and graft versus host disease (GVHD). We present a review of current challenges in the development of immunotherapies for T-cell hematologic malignancies, potential solutions and therapies under investigation. We include a particular focus on T-ALL and ALCL. Immunotherapies offer promising strategies to improve outcomes in children with T-cell malignancies, particularly in the setting of relapse. Optimizing efficacy, mitigating toxicity, and safely integrating with conventional therapies are key considerations as immunotherapies are translated into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Diorio
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Pereleman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David T Teachey
- Division of Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Pereleman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Long-term surviving cancer patients as a source of therapeutic TCR. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020; 69:859-865. [PMID: 31915853 PMCID: PMC7183495 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-019-02468-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We have established a platform for the isolation of tumour-specific TCR from T cells of patients who experienced clinical benefit from cancer vaccination. In this review we will present the rationale behind this strategy and discuss the advantages of working with “natural” wild type TCRs. Indeed, the general trend in the field has been to use various modifications to enhance the affinity of such therapeutic TCRs. This was done to obtain stronger T cell responses, often at the cost of safety. We further describe antigen targets and recent in vitro and in vivo results obtained to validate them. We finally discuss the use of MHC class II-restricted TCR in immunotherapy. Typically cellular anti-tumour immune responses have been attributed to CD8 T cells; however, we isolated mainly CD4 T cells. Importantly, these MHC class II-restricted TCRs have the potential to induce broad, long lasting immune responses that enable cancer control. The use of CD4 T cell-derived TCRs for adoptive immunotherapy has so far been limited and we will here discuss their therapeutic potential.
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12
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Chen Q, Wang J, Liu WN, Zhao Y. Cancer Immunotherapies and Humanized Mouse Drug Testing Platforms. Transl Oncol 2019; 12:987-995. [PMID: 31121491 PMCID: PMC6529825 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2019.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is a type of treatment that restores and stimulates human immune system to inhibit cancer growth or eradicate cancer. It serves as one of the latest systemic therapies, which has been approved to treat different types of cancer in patients. Nevertheless, the clinical response rate is unsatisfactory and the response observed is mostly a partial response in patients. Despite the continuous improvement and identification of novel cancer immunotherapy, there is a pressing need to establish a robust platform to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pre-clinical drugs, simulate the interaction between patients’ tumor and immune system, and predict patients’ responses to the treatment. In this review, we summarize the pros and cons of existing immuno-oncology assay platforms, especially the humanized mouse models for the screening of cancer immunotherapy drugs. In addition, various emerging trends and progress of utilizing humanized mouse models as the screening tool are discussed. Of note, humanized mouse models can also be used for further development of personalized precision medicines to treat cancer. Collectively, these highlight the significance of humanized mouse models as the important platform for the screening of next generation cancer immunotherapy in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfeng Chen
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore; Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Jiaxu Wang
- Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Wai Nam Liu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Yue Zhao
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore.
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13
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Telomerase-Targeted Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081823. [PMID: 31013796 PMCID: PMC6515163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Telomerase, an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of telomeres, is activated in many cancer cells and is involved in the maintenance of telomeres. The activity of telomerase allows cancer cells to replicate and proliferate in an uncontrolled manner, to infiltrate tissue, and to metastasize to distant organs. Studies to date have examined the mechanisms involved in the survival of cancer cells as targets for cancer therapeutics. These efforts led to the development of telomerase inhibitors as anticancer drugs, drugs targeting telomere DNA, viral vectors carrying a promoter for human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) genome, and immunotherapy targeting hTERT. Among these novel therapeutics, this review focuses on immunotherapy targeting hTERT and discusses the current evidence and future perspectives.
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14
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Zhang Y, Li Y. T cell receptor-engineered T cells for leukemia immunotherapy. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:2. [PMID: 30622438 PMCID: PMC6317187 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-018-0720-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
At present, refractory and relapse are major issues for leukemia therapy and a major cause of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant failure. Over the last decade, many studies have demonstrated that adoptive cancer antigen-specific T cell therapy is an effective option for leukemia therapy. Recently, T cell immunotherapy studies have mainly focused on chimeric antigen receptor- and T cell receptor-engineered T cells. Clinical trials involving chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells have been a major breakthrough and became a novel therapy for leukemia. As another potential therapy for leukemia, clinical application of TCR-engineered T cells remains in its infancy. This article presents a review of the current status of anti-leukemia immunotherapy using leukemia antigen-specific TCR-engineered T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yikai Zhang
- 1Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, 601 Huang Pu Da Dao Xi, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
| | - Yangqiu Li
- 1Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, 601 Huang Pu Da Dao Xi, Guangzhou, 510632 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
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15
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Ohta R, Demachi-Okamura A, Akatsuka Y, Fujiwara H, Kuzushima K. Improving TCR affinity on 293T cells. J Immunol Methods 2018; 466:1-8. [PMID: 30468736 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
This study presents an efficient method to improve TCR affinity, comprising 1) CDR-directed saturation mutation of TCR cDNA, 2) transient TCR display on CD3-expressing HEK293T (CD3-293T) cells by simple plasmid transfection, 3) staining with HLA-tetramers, and 4) multi-round sorting of cells with CD8-independent tetramer binding on a flow cytometer. Using these procedures, we successfully identified mutant TCRs with enhanced binding from an HLA-A*24:02-restricted, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-specific TCR. Two such clones, 2A7A and 2D162, harboring mutations in CDR1 and CDR2 of TCRβ, respectively, were isolated with both showing sequential four amino acid substitutions. When expressed on CD3-293T cells along with wild-type TCRα, the TCR molecules of these mutants as well as their combinatory mutation, bound to HLA-A24/hTERT-tetramers more strongly than the wild-type TCRs, without binding to control tetramers. Besides, in order to facilitate a functional study of TCR, we established an artificial T cell line, designated as CD8I-J2, which expresses a human CD8 and IFN-γ producing cassette by modifying Jurkat-derived J.RT3-T3.5 cells. CD8I-J2 cells expressing wild-type or affinity-enhanced hTERT-specific TCRs were analyzed for their recognition of serially diluted cognate peptide on HLA-A*24:02-transduced T2 cells. CD8I-J2 cells expressing each mutant TCR recognized the hTERT peptide at lower concentrations than wild-type TCR. The hierarchy of peptide recognition is concordant with tetramer binding on CD3-293T cells and none of these mutant TCRs were cross-reactive with irrelevant peptides reported to be present on HLA-A*24:02 molecules as far as tested. These methods might thus be useful for obtaining high affinity mutants from other TCRs of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rieko Ohta
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi, Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan
| | - Ayako Demachi-Okamura
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi, Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Akatsuka
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi, Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan; Department of Hematology, Fujita Health University, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Kuzushima
- Division of Immune Response, Aichi, Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan; Division of Cellular Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.
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16
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Lee SWL, Adriani G, Ceccarello E, Pavesi A, Tan AT, Bertoletti A, Kamm RD, Wong SC. Characterizing the Role of Monocytes in T Cell Cancer Immunotherapy Using a 3D Microfluidic Model. Front Immunol 2018; 9:416. [PMID: 29559973 PMCID: PMC5845585 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment (TME), monocytes reportedly impede natural T cell functions via PD-L1/PD-1 signaling. However, it remains unclear if T cell receptor-redirected T cells (TCR T cells) are similarly inhibited. Hence, we developed a 3D intrahepatic TME microfluidic model to investigate the immunosuppressive potential of monocytes toward HBV-specific TCR T cells and the role of PD-L1/PD-1 signaling. Interestingly, in our 3D static microfluidic model, we observed that monocytes suppressed only retrovirally transduced (Tdx) TCR T cell cytotoxicity toward cancer cells via PD-L1/PD-1, while mRNA electroporated (EP) TCR T cell cytotoxicity was not affected by the presence of monocytes. Importantly, when co-cultured in 2D, both Tdx and EP TCR T cell cytotoxicity toward cancer cells were not suppressed by monocytes, suggesting our 3D model as a superior tool compared to standard 2D assays for predicting TCR T cell efficacy in a preclinical setting, which can thus be used to improve current immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Wei Ling Lee
- BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Biomedical Sciences Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Giulia Adriani
- BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Erica Ceccarello
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea Pavesi
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anthony Tanoto Tan
- Programme of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Antonio Bertoletti
- Programme of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Roger Dale Kamm
- BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Siew Cheng Wong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Biomedical Sciences Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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17
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Lee SWL, Adriani G, Ceccarello E, Pavesi A, Tan AT, Bertoletti A, Kamm RD, Wong SC. Characterizing the Role of Monocytes in T Cell Cancer Immunotherapy Using a 3D Microfluidic Model. Front Immunol 2018. [PMID: 29559973 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00416/full] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment (TME), monocytes reportedly impede natural T cell functions via PD-L1/PD-1 signaling. However, it remains unclear if T cell receptor-redirected T cells (TCR T cells) are similarly inhibited. Hence, we developed a 3D intrahepatic TME microfluidic model to investigate the immunosuppressive potential of monocytes toward HBV-specific TCR T cells and the role of PD-L1/PD-1 signaling. Interestingly, in our 3D static microfluidic model, we observed that monocytes suppressed only retrovirally transduced (Tdx) TCR T cell cytotoxicity toward cancer cells via PD-L1/PD-1, while mRNA electroporated (EP) TCR T cell cytotoxicity was not affected by the presence of monocytes. Importantly, when co-cultured in 2D, both Tdx and EP TCR T cell cytotoxicity toward cancer cells were not suppressed by monocytes, suggesting our 3D model as a superior tool compared to standard 2D assays for predicting TCR T cell efficacy in a preclinical setting, which can thus be used to improve current immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Wei Ling Lee
- BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Biomedical Sciences Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Giulia Adriani
- BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Erica Ceccarello
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea Pavesi
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anthony Tanoto Tan
- Programme of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Antonio Bertoletti
- Programme of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Roger Dale Kamm
- BioSystems and Micromechanics IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Siew Cheng Wong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Biomedical Sciences Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, Singapore
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18
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Yang D, Zhang X, Zhang X, Xu Y. The progress and current status of immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Ann Hematol 2017; 96:1965-1982. [PMID: 29080982 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-017-3148-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recently, there has been remarkable progress in basic and preclinical studies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The improved outcomes of AML can largely be attributed to advances in supportive care and hematopoietic cell transplantation as opposed to conventional chemotherapy. However, as the 5-year survival rate remains low due to a high incidence of relapse, novel and effective treatments are urgently needed. Increasing attention is focusing on identifying suitable immunotherapeutic strategies for AML. Here, we describe the immunological features, mechanisms of immune escape, and recent progress in immunotherapy for AML. Problems encountered in the clinic will also be discussed. Although current outcomes may be limited, ongoing preclinical or clinical efforts are aimed at improving immunotherapy modalities and designing novel therapies, such as vaccines, monoclonal antibody therapy, chimeric antibody receptor-engineered T cells (CAR-T), TCR-engineered T cells (TCR-T), and checkpoint inhibitors, which may provide promising and effective therapies with higher specificity and efficacy for AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yang
- Department of Hematology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuqun Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuezhong Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanli Xu
- Department of Hematology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 68 Changle Road, Nanjing, 210006, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Hossain NM, Chapuis AG, Walter RB. T-Cell Receptor-Engineered Cells for the Treatment of Hematologic Malignancies. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2017; 11:311-7. [PMID: 27095318 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-016-0327-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Recent attention in adoptive immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies has focused on lymphocytes expressing chimeric antigen receptors. An alternative technique to redirect the immune system toward cancer cells involves the use of T-cells carrying an engineered tumor-recognizing T-cell receptor (TCR). This approach allows targeting of surface or intracellular/nuclear proteins as long as they are processed and presented on the cell surface by human leukocyte antigen molecules. Several trials in advanced solid tumors, particularly melanoma and synovial sarcoma, support the validity of this strategy, although tumor responses have often been short-lived. Emerging data from patients with multiple myeloma and myeloid neoplasms suggest that the benefit of TCR-modified cells may extend to blood cancers. Methodological refinements may be necessary to increase the in vivo persistence and functionality of these cells. Particularly with affinity-enhanced TCRs, however, more effective therapies may increase the potential for serious toxicity due to the unexpected on- or off-target reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasheed M Hossain
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Aude G Chapuis
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, D2-190, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Roland B Walter
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, D2-190, Seattle, WA, 98109-1024, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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20
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Allegra A, Innao V, Penna G, Gerace D, Allegra AG, Musolino C. Telomerase and telomere biology in hematological diseases: A new therapeutic target. Leuk Res 2017; 56:60-74. [PMID: 28196338 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Telomeres are structures confined at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. With each cell division, telomeric repeats are lost because DNA polymerases are incapable to fully duplicate the very ends of linear chromosomes. Loss of repeats causes cell senescence, and apoptosis. Telomerase neutralizes loss of telomeric sequences by adding telomere repeats at the 3' telomeric overhang. Telomere biology is frequently associated with human cancer and dysfunctional telomeres have been proved to participate to genetic instability. This review covers the information on telomerase expression and genetic alterations in the most relevant types of hematological diseases. Telomere erosion hampers the capability of hematopoietic stem cells to effectively replicate, clinically resulting in bone marrow failure. Furthermore, telomerase mutations are genetic risk factors for the occurrence of some hematologic cancers. New discoveries in telomere structure and telomerase functions have led to an increasing interest in targeting telomeres and telomerase in anti-cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Allegra
- Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'Adulto e dell'Età Evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy.
| | - Vanessa Innao
- Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'Adulto e dell'Età Evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppa Penna
- Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'Adulto e dell'Età Evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Demetrio Gerace
- Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'Adulto e dell'Età Evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Andrea G Allegra
- Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'Adulto e dell'Età Evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Caterina Musolino
- Dipartimento di Patologia Umana dell'Adulto e dell'Età Evolutiva "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
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21
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Casey NP, Fujiwara H, Ochi T, Yasukawa M. Novel immunotherapy for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: Targeting aurora kinase A. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1239006. [PMID: 27999761 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1239006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma is caused by infection with HTLV-1, following a long latent period. Immunotherapy targeting Aurora kinase A, a tumor-associated antigen over-expressed in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, holds great therapeutic potential. We review the evidence in favor of a therapeutic strategy combining vaccination and TCR-gene transfer against this target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Paul Casey
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University , Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University , Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Toshiki Ochi
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University , Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Masaki Yasukawa
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University , Toon, Ehime, Japan
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22
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Striving to cure adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma: a role for allogeneic stem cell transplant? Bone Marrow Transplant 2016; 51:1549-1555. [PMID: 27618683 DOI: 10.1038/bmt.2016.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive HTLV-1-related malignancy, rare outside of regions where the retrovirus is endemic. Although the use of antiviral therapy has improved outcomes, particularly for indolent forms of ATL, response to combination chemotherapy is poor and outcomes for aggressive subtypes remains dismal. Consolidation with allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT) has an increasing role in the management of ATL in eligible patients, offering favourable long-term remission rates. However, relatively high-transplant-related mortality and issues with donor recruitment for certain ethnicities remain problematic. In this review, we discuss the rationale for and issues surrounding alloSCT in ATL in the context of conventional and emerging therapies.
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23
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Casey NP, Fujiwara H, Tanimoto K, Okamoto S, Mineno J, Kuzushima K, Shiku H, Yasukawa M. A Functionally Superior Second-Generation Vector Expressing an Aurora Kinase-A-Specific T-Cell Receptor for Anti-Leukaemia Adoptive Immunotherapy. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156896. [PMID: 27271876 PMCID: PMC4896450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aurora Kinase A is a cancer-associated protein normally involved in the regulation of mitosis. Being over-expressed in a range of cancers, it is a suitable target for cell-based immunotherapy. Gene transfer of T-cell receptor sequences cognisant of HLA-A*0201-restricted Aurora Kinase A antigen has previously been shown to transfer specific immunoreactivity against the target peptide in a Human Lymphocyte Antigen-restricted manner. While T cell receptor gene-transfer has great potential in overcoming the difficulties of isolating and expanding tumour-reactive lymphocytes from a patient’s own cells, one hurdle is potential mispairing and competition between exogenous and endogenous T cell receptor chains. We have used a retroviral vector design bearing a short-interfering RNA that downregulates endogenous T cell receptor chains, without affecting expression of the transgenic T cell receptor sequences. The T cell receptor expression cassette also includes a 2A self-cleaving peptide, resulting in equimolar expression of the T cell receptor alpha and beta chains, further enhancing formation of the desired T cell receptor. Via a simple, modular cloning method, we have cloned the alpha and beta chains of the anti-Aurora Kinase A-reactive T cell receptor into this ‘siTCR’ vector. We then compared the activity of this vector against the original, ‘conventional’ vector across a panel of assays. T cell receptors expressed from the siTCR-vector retained the cytotoxic functionality of the original vector, with evidence of reduced off-target reactivity. The rate of expression of correctly-formed T cell receptors was superior using the siTCR design, and this was achieved at lower vector copy numbers. Maintaining T cell receptor efficacy with a reduced vector copy number reduces the risk of genotoxicity. The siTCR design also reduces the risk of mispairing and cross-reactivity, while increasing the functional titre. Such improvements in the safety of T cell receptor gene-transfer will be crucial for clinical applications of this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Paul Casey
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Kazushi Tanimoto
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Hiroshi Shiku
- Department of Cancer Vaccine and Immuno-Gene Therapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Mie, Japan
| | - Masaki Yasukawa
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
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24
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Sandri S, Bobisse S, Moxley K, Lamolinara A, De Sanctis F, Boschi F, Sbarbati A, Fracasso G, Ferrarini G, Hendriks RW, Cavallini C, Scupoli MT, Sartoris S, Iezzi M, Nishimura MI, Bronte V, Ugel S. Feasibility of Telomerase-Specific Adoptive T-cell Therapy for B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Solid Malignancies. Cancer Res 2016; 76:2540-51. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-2318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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25
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Tanaka H, Fujiwara H, Ochi F, Tanimoto K, Casey N, Okamoto S, Mineno J, Kuzushima K, Shiku H, Sugiyama T, Barrett AJ, Yasukawa M. Development of Engineered T Cells Expressing a Chimeric CD16-CD3ζ Receptor to Improve the Clinical Efficacy of Mogamulizumab Therapy Against Adult T-Cell Leukemia. Clin Cancer Res 2016; 22:4405-16. [PMID: 27091408 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-15-2714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mogamulizumab (Mog), a humanized anti-CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) mAb that mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) using FcγR IIIa (CD16)-expressing effector cells, has recently been approved for treatment of CCR4-positive adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) in Japan. However, Mog failure has sometimes been observed in patients who have accompanying chemotherapy-associated lymphocytopenia. In this study, we examined whether adoptive transfer of artificial ADCC effector cells combined with Mog would overcome this drawback. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We lentivirally gene-modified peripheral blood T cells from healthy volunteers and ATL patients expressing the affinity-increased chimeric CD16-CD3ζ receptor (cCD16ζ-T cells). Subsequently, we examined the ADCC effect mediated by those cCD16ζ-T cells in the presence of Mog against ATL tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo RESULTS cCD16ζ-T cells derived from healthy donors killed in vitro Mog-opsonized ATL cell line cells (n = 7) and primary ATL cells (n = 4) depending on both the number of effector cells and the dose of the antibody. cCD16ζ-T cells generated from ATL patients (n = 3) also exerted cytocidal activity in vitro against Mog-opsonized autologous ATL cells. Using both intravenously disseminated model (n = 5) and subcutaneously inoculated model (n = 4), coadministration of Mog and human cCD16ζ-T cells successfully suppressed tumor growth in xenografted immunodeficient mice, and significantly prolonged their survival (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS These data strongly suggest clinical feasibility of the novel combined adoptive immunotherapy using cCD16ζ-T cells and Mog for treatment of aggressive ATL, particularly in patients who are ineligible for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Clin Cancer Res; 22(17); 4405-16. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Tanaka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan. Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Ochi
- Department of Pediatrics, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Kazushi Tanimoto
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Nicholas Casey
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Hiroshi Shiku
- Department of Cancer Vaccine and Immuno-Gene Therapy, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan.
| | - Takashi Sugiyama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - A John Barrett
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Masaki Yasukawa
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology and Infectious Disease, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
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Rengstl B, Schmid F, Weiser C, Döring C, Heinrich T, Warner K, Becker PSA, Wistinghausen R, Kameh-Var S, Werling E, Billmeier A, Seidl C, Hartmann S, Abken H, Küppers R, Hansmann ML, Newrzela S. Tumor-infiltrating HLA-matched CD4(+) T cells retargeted against Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells. Oncoimmunology 2016; 5:e1160186. [PMID: 27471632 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2016.1160186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) presents with a unique histologic pattern. Pathognomonic Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells usually account for less than 1% of the tumor and are embedded in a reactive infiltrate mainly comprised of CD4(+) T cells. HRS cells induce an immunosuppressive microenvironment and thereby escape antitumor immunity. To investigate the impact of interactions between HRS cells and T cells, we performed long-term co-culture studies that were further translated into a xenograft model. Surprisingly, we revealed a strong antitumor potential of allogeneic CD4(+) T cells against HL cell lines. HRS and CD4(+) T cells interact by adhesion complexes similar to immunological synapses. Tumor-cell killing was likely based on the recognition of allogeneic major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) receptor, while CD4(+) T cells from MHC-II compatible donors did not develop any antitumor potential in case of HL cell line L428. However, gene expression profiling (GEP) of co-cultured HRS cells as well as tumor infiltration of matched CD4(+) T cells indicated cellular interactions. Moreover, matched CD4(+) T cells could be activated to kill CD30(+) HRS cells when redirected with a CD30-specific chimeric antigen receptor. Our work gives novel insights into the crosstalk between HRS and CD4(+) T cells, suggesting the latter as potent effector cells in the adoptive cell therapy of HL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Rengstl
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Frederike Schmid
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian Weiser
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Claudia Döring
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tim Heinrich
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kathrin Warner
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, and Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra S A Becker
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology, Red Cross Blood Donor Service , Baden-Württemberg-Hessen, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robin Wistinghausen
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sima Kameh-Var
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eva Werling
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Arne Billmeier
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian Seidl
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology, Red Cross Blood Donor Service , Baden-Württemberg-Hessen, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sylvia Hartmann
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hinrich Abken
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, and Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne , Cologne, Germany
| | - Ralf Küppers
- Institute of Cell Biology (Cancer Research), University of Duisburg-Essen, Medical School , Essen, Germany
| | - Martin-Leo Hansmann
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Newrzela
- Dr. Senckenberg Institute of Pathology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Medical School , Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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27
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Ma G, Yasunaga JI, Matsuoka M. Multifaceted functions and roles of HBZ in HTLV-1 pathogenesis. Retrovirology 2016; 13:16. [PMID: 26979059 PMCID: PMC4793531 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-016-0249-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus responsible for the development of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Although HTLV-1 harbors an oncogene, tax, that transforms T cells in vitro and induces leukemia in transgenic mice, tax expression is frequently disrupted in ATL, making the oncogenesis of ATL a bit mysterious. The HTLV-1 bZIP factor (HBZ) gene was discovered in 2002 and has been found to promote T-cell proliferation and cause lymphoma in transgenic mice. Thus HBZ has become a novel hotspot of HTLV-1 research. This review summarizes the current findings on HBZ with a special focus on its potential links to the oncogenesis of ATL. We propose viewing HBZ as a critical contributing factor in ATL development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyong Ma
- Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jun-Ichirou Yasunaga
- Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masao Matsuoka
- Laboratory of Virus Control, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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Adair P, Kim YC, Pratt KP, Scott DW. Avidity of human T cell receptor engineered CD4(+) T cells drives T-helper differentiation fate. Cell Immunol 2015; 299:30-41. [PMID: 26653006 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2015] [Revised: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The role of the T cell receptor (TCR) in antigen recognition and activation of T lymphocytes is well established. However, how the TCR affects T-helper differentiation/skewing is less well understood, particularly for human CD4(+) (CD4) T cell subsets. Here we investigate the role of TCR specific antigen avidity in differentiation and maintenance of human Th1, Th2 and Th17 subsets. Two human TCRs, both specific for the same peptide antigen but with different avidities, were cloned and expressed in human CD4 T cells. These TCR engineered cells were then stimulated with specific antigen in unskewed and T-helper skewed conditions. We show that TCR avidity can control the percentage of IL-4 and IFN-γ co-expression in unskewed TCR engineered cells, that effector function can be maintained in a TCR avidity-dependent manner in skewed TCR engineered cells, and that increased TCR avidity can accelerate Th1 skewing of TCR engineered cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Adair
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 21201, USA; Molecular Medicine Program, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 20814, USA
| | - Yong Chan Kim
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 21201, USA
| | - Kathleen P Pratt
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 21201, USA
| | - David W Scott
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 21201, USA
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29
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Krem MM, Press OW, Horwitz MS, Tidwell T. Mechanisms and clinical applications of chromosomal instability in lymphoid malignancy. Br J Haematol 2015; 171:13-28. [PMID: 26018193 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.13507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Lymphocytes are unique among cells in that they undergo programmed DNA breaks and translocations, but that special property predisposes them to chromosomal instability (CIN), a cardinal feature of neoplastic lymphoid cells that manifests as whole chromosome- or translocation-based aneuploidy. In several lymphoid malignancies translocations may be the defining or diagnostic markers of the diseases. CIN is a cornerstone of the mutational architecture supporting lymphoid neoplasia, though it is perhaps one of the least understood components of malignant transformation in terms of its molecular mechanisms. CIN is associated with prognosis and response to treatment, making it a key area for impacting treatment outcomes and predicting prognoses. Here we will review the types and mechanisms of CIN found in Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma and the lymphoid leukaemias, with emphasis placed on pathogenic mutations affecting DNA recombination, replication and repair; telomere function; and mitotic regulation of spindle attachment, centrosome function, and chromosomal segregation. We will discuss the means by which chromosome-level genetic aberrations may give rise to multiple pathogenic mutations required for carcinogenesis and conclude with a discussion of the clinical applications of CIN and aneuploidy to diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell M Krem
- Department of Medicine and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.,Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Oliver W Press
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marshall S Horwitz
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Timothy Tidwell
- Department of Pathology and Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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30
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Garber HR, Mirza A, Mittendorf EA, Alatrash G. Adoptive T-cell therapy for Leukemia. MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR THERAPIES 2014; 2:25. [PMID: 26056592 PMCID: PMC4452065 DOI: 10.1186/2052-8426-2-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is the most robust form of adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) and has been tremendously effective in the treatment of leukemia. It is one of the original forms of cancer immunotherapy and illustrates that lymphocytes can specifically recognize and eliminate aberrant, malignant cells. However, because of the high morbidity and mortality that is associated with alloSCT including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), refining the anti-leukemia immunity of alloSCT to target distinct antigens that mediate the graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect could transform our approach to treating leukemia, and possibly other hematologic malignancies. Over the past few decades, many leukemia antigens have been discovered that can separate malignant cells from normal host cells and render them vulnerable targets. In concert, the field of T-cell engineering has matured to enable transfer of ectopic high-affinity antigen receptors into host or donor cells with greater efficiency and potency. Many preclinical studies have demonstrated that engineered and conventional T-cells can mediate lysis and eradication of leukemia via one or more leukemia antigen targets. This evidence now serves as a foundation for clinical trials that aim to cure leukemia using T-cells. The recent clinical success of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cells for treating patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia displays the potential of this new therapeutic modality. In this review, we discuss some of the most promising leukemia antigens and the novel strategies that have been implemented for adoptive cellular immunotherapy of lymphoid and myeloid leukemias. It is important to summarize the data for ACT of leukemia for physicians in-training and in practice and for investigators who work in this and related fields as there are recent discoveries already being translated to the patient setting and numerous accruing clinical trials. We primarily focus on ACT that has been used in the clinical setting or that is currently undergoing preclinical testing with a foreseeable clinical endpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haven R Garber
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
| | - Asma Mirza
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Department Surgical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gheath Alatrash
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
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31
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Li Y. T-cell immune suppression in patients with hematologic malignancies: clinical implications. Int J Hematol Oncol 2014. [DOI: 10.2217/ijh.14.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY The reversion of immune suppression and restoration of T-cell function against leukemia remains a significant clinical challenge. However, the advent of improved antileukemia-specific T-cell induction and the generation of gene-modified T cells has extended cellular immunotherapy to hematological malignancies. Numerous immunotherapeutic protocols have been developed aiming to enhance antileukemia T-cell immune function, eliminate leukemic cells and prevent relapse. By contrast, abnormal expression of CTLA-4 and PD1/PD-L1 plays a critical role in effector T-cell responses and increases Treg suppressive activity in patients with tumors; therefore, blocking CTLA-4, PD1 and PD-L1 is a novel approach for immunotherapy.
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Abstract
Recent clinical success has underscored the potential for immunotherapy based on the adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of engineered T lymphocytes to mediate dramatic, potent, and durable clinical responses. This success has led to the broader evaluation of engineered T-lymphocyte-based adoptive cell therapy to treat a broad range of malignancies. In this review, we summarize concepts, successes, and challenges for the broader development of this promising field, focusing principally on lessons gleaned from immunological principles and clinical thought. We present ACT in the context of integrating T-cell and tumor biology and the broader systemic immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Ruella
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Combined cytolytic effects of a vaccinia virus encoding a single chain trimer of MHC-I with a Tax-epitope and Tax-specific CTLs on HTLV-I-infected cells in a rat model. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:902478. [PMID: 24791004 PMCID: PMC3985193 DOI: 10.1155/2014/902478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Adult T cell leukemia (ATL) is a malignant lymphoproliferative disease caused by human T cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I). To develop an effective therapy against the disease, we have examined the oncolytic ability of an attenuated vaccinia virus (VV), LC16m8Δ (m8Δ), and an HTLV-I Tax-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) line, 4O1/C8, against an HTLV-I-infected rat T cell line, FPM1. Our results demonstrated that m8Δ was able to replicate in and lyse tumorigenic FPM1 cells but was incompetent to injure 4O1/C8 cells, suggesting the preferential cytolytic activity toward tumor cells. To further enhance the cytolysis of HTLV-I-infected cells, we modified m8Δ and obtained m8Δ/RT1AlSCTax180L, which can express a single chain trimer (SCT) of rat major histocompatibility complex class I with a Tax-epitope. Combined treatment with m8Δ/RT1AlSCTax180L and 4O1/C8 increased the cytolysis of FPM1V.EFGFP/8R cells, a CTL-resistant subclone of FPM1, compared with that using 4O1/C8 and m8Δ presenting an unrelated peptide, suggesting that the activation of 4O1/C8 by m8Δ/RT1AlSCTax180L further enhanced the killing of the tumorigenic HTLV-I-infected cells. Our results indicate that combined therapy of oncolytic VVs with SCTs and HTLV-I-specific CTLs may be effective for eradication of HTLV-I-infected cells, which evade from CTL lysis and potentially develop ATL.
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Asai H, Fujiwara H, Kitazawa S, Kobayashi N, Ochi T, Miyazaki Y, Ochi F, Akatsuka Y, Okamoto S, Mineno J, Kuzushima K, Ikeda H, Shiku H, Yasukawa M. Adoptive transfer of genetically engineered WT1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes does not induce renal injury. J Hematol Oncol 2014; 7:3. [PMID: 24393438 PMCID: PMC3892144 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8722-7-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Because WT1 is expressed in leukemia cells, the development of cancer immunotherapy targeting WT1 has been an attractive translational research topic. However, concern of this therapy still remains, since WT1 is abundantly expressed in renal glomerular podocytes. In the present study, we clearly showed that WT1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) certainly exerted cytotoxicity against podocytes in vitro; however, they did not damage podocytes in vivo. This might be due to the anatomical localization of podocytes, being structurally separated from circulating CTLs in glomerular capillaries by an exceptionally thick basement membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroshi Fujiwara
- Department of Hematology, Clinical Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
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Ochi F, Fujiwara H, Tanimoto K, Asai H, Miyazaki Y, Okamoto S, Mineno J, Kuzushima K, Shiku H, Barrett J, Ishii E, Yasukawa M. Gene-modified human α/β-T cells expressing a chimeric CD16-CD3ζ receptor as adoptively transferable effector cells for anticancer monoclonal antibody therapy. Cancer Immunol Res 2014; 2:249-62. [PMID: 24778321 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-13-0099-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The central tumoricidal activity of anticancer monoclonal antibodies (mAb) is exerted by FcγR IIIa (CD16)-expressing effector cells in vivo via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), as observed for natural killer (NK) cells. In practice, chemotherapy-induced leukopenia and exhaustion of NK cells resulting from ADCC often hamper the clinical efficacy of cancer treatment. To circumvent this drawback, we examined in vivo the feasibility of T cells, gene-modified to express a newly generated affinity-matured (158V/V) chimeric CD16-CD3ζ receptor (cCD16ζ-T cells), as a transferable alternative effector for cancer mAb therapy. cCD16ζ-T cells were readily expandable in ex vivo culture using anti-CD2/CD3/CD28 beads and recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2), and they successfully displayed ADCC-mediated tumoricidal activity in vitro. During ADCC, ligation of opsonized cancer cells to the introduced cCD16ζ-T cells stimulated the effector cells to produce proinflammatory cytokines and release toxic granules through the activation of the Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway after phosphorylation of the CD3ζ chain. In parallel, these stimulated cCD16ζ-T cells transiently proliferated and differentiated into effector memory T cells. In contrast, NK cells activated by rhIL-2 displayed similar ADCC activity, but failed to proliferate. Human cCD16ζ-T cells infused concomitantly with anti-CD20 mAb synergistically inhibited the growth of disseminated Raji cells, a CD20(+) lymphoma cell line, in immunodeficient mice, whereas similarly infused rhIL-2-treated NK cells survived for a shorter time and displayed less effective tumor suppression. Our findings strongly suggest the clinical feasibility of cCD16ζ-T cells as adoptively transferable ADCC effector cells that could potentially enhance the clinical responses mediated by currently available anticancer mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiro Ochi
- Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
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Universal cytotoxic activity of a HTLV-1 Tax-specific T cell clone from an HLA-A*24:02⁺ patient with adult T-cell leukemia against a variety of HTLV-I-infected T-cells. Immunol Lett 2014; 158:120-5. [PMID: 24389072 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2013.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is an aggressive mature T cell malignancy that is causally associated with human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. The HTLV-1 regulatory protein Tax aggressively accelerates the proliferation of host cells and is also an important target antigen for CD8(+) cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). We previously reported that several predominant HLA-A*24:02-restricted HTLV-1 Tax301-309-specific CTL clones commonly expressed a particular amino acid sequence motif (P-D-R) in complementarity-determining region 3 of T-cell receptor (TCR)-β chain among unrelated ATL patients who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Furthermore, a PDR-motif(+) CTL clone persistently existed in a long-term survivor as a central CTL clone with strong CTL activities after HSCT. Although a larger analysis of the relationship between PDR-motif(+) CTLs and the clinical course is required, the expression of PDR-motif(+) TCR on CD8(+) T cells may play a critical role in the management of anti-HTLV-1 activities for HLA-A24:02(+) ATL patients. Therefore, in this study, we prepared an HTLV-1 Tax301-309 peptide-specific CTL clone (HT-9) expressing PDR-motif(+) TCR isolated from a long-term survivor after HSCT, and evaluated its CTL activity against a variety of HTLV-1-infected T-cells from HLA-A*24:02(+) ATL patients. Before the assay of CTL function, we confirmed that HT-9 expressed less-differentiated effector-memory phenotypes (CD45RA(-)CCR7(-)CD27(+)CD28(+/-)CD57(+/-)) and T-cell exhaustion marker PD-1(+). In assays of CTL function, HT-9 recognized HTLV-1 Tax in an HLA-restricted fashion and demonstrated strong CTL activities against a variety of HTLV-1-infected T-cells from HLA-A*24:02(+) ATL patients regardless of whether the sources were autologous or allogeneic, but not normal cells. These data indicate that PDR-motif(+) TCR could be an important TCR candidate for TCR-gene immunotherapy for HLA-A24:02(+) ATL patients, provided that the CTL activities against HTLV-1 are reproduced in in vivo experiments using mouse models.
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