1
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Song HW, Prochazkova M, Shao L, Traynor R, Underwood S, Black M, Fellowes V, Shi R, Pouzolles M, Chou HC, Cheuk AT, Taylor N, Jin P, Somerville RP, Stroncek DF, Khan J, Highfill SL. CAR-T cell expansion platforms yield distinct T cell differentiation states. Cytotherapy 2024; 26:757-768. [PMID: 38625071 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
With investigators looking to expand engineered T cell therapies such as CAR-T to new tumor targets and patient populations, a variety of cell manufacturing platforms have been developed to scale manufacturing capacity using closed and/or automated systems. Such platforms are particularly useful for solid tumor targets, which typically require higher CAR-T cell doses. Although T cell phenotype and function are key attributes that often correlate with therapeutic efficacy, how manufacturing platforms influence the final CAR-T cell product is currently unknown. We compared 4 commonly used T cell manufacturing platforms (CliniMACS Prodigy, Xuri W25 rocking platform, G-Rex gas-permeable bioreactor, static bag culture) using identical media, stimulation, culture length, and donor starting material. Selected CD4+CD8+ cells were transduced with lentiviral vector incorporating a CAR targeting FGFR4, a promising target for pediatric sarcoma. We observed significant differences in overall expansion over the 14-day culture; bag cultures had the highest capacity for expansion while the Prodigy had the lowest (481-fold versus 84-fold, respectively). Strikingly, we also observed considerable differences in the phenotype of the final product, with the Prodigy significantly enriched for CCR7+CD45RA+ naïve/stem central memory (Tn/scm)-like cells at 46% compared to bag and G-Rex with 16% and 13%, respectively. Gene expression analysis also showed that Prodigy CAR-Ts are more naïve, less cytotoxic and less exhausted than bag, G-Rex, and Xuri CAR-Ts, and pointed to differences in cell metabolism that were confirmed via metabolic assays. We hypothesized that dissolved oxygen level, which decreased substantially during the final 3 days of the Prodigy culture, may contribute to the observed differences in T cell phenotype. By culturing bag and G-Rex cultures in 1% O2 from day 5 onward, we could generate >60% Tn/scm-like cells, with longer time in hypoxia correlating with a higher percentage of Tn/scm-like cells. Intriguingly, our results suggest that oxygenation is responsible, at least in part, for observed differences in T cell phenotype among bioreactors and suggest hypoxic culture as a potential strategy prevent T cell differentiation during expansion. Ultimately, our study demonstrates that selection of bioreactor system may have profound effects not only on the capacity for expansion, but also on the differentiation state of the resulting CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah W Song
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michaela Prochazkova
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lipei Shao
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Roshini Traynor
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Underwood
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mary Black
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vicki Fellowes
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rongye Shi
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marie Pouzolles
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hsien-Chao Chou
- Genomics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adam T Cheuk
- Genomics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ping Jin
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert P Somerville
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David F Stroncek
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Javed Khan
- Genomics Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steven L Highfill
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Center for Cellular Engineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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2
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Underwood S, Jin J, Shao L, Prochazkova M, Shi R, Song HW, Jin P, Shah NN, Somerville RP, Stroncek DF, Highfill SL. T Cell Activators Exhibit Distinct Downstream Effects on Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Phenotype and Function. Immunohorizons 2024; 8:404-414. [PMID: 38864817 PMCID: PMC11220740 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2400008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
T cell activation is an essential step in chimeric Ag receptor (CAR) T (CAR T) cell manufacturing and is accomplished by the addition of activator reagents that trigger the TCR and provide costimulation. We explore several T cell activation reagents and examine their effects on key attributes of CAR T cell cultures, such as activation/exhaustion markers, cell expansion, gene expression, and transduction efficiency. Four distinct activators were examined, all using anti-CD3 and anti-CD28, but incorporating different mechanisms of delivery: Dynabeads (magnetic microspheres), TransAct (polymeric nanomatrix), Cloudz (alginate hydrogel), and Microbubbles (lipid membrane containing perfluorocarbon gas). Clinical-grade lentiviral vector was used to transduce cells with a bivalent CD19/CD22 CAR, and cell counts and flow cytometry were used to monitor the cells throughout the culture. We observed differences in CD4/CD8 ratio when stimulating with the Cloudz activator, where there was a significant skewing toward CD8 T cells. The naive T cell subset expressing CD62L+CCR7+CD45RA+ was the highest in all donors when stimulating with Dynabeads, whereas effector/effector memory cells were highest when using the Cloudz. Functional assays demonstrated differences in killing of target cells and proinflammatory cytokine secretion, with the highest killing from the Cloudz-stimulated cells among all donors. This study demonstrates that the means by which these stimulatory Abs are presented to T cells contribute to the activation, resulting in differing effects on CAR T cell function. These studies highlight important differences in the final product that should be considered when manufacturing CAR T cells for patients in the clinic.
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MESH Headings
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/immunology
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/genetics
- Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism
- Humans
- Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Phenotype
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/genetics
- Antigens, CD19/immunology
- Antigens, CD19/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Underwood
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jianjian Jin
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Lipei Shao
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Michaela Prochazkova
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Rongye Shi
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Hannah W. Song
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ping Jin
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nirali N. Shah
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Robert P. Somerville
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - David F. Stroncek
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Steven L. Highfill
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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3
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Bardwell B, Bay J, Colburn Z. The clinical applications of immunosequencing. Curr Res Transl Med 2024; 72:103439. [PMID: 38447267 DOI: 10.1016/j.retram.2024.103439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Technological advances in high-throughput sequencing have opened the door for the interrogation of adaptive immune responses at unprecedented scale. It is now possible to determine the sequences of antibodies or T-cell receptors produced by individual B and T cells in a sample. This capability, termed immunosequencing, has transformed the study of both infectious and non-infectious diseases by allowing the tracking of dynamic changes in B and T cell clonal populations over time. This has improved our understanding of the pathology of cancers, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. However, to date there has been only limited clinical adoption of the technology. Advances over the last decade and on the horizon that reduce costs and improve interpretability could enable widespread clinical use. Many clinical applications have been proposed and, while most are still undergoing research and development, some methods relying on immunosequencing data have been implemented, the most widespread of which is the detection of measurable residual disease. Here, we review the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications of immunosequencing for both infectious and non-infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Bardwell
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Ave, Tacoma, WA 98431, USA
| | - J Bay
- Department of Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Ave, Tacoma, WA 98431, USA
| | - Z Colburn
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Ave, Tacoma, WA 98431, USA.
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VanderBurgh JA, Corso GT, Levy SL, Craighead HG. A multiplexed microfluidic continuous-flow electroporation system for efficient cell transfection. Biomed Microdevices 2024; 26:10. [PMID: 38194117 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-023-00692-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Cellular therapies have the potential to advance treatment for a broad array of diseases but rely on viruses for genetic reprogramming. The time and cost required to produce viruses has created a bottleneck that constricts development of and access to cellular therapies. Electroporation is a non-viral alternative for genetic reprogramming that bypasses these bottlenecks, but current electroporation technology suffers from low throughput, tedious optimization, and difficulty scaling to large-scale cell manufacturing. Here, we present an adaptable microfluidic electroporation platform with the capability for rapid, multiplexed optimization with 96-well plates. Once parameters are optimized using small volumes of cells, transfection can be seamlessly scaled to high-volume cell manufacturing without re-optimization. We demonstrate optimizing transfection of plasmid DNA to Jurkat cells, screening hundreds of different electrical waveforms of varying shapes at a speed of ~3 s per waveform using ~20 µL of cells per waveform. We selected an optimal set of transfection parameters using a low-volume flow cell. These parameters were then used in a separate high-volume flow cell where we obtained similar transfection performance by design. This demonstrates an alternative non-viral and economical transfection method for scaling to the volume required for producing a cell therapy without sacrificing performance. Importantly, this transfection method is disease-agnostic with broad applications beyond cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grant T Corso
- CyteQuest, Inc, 95 Brown Road, Box 1011, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Stephen L Levy
- CyteQuest, Inc, 95 Brown Road, Box 1011, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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5
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Khodke P, Kumbhar BV. Engineered CAR-T cells: An immunotherapeutic approach for cancer treatment and beyond. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2024; 140:157-198. [PMID: 38762269 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a type of adoptive immunotherapy that offers a promising avenue for enhancing cancer treatment since traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy have proven insufficient in completely eradicating tumors, despite the relatively positive outcomes. It has been observed that CAR-T cell therapy has shown promising results in treating the majority of hematological malignancies but also have a wide scope for other cancer types. CAR is an extra receptor on the T-cell that helps to increase and accelerate tumor destruction by efficiently activating the immune system. It is made up of three domains, the ectodomain, transmembrane, and the endodomain. The ectodomain is essential for antigen recognition and binding, whereas the co-stimulatory signal is transduced by the endodomain. To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for six CAR-T cell therapies. However, despite its remarkable success, CAR-T therapy is associated with numerous adverse events and has certain limitations. This chapter focuses on the structure and function of the CAR domain, various generations of CAR, and the process of CAR-T cell development, adverse effects, and challenges in CAR-T therapy. CAR-T cell therapy also has scopes in other disease conditions which include systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, and myocardial fibrosis, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purva Khodke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Deemed-to-be University, Mumbai, India
| | - Bajarang Vasant Kumbhar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Deemed-to-be University, Mumbai, India.
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6
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VanderBurgh JA, Corso GT, Levy SL, Craighead HG. A multiplexed microfluidic continuous-flow electroporation system for efficient cell transfection. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3538613. [PMID: 37986928 PMCID: PMC10659555 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3538613/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Cellular therapies have the potential to advance treatment for a broad array of diseases but rely on viruses for genetic reprogramming. The time and cost required to produce viruses has created a bottleneck that constricts development of and access to cellular therapies. Electroporation is a non-viral approach for genetic reprogramming that bypasses these bottlenecks, but current electroporation technology suffers from low throughput, tedious optimization, and difficulty scaling to large-scale cell manufacturing. Here, we present an adaptable microfluidic electroporation platform with the capability for rapid, multiplexed optimization with 96-well plates. Once parameters are optimized using small volumes of cells, transfection can be seamlessly scaled to high-volume cell manufacturing without re-optimization. We demonstrate optimizing transfection of plasmid DNA to Jurkat cells, screening hundreds of different electrical waveforms of varying shapes at a speed of ~3 s per waveform using ~ 20 μL of cells per waveform. We selected an optimal set of transfection parameters using a low-volume flow cell. These parameters were then used in a separate high-volume flow cell where we obtained similar transfection performance by design. This demonstrates an economical method for scaling to the volume required for producing a cell therapy without sacrificing performance.
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7
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VanderBurgh JA, Corso TN, Levy SL, Craighead HG. Scalable continuous-flow electroporation platform enabling T cell transfection for cellular therapy manufacturing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6857. [PMID: 37185305 PMCID: PMC10133335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33941-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors represent a bottleneck in the manufacturing of cellular therapies. Electroporation has emerged as an approach for non-viral transfection of primary cells, but standard cuvette-based approaches suffer from low throughput, difficult optimization, and incompatibility with large-scale cell manufacturing. Here, we present a novel electroporation platform capable of rapid and reproducible electroporation that can efficiently transfect small volumes of cells for research and process optimization and scale to volumes required for applications in cellular therapy. We demonstrate delivery of plasmid DNA and mRNA to primary human T cells with high efficiency and viability, such as > 95% transfection efficiency for mRNA delivery with < 2% loss of cell viability compared to control cells. We present methods for scaling delivery that achieve an experimental throughput of 256 million cells/min. Finally, we demonstrate a therapeutically relevant modification of primary T cells using CRISPR/Cas9 to knockdown T cell receptor (TCR) expression. This study displays the capabilities of our system to address unmet needs for efficient, non-viral engineering of T cells for cell manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas N Corso
- CyteQuest, Inc, 95 Brown Road, Box 1011, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Stephen L Levy
- CyteQuest, Inc, 95 Brown Road, Box 1011, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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8
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Ganeeva I, Zmievskaya E, Valiullina A, Kudriaeva A, Miftakhova R, Rybalov A, Bulatov E. Recent Advances in the Development of Bioreactors for Manufacturing of Adoptive Cell Immunotherapies. BIOENGINEERING (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:bioengineering9120808. [PMID: 36551014 PMCID: PMC9774716 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9120808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Harnessing the human immune system as a foundation for therapeutic technologies capable of recognizing and killing tumor cells has been the central objective of anti-cancer immunotherapy. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in improving the effectiveness and accessibility of this technology to make it widely applicable for adoptive cell therapies (ACTs) such as chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer (NK) cells, and many other. Automated, scalable, cost-effective, and GMP-compliant bioreactors for production of ACTs are urgently needed. The primary efforts in the field of GMP bioreactors development are focused on closed and fully automated point-of-care (POC) systems. However, their clinical and industrial application has not yet reached full potential, as there are numerous obstacles associated with delicate balancing of the complex and often unpredictable cell biology with the need for precision and full process control. Here we provide a brief overview of the existing and most advanced systems for ACT manufacturing, including cell culture bags, G-Rex flasks, and bioreactors (rocking motion, stirred-flask, stirred-tank, hollow-fiber), as well as semi- and fully-automated closed bioreactor systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Ganeeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Zmievskaya
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia
| | - Aygul Valiullina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia
| | - Anna Kudriaeva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Regina Miftakhova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia
| | | | - Emil Bulatov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Correspondence:
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9
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Zeng Q, Liu Z, Niu T, He C, Qu Y, Qian Z. Application of nanotechnology in CAR-T-cell immunotherapy. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.107747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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10
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Sudarsanam H, Buhmann R, Henschler R. Influence of Culture Conditions on Ex Vivo Expansion of T Lymphocytes and Their Function for Therapy: Current Insights and Open Questions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:886637. [PMID: 35845425 PMCID: PMC9277485 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.886637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ex vivo expansion of T lymphocytes is a central process in the generation of cellular therapies targeted at tumors and other disease-relevant structures, which currently cannot be reached by established pharmaceuticals. The influence of culture conditions on T cell functions is, however, incompletely understood. In clinical applications of ex vivo expanded T cells, so far, a relatively classical standard cell culture methodology has been established. The expanded cells have been characterized in both preclinical models and clinical studies mainly using a therapeutic endpoint, for example antitumor response and cytotoxic function against cellular targets, whereas the influence of manipulations of T cells ex vivo including transduction and culture expansion has been studied to a much lesser detail, or in many contexts remains unknown. This includes the circulation behavior of expanded T cells after intravenous application, their intracellular metabolism and signal transduction, and their cytoskeletal (re)organization or their adhesion, migration, and subsequent intra-tissue differentiation. This review aims to provide an overview of established T cell expansion methodologies and address unanswered questions relating in vivo interaction of ex vivo expanded T cells for cellular therapy.
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11
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Fulbright OJ, Forget MA, Haymaker C, Bernatchez C. Isolation and Maintenance of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Translational and Clinical Applications: Established Methods and New Developments. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2435:43-71. [PMID: 34993939 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2014-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of in vitro expanded tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) for the treatment of patients with advanced stages of metastatic melanoma remains one of the most beneficial therapies eliciting long-lasting responses. Methods and protocols used to expand TIL have evolved over time, utilizing different culture devices and other tools, to streamline and maximize the end product in both numbers and quality. Summarized in this chapter are the latest protocols used in the TIL program at MDACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orenthial J Fulbright
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marie-Andrée Forget
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cara Haymaker
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chantale Bernatchez
- Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Houston, TX, USA.
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12
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Fabrizio VA, Curran KJ. Clinical experience of CAR T cells for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Best Pract Res Clin Haematol 2021; 34:101305. [PMID: 34625231 DOI: 10.1016/j.beha.2021.101305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has transformed the treatment for both pediatric and adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Clinical trial results across multiple institutions with different CAR constructs report significant response rates in treated patients. One product (tisagenlecleucel) is currently FDA approved for the treatment of R/R B-ALL in patients <26 y/o. Successful application of this therapy is limited by high relapse rates, potential for significant toxicity, and logistical issues surrounding collection/production. Herein, we review published data on the use of CAR T cells for B-ALL, including results from early pivotal clinical trials, relapse data, incidence of toxicity, and mechanisms to optimize CAR T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A Fabrizio
- Duke University, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy, 2400 Pratt Road, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
| | - Kevin J Curran
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Pediatrics, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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13
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Shariatzadeh M, Lopes AG, Glen KE, Sinclair A, Thomas RJ. Application of a simple unstructured kinetic and cost of goods models to support T-cell therapy manufacture. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3205. [PMID: 34455707 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Manufacturing of cell therapy products requires sufficient understanding of the cell culture variables and associated mechanisms for adequate control and risk analysis. The aim of this study was to apply an unstructured ordinary differential equation-based model for prediction of T-cell bioprocess outcomes as a function of process input parameters. A series of models were developed to represent the growth of T-cells as a function of time, culture volumes, cell densities, and glucose concentration using data from the Ambr®15 stirred bioreactor system. The models were sufficiently representative of the process to predict the glucose and volume provision required to maintain cell growth rate and quantitatively defined the relationship between glucose concentration, cell growth rate, and glucose utilization rate. The models demonstrated that although glucose is a limiting factor in batch supplied medium, a delivery rate of glucose at significantly less than the maximal specific consumption rate (0.05 mg 1 × 106 cell h-1 ) will adequately sustain cell growth due to a lower glucose Monod constant determining glucose consumption rate relative to the glucose Monod constant determining cell growth rate. The resultant volume and exchange requirements were used as inputs to an operational BioSolve cost model to suggest a cost-effective T-cell manufacturing process with minimum cost of goods per million cells produced and optimal volumetric productivity in a manufacturing settings. These findings highlight the potential of a simple unstructured model of T-cell growth in a stirred tank system to provide a framework for control and optimization of bioprocesses for manufacture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Shariatzadeh
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical and Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | | | - Katie E Glen
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical and Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | | | - Rob J Thomas
- Centre for Biological Engineering, Wolfson School of Mechanical and Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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14
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Jones M, Nankervis B, Roballo KS, Pham H, Bushman J, Coeshott C. A Comparison of Automated Perfusion- and Manual Diffusion-Based Human Regulatory T Cell Expansion and Functionality Using a Soluble Activator Complex. Cell Transplant 2021; 29:963689720923578. [PMID: 32662685 PMCID: PMC7586259 DOI: 10.1177/0963689720923578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Absence or reduced frequency of human regulatory T cells (Tregs) can limit the control of inflammatory responses, autoimmunity, and the success of transplant engraftment. Clinical studies indicate that use of Tregs as immunotherapeutics would require billions of cells per dose. The Quantum® Cell Expansion System (Quantum system) is a hollow-fiber bioreactor that has previously been used to grow billions of functional T cells in a short timeframe, 8–9 d. Here we evaluated expansion of selected Tregs in the Quantum system using a soluble activator to compare the effects of automated perfusion with manual diffusion-based culture in flasks. Treg CD4+CD25+ cells from three healthy donors, isolated via column-free immunomagnetic negative/positive selection, were grown under static conditions and subsequently seeded into Quantum system bioreactors and into T225 control flasks in an identical culture volume of PRIME-XV XSFM medium with interleukin-2, for a 9-d expansion using a soluble anti-CD3/CD28/CD2 monoclonal antibody activator complex. Treg harvests from three parallel expansions produced a mean of 3.95 × 108 (range 1.92 × 108 to 5.58 × 108) Tregs in flasks (mean viability 71.3%) versus 7.00 × 109 (range 3.57 × 109 to 13.00 × 109) Tregs in the Quantum system (mean viability 91.8%), demonstrating a mean 17.7-fold increase in Treg yield for the Quantum system over that obtained in flasks. The two culture processes gave rise to cells with a memory Treg CD4+CD25+FoxP3+CD45RO+ phenotype of 93.7% for flasks versus 97.7% for the Quantum system. Tregs from the Quantum system demonstrated an 8-fold greater interleukin-10 stimulation index than cells from flask culture following restimulation. Quantum system–expanded Tregs proliferated, maintained their antigenic phenotype, and suppressed effector immune cells after cryopreservation. We conclude that an automated perfusion bioreactor can support the scale-up expansion of functional Tregs more efficiently than diffusion-based flask culture.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Huong Pham
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Jared Bushman
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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15
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McKenna DH, Stroncek DF. Cellular Engineering. Transfus Med 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119599586.ch19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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16
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Garcia-Aponte OF, Herwig C, Kozma B. Lymphocyte expansion in bioreactors: upgrading adoptive cell therapy. J Biol Eng 2021; 15:13. [PMID: 33849630 PMCID: PMC8042697 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-021-00264-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioreactors are essential tools for the development of efficient and high-quality cell therapy products. However, their application is far from full potential, holding several challenges when reconciling the complex biology of the cells to be expanded with the need for a manufacturing process that is able to control cell growth and functionality towards therapy affordability and opportunity. In this review, we discuss and compare current bioreactor technologies by performing a systematic analysis of the published data on automated lymphocyte expansion for adoptive cell therapy. We propose a set of requirements for bioreactor design and identify trends on the applicability of these technologies, highlighting the specific challenges and major advancements for each one of the current approaches of expansion along with the opportunities that lie in process intensification. We conclude on the necessity to develop targeted solutions specially tailored for the specific stimulation, supplementation and micro-environmental needs of lymphocytes’ cultures, and the benefit of applying knowledge-based tools for process control and predictability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Fabian Garcia-Aponte
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorferstraße 1a, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Herwig
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorferstraße 1a, 1060, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Bence Kozma
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, TU Wien, Gumpendorferstraße 1a, 1060, Vienna, Austria
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17
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Baudequin T, Nyland R, Ye H. Objectives, benefits and challenges of bioreactor systems for the clinical-scale expansion of T lymphocyte cells. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 49:107735. [PMID: 33781889 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cell therapies based on T cell have gathered interest over the last decades for treatment of cancers, becoming recently the most investigated lineage for clinical trials. Although results of adoptive cell therapies are very promising, obtaining large batches of T cell at clinical scale is still challenging nowadays. We propose here a review study focusing on how bioreactor systems could increase expansion rates of T cell culture specifically towards efficient, reliable and reproducible cell therapies. After describing the specificities of T cell culture, in particular activation, phenotypical characterization and cell density considerations, we detail the main objectives of bioreactors in this context, namely scale-up, GMP-compliance and reduced time and costs. Then, we report recent advances on the different classes of bioreactor systems commonly investigated for non-adherent cell expansion, in comparison with the current "gold standard" of T cell culture (flasks and culture bag). Results obtained with hollow fibres, G-Rex® flasks, Wave bioreactor, multiple-step bioreactors, spinner flasks as well as original homemade designs are discussed to highlight advantages and drawbacks in regards to T cells' specificities. Although there is currently no consensus on an optimal bioreactor, overall, most systems reviewed here can improve T cell culture towards faster, easier and/or cheaper protocols. They also offer strong outlooks towards automation, process control and complete closed systems, which could be mandatory developments for a massive clinical breakthrough. However, proper controls are sometimes lacking to conclude clearly on the features leading to the progresses regarding cell expansion, and the field could benefit from process engineering methods, such as quality by design, to perform multi parameters studies and face these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothée Baudequin
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Robin Nyland
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Hua Ye
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom.
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18
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Abstract
Adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy against melanoma is highly effective. However, this therapy has seen limited dissemination, mainly due to the complexity and costs of cell expansion protocols. Two bioreactors have recently been described that simplify and streamline the production of individualized cell therapies. Such bioreactors might increase the number of patients that get access to this promising therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P T Somerville
- Surgery Branch; National Cancer Institute; National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD USA
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19
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Cortés-Hernández A, Alvarez-Salazar EK, Soldevila G. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cell Therapy for Cancer. Challenges and Opportunities: An Overview. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2174:219-244. [PMID: 32813253 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0759-6_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The use of immunotherapy as an alternative treatment for cancer patients has become of great interest in the scientific community as it is required to overcome many of the currently unsolved problems such as tumor escape, immunosuppression and unwanted unspecific toxicity. The use of chimeric antigen receptor T cells has been a very successful strategy in some hematologic malignancies. However, the application of CAR T cells has been limited to solid tumors, and this has aimed the development of new generation of CARs with enhanced effectivity and specificity. Here, we review the state of the art of CAR T cell therapy with special emphasis on the current challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arimelek Cortés-Hernández
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Evelyn Katy Alvarez-Salazar
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México
| | - Gloria Soldevila
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México.
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20
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Nath SC, Harper L, Rancourt DE. Cell-Based Therapy Manufacturing in Stirred Suspension Bioreactor: Thoughts for cGMP Compliance. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:599674. [PMID: 33324625 PMCID: PMC7726241 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.599674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-based therapy (CBT) is attracting much attention to treat incurable diseases. In recent years, several clinical trials have been conducted using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), and other potential therapeutic cells. Various private- and government-funded organizations are investing in finding permanent cures for diseases that are difficult or expensive to treat over a lifespan, such as age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, or diabetes, etc. Clinical-grade cell manufacturing requiring current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) has therefore become an important issue to make safe and effective CBT products. Current cell production practices are adopted from conventional antibody or protein production in the pharmaceutical industry, wherein cells are used as a vector to produce the desired products. With CBT, however, the “cells are the final products” and sensitive to physico- chemical parameters and storage conditions anywhere between isolation and patient administration. In addition, the manufacturing of cellular products involves multi-stage processing, including cell isolation, genetic modification, PSC derivation, expansion, differentiation, purification, characterization, cryopreservation, etc. Posing a high risk of product contamination, these can be time- and cost- prohibitive due to maintenance of cGMP. The growing demand of CBT needs integrated manufacturing systems that can provide a more simple and cost-effective platform. Here, we discuss the current methods and limitations of CBT, based upon experience with biologics production. We review current cell manufacturing integration, automation and provide an overview of some important considerations and best cGMP practices. Finally, we propose how multi-stage cell processing can be integrated into a single bioreactor, in order to develop streamlined cGMP-compliant cell processing systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman C Nath
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Lane Harper
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Derrick E Rancourt
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.,McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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21
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Gannon PO, Harari A, Auger A, Murgues C, Zangiacomi V, Rubin O, Ellefsen Lavoie K, Guillemot L, Navarro Rodrigo B, Nguyen-Ngoc T, Rusakiewicz S, Rossier L, Boudousquié C, Baumgaertner P, Zimmermann S, Trueb L, Iancu EM, Sempoux C, Demartines N, Coukos G, Kandalaft LE. Development of an optimized closed and semi-automatic protocol for Good Manufacturing Practice manufacturing of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in a hospital environment. Cytotherapy 2020; 22:780-791. [PMID: 33069566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Several studies report on Good Manufacturing Process (GMP)-compliant manufacturing protocols for the ex vivo expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for the treatment of patients with refractory melanoma and other solid malignancies. Further opportunities for improvements in terms of ergonomy and operating time have been identified. METHODS To enable GMP-compliant TILs production for adoptive cell therapy needs, a simple automated and reproducible protocol for TILs manufacturing with the use of a closed system was developed and implemented at the authors' institution. RESULTS This protocol enabled significant operating time reduction during TILs expansion while allowing the generation of high-quality TILs products. CONCLUSIONS A simplified and efficient method of TILs expansion will enable the broadening of individualized tumor therapy and will increase patients' access to state-of-the-art TILs adoptive cell therapy treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe O Gannon
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aymeric Auger
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clément Murgues
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Zangiacomi
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Rubin
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Ellefsen Lavoie
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Guillemot
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Blanca Navarro Rodrigo
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tu Nguyen-Ngoc
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvie Rusakiewicz
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laetitia Rossier
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Boudousquié
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Petra Baumgaertner
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Zimmermann
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lionel Trueb
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emanuela M Iancu
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christine Sempoux
- Institute of Pathology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Demartines
- Department of Surgery, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - George Coukos
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lana E Kandalaft
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland; Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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22
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Nair GG, Tzanakakis ES, Hebrok M. Emerging routes to the generation of functional β-cells for diabetes mellitus cell therapy. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2020; 16:506-518. [PMID: 32587391 PMCID: PMC9188823 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-020-0375-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus, which affects more than 463 million people globally, is caused by the autoimmune ablation or functional loss of insulin-producing β-cells, and prevalence is projected to continue rising over the next decades. Generating β-cells to mitigate the aberrant glucose homeostasis manifested in the disease has remained elusive. Substantial advances have been made in producing mature β-cells from human pluripotent stem cells that respond appropriately to dynamic changes in glucose concentrations in vitro and rapidly function in vivo following transplantation in mice. Other potential avenues to produce functional β-cells include: transdifferentiation of closely related cell types (for example, other pancreatic islet cells such as α-cells, or other cells derived from endoderm); the engineering of non-β-cells that are capable of modulating blood sugar; and the construction of synthetic 'cells' or particles mimicking functional aspects of β-cells. This Review focuses on the current status of generating β-cells via these diverse routes, highlighting the unique advantages and challenges of each approach. Given the remarkable progress in this field, scalable bioengineering processes are also discussed for the realization of the therapeutic potential of derived β-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gopika G Nair
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel S Tzanakakis
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthias Hebrok
- Diabetes Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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23
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Maldini CR, Love AC, Tosh KW, Chan LLY, Gayout K, Smith T, Riley JL. Characterization of CAR T cell expansion and cytotoxic potential during Ex Vivo manufacturing using image-based cytometry. J Immunol Methods 2020; 484-485:112830. [PMID: 32745474 PMCID: PMC7487036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2020.112830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Since the FDA approval of two Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapies against CD19+ malignancies, there has been significant interest in adapting CAR technology to other diseases. As such, the ability to simultaneously monitor manufacturing criteria and functional characteristics of multiple CAR T cell products by a single instrument would likely accelerate the development of candidate therapies. Here, we demonstrate that image-based cytometry yields high-throughput measurements of CAR T cell proliferation and size, and captures the kinetics of in vitro antigen-specific CAR T cell-mediated killing. The data acquired and analyzed by the image cytometer are congruent with results derived from conventional technologies when tested contemporaneously. Moreover, the use of bright-field and fluorescence microscopy by the image cytometer provides kinetic measurements and rapid data acquisition, which are direct advantages over industry standard instruments. Together, image cytometry enables fast, reproducible measurements of CAR T cell manufacturing criteria and effector function, which can greatly facilitate the evaluation of novel CARs with therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colby R Maldini
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Andrea C Love
- Department of Technology R&D, Nexcelom Bioscience LLC, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA
| | - Kevin W Tosh
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Leo Li-Ying Chan
- Department of Technology R&D, Nexcelom Bioscience LLC, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA
| | - Kevin Gayout
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tim Smith
- Department of Technology R&D, Nexcelom Bioscience LLC, Lawrence, MA 01843, USA
| | - James L Riley
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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24
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW Cellular therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells as a treatment option for patients with lymphoma and leukemia has proven to be remarkably efficacious. This success has sparked the development of new cellular therapy products for numerous indications. Similar to pharmaceutical products, challenges exist at nearly every stage of process development; however, the unique nature of a cellular therapy product can present exceptional challenges that are just beginning to emerge. The purpose of this review is to explore some of the most common challenges experienced during the early phases of development of CAR T cell products and to provide suggestions for navigating these challenges. RECENT FINDINGS Recent articles focused on CAR T cells are highlighted with special attention on aspects that relate to CAR T cell process development and clinical manufacturing. We examine the various stages of process development for CAR T cells and outline some of the obstacles that must be overcome in order to move from pre-clinical development into clinical manufacturing. As the field of CAR T cell therapy continues to grow, it is important to quickly move new CAR T cell products into and through early phase clinical trials and to ensure that the result of these trials can be adequately compared. Having laboratory and clinical investigators and GMP manufacturing facilities aligned on the numerous aspects of new product development will facilitate this process.
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25
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Costariol E, Rotondi MC, Amini A, Hewitt CJ, Nienow AW, Heathman TRJ, Rafiq QA. Demonstrating the Manufacture of Human CAR‐T Cells in an Automated Stirred‐Tank Bioreactor. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e2000177. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Costariol
- Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Marco C. Rotondi
- Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Arman Amini
- Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Christopher J. Hewitt
- Aston Medical Research Institute, School of Life and Health Sciences Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
| | - Alvin W. Nienow
- Aston Medical Research Institute, School of Life and Health Sciences Aston University Birmingham B4 7ET UK
- School of Chemical Engineering University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT UK
| | - Thomas R. J. Heathman
- Hitachi Chemical Advanced Therapeutic Solutions (HCATS) 4 Pearl Court Allendale NJ 07401 USA
| | - Qasim A. Rafiq
- Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering, Department of Biochemical Engineering University College London London WC1E 6BT UK
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26
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Magnani CF, Tettamanti S, Alberti G, Pisani I, Biondi A, Serafini M, Gaipa G. Transposon-Based CAR T Cells in Acute Leukemias: Where are We Going? Cells 2020; 9:cells9061337. [PMID: 32471151 PMCID: PMC7349235 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has become a new therapeutic reality for refractory and relapsed leukemia patients and is also emerging as a potential therapeutic option in solid tumors. Viral vector-based CAR T-cells initially drove these successful efforts; however, high costs and cumbersome manufacturing processes have limited the widespread clinical implementation of CAR T-cell therapy. Here we will discuss the state of the art of the transposon-based gene transfer and its application in CAR T immunotherapy, specifically focusing on the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system, as a valid cost-effective and safe option as compared to the viral vector-based systems. A general overview of SB transposon system applications will be provided, with an update of major developments, current clinical trials achievements and future perspectives exploiting SB for CAR T-cell engineering. After the first clinical successes achieved in the context of B-cell neoplasms, we are now facing a new era and it is paramount to advance gene transfer technology to fully exploit the potential of CAR T-cells towards next-generation immunotherapy.
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27
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Stock S, Schmitt M, Sellner L. Optimizing Manufacturing Protocols of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for Improved Anticancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20246223. [PMID: 31835562 PMCID: PMC6940894 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20246223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy can achieve outstanding response rates in heavily pretreated patients with hematological malignancies. However, relapses occur and they limit the efficacy of this promising treatment approach. The cellular composition and immunophenotype of the administered CART cells play a crucial role for therapeutic success. Less differentiated CART cells are associated with improved expansion, long-term in vivo persistence, and prolonged anti-tumor control. Furthermore, the ratio between CD4+ and CD8+ T cells has an effect on the anti-tumor activity of CART cells. The composition of the final cell product is not only influenced by the CART cell construct, but also by the culturing conditions during ex vivo T cell expansion. This includes different T cell activation strategies, cytokine supplementation, and specific pathway inhibition for the differentiation blockade. The optimal production process is not yet defined. In this review, we will discuss the use of different CART cell production strategies and the molecular background for the generation of improved CART cells in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Stock
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (S.S.); (M.S.)
| | - Michael Schmitt
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (S.S.); (M.S.)
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leopold Sellner
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (S.S.); (M.S.)
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Oncology Business Unit—Medical Affairs, Takeda Pharma Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence:
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28
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Expansion processes for cell-based therapies. Biotechnol Adv 2019; 37:107455. [PMID: 31629791 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Living cells are emerging as therapeutic entities for the treatment of patients affected with severe and chronic diseases where no conventional drug can provide a definitive cure. At the same time, the promise of cell-based therapies comes with several biological, regulatory, economic, logistical, safety and engineering challenges that need to be addressed before translating into clinical practice. Among the complex operations required for their manufacturing, cell expansion occupies a significant part of the entire process and largely determines the number, the phenotype and several other critical quality attributes of the final cell therapy products (CTPs). This review aims at characterizing the main culture systems and expansion processes used for CTP production, highlighting the need to implement scalable, cost-efficient technologies together with process optimization strategies to bridge the gap between basic scientific research and commercially available therapies.
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29
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Coeshott C, Vang B, Jones M, Nankervis B. Large-scale expansion and characterization of CD3 + T-cells in the Quantum ® Cell Expansion System. J Transl Med 2019; 17:258. [PMID: 31391068 PMCID: PMC6686483 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-019-2001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The rapid evolution of cell-based immunotherapies such as chimeric antigen receptor T-cells for treatment of hematological cancers has precipitated the need for a platform to expand these cells ex vivo in a safe, efficient, and reproducible manner. In the Quantum® Cell Expansion System (Quantum system) we evaluated the expansion of T-cells from healthy donors in a functionally-closed environment that reduces time and resources needed to produce a therapeutic dose. Methods Mononuclear cells from leukapheresis products from 5 healthy donors were activated with anti-CD3/CD28 Dynabeads® and expanded in the Quantum system for 8–9 days using xeno-free, serum-free medium and IL-2. Harvested cells were phenotyped by flow cytometry and evaluated for cytokine secretion by multiplex assays. Results From starting products of 30 or 85 × 106 mononuclear cells, CD3+ T-cell populations expanded over 500-fold following stimulation to provide yields up to 25 × 109 cells within 8 days. T-cell yields from all donors were similar in terms of harvest numbers, viability and doubling times. Functionality (secretion of IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α) was retained in harvested T-cells upon restimulation in vitro and T-cells displayed therapeutically-relevant less-differentiated phenotypes of naïve and central memory T-cells, with low expression of exhaustion markers LAG-3 and PD-1. Conclusions The Quantum system has been successfully used to produce large quantities of functional T-cells at clinical dosing scale and within a short timeframe. This platform could have wide applicability for autologous and allogeneic cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-019-2001-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Coeshott
- Terumo BCT, Inc., 10810 West Collins Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, USA.
| | - Boah Vang
- Terumo BCT, Inc., 10810 West Collins Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, USA
| | - Mark Jones
- Terumo BCT, Inc., 10810 West Collins Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, USA
| | - Brian Nankervis
- Terumo BCT, Inc., 10810 West Collins Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, USA
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Ou J, Si Y, Tang Y, Salzer GE, Lu Y, Kim S, Qin H, Zhou L, Liu X. Novel biomanufacturing platform for large-scale and high-quality human T cells production. J Biol Eng 2019; 13:34. [PMID: 31044002 PMCID: PMC6480708 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-019-0167-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of human T cells or genetically-engineered T cells with cancer-targeting receptors has shown tremendous promise for eradicating tumors in clinical trials. The objective of this study was to develop a novel T cell biomanufacturing platform using stirred-tank bioreactor for large-scale and high-quality cellular production. First, various factors, such as bioreactor parameters, media, supplements, stimulation, seed age, and donors, were investigated. A serum-free fed-batch bioproduction process was developed to achieve 1000-fold expansion within 8 days after first stimulation and another 500-fold expansion with second stimulation. Second, this biomanufacturing process was successfully scaled up in bioreactor with dilution factor of 10, and the robustness and reproducibility of the process was confirmed by the inclusion of different donors' T cells of various qualities. Finally, T cell quality was monitored using 12 surface markers and 3 intracellular cytokines as the critical quality assessment criteria in early, middle and late stages of cell production. In this study, a new biomanufacturing platform was created to produce reliable, reproducible, high-quality, and large-quantity (i.e. > 5 billion) human T cells in stirred-tank bioreactor. This platform is compatible with the production systems of monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and other therapeutic cells, which provides not only the proof-of-concept but also the ready-to-use new approach of T cell expansion for clinical immune therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfa Ou
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Yingnan Si
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Yawen Tang
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Grace E Salzer
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Yun Lu
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Seulhee Kim
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Hongwei Qin
- 2Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
| | - Lufang Zhou
- 3Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Xiaoguang Liu
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1670 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233 USA
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31
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Roddie C, O'Reilly M, Dias Alves Pinto J, Vispute K, Lowdell M. Manufacturing chimeric antigen receptor T cells: issues and challenges. Cytotherapy 2019; 21:327-340. [PMID: 30685216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2018.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Clinical trials of adoptively transferred CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have delivered unprecedented responses in patients with relapsed refractory B-cell malignancy. These results have prompted Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of two CAR T-cell products in this high-risk patient population. The widening range of indications for CAR T-cell therapy and increasing patient numbers present a significant logistical challenge to manufacturers aiming for reproducible delivery systems for high-quality clinical CAR T-cell products. This review discusses current and novel CAR T-cell processing methodologies and the quality control systems needed to meet the increasing clinical demand for these exciting new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Roddie
- Research Department of Haematology, University College London, London, UK; Department of Haematology, University College London Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London.
| | - Maeve O'Reilly
- Research Department of Haematology, University College London, London, UK; Department of Haematology, University College London Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London
| | | | - Ketki Vispute
- Research Department of Haematology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mark Lowdell
- Research Department of Haematology, University College London, London, UK
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32
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Dai X, Mei Y, Nie J, Bai Z. Scaling up the Manufacturing Process of Adoptive T Cell Immunotherapy. Biotechnol J 2019; 14:e1800239. [PMID: 30307117 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell immunotherapy, involving the reprogramming of immune cells to target specific cancer or virus-infected cells, has been recognized as a promising novel approach for the treatment of complex diseases. The impressive global momentum of this therapeutic approach has highlighted the urgent need for establishing it as an effective and standardized onco-therapeutic approach in a large manufacturing scale. However, given its heterogeneity and uncertainty in nature, adoptive T cell immunotherapy is associated with a high failure rate that restricts its manufacturing to a limited number of institutions worldwide. It is undoubted that quite a few major challenges must be met before engineered T cells can be considered as a reliable, safe, and effective remedy for a broad range of diseases with global-wise patient benefits. Here, the fundamental challenges that as yet remain unsolved in the manufacturing process before adoptive T cell therapy can be considered as a key element in the next generation of precision medicine is reviewed. It is proposed that it is necessary to adopt a closed system, automation, cost-effective manufacturing model, and quality-by-design (QbD) strategy to enable scaled up manufacturing of adoptive T cell immunotherapy; and it is challenging to choose appropriate bioreactors, parameters, and infrastructure in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dai
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yi Mei
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jianqi Nie
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhonghu Bai
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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33
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Vairy S, Garcia JL, Teira P, Bittencourt H. CTL019 (tisagenlecleucel): CAR-T therapy for relapsed and refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2018; 12:3885-3898. [PMID: 30518999 PMCID: PMC6237143 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s138765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, survival of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has dramatically improved, but the subgroup of patients with relapsed/refractory ALL still continues to have dismal prognosis. As an emerging therapeutic approach, chimeric antigen receptor-modified T-cells (CAR-T) represent one of the few practice-changing therapies for this subgroup of patients. Originally conceived and built in Philadelphia (University of Pennsylvania), CTL019 or tisagenlecleucel, the first CAR-T approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, showed impressive results in refractory/relapsed ALL since the publication on two pediatric patients in 2013. It is in this context that we provide a review of this product in terms of manufacturing, pharmacology, toxicity, and efficacy studies. Evaluation and management of toxicities, particularly cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, is recognized as an essential part of the patient treatment with broader use of IL-6 receptor inhibitor. An under-assessed aspect, the quality of life of patients entering CAR-T cells treatment, will also be reviewed. By their unique nature, CAR-T cells such as tisagenlecleucel operate in a different way than typical drugs, but also provide unique hope for B-cell malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Vairy
- Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,
| | - Julia Lopes Garcia
- Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,
| | - Pierre Teira
- Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,
| | - Henrique Bittencourt
- Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada,
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Zhang W, Cai H, Tan WS. Dynamic suspension culture improves ex vivo expansion of cytokine-induced killer cells by upregulating cell activation and glucose consumption rate. J Biotechnol 2018; 287:8-17. [PMID: 30273619 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ex vivo expansion is an effective strategy to acquire cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells needed for clinical trials. In this work, the effects of dynamic suspension culture, which was carried out by shake flasks on a shaker, on CIK cells were investigated by the analysis of expansion characteristics and physiological functions, with the objective to optimize the culture conditions for ex vivo expansion of CIK cells. The results showed that the expansion folds of total cells in dynamic cultures reached 69.36 ± 30.36 folds on day 14, which were significantly higher than those in static cultures (9.24 ± 1.12 folds, P < 0.05), however, the proportions of CD3+ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells in both cultures were similar, leading to much higher expansion of CD3+ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells in dynamic cultures. Additionally, expanded CIK cells in two cultures possessed comparable physiological functions. Notably, significantly higher percentages of CD25+ cells and CD69+ cells were found in dynamic cultures (P < 0.05). Besides, much higher glucose consumption rate of cells (P < 0.05) but similar YLac/gluc were observed in dynamic cultures. Further, cells in dynamic cultures had better glucose utilization efficiency. Together, these results suggested that dynamic cultures improved cell activation, then accelerated glucose consumption rate, which enhanced cell expansion and promoted glucose utilization efficiency of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Haibo Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, PR China.
| | - Wen-Song Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, PR China
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35
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Campbell JD, Fraser AR. Flow cytometric assays for identity, safety and potency of cellular therapies. CYTOMETRY PART B-CLINICAL CYTOMETRY 2018; 94:569-579. [DOI: 10.1002/cyto.b.21735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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36
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Barros L, Pretti MA, Chicaybam L, Abdo L, Boroni M, Bonamino MH. Immunological-based approaches for cancer therapy. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2018; 73:e429s. [PMID: 30133560 PMCID: PMC6097086 DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2018/e429s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunologic landscape of tumors has been continuously unveiled, providing a new look at the interactions between cancer cells and the immune system. Emerging tumor cells are constantly eliminated by the immune system, but some cells establish a long-term equilibrium phase leading to tumor immunoediting and, eventually, evasion. During this process, tumor cells tend to acquire more mutations. Bearing a high mutation burden leads to a greater number of neoantigens with the potential to initiate an immune response. Although many tumors evoke an immune response, tumor clearance by the immune system does not occur due to a suppressive tumor microenvironment. The mechanisms by which tumors achieve the ability to evade immunologic control vary. Understanding these differences is crucial for the improvement and application of new immune-based therapies. Much effort has been placed in developing in silico algorithms to predict tumor immunogenicity and to characterize the microenvironment via high-throughput sequencing and gene expression techniques. Each sequencing source, transcriptomics, and genomics yields a distinct level of data, helping to elucidate the tumor-based immune responses and guiding the fine-tuning of current and upcoming immune-based therapies. In this review, we explore some of the immunological concepts behind the new immunotherapies and the bioinformatic tools to study the immunological aspects of tumors, focusing on neoantigen determination and microenvironment deconvolution. We further discuss the immune-based therapies already in clinical use, those underway for future clinical application, the next steps in immunotherapy, and how the characterization of the tumor immune contexture can impact therapies aiming to promote or unleash immune-based tumor elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Barros
- Programa de Carcinogenese Molecular, Coordenacao de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR
| | - Marco Antonio Pretti
- Programa de Carcinogenese Molecular, Coordenacao de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR
| | | | - Luiza Abdo
- Programa de Carcinogenese Molecular, Coordenacao de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR
| | - Mariana Boroni
- Laboratorio de Bioinformatica e Biologia Computacional, Coordenacao de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR
| | - Martin Hernán Bonamino
- Laboratorio de Bioinformatica e Biologia Computacional, Coordenacao de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Cancer (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR
- *Corresponding author. E-mail: /
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Lin H, Li Q, Wang O, Rauch J, Harm B, Viljoen HJ, Zhang C, Van Wyk E, Zhang C, Lei Y. Automated Expansion of Primary Human T Cells in Scalable and Cell-Friendly Hydrogel Microtubes for Adoptive Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7:e1701297. [PMID: 29749707 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201701297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive immunotherapy is a highly effective strategy for treating many human cancers, such as melanoma, cervical cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia. Here, a novel cell culture technology is reported for expanding primary human T cells for adoptive immunotherapy. T cells are suspended and cultured in microscale alginate hydrogel tubes (AlgTubes) that are suspended in the cell culture medium in a culture vessel. The hydrogel tubes protect cells from hydrodynamic stresses and confine the cell mass less than 400 µm (in radial diameter) to ensure efficient mass transport, creating a cell-friendly microenvironment for growing T cells. This system is simple, scalable, highly efficient, defined, cost-effective, and compatible with current good manufacturing practices. Under optimized culture conditions, the AlgTubes enable culturing T cells with high cell viability, low DNA damage, high growth rate (≈320-fold expansion over 14 days), high purity (≈98% CD3+), and high yield (≈3.2 × 108 cells mL-1 hydrogel). All offer considerable advantages compared to current T cell culturing approaches. This new culture technology can significantly reduce the culture volume, time, and cost, while increasing the production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haishuang Lin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
- Biomedical Engineering Program; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Ou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
- Biomedical Engineering Program; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Jack Rauch
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Braden Harm
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Hendrik J. Viljoen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology; College of Medicine; University of Nebraska Medical Center; Omaha 68198 NE USA
| | | | - Chi Zhang
- School of Biological Science; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
| | - Yuguo Lei
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
- Biomedical Engineering Program; University of Nebraska; Lincoln 68588 NE USA
- Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program; University of Nebraska Medical Center; Omaha 68198 NE USA
- Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center; University of Nebraska Medical Center; Omaha 68106 NE USA
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MacPherson S, Kilgour M, Lum JJ. Understanding lymphocyte metabolism for use in cancer immunotherapy. FEBS J 2018; 285:2567-2578. [PMID: 29611301 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Like all dividing cells, naïve T cells undergo a predictable sequence of events to enter the cell cycle starting from G0 and progressing to G1 , S and finally G2 /M. This methodical series of steps ensures fidelity in the generation of two identical T cells during a single round of division. To achieve this, T cells must activate or inactivate metabolic pathways at discrete times during each phase of the cell cycle. This permits the generation of substrates to support biosynthesis, bioenergetics and the epigenetic changes required for proper differentiation and function. The precursors that feed into these pathways are often shared, highlighting the complex relationship between metabolism and cellular processes that are essential to lymphocytes. It is therefore not surprising that different T cell subtypes exhibit unique metabolic dependencies that change as they mature and go through specialized differentiation programmes. The importance of the influence of metabolism on T cells is underscored by the emerging field of cancer immunotherapy, where autologous T cells can be manufactured ex vivo then infused as a form of curative treatment for human cancers. This review will highlight some of the recent knowledge on T lymphocyte metabolism and give a perspective on the practical implications for cellular-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah MacPherson
- Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Victoria, Canada
| | - Marisa Kilgour
- Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Victoria, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Canada
| | - Julian J Lum
- Trev and Joyce Deeley Research Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Victoria, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Canada
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Köhl U, Arsenieva S, Holzinger A, Abken H. CAR T Cells in Trials: Recent Achievements and Challenges that Remain in the Production of Modified T Cells for Clinical Applications. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 29:559-568. [PMID: 29620951 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells is attracting growing interest for the treatment of malignant diseases. Early trials with anti-CD19 CAR T cells have achieved spectacular remissions in B-cell leukemia and lymphoma, so far refractory, very recently resulting in the Food and Drug Administration approval of CD19 CAR T cells for therapy. With further applications and increasing numbers of patients, the reproducible manufacture of high-quality clinical-grade CAR T cells is becoming an ever greater challenge. New processing techniques, quality-control mechanisms, and logistic developments are required to meet both medical needs and regulatory restrictions. This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art in manufacturing CAR T cells and the current challenges that need to be overcome to implement this type of cell therapy in the treatment of a variety of malignant diseases and in a greater number of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Köhl
- 1 Institute of Cellular Therapeutics , Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,2 Institute of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Leipzig , Leipzig, Germany.,3 Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology , Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stanislava Arsenieva
- 1 Institute of Cellular Therapeutics , Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,2 Institute of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital Leipzig , Leipzig, Germany.,3 Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology , Leipzig, Germany
| | - Astrid Holzinger
- 4 Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany.,5 Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne , Cologne, Germany
| | - Hinrich Abken
- 4 Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne , Cologne, Germany.,5 Department I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne , Cologne, Germany
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Hurdles Associated with the Translational Use of Genetically Modified Cells. CURRENT STEM CELL REPORTS 2018; 4:39-45. [PMID: 33381387 DOI: 10.1007/s40778-018-0115-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Recent advancements in the use of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the emergent use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy has highlighted issues associated with the use of genetically engineered cellular products. This review explores some of the challenges linked with translating the use of genetically modified cells. Recent Findings The use of genetically modified HSCs for ADA-SCID now has European approval and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of CAR-T cells for relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Current good manufacturing processes have now been developed for the collection, expansion, storage, modification, and administration of genetically modified cells. Summary Genetically engineered cells can be used for several therapeutic purposes. However, significant challenges remain in making these cellular therapeutics readily available. A better understanding of this technology along with improvements in the manufacturing process is allowing the translation process to become more standardized.
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Vormittag P, Gunn R, Ghorashian S, Veraitch FS. A guide to manufacturing CAR T cell therapies. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2018; 53:164-181. [PMID: 29462761 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells have been used as a treatment for haematological malignancies in several phase I and II trials and with Kymriah of Novartis and Yescarta of KITE Pharma, the first CAR T cell therapy products have been approved. Promising clinical outcomes have yet been tempered by the fact that many therapies may be prohibitively expensive to manufacture. The process is not yet defined, far from being standardised and often requires extensive manual handling steps. For academia, big pharma and contract manufacturers it is difficult to obtain an overview over the process strategies and their respective advantages and disadvantages. This review details current production processes being used for CAR T cells with a particular focus on efficacy, reproducibility, manufacturing costs and release testing. By undertaking a systematic analysis of the manufacture of CAR T cells from reported clinical trial data to date, we have been able to quantify recent trends and track the uptake of new process technology. Delivering new processing options will be key to the success of the CAR-T cells ensuring that excessive manufacturing costs do not disrupt the delivery of exciting new therapies to the wide possible patient cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Vormittag
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Engineering in Life Sciences, Section IV: Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Rebecca Gunn
- University College London, Department of Biochemical Engineering, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Ghorashian
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Section, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1E, United Kingdom
| | - Farlan S Veraitch
- University College London, Department of Biochemical Engineering, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
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Jin J, Gkitsas N, Fellowes VS, Ren J, Feldman SA, Hinrichs CS, Stroncek DF, Highfill SL. Enhanced clinical-scale manufacturing of TCR transduced T-cells using closed culture system modules. J Transl Med 2018; 16:13. [PMID: 29368612 PMCID: PMC5784598 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1384-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic engineering of T-cells to express specific T cell receptors (TCR) has emerged as a novel strategy to treat various malignancies. More widespread utilization of these types of therapies has been somewhat constrained by the lack of closed culture processes capable of expanding sufficient numbers of T-cells for clinical application. Here, we evaluate a process for robust clinical grade manufacturing of TCR gene engineered T-cells. Methods TCRs that target human papillomavirus E6 and E7 were independently tested. A 21 day process was divided into a transduction phase (7 days) and a rapid expansion phase (14 days). This process was evaluated using two healthy donor samples and four samples obtained from patients with epithelial cancers. Results The process resulted in ~ 2000-fold increase in viable nucleated cells and high transduction efficiencies (64–92%). At the end of culture, functional assays demonstrated that these cells were potent and specific in their ability to kill tumor cells bearing target and secrete large quantities of interferon and tumor necrosis factor. Both phases of culture were contained within closed or semi-closed modules, which include automated density gradient separation and cell culture bags for the first phase and closed GREX culture devices and wash/concentrate systems for the second phase. Conclusion Large-scale manufacturing using modular systems and semi-automated devices resulted in highly functional clinical-grade TCR transduced T-cells. This process is now in use in actively accruing clinical trials and the NIH Clinical Center and can be utilized at other cell therapy manufacturing sites that wish to scale-up and optimize their processing using closed systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjian Jin
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1184, Building 10, Room 3C720, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1184, USA
| | - Nikolaos Gkitsas
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1184, Building 10, Room 3C720, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1184, USA
| | - Vicki S Fellowes
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1184, Building 10, Room 3C720, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1184, USA
| | - Jiaqiang Ren
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1184, Building 10, Room 3C720, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1184, USA
| | - Steven A Feldman
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Christian S Hinrichs
- Experimental Transplantation and Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David F Stroncek
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1184, Building 10, Room 3C720, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1184, USA
| | - Steven L Highfill
- Center for Cellular Engineering, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC-1184, Building 10, Room 3C720, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1184, USA.
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Enhancing cell and gene therapy manufacture through the application of advanced fluorescent optical sensors (Review). Biointerphases 2017; 13:01A301. [PMID: 29246035 DOI: 10.1116/1.5013335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are examples of future therapeutics that can be used to cure or alleviate the symptoms of disease, by repairing damaged tissue or reprogramming defective genetic information. However, despite the recent advancements in clinical trial outcomes, the path to wide-scale adoption of CGTs remains challenging, such that the emergence of a "blockbuster" therapy has so far proved elusive. Manufacturing solutions for these therapies require the application of scalable and replicable cell manufacturing techniques, which differ markedly from the existing pharmaceutical incumbent. Attempts to adopt this pharmaceutical model for CGT manufacture have largely proved unsuccessful. The most significant challenges facing CGT manufacturing are process analytical testing and quality control. These procedures would greatly benefit from improved sensory technologies that allow direct measurement of critical quality attributes, such as pH, oxygen, lactate and glucose. In turn, this would make manufacturing more robust, replicable and standardized. In this review, the present-day state and prospects of CGT manufacturing are discussed. In particular, the authors highlight the role of fluorescent optical sensors, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses, for CGT manufacture. The review concludes by discussing how the integration of CGT manufacture and fluorescent optical sensors could augment future bioprocessing approaches.
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Fesnak AD, Hanley PJ, Levine BL. Considerations in T Cell Therapy Product Development for B Cell Leukemia and Lymphoma Immunotherapy. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2017; 12:335-343. [PMID: 28762038 PMCID: PMC5693739 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-017-0395-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Based on laboratory and clinical research findings and investments in immunotherapy by many institutions in academia, government-funded laboratories, and industry, there is tremendous and deserved excitement in the field of cell and gene therapy. In particular, understanding of immune-mediated control of cancer has created opportunities to develop new forms of therapies based on engineered T cells. Unlike conventional drugs or biologics, the source material for these new therapies is collected from the patient or donor. The next step is commonly either enrichment to deplete unwanted cells, or methods to positively select T cells prior to polyclonal expansion or antigen-specific expansion. As the first generation of engineered T cell therapies have demonstrated proof of concept, the next stages of development will require the integration of automated technologies to enable more consistent manufacturing and the ability to produce therapies for more patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Fesnak
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA.
| | - Patrick J Hanley
- Program for Cell Enhancement and Technologies for Immunotherapy, Center for Cancer and Immunology Research, Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National Health System and The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | - Bruce L Levine
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA
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The clinical efficacy of first-generation carcinoembryonic antigen (CEACAM5)-specific CAR T cells is limited by poor persistence and transient pre-conditioning-dependent respiratory toxicity. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2017; 66:1425-1436. [PMID: 28660319 PMCID: PMC5645435 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-017-2034-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The primary aim of this clinical trial was to determine the feasibility of delivering first-generation CAR T cell therapy to patients with advanced, CEACAM5+ malignancy. Secondary aims were to assess clinical efficacy, immune effector function and optimal dose of CAR T cells. Three cohorts of patients received increasing doses of CEACAM5+-specific CAR T cells after fludarabine pre-conditioning plus systemic IL2 support post T cell infusion. Patients in cohort 4 received increased intensity pre-conditioning (cyclophosphamide and fludarabine), systemic IL2 support and CAR T cells. No objective clinical responses were observed. CAR T cell engraftment in patients within cohort 4 was significantly higher. However, engraftment was short-lived with a rapid decline of systemic CAR T cells within 14 days. Patients in cohort 4 had transient, acute respiratory toxicity which, in combination with lack of prolonged CAR T cell persistence, resulted in the premature closure of the trial. Elevated levels of systemic IFNγ and IL-6 implied that the CEACAM5-specific T cells had undergone immune activation in vivo but only in patients receiving high-intensity pre-conditioning. Expression of CEACAM5 on lung epithelium may have resulted in this transient toxicity. Raised levels of serum cytokines including IL-6 in these patients implicate cytokine release as one of several potential factors exacerbating the observed respiratory toxicity. Whilst improved CAR designs and T cell production methods could improve the systemic persistence and activity, methods to control CAR T ‘on-target, off-tissue’ toxicity are required to enable a clinical impact of this approach in solid malignancies.
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Dwarshuis NJ, Parratt K, Santiago-Miranda A, Roy K. Cells as advanced therapeutics: State-of-the-art, challenges, and opportunities in large scale biomanufacturing of high-quality cells for adoptive immunotherapies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2017. [PMID: 28625827 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic cells hold tremendous promise in treating currently incurable, chronic diseases since they perform multiple, integrated, complex functions in vivo compared to traditional small-molecule drugs or biologics. However, they also pose significant challenges as therapeutic products because (a) their complex mechanisms of actions are difficult to understand and (b) low-cost bioprocesses for large-scale, reproducible manufacturing of cells have yet to be developed. Immunotherapies using T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) have already shown great promise in treating several types of cancers, and human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) are now extensively being evaluated in clinical trials as immune-modulatory cells. Despite these exciting developments, the full potential of cell-based therapeutics cannot be realized unless new engineering technologies enable cost-effective, consistent manufacturing of high-quality therapeutic cells at large-scale. Here we review cell-based immunotherapy concepts focused on the state-of-the-art in manufacturing processes including cell sourcing, isolation, expansion, modification, quality control (QC), and culture media requirements. We also offer insights into how current technologies could be significantly improved and augmented by new technologies, and how disciplines must converge to meet the long-term needs for large-scale production of cell-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nate J Dwarshuis
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332-0313, United States; The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
| | - Kirsten Parratt
- The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States; Department of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
| | - Adriana Santiago-Miranda
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332-0313, United States; The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
| | - Krishnendu Roy
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332-0313, United States; The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
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Suhoski Davis MM, McKenna DH, Norris PJ. How do i participate in T-cell immunotherapy? Transfusion 2017; 57:1115-1121. [DOI: 10.1111/trf.14098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. Suhoski Davis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies; University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Pennsylvania
| | - David H. McKenna
- Division of Minnesota Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics Facility; University of Minnesota; Saint Paul Minnesota
| | - Philip J. Norris
- Blood Systems Research Institute
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine; University of California; San Francisco California
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Tsai AC, Liu Y, Yuan X, Chella R, Ma T. Aggregation kinetics of human mesenchymal stem cells under wave motion. Biotechnol J 2017; 12. [PMID: 27996210 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201600448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are primary candidates in cell therapy and regenerative medicine but preserving their therapeutic potency following culture expansion is a significant challenge. hMSCs can spontaneously assemble into three-dimensional (3D) aggregates that enhance their regenerative properties. The present study investigated the impact of hydrodynamics conditions on hMSC aggregation kinetics under controlled rocking motion. While various laboratory methods have been developed for hMSC aggregate production, the rocking platform provides gentle mixing and can be scaled up using large bags as in wave motion bioreactors. The results show that the hMSC aggregation is mediated by cell adhesion molecules and that aggregate size distribution is influenced by seeding density, culture time, and hydrodynamic conditions. The analysis of fluid shear stress by COMSOL indicated that aggregate size distribution is inversely correlated with shear stress and that the rocking angle had a more pronounced effect on aggregate size distribution than the rocking speed due to its impact on shear stress. hMSC aggregates obtained from the bioreactor exhibit increased stemness, migratory properties, and expression of angiogenic factors. The results demonstrate the potential of the rocking platform to produce hMSC aggregates with controlled size distribution for therapeutic application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang-Chen Tsai
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Yijun Liu
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Xuegang Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Ravindran Chella
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Teng Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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Global Manufacturing of CAR T Cell Therapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2016; 4:92-101. [PMID: 28344995 PMCID: PMC5363291 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2016.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 421] [Impact Index Per Article: 52.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy using chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells has demonstrated high response rates in patients with B cell malignancies, and chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy is now being investigated in several hematologic and solid tumor types. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells are generated by removing T cells from a patient’s blood and engineering the cells to express the chimeric antigen receptor, which reprograms the T cells to target tumor cells. As chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy moves into later-phase clinical trials and becomes an option for more patients, compliance of the chimeric antigen receptor T cell manufacturing process with global regulatory requirements becomes a topic for extensive discussion. Additionally, the challenges of taking a chimeric antigen receptor T cell manufacturing process from a single institution to a large-scale multi-site manufacturing center must be addressed. We have anticipated such concerns in our experience with the CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy CTL019. In this review, we discuss steps involved in the cell processing of the technology, including the use of an optimal vector for consistent cell processing, along with addressing the challenges of expanding chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy to a global patient population.
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50
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Generation of T cell effectors using tumor cell-loaded dendritic cells for adoptive T cell therapy. Med Oncol 2016; 33:136. [PMID: 27812850 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-016-0855-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive T cell transfer has been shown to be an effective method used to boost tumor-specific immune responses in several types of malignancies. In this study, we set out to optimize the ACT protocol for the experimental treatment of prostate cancer. The protocol includes a pre-stimulation step whereby T cells were primed with autologous dendritic cells loaded with the high hydrostatic pressure-treated prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP. Primed T cells were further expanded in vitro with anti-CD3/CD28 Dynabeads in the WAVE bioreactor 2/10 system and tested for cytotoxicity. Our data indicates that the combination of pre-stimulation and expansion steps resulted in the induction and enrichment of tumor-responsive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells at clinically relevant numbers. The majority of both CD4+ and CD8+ IFN-γ producing cells were CD62L, CCR7 and CD57 negative but CD28 and CD27 positive, indicating an early antigen experienced phenotype in non-terminal differentiation phase. Expanded T cells showed significantly greater cytotoxicity against LNCaP cells compared to the control SKOV-3, an ovarian cancer line. In summary, our results suggest that the ACT approach together with LNCaP-loaded dendritic cells provides a viable way to generate prostate cancer reactive T cell effectors that are capable of mounting efficient and targeted antitumor responses and can be thus considered for further testing in a clinical setting.
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