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Mikolič V, Pantović-Žalig J, Malenšek Š, Sever M, Lainšček D, Jerala R. Toll-like receptor 4 signaling activation domains promote CAR T cell function against solid tumors. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200815. [PMID: 38840781 PMCID: PMC11152746 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a powerful therapeutic approach against a range of hematologic malignancies. While the incorporation of CD28 or 4-1BB costimulatory signaling domains into CARs revolutionized immune responses, there is an exciting prospect of further enhancing CAR functionality. Here, we investigated the design of CD19 CARs enriched with distinct Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), or Toll/IL-1 domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon (IFN)-β (TRIF) costimulatory domains. Screening of various designs identified several candidates with no tonic activity but with increased CD19 target cell-dependent interleukin (IL)-2 production. Human T cells transduced with the selected CAR construct exhibited augmented hIL-2 and hIFN-γ induction and cytotoxicity when cocultured with CD19-positive lymphoma and solid-tumor cell lines. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis demonstrated the upregulation of some genes involved in the innate immune response and T cell activation and proliferation. In experiments on a xenogeneic solid-tumor mice model, MyD88 and TLR4 CAR T cells exhibited prolonged remission. This study demonstrates that the integration of a truncated TLR4 signaling costimulatory domain could provide immunotherapeutic potential against both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Mikolič
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Graduate School of Biomedicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jelica Pantović-Žalig
- Graduate School of Biomedicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Špela Malenšek
- Graduate School of Biomedicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Sever
- Department of Hematology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Duško Lainšček
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre for Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Roman Jerala
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Centre for Technologies of Gene and Cell Therapy, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Kocyła AM, Czogalla A, Wessels I, Rink L, Krężel A. A combined biochemical and cellular approach reveals Zn 2+-dependent hetero- and homodimeric CD4 and Lck assemblies in T cells. Structure 2024; 32:292-303.e7. [PMID: 38157858 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.11.013] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The CD4 or CD8 co-receptors' interaction with the protein-tyrosine kinase Lck initiates the tyrosine phosphorylation cascade leading to T cell activation. A critical question is: to what extent are co-receptors and Lck coupled? Our contribution concerns Zn2+, indispensable for CD4- and CD8-Lck formation. We combined biochemical and cellular approaches to show that dynamic fluctuations of free Zn2+ in physiological ranges influence Zn(CD4)2 and Zn(CD4)(Lck) species formation and their ratio, although the same Zn(Cys)2(Cys)2 cores. Moreover, we demonstrated that the affinity of Zn2+ to CD4 and CD4-Lck species differs significantly. Increased intracellular free Zn2+ concentration in T cells causes higher CD4 partitioning in the plasma membrane. We additionally found that CD4 palmitoylation decreases the specificity of CD4-Lck formation in the reconstituted membrane model. Our findings help elucidate co-receptor-Lck coupling stoichiometry and demonstrate that intracellular free Zn2+ has a major role in the interplay between CD4 dimers and CD4-Lck assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Kocyła
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Aleksander Czogalla
- Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Inga Wessels
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Lothar Rink
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Artur Krężel
- Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland.
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Felce SL, Farnie G, Dustin ML, Felce JH. RNA-Seq analysis of early transcriptional responses to activation in the leukaemic Jurkat E6.1 T cell line. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 5:42. [PMID: 36865034 PMCID: PMC9971649 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15748.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The leukaemia-derived Jurkat E6.1 cell line has been used as a model T cell in the study of many aspects of T cell biology, most notably activation in response to T cell receptor (TCR) engagement. Methods: We present whole-transcriptome RNA-Sequencing data for Jurkat E6.1 cells in the resting state and two hours post-activation via TCR and CD28. We compare early transcriptional responses in the presence and absence of the chemokines CXCL12 and CCL19, and perform a basic comparison between observed transcriptional responses in Jurkat E6.1 cells and those in primary human T cells using publicly deposited data. Results: Jurkat E6.1 cells have many of the hallmarks of standard T cell transcriptional responses to activation, but lack most of the depth of responses in primary cells. Conclusions: These data indicate that Jurkat E6.1 cells hence represent only a highly simplified model of early T cell transcriptional responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suet Ling Felce
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Botnar Research Centre, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Gillian Farnie
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Botnar Research Centre, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Michael L. Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK,
| | - James H. Felce
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK,
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Felce SL, Farnie G, Dustin ML, Felce JH. RNA-Seq analysis of early transcriptional responses to activation in the leukaemic Jurkat E6.1 T cell line. Wellcome Open Res 2021; 5:42. [PMID: 36865034 PMCID: PMC9971649 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15748.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The leukaemia-derived Jurkat E6.1 cell line has been used as a model T cell in the study of many aspects of T cell biology, most notably activation in response to T cell receptor (TCR) engagement. Methods: We present whole-transcriptome RNA-Sequencing data for Jurkat E6.1 cells in the resting state and two hours post-activation via TCR and CD28. We compare early transcriptional responses in the presence and absence of the chemokines CXCL12 and CCL19, and perform a basic comparison between observed transcriptional responses in Jurkat E6.1 cells and those in primary human T cells using publicly deposited data. Results: Jurkat E6.1 cells have many of the hallmarks of standard T cell transcriptional responses to activation, but lack most of the depth of responses in primary cells. Conclusions: These data indicate that Jurkat E6.1 cells hence represent only a highly simplified model of early T cell transcriptional responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suet Ling Felce
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Botnar Research Centre, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Gillian Farnie
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Botnar Research Centre, NDORMS, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Michael L. Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK,
| | - James H. Felce
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FY, UK,
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Valle-Reyes S, Dobrovinskaya O, Pelayo R, Schnoor M. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Lines in Immunology Research. Trends Immunol 2021; 42:182-185. [PMID: 33485795 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A considerable portion of our knowledge on T and B cell biology is acquired from research using acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines, which are invaluable tools used in many immunology and leukemia studies. Here, we discuss the advantages and limitations of ALL cell lines and provide guidelines on their proper usage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oxana Dobrovinskaya
- Laboratory of Immunobiology and Ionic Transport Regulation, University Center for Biomedical Research, University of Colima, 28030, Colima, Mexico
| | - Rosana Pelayo
- Eastern Biomedical Research Center, CIBIOR, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Delegación Puebla, Mexico
| | - Michael Schnoor
- Department for Molecular Biomedicine, CINVESTAV-IPN, 07360 Mexico City, Mexico.
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Mørch AM, Bálint Š, Santos AM, Davis SJ, Dustin ML. Coreceptors and TCR Signaling - the Strong and the Weak of It. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:597627. [PMID: 33178706 PMCID: PMC7596257 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.597627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The T-cell coreceptors CD4 and CD8 have well-characterized and essential roles in thymic development, but how they contribute to immune responses in the periphery is unclear. Coreceptors strengthen T-cell responses by many orders of magnitude - beyond a million-fold according to some estimates - but the mechanisms underlying these effects are still debated. T-cell receptor (TCR) triggering is initiated by the binding of the TCR to peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules on the surfaces of other cells. CD4 and CD8 are the only T-cell proteins that bind to the same pMHC ligand as the TCR, and can directly associate with the TCR-phosphorylating kinase Lck. At least three mechanisms have been proposed to explain how coreceptors so profoundly amplify TCR signaling: (1) the Lck recruitment model and (2) the pseudodimer model, both invoked to explain receptor triggering per se, and (3) two-step coreceptor recruitment to partially triggered TCRs leading to signal amplification. More recently it has been suggested that, in addition to initiating or augmenting TCR signaling, coreceptors effect antigen discrimination. But how can any of this be reconciled with TCR signaling occurring in the absence of CD4 or CD8, and with their interactions with pMHC being among the weakest specific protein-protein interactions ever described? Here, we review each theory of coreceptor function in light of the latest structural, biochemical, and functional data. We conclude that the oldest ideas are probably still the best, i.e., that their weak binding to MHC proteins and efficient association with Lck allow coreceptors to amplify weak incipient triggering of the TCR, without comprising TCR specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander M. Mørch
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Štefan Bálint
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Mafalda Santos
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J. Davis
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Michael L. Dustin
- The Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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