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Bakhtiyaridovvombaygi M, Yazdanparast S, Kheyrandish S, Safdari SM, Amiri Samani F, Sohani M, Jaafarian AS, Damirchiloo F, Izadpanah A, Parkhideh S, Mikanik F, Roshandel E, Hajifathali A, Gharehbaghian A. Harnessing natural killer cells for refractory/relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma: biological roles, clinical trials, and future prospective. Biomark Res 2024; 12:66. [PMID: 39020411 PMCID: PMC11253502 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00610-z] [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: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are heterogeneous and are among the most common hematological malignancies worldwide. Despite the advances in the treatment of patients with NHLs, relapse or resistance to treatment is anticipated in several patients. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches are needed. Recently, natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy alone or in combination with monoclonal antibodies, chimeric antigen receptors, or bispecific killer engagers have been applied in many investigations for NHL treatment. The functional defects of NK cells and the ability of cancerous cells to escape NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity within the tumor microenvironment of NHLs, as well as the beneficial results from previous studies in the context of NK cell-based immunotherapy in NHLs, direct our attention to this therapeutic strategy. This review aims to summarize clinical studies focusing on the applications of NK cells in the immunotherapy of patients with NHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Bakhtiyaridovvombaygi
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Yazdanparast
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setare Kheyrandish
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehrab Safdari
- Departments of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, School of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fateme Amiri Samani
- Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Sohani
- Student Research Committee, Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Sadat Jaafarian
- Departments of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, School of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fateme Damirchiloo
- Departments of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, School of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Izadpanah
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Parkhideh
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mikanik
- Laboratory Hematology and Blood Bank Department, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Roshandel
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abbas Hajifathali
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ahmad Gharehbaghian
- Laboratory Hematology and Blood Bank Department, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Pediatric Congenital Hematologic Disorders Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Yu G, Ye Z, Yuan Y, Wang X, Li T, Wang Y, Wang Y, Yan J. Recent Advancements in Biomaterials for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Immunotherapy. Biomater Res 2024; 28:0045. [PMID: 39011521 PMCID: PMC11246982 DOI: 10.34133/bmr.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular immunotherapy is an innovative cancer treatment method that utilizes the patient's own immune system to combat tumor cells effectively. Currently, the mainstream therapeutic approaches include chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, T cell receptor gene-modified T cell therapy and chimeric antigen receptor natural killer-cell therapy with CAR-T therapy mostly advanced. Nonetheless, the conventional manufacturing process of this therapy has shortcomings in each step that call for improvement. Marked efforts have been invested for its enhancement while notable progresses achieved in the realm of biomaterials application. With CAR-T therapy as a prime example, the aim of this review is to comprehensively discuss the various biomaterials used in cell immunotherapy, their roles in regulating immune cells, and their potential for breakthroughs in cancer treatment from gene transduction to efficacy enhancement. This article additionally addressed widely adopted animal models for efficacy evaluating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoyu Yu
- School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Zhichao Ye
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Yuyang Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
- Department of Translational Medicine & Clinical Research, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,
Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Tianyu Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
- Department of Translational Medicine & Clinical Research, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Yi Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
- Department of Translational Medicine & Clinical Research, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
| | - Jianing Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
- National Engineering Research Center of Innovation and Application of Minimally Invasive Instruments, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine,
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China
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3
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Zhong Y, Liu J. Emerging roles of CAR-NK cell therapies in tumor immunotherapy: current status and future directions. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:318. [PMID: 38987565 PMCID: PMC11236993 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02077-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy harnesses the body's immune system to combat malignancies, building upon an understanding of tumor immunosurveillance and immune evasion mechanisms. This therapeutic approach reactivates anti-tumor immune responses and can be categorized into active, passive, and combined immunization strategies. Active immunotherapy engages the immune system to recognize and attack tumor cells by leveraging host immunity with cytokine supplementation or vaccination. Conversely, passive immunotherapy employs exogenous agents, such as monoclonal antibodies (anti-CTLA4, anti-PD1, anti-PD-L1) or adoptive cell transfers (ACT) with genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T or NK cells, to exert anti-tumor effects. Over the past decades, CAR-T cell therapies have gained significant traction in oncological treatment, offering hope through their targeted approach. However, the potential adverse effects associated with CAR-T cells, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), off-tumor toxicity, and neurotoxicity, warrant careful consideration. Recently, CAR-NK cell therapy has emerged as a promising alternative in the landscape of tumor immunotherapy, distinguished by its innate advantages over CAR-T cell modalities. In this review, we will synthesize the latest research and clinical advancements in CAR-NK cell therapies. We will elucidate the therapeutic benefits of employing CAR-NK cells in oncology and critically examine the developmental bottlenecks impeding their broader application. Our discussion aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current status and future potential of CAR-NK cells in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingfeng Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
- Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenzhen, China.
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4
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Watanabe CM, Suzuki CI, Dos Santos AM, Aloia TPA, Lee G, Wald D, Okamoto OK, de Azevedo JTC, de Godoy JAP, Santos FPS, Weinlich R, Kerbauy LN, Kutner JM, Paiva RDMA, Hamerschlak N. An extended flow cytometry evaluation of ex vivo expanded NK cells using K562.Clone1, a feeder cell line manufactured in Brazil. Transplant Cell Ther 2024:S2666-6367(24)00531-1. [PMID: 38986739 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2024.07.004] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural Killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in the immune system's response against cancer. However, the challenge of obtaining the required quantity of NK cells for effective therapeutic response necessitates the development of strategies for their ex vivo expansion. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop a novel feeder cell line, K562.Clone1, capable of promoting the ex vivo expansion of NK cells while preserving their cytotoxic potential. STUDY DESIGN The K562 leukemic cell line was transduced with mbIL-21 and 4-1BBL proteins to generate K562.Clone1 cells. NK cells were then co-cultured with these feeder cells, and their expansion rate was monitored over 14 days. The cytotoxic potential of the expanded NK cells was evaluated against acute myeloid leukemia blasts and tumor cell lines of leukemia and glial origin. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the significance of the results. RESULTS The K562.Clone1 co-cultured with peripheral NK showed a significant increase in cell count, with an approximately 94-fold expansion over 14 days. Expanded NK cells demonstrated cytotoxicity against the tested tumor cell lines, indicating the preservation of their cytotoxic characteristics. Additionally, the CD56, CD16, inhibitory KIRs, and activation receptors were conserved and present in a well-balanced manner. CONCLUSION The study successfully developed a feeder cell line, K562.Clone1, that effectively promotes the expansion of NK cells ex vivo while maintaining their cytotoxic potential. This development could significantly contribute to the advancement of NK cell therapy, especially in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Grace Lee
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio USA
| | - David Wald
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio USA; Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio USA
| | - Oswaldo Keith Okamoto
- Department of Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julia T Cottas de Azevedo
- Experimental Research Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Aparecida Preto de Godoy
- Experimental Research Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio P S Santos
- Experimental Research Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Oncology and Hematology Center "Familia Dayan-Daycoval", Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Weinlich
- Experimental Research Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucila N Kerbauy
- Experimental Research Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Oncology and Hematology Center "Familia Dayan-Daycoval", Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose Mauro Kutner
- Department of Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Oncology and Hematology Center "Familia Dayan-Daycoval", Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Raquel de Melo Alves Paiva
- Experimental Research Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Hemotherapy and Cellular Therapy, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Nelson Hamerschlak
- Human Genome and Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Kusch N, Storm J, Macioszek A, Kisselmann E, Knabbe C, Kaltschmidt B, Kaltschmidt C. A Critical Role of Culture Medium Selection in Maximizing the Purity and Expansion of Natural Killer Cells. Cells 2024; 13:1148. [PMID: 38994999 PMCID: PMC11240826 DOI: 10.3390/cells13131148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells hold promise in cancer treatment due to their ability to spontaneously lyse cancer cells. For clinical use, high quantities of pure, functional NK cells are necessary. Combining adherence-based isolation with specialized media showed the unreliability of the isolation method, but demonstrated the superiority of the NK MACS® medium, particularly in suboptimal conditions. Neither human pooled serum, fetal calf serum (FCS), human platelet lysate, nor chemically defined serum replacement could substitute human AB serum. Interleukin (IL-)2, IL-15, IL-21, and combined CD2/NKp46 stimulation were assessed. IL-21 and CD2/NKp46 stimulation increased cytotoxicity, but reduced NK cell proliferation. IL-15 stimulation alone achieved the highest proliferation, but the more affordable IL-2 performed similarly. The RosetteSep™ human NK cell enrichment kit was effective for isolation, but the presence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the culture enhanced NK cell proliferation, despite similar expression levels of CD16, NKp46, NKG2D, and ICAM-1. In line with this, purified NK cells cultured in NK MACS® medium with human AB serum and IL-2 demonstrated high cytotoxicity against primary glioblastoma stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neele Kusch
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld/OWL FBMB e.V., 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Jonathan Storm
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld/OWL FBMB e.V., 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Antonia Macioszek
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Ella Kisselmann
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Cornelius Knabbe
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld/OWL FBMB e.V., 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
- Institute for Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine, Heart and Diabetes Centre NRW, Ruhr-University Bochum, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
- Medical Faculty Ostwestfalen-Lippe, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Barbara Kaltschmidt
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld/OWL FBMB e.V., 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
- Molecular Neurobiology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Christian Kaltschmidt
- Department of Cell Biology, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Forschungsverbund BioMedizin Bielefeld/OWL FBMB e.V., 33617 Bielefeld, Germany
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6
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Shrestha N, Dee MJ, Chaturvedi P, Leclerc GM, Mathyer M, Dufour C, Arthur L, Becker-Hapak M, Foster M, McClain E, Pena NV, Kage K, Zhu X, George V, Liu B, Egan J, Echeverri C, Wang M, You L, Kong L, Li L, Berrien-Elliott MM, Cooper ML, Fehniger TA, Rhode PR, Wong HC. A "Prime and Expand" strategy using the multifunctional fusion proteins to generate memory-like NK cells for cell therapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:179. [PMID: 38960949 PMCID: PMC11222348 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03765-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) using memory-like (ML) natural killer (NK) cells, generated through overnight ex vivo activation with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18, has shown promise for treating hematologic malignancies. We recently reported that a multifunctional fusion molecule, HCW9201, comprising IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 domains could replace individual cytokines for priming human ML NK cell programming ("Prime" step). However, this approach does not include ex vivo expansion, thereby limiting the ability to test different doses and schedules. Here, we report the design and generation of a multifunctional fusion molecule, HCW9206, consisting of human IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21 cytokines. We observed > 300-fold expansion for HCW9201-primed human NK cells cultured for 14 days with HCW9206 and HCW9101, an IgG1 antibody, recognizing the scaffold domain of HCW9206 ("Expand" step). This expansion was dependent on both HCW9206 cytokines and interactions of the IgG1 mAb with CD16 receptors on NK cells. The resulting "Prime and Expand" ML NK cells exhibited elevated metabolic capacity, stable epigenetic IFNG promoter demethylation, enhanced antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo, and superior persistence in NSG mice. Thus, the "Prime and Expand" strategy represents a simple feeder cell-free approach to streamline manufacturing of clinical-grade ML NK cells to support multidose and off-the-shelf ACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niraj Shrestha
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Michael J Dee
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | | | - Gilles M Leclerc
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | | | | | | | - Michelle Becker-Hapak
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Mark Foster
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ethan McClain
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | | | - Karen Kage
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Zhu
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Varghese George
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Bai Liu
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Jack Egan
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | | | - Meng Wang
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Lijing You
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Lin Kong
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Liying Li
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Melissa M Berrien-Elliott
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | | | - Todd A Fehniger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Peter R Rhode
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA
| | - Hing C Wong
- HCW Biologics Inc., 2929 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL, 33025, USA.
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7
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Chu Y, Nayyar G, Tian M, Lee DA, Ozkaynak MF, Ayala-Cuesta J, Klose K, Foley K, Mendelowitz AS, Luo W, Liao Y, Ayello J, Behbehani GK, Riddell S, Cripe T, Cairo MS. Efficiently targeting neuroblastoma with the combination of anti-ROR1 CAR NK cells and N-803 in vitro and in vivo in NB xenografts. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200820. [PMID: 38933492 PMCID: PMC11201149 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The prognosis for children with recurrent and/or refractory neuroblastoma (NB) is dismal. The receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1), which is highly expressed on the surface of NB cells, provides a potential target for novel immunotherapeutics. Anti-ROR1 chimeric antigen receptor engineered ex vivo expanded peripheral blood natural killer (anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK) cells represent this approach. N-803 is an IL-15 superagonist with enhanced biological activity. In this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects of anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells with or without N-803 against ROR1+ NB models. Compared to mock exPBNK cells, anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells had significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against ROR1+ NB cells, and N-803 further increased cytotoxicity. High-dimensional analysis revealed that N-803 enhanced Stat5 phosphorylation and Ki67 levels in both exPBNK and anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells with or without NB cells. In vivo, anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK plus N-803 significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced survival in human ROR1+ NB xenografted NSG mice compared to anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK alone. Our results provide the rationale for further development of anti-ROR1 CAR exPBNK cells plus N-803 as a novel combination immunotherapeutic for patients with recurrent and/or refractory ROR1+ NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaya Chu
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Gaurav Nayyar
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Meijuan Tian
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Dean A. Lee
- Department of Pediatric Hem/Onc/BMT, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Mehmet F. Ozkaynak
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | | | - Kayleigh Klose
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Keira Foley
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | | | - Wen Luo
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Yanling Liao
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Janet Ayello
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
| | - Gregory K. Behbehani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, the Ohio State University; Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Stanley Riddell
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Tim Cripe
- Department of Pediatric Hem/Onc/BMT, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Mitchell S. Cairo
- Department of Pediatrics, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
- Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA
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8
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Kaur K, Sanghu J, Memarzadeh S, Jewett A. Exploring the Potential of Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Targeting High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinomas. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:677. [PMID: 38932405 PMCID: PMC11209217 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060677] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
High-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs) likely consist of poorly differentiated stem-like cells (PDSLCs) and differentiated tumor cells. Conventional therapeutics are incapable of completely eradicating PDSLCs, contributing to disease progression and tumor relapse. Primary NK cells are known to effectively lyse PDSLCs, but they exhibit low or minimal cytotoxic potential against well-differentiated tumors. We have introduced and discussed the characteristics of super-charged NK (sNK) cells in this review. sNK cells, in comparison to primary NK cells, exhibit a significantly higher capability for the direct killing of both PDSLCs and well-differentiated tumors. In addition, sNK cells secrete significantly higher levels of cytokines, especially those known to induce the differentiation of tumors. In addition, we propose that a combination of sNK and chemotherapy could be one of the most effective strategies to eliminate the heterogeneous population of ovarian tumors; sNK cells can lyse both PDSLCs and well-differentiated tumors, induce the differentiation of PDSLCs, and could be used in combination with chemotherapy to target both well-differentiated and NK-induced differentiated tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kawaljit Kaur
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, University of California School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Jashan Sanghu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (J.S.); (S.M.)
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Sanaz Memarzadeh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (J.S.); (S.M.)
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
| | - Anahid Jewett
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, University of California School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
- The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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9
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Vo DN, Yuan O, Kanaya M, Telliam-Dushime G, Li H, Kotova O, Caglar E, Honnens de Lichtenberg K, Rahman SH, Soneji S, Scheding S, Bryder D, Malmberg KJ, Sitnicka E. A temporal developmental map separates human NK cells from noncytotoxic ILCs through clonal and single-cell analysis. Blood Adv 2024; 8:2933-2951. [PMID: 38484189 PMCID: PMC11176970 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Natural killer (NK) cells represent the cytotoxic member within the innate lymphoid cell (ILC) family that are important against viral infections and cancer. Although the NK cell emergence from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells through multiple intermediate stages and the underlying regulatory gene network has been extensively studied in mice, this process is not well characterized in humans. Here, using a temporal in vitro model to reconstruct the developmental trajectory of NK lineage, we identified an ILC-restricted oligopotent stage 3a CD34-CD117+CD161+CD45RA+CD56- progenitor population, that exclusively gave rise to CD56-expressing ILCs in vitro. We also further investigated a previously nonappreciated heterogeneity within the CD56+CD94-NKp44+ subset, phenotypically equivalent to stage 3b population containing both group-1 ILC and RORγt+ ILC3 cells, that could be further separated based on their differential expression of DNAM-1 and CD161 receptors. We confirmed that DNAM-1hi S3b and CD161hiCD117hi ILC3 populations distinctively differed in their expression of effector molecules, cytokine secretion, and cytotoxic activity. Furthermore, analysis of lineage output using DNA-barcode tracing across these stages supported a close developmental relationship between S3b-NK and S4-NK (CD56+CD94+) cells, whereas distant to the ILC3 subset. Cross-referencing gene signatures of culture-derived NK cells and other noncytotoxic ILCs with publicly available data sets validated that these in vitro stages highly resemble transcriptional profiles of respective in vivo ILC counterparts. Finally, by integrating RNA velocity and gene network analysis through single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering we unravel a network of coordinated and highly dynamic regulons driving the cytotoxic NK cell program, as a guide map for future studies on NK cell regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dang Nghiem Vo
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ouyang Yuan
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Minoru Kanaya
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gladys Telliam-Dushime
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hongzhe Li
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Olga Kotova
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emel Caglar
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Cell Therapy Research, Novo Nordisk A/S, Måløv, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | | | - Shamit Soneji
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Stefan Scheding
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Hematology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - David Bryder
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Karl-Johan Malmberg
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Center for Infectious Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ewa Sitnicka
- Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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10
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von Werz V, Spadiut O, Kozma B. A review and statistical analysis to identify and describe relationships between CQAs and CPPs of natural killer cell expansion processes. Cytotherapy 2024:S1465-3249(24)00733-3. [PMID: 38944794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.05.025] [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: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells make only a small fraction of immune cells in the human body, however, play a pivotal role in the fight against cancer by the immune system. They are capable of eliminating abnormal cells via several direct or indirect cytotoxicity pathways in a self-regulating manner, which makes them a favorable choice as a cellular therapy against cancer. Additionally, allogeneic NK cells, unlike other lymphocytes, do not or only minimally cause graft-versus-host diseases opening the door for an off-the-shelf therapy. However, to date, the production of NK cells faces several difficulties, especially because the critical process parameters (CPPs) influencing the critical quality attributes (CQAs) are difficult to identify or correlate. There are numerous different cultivation platforms available, all with own characteristics, benefits and disadvantages that add further difficulty to define CPPs and relate them to CQAs. Our goal in this contribution was to summarize the current knowledge about NK cell expansion CPPs and CQAs, therefore we analyzed the available literature of both dynamic and static culture format experiments in a systematic manner. We present a list of the identified CQAs and CPPs and discuss the role of each CPP in the regulation of the CQAs. Furthermore, we could identify potential relationships between certain CPPs and CQAs. The findings based on this systematic literature research can be the foundation for meaningful experiments leading to better process understanding and eventually control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin von Werz
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bence Kozma
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria.
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11
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Skeate JG, Pomeroy EJ, Slipek NJ, Jones BJ, Wick BJ, Chang JW, Lahr WS, Stelljes EM, Patrinostro X, Barnes B, Zarecki T, Krueger JB, Bridge JE, Robbins GM, McCormick MD, Leerar JR, Wenzel KT, Hornberger KM, Walker K, Smedley D, Largaespada DA, Otto N, Webber BR, Moriarity BS. Evolution of the clinical-stage hyperactive TcBuster transposase as a platform for robust non-viral production of adoptive cellular therapies. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1817-1834. [PMID: 38627969 PMCID: PMC11184336 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular therapies for the treatment of human diseases, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T and natural killer (NK) cells have shown remarkable clinical efficacy in treating hematological malignancies; however, current methods mainly utilize viral vectors that are limited by their cargo size capacities, high cost, and long timelines for production of clinical reagent. Delivery of genetic cargo via DNA transposon engineering is a more timely and cost-effective approach, yet has been held back by less efficient integration rates. Here, we report the development of a novel hyperactive TcBuster (TcB-M) transposase engineered through structure-guided and in vitro evolution approaches that achieves high-efficiency integration of large, multicistronic CAR-expression cassettes in primary human cells. Our proof-of-principle TcB-M engineering of CAR-NK and CAR-T cells shows low integrated vector copy number, a safe insertion site profile, robust in vitro function, and improves survival in a Burkitt lymphoma xenograft model in vivo. Overall, TcB-M is a versatile, safe, efficient and open-source option for the rapid manufacture and preclinical testing of primary human immune cell therapies through delivery of multicistronic large cargo via transposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G Skeate
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Emily J Pomeroy
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nicholas J Slipek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Bryce J Wick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Jae-Woong Chang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Walker S Lahr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Erin M Stelljes
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | | | | | - Joshua B Krueger
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Jacob E Bridge
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Gabrielle M Robbins
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Madeline D McCormick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - David A Largaespada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Neil Otto
- Bio-Techne, Minneapolis, MN 55413, USA
| | - Beau R Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Branden S Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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12
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Yi Y, Qin G, Yang H, Jia H, Zeng Q, Zheng D, Ye S, Zhang Z, Liu TM, Luo KQ, Deng CX, Xu RH. Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Increase the Natural Killer Resistance of Circulating Tumor Cells via Intercellular Signaling of cGAS-STING-IFNβ-HLA. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2400888. [PMID: 38638003 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202400888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from primary tumors must overcome the cytotoxicity of immune cells, particularly natural killer (NK) cells, to cause metastasis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) protects tumor cells from the cytotoxicity of immune cells, which is partially executed by cancer-associated mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, the mechanisms by which MSCs influence the NK resistance of CTCs remain poorly understood. This study demonstrates that MSCs enhance the NK resistance of cancer cells in a gap junction-dependent manner, thereby promoting the survival and metastatic seeding of CTCs in immunocompromised mice. Tumor cells crosstalk with MSCs through an intercellular cGAS-cGAMP-STING signaling loop, leading to increased production of interferon-β (IFNβ) by MSCs. IFNβ reversely enhances the type I IFN (IFN-I) signaling in tumor cells and hence the expression of human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) on the cell surface, protecting the tumor cells from NK cytotoxicity. Disruption of this loop reverses NK sensitivity in tumor cells and decreases tumor metastasis. Moreover, there are positive correlations between IFN-I signaling, HLA-I expression, and NK tolerance in human tumor samples. Thus, the NK-resistant signaling loop between tumor cells and MSCs may serve as a novel therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yi
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Guihui Qin
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Hongmei Yang
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Hao Jia
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Qibing Zeng
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Dejin Zheng
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Sen Ye
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Zhiming Zhang
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Tzu-Ming Liu
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Kathy Qian Luo
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Chu-Xia Deng
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
| | - Ren-He Xu
- Center of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Cancer Center, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, 999078, China
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13
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Qi Y, Li Y, Wang H, Wang A, Liu X, Liang Z, Gao Y, Wei L. Natural killer cell-related anti-tumour adoptive cell immunotherapy. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18362. [PMID: 38837666 PMCID: PMC11151221 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor- (CAR-)modified T cells have been successfully used to treat blood cancer. With the improved research on anti-tumour adoptive cell therapy, researchers have focused on immune cells other than T lymphocytes. Natural killer (NK) cells have received widespread attention as barriers to natural immunity. Compared to T lymphocyte-related adoptive cell therapy, the use of NK cells to treat tumours does not cause graft-versus-host disease, significantly improving immunity. Moreover, NK cells have more sources than T cells, and the related modified cells are less expensive. NK cells function through several pathways in anti-tumour mechanisms. Currently, many anti-tumour clinical trials have used NK cell-related adoptive cell therapies. In this review, we have summarized the recent progress in NK cell-related adoptive cellular immunotherapy for tumour treatment and propose the current challenges faced by CAR-NK cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Qi
- Department of Gynecological OncologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological BehaviorsWuhanChina
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study CenterWuhanChina
| | - Ying Li
- Physical Examination CenterRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Gynecological OncologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological BehaviorsWuhanChina
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study CenterWuhanChina
| | - Anjin Wang
- Department of Gynecological OncologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological BehaviorsWuhanChina
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study CenterWuhanChina
| | - Xuelian Liu
- Department of Gynecological OncologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological BehaviorsWuhanChina
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study CenterWuhanChina
| | - Ziyan Liang
- Department of Gynecological OncologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological BehaviorsWuhanChina
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study CenterWuhanChina
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of Gynecological OncologyZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanChina
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological BehaviorsWuhanChina
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study CenterWuhanChina
| | - Liqing Wei
- Wuhan Wuchang HospitalWuhan University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
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14
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Huang M, Liu Y, Yan Q, Peng M, Ge J, Mo Y, Wang Y, Wang F, Zeng Z, Li Y, Fan C, Xiong W. NK cells as powerful therapeutic tool in cancer immunotherapy. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:733-757. [PMID: 38170381 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00909-3] [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: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells have gained considerable attention and hold great potential for their application in tumor immunotherapy. This is mainly due to their MHC-unrestricted and pan-specific recognition capabilities, as well as their ability to rapidly respond to and eliminate target cells. To artificially generate therapeutic NK cells, various materials can be utilized, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), umbilical cord blood (UCB), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and NK cell lines. Exploiting the therapeutic potential of NK cells to treat tumors through in vivo and in vitro therapeutic modalities has yielded positive therapeutic results. CONCLUSION This review provides a comprehensive description of NK cell therapeutic approaches for tumors and discusses the current problems associated with these therapeutic approaches and the prospects of NK cell therapy for tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mao Huang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yixuan Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qijia Yan
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410078, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Miao Peng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Junshang Ge
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongzhen Mo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yumin Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410078, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Fuyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Medicine, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Alkek Building, RM N720, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chunmei Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, 410013, Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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15
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Egli L, Kaulfuss M, Mietz J, Picozzi A, Verhoeyen E, Münz C, Chijioke O. CAR T cells outperform CAR NK cells in CAR-mediated effector functions in head-to-head comparison. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:51. [PMID: 38745250 PMCID: PMC11092129 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00522-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CAR NK cells as vehicles for engineered "off-the-shelf" cellular cancer immunotherapy have attracted significant interest. Nonetheless, a comprehensive comparative assessment of the anticancer activity of CAR T cells and CAR NK cells carrying approved benchmark anti-CD19 CAR constructs is missing. Here, we report a direct head-to-head comparison of CD19-directed human T and NK cells. METHODS We generated CAR T and CAR NK cells derived from healthy donor PBMC by retroviral transduction with the same benchmark second-generation anti-CD19 CAR construct, FMC63.28z. We investigated IFN-γ secretion and direct cytotoxicity in vitro against various CD19+ cancer cell lines as well as in autologous versus allogeneic settings. Furthermore, we have assessed anticancer activity of CAR T and CAR NK cells in vivo using a xenograft lymphoma model in an autologous versus allogeneic setting and a leukemia model. RESULTS Our main findings are a drastically reduced capacity for CAR-mediated IFN-γ production and lower CAR-mediated cytotoxicity of CAR NK cells relative to CAR T cells in vitro. Consistent with these in vitro findings, we report superior anticancer activity of autologous CAR T cells compared with allogeneic CAR NK cells in vivo. CONCLUSIONS CAR T cells had significantly higher CAR-mediated effector functions than CAR NK cells in vitro against several cancer cell lines and autologous CAR T cells outperformed allogeneic CAR NK cells both in vitro and in vivo. CAR NK cells will likely benefit from further engineering to enhance anticancer activity to ultimately fulfill the promise of an effective off-the-shelf product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Egli
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Meike Kaulfuss
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Mietz
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arianna Picozzi
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Els Verhoeyen
- International Center for Infectiology, research team Enveloped Viruses, Vectors and Innate Responses, Institut national de la Santé et de la recherche médicale, unité 1111, Unité mixte de recherche 5308, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut National de La Santé Et de La Recherche Médicale, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
| | - Christian Münz
- Viral Immunobiology, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Obinna Chijioke
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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16
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Pfefferle A, Contet J, Wong K, Chen C, Verhoeyen E, Slichter CK, Schluns KS, Cursons J, Berry R, Nikolic I, Rautela J, Huntington ND. Optimisation of a primary human CAR-NK cell manufacturing pipeline. Clin Transl Immunology 2024; 13:e1507. [PMID: 38707997 PMCID: PMC11063921 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy of B-cell malignancies achieves long-term disease remission in a high fraction of patients and has triggered intense research into translating this successful approach into additional cancer types. However, the complex logistics involved in autologous CAR-T manufacturing, the compromised fitness of patient-derived T cells, the high rates of serious toxicities and the overall cost involved with product manufacturing and hospitalisation have driven innovation to overcome such hurdles. One alternative approach is the use of allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells as a source for CAR-NK cell therapy. However, this source has traditionally faced numerous manufacturing challenges. Methods To address this, we have developed an optimised expansion and transduction protocol for primary human NK cells primed for manufacturing scaling and clinical evaluation. We have performed an in-depth comparison of primary human NK cell sources as a starting material by characterising their phenotype, functionality, expansion potential and transduction efficiency at crucial timepoints of our CAR-NK manufacturing pipeline. Results We identified adult peripheral blood-derived NK cells to be the superior source for generating a CAR-NK cell product because of a higher maximum yield of CAR-expressing NK cells combined with potent natural, as well as CAR-mediated anti-tumor effector functions. Conclusions Our optimised manufacturing pipeline dramatically improves lentiviral transduction efficiency of primary human NK cells. We conclude that the exponential expansion pre- and post-transduction and high on-target cytotoxicity make peripheral blood-derived NK cells a feasible and attractive CAR-NK cell product for clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Pfefferle
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- oNKo‐Innate Pty LtdMoonee PondsVICAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Els Verhoeyen
- CIRI, Université de Lyon, INSERM U1111, ENS de LyonUniversité Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5308LyonFrance
- INSERM, C3MUniversité Côte d'AzurNiceFrance
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jai Rautela
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- oNKo‐Innate Pty LtdMoonee PondsVICAustralia
| | - Nicholas D Huntington
- Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyMonash UniversityClaytonVICAustralia
- oNKo‐Innate Pty LtdMoonee PondsVICAustralia
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17
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Moinuddin A, Poznanski SM, Portillo AL, Monteiro JK, Ashkar AA. Metabolic adaptations determine whether natural killer cells fail or thrive within the tumor microenvironment. Immunol Rev 2024; 323:19-39. [PMID: 38459782 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13316] [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] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells are a top contender in the development of adoptive cell therapies for cancer due to their diverse antitumor functions and ability to restrict their activation against nonmalignant cells. Despite their success in hematologic malignancies, NK cell-based therapies have been limited in the context of solid tumors. Tumor cells undergo various metabolic adaptations to sustain the immense energy demands that are needed to support their rapid and uncontrolled proliferation. As a result, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is depleted of nutrients needed to fuel immune cell activity and contains several immunosuppressive metabolites that hinder NK cell antitumor functions. Further, we now know that NK cell metabolic status is a main determining factor of their effector functions. Hence, the ability of NK cells to withstand and adapt to these metabolically hostile conditions is imperative for effective and sustained antitumor activity in the TME. With this in mind, we review the consequences of metabolic hostility in the TME on NK cell metabolism and function. We also discuss tumor-like metabolic programs in NK cell induced by STAT3-mediated expansion that adapt NK cells to thrive in the TME. Finally, we examine how other approaches can be applied to enhance NK cell metabolism in tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Moinuddin
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sophie M Poznanski
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ana L Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan K Monteiro
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ali A Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Ciurea SO, Kongtim P, Srour S, Chen J, Soebbing D, Shpall E, Rezvani K, Nakkula R, Thakkar A, Troy EC, Cash AA, Behbehani G, Cao K, Schafer J, Champlin RE, Lee DA. Results of a phase I trial with Haploidentical mbIL-21 ex vivo expanded NK cells for patients with multiply relapsed and refractory AML. Am J Hematol 2024; 99:890-899. [PMID: 38444268 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27281] [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: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK)-cells have potent anti-tumor effects, yet it remains unclear if they are effective for patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In a phase I clinical trial, we treated 12 patients (median age 60 years) with refractory AML (median 5 lines of prior therapy, median bone marrow blast count of 47%) with fludarabine/cytarabine followed by 6 infusions of NK-cells expanded from haploidentical donors using K562 feeder cells expressing membrane-bound IL21 and 4-1BBL. Patients received 106-107/kg/dose. No toxicity or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was observed and MTD was not reached. Seven patients (58.3%) responded and achieved a complete remission (CR) with/without count recovery. Median time to best response was 48 days. Five responding patients proceeded to a haploidentical transplant from the same donor. After a median follow-up of 52 months, 1-year overall survival (OS) for the entire group was 41.7%, better for patients who responded with CR/CRi (57.14%), and for patients who responded and underwent transplantation (60%). Persistence and expansion of donor-derived NK-cells were identified in patients' blood, and serum IFNγ levels rose concurrently with NK cell infusions. A higher count-functional inhibitory KIR was associated with higher likelihood of achieving CR/CRi. In conclusion, we observed a significant response to ex vivo expanded NK-cell administration in refractory AML patients without adverse effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan O Ciurea
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, The University of California, Orange, California, USA
| | - Piyanuch Kongtim
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, Division of Hematology/Oncology, The University of California, Orange, California, USA
| | - Samer Srour
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Julianne Chen
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Doris Soebbing
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Elizabeth Shpall
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Katayoun Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Robin Nakkula
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Aarohi Thakkar
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ella C Troy
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Alex A Cash
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Kai Cao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Richard E Champlin
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Dean A Lee
- The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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19
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Oyer JL, Croom-Perez TJ, Hasan MF, Rivera-Huertas JA, Gitto SB, Mucha JM, Zhu X, Altomare DA, Igarashi RY, Copik AJ. PM21-particle stimulation augmented with cytokines enhances NK cell expansion and confers memory-like characteristics with enhanced survival. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1383281. [PMID: 38711506 PMCID: PMC11070970 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1383281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
NK cell therapeutics have gained significant attention as a potential cancer treatment. Towards therapeutic use, NK cells need to be activated and expanded to attain high potency and large quantities for an effective dosage. This is typically done by ex vivo stimulation with cytokines to enhance functionality or expansion for 10-14 days to increase both their activity and quantity. Attaining a robust methodology to produce large doses of potent NK cells for an off-the-shelf product is highly desirable. Notably, past reports have shown that stimulating NK cells with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 endows them with memory-like properties, better anti-tumor activity, and persistence. While this approach produces NK cells with clinically favorable characteristics supported by encouraging early results for the treatment of hematological malignancies, its limited scalability, variability in initial doses, and the necessity for patient-specific production hinder its broader application. In this study, stimulation of NK cells with PM21-particles derived from K562-41BBL-mbIL21 cells was combined with memory-like induction using cytokines IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18 to produce NK cells with enhanced anti-tumor function. The use of cytokines combined with PM21-particles (cytokine and particle, CAP) significantly enhanced NK cell expansion, achieving a remarkable 8,200-fold in 14 days. Mechanistically, this significant improvement over expansion with PM21-particles alone was due to the upregulation of receptors for key stimulating ligands (4-1BBL and IL-2), resulting in a synergy that drives substantial NK cell growth, showcasing the potential for more effective therapeutic applications. The therapeutic potential of CAP-NK cells was demonstrated by the enhanced metabolic fitness, persistence, and anti-tumor function both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, CAP-NK cells were amenable to current technologies used in developing therapeutic NK cell products, including CRISPR/Cas9-based techniques to generate a triple-gene knockout or a gene knock-in. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the addition of cytokines enhanced the already effective method of ex vivo generation of therapeutic NK cells with PM21-particles, yielding a superior NK cell product for manufacturing efficiency and potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Alicja J. Copik
- Burnett School of Biomedical Science, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
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20
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Razmara AM, Farley LE, Harris RM, Judge SJ, Lammers M, Iranpur KR, Johnson EG, Dunai C, Murphy WJ, Brown CT, Rebhun RB, Kent MS, Canter RJ. Preclinical evaluation and first-in-dog clinical trials of PBMC-expanded natural killer cells for adoptive immunotherapy in dogs with cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e007963. [PMID: 38631708 PMCID: PMC11029326 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007963] [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: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic cells capable of recognizing heterogeneous cancer targets without prior sensitization, making them promising prospects for use in cellular immunotherapy. Companion dogs develop spontaneous cancers in the context of an intact immune system, representing a valid cancer immunotherapy model. Previously, CD5 depletion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was used in dogs to isolate a CD5dim-expressing NK subset prior to co-culture with an irradiated feeder line, but this can limit the yield of the final NK product. This study aimed to assess NK activation, expansion, and preliminary clinical activity in first-in-dog clinical trials using a novel system with unmanipulated PBMCs to generate our NK cell product. METHODS Starting populations of CD5-depleted cells and PBMCs from healthy beagle donors were co-cultured for 14 days, phenotype, cytotoxicity, and cytokine secretion were measured, and samples were sequenced using the 3'-Tag-RNA-Seq protocol. Co-cultured human PBMCs and NK-isolated cells were also sequenced for comparative analysis. In addition, two first-in-dog clinical trials were performed in dogs with melanoma and osteosarcoma using autologous and allogeneic NK cells, respectively, to establish safety and proof-of-concept of this manufacturing approach. RESULTS Calculated cell counts, viability, killing, and cytokine secretion were equivalent or higher in expanded NK cells from canine PBMCs versus CD5-depleted cells, and immune phenotyping confirmed a CD3-NKp46+ product from PBMC-expanded cells at day 14. Transcriptomic analysis of expanded cell populations confirmed upregulation of NK activation genes and related pathways, and human NK cells using well-characterized NK markers closely mirrored canine gene expression patterns. Autologous and allogeneic PBMC-derived NK cells were successfully expanded for use in first-in-dog clinical trials, resulting in no serious adverse events and preliminary efficacy data. RNA sequencing of PBMCs from dogs receiving allogeneic NK transfer showed patient-unique gene signatures with NK gene expression trends in response to treatment. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the use of unmanipulated PBMCs appears safe and potentially effective for canine NK immunotherapy with equivalent to superior results to CD5 depletion in NK expansion, activation, and cytotoxicity. Our preclinical and clinical data support further evaluation of this technique as a novel platform for optimizing NK immunotherapy in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryana M Razmara
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Lauren E Farley
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Rayna M Harris
- Department Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Sean J Judge
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Marshall Lammers
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Khurshid R Iranpur
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Eric G Johnson
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Cordelia Dunai
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - C Titus Brown
- Department Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Robert B Rebhun
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Michael S Kent
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, California, USA
| | - Robert J Canter
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, USA
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21
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Isvoranu G, Chiritoiu-Butnaru M. Therapeutic potential of interleukin-21 in cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1369743. [PMID: 38638431 PMCID: PMC11024325 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1369743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is an immunostimulatory cytokine which belongs to the common gamma-chain family of cytokines. It plays an import role in the development, differentiation, proliferation, and activation of immune cells, in particular T and natural killer (NK) cells. Since its discovery in 2000, IL-21 has been shown to regulate both adaptive and immune responses associates with key role in antiviral and antitumor responses. Recent advances indicate IL-21 as a promising target for cancer treatment and encouraging results were obtained in preclinical studies which investigated the potency of IL-21 alone or in combination with other therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitory molecules, oncolytic virotherapy, and adoptive cell transfer. Furthermore, IL-21 showed antitumor effects in the treatment of patients with advanced cancer, with minimal side effects in several clinical trials. In the present review, we will outline the recent progress in IL-21 research, highlighting the potential of IL-21 based therapy as single agent or in combination with other drugs to enhance cancer treatment efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gheorghita Isvoranu
- Department of Animal Husbandry,” Victor Babeș” National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marioara Chiritoiu-Butnaru
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
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22
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Lim Y, Park J, Lim JE, Park M, Koh SK, Lee M, Kim SK, Lee SH, Song KH, Park DG, Kim HY, Jeong BC, Cho D. Evaluating a combination treatment of NK cells and reovirus against bladder cancer cells using an in vitro assay to simulate intravesical therapy. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7390. [PMID: 38548803 PMCID: PMC10979019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56297-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Intravesical treatment using either reovirus or natural killer (NK) cells serves as an efficient strategy for the treatment of bladder cancer cells (BCCs); however, corresponding monotherapies have often shown modest cytotoxicity. The potential of a locoregional combination using high-dose reovirus and NK cell therapy in an intravesical approach has not yet been studied. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of reoviruses and expanded NK cells (eNK) as potential strategies for the treatment of bladder cancer. The anti-tumor effects of mono-treatment with reovirus type 3 Dearing strain (RC402 and RP116) and in combination with interleukin (IL)-18/-21-pretreated eNK cells were investigated on BCC lines (5637, HT-1376, and 253J-BV) using intravesical therapy to simulate in vitro model. RP116 and IL-18/-21-pretreated eNK cells exhibited effective cytotoxicity against grade 1 carcinoma (5637 cells) when used alone, but not against HT-1376 (grade 2 carcinoma) and 253J-BV cells (derived from a metastatic site). Notably, combining RP116 with IL-18/-21-pretreated eNK cells displayed effective cytotoxicity against both HT-1376 and 253J-BV cells. Our findings underscore the potential of a combination therapy using reoviruses and NK cells as a promising strategy for treating bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuree Lim
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, Korea
| | - Jeehun Park
- Department of Molecular Bioscience, College of Biomedical Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Joung Eun Lim
- Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minji Park
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung Kwon Koh
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Mijeong Lee
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang-Ki Kim
- Department of Companion & Laboratory Animal Science, Kongju National University, Yesan, Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Dong Guk Park
- ViroCure Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Young Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-Ro, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, 06351, Republic of Korea
| | - Byong Chang Jeong
- Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Duck Cho
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, Korea.
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81, Irwon-Ro, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, 06351, Republic of Korea.
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23
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Stenger TD, Miller JS. Therapeutic approaches to enhance natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1356666. [PMID: 38545115 PMCID: PMC10966407 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1356666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells has emerged as a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy, due to their pivotal role in immune surveillance and tumor clearance. This literature review provides a comprehensive overview of therapeutic approaches designed to augment NK cell cytotoxicity. We analyze a wide range of strategies, including cytokine-based treatment, monoclonal antibodies, and NK cell engagers, and discuss criteria that must be considered when selecting an NK cell product to combine with these strategies. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and limitations associated with each therapeutic strategy, as well as the potential for combination therapies to maximize NK cell cytotoxicity while minimizing adverse effects. By exploring the wealth of research on this topic, this literature review aims to provide a comprehensive resource for researchers and clinicians seeking to develop and implement novel therapeutic strategies that harness the full potential of NK cells in the fight against cancer. Enhancing NK cell cytotoxicity holds great promise in the evolving landscape of immunotherapy, and this review serves as a roadmap for understanding the current state of the field and the future directions in NK cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terran D. Stenger
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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24
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Maia A, Tarannum M, Lérias JR, Piccinelli S, Borrego LM, Maeurer M, Romee R, Castillo-Martin M. Building a Better Defense: Expanding and Improving Natural Killer Cells for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Cells 2024; 13:451. [PMID: 38474415 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have gained attention as a promising adoptive cell therapy platform for their potential to improve cancer treatments. NK cells offer distinct advantages over T-cells, including major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-independent tumor recognition and low risk of toxicity, even in an allogeneic setting. Despite this tremendous potential, challenges persist, such as limited in vivo persistence, reduced tumor infiltration, and low absolute NK cell numbers. This review outlines several strategies aiming to overcome these challenges. The developed strategies include optimizing NK cell expansion methods and improving NK cell antitumor responses by cytokine stimulation and genetic manipulations. Using K562 cells expressing membrane IL-15 or IL-21 with or without additional activating ligands like 4-1BBL allows "massive" NK cell expansion and makes multiple cell dosing and "off-the-shelf" efforts feasible. Further improvements in NK cell function can be reached by inducing memory-like NK cells, developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells, or isolating NK-cell-based tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Memory-like NK cells demonstrate higher in vivo persistence and cytotoxicity, with early clinical trials demonstrating safety and promising efficacy. Recent trials using CAR-NK cells have also demonstrated a lack of any major toxicity, including cytokine release syndrome, and, yet, promising clinical activity. Recent data support that the presence of TIL-NK cells is associated with improved overall patient survival in different types of solid tumors such as head and neck, colorectal, breast, and gastric carcinomas, among the most significant. In conclusion, this review presents insights into the diverse strategies available for NK cell expansion, including the roles played by various cytokines, feeder cells, and culture material in influencing the activation phenotype, telomere length, and cytotoxic potential of expanded NK cells. Notably, genetically modified K562 cells have demonstrated significant efficacy in promoting NK cell expansion. Furthermore, culturing NK cells with IL-2 and IL-15 has been shown to improve expansion rates, while the presence of IL-12 and IL-21 has been linked to enhanced cytotoxic function. Overall, this review provides an overview of NK cell expansion methodologies, highlighting the current landscape of clinical trials and the key advancements to enhance NK-cell-based adoptive cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Maia
- Molecular and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- NOVA Medical School, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mubin Tarannum
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joana R Lérias
- ImmunoTherapy/ImmunoSurgery, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sara Piccinelli
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Borrego
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal
- Immunoallergy Department, Hospital da Luz, 1600-209 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Markus Maeurer
- ImmunoTherapy/ImmunoSurgery, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
- I Medical Clinic, University of Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rizwan Romee
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mireia Castillo-Martin
- Molecular and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
- Pathology Service, Champalimaud Clinical Center, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
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25
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Yi F, Cohen T, Zimmerman N, Dündar F, Zumbo P, Eltilib R, Brophy EJ, Arkin H, Feucht J, Gormally MV, Hackett CS, Kropp KN, Etxeberria I, Chandran SS, Park JH, Hsu KC, Sadelain M, Betel D, Klebanoff CA. CAR-engineered lymphocyte persistence is governed by a FAS ligand/FAS auto-regulatory circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582108. [PMID: 38464085 PMCID: PMC10925151 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T and NK cells can cause durable remission of B-cell malignancies; however, limited persistence restrains the full potential of these therapies in many patients. The FAS ligand (FAS-L)/FAS pathway governs naturally-occurring lymphocyte homeostasis, yet knowledge of which cells express FAS-L in patients and whether these sources compromise CAR persistence remains incomplete. Here, we constructed a single-cell atlas of diverse cancer types to identify cellular subsets expressing FASLG, the gene encoding FAS-L. We discovered that FASLG is limited primarily to endogenous T cells, NK cells, and CAR-T cells while tumor and stromal cells express minimal FASLG. To establish whether CAR-T/NK cell survival is regulated through FAS-L, we performed competitive fitness assays using lymphocytes modified with or without a FAS dominant negative receptor (ΔFAS). Following adoptive transfer, ΔFAS-expressing CAR-T and CAR-NK cells became enriched across multiple tissues, a phenomenon that mechanistically was reverted through FASLG knockout. By contrast, FASLG was dispensable for CAR-mediated tumor killing. In multiple models, ΔFAS co-expression by CAR-T and CAR-NK enhanced antitumor efficacy compared with CAR cells alone. Together, these findings reveal that CAR-engineered lymphocyte persistence is governed by a FAS-L/FAS auto-regulatory circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yi
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Tal Cohen
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Natalie Zimmerman
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Friederike Dündar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Applied Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul Zumbo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Applied Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Razan Eltilib
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Erica J. Brophy
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Arkin
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Judith Feucht
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael V. Gormally
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
- Cell Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Korbinian N. Kropp
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Inaki Etxeberria
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Smita S. Chandran
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
| | - Jae H. Park
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Cell Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katharine C. Hsu
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michel Sadelain
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Immunology, Sloan Kettering Institute, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
| | - Doron Betel
- Applied Bioinformatics Core, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher A. Klebanoff
- Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY, USA
- Center for Cell Engineering, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Cell Therapy Service, Department of Medicine, MSKCC, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, New York, NY, USA
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Jung EK, Chu TH, Kim SA, Vo MC, Nguyen VT, Lee KH, Jung SH, Yoon M, Cho D, Lee JJ, Yoon TM. Efficacy of natural killer cell therapy combined with chemoradiotherapy in murine models of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cytotherapy 2024; 26:242-251. [PMID: 38142382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.11.002] [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: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Natural killer (NK) cell-based cancer immunotherapy is effective when combined with other treatment modalities such as irradiation and chemotherapy. NK cell's antitumor function to treat solid tumor, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), has been targeted recently. This study assessed NK cell recruitment in response to chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in HNSCC. METHODS Ex vivo expansion of NK cell, flow cytometry, cell viability assay, cytotoxicity assay, immunohistochemistry, and animal model were performed. RESULTS Mouse NK cells were recruited to the tumor site by CRT in a nude mouse model. Furthermore, expanded and activated human NK cells (eNKs) were recruited to the tumor site in response to CRT, and CRT enhanced the anti-tumor activity of eNK in an NOD/SCID IL-2Rγnull mouse model. Various HNSCC cancer cell lines exhibited different NK cell ligand activation patterns in response to CRT that correlated with NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS Identifying the activation patterns of NK cell ligands during CRT might improve patient selection for adjuvant NK cell immunotherapy combined with CRT. This is the first study to investigate the NK cell's antitumor function and recruitment with CRT in HNSCC mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Kyung Jung
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Tan-Huy Chu
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea; Department of Hematology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Sun-Ae Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Manh-Cuong Vo
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Van-Tan Nguyen
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Kyung-Hwa Lee
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Sung-Hoon Jung
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Meesun Yoon
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea
| | - Duck Cho
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Je-Jung Lee
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea.
| | - Tae Mi Yoon
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Korea.
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27
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Guo F, Zhang Y, Cui J. Manufacturing CAR-NK against tumors: Who is the ideal supplier? Chin J Cancer Res 2024; 36:1-16. [PMID: 38455373 PMCID: PMC10915637 DOI: 10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2024.01.01] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer (CAR-NK) cells have emerged as another prominent player in the realm of tumor immunotherapy following CAR-T cells. The unique features of CAR-NK cells make it possible to compensate for deficiencies in CAR-T therapy, such as the complexity of the manufacturing process, clinical adverse events, and solid tumor challenges. To date, CAR-NK products from different allogeneic sources have exhibited remarkable anti-tumor effects on preclinical studies and have gradually been applied in clinical practice. However, each source has advantages and disadvantages. Selecting a suitable source may help maximize CAR-NK cell efficacy and increase the feasibility of clinical transformation. Therefore, this review discusses the development and challenges of CAR-NK cells from different sources to provide a reference for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feifei Guo
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Cancer Center, Changchun 133021, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Cancer Center, Changchun 133021, China
| | - Jiuwei Cui
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Cancer Center, Changchun 133021, China
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28
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Dai J, Zheng S, Falco MM, Bao J, Eriksson J, Pikkusaari S, Forstén S, Jiang J, Wang W, Gao L, Perez-Villatoro F, Dufva O, Saeed K, Wang Y, Amiryousefi A, Färkkilä A, Mustjoki S, Kauppi L, Tang J, Vähärautio A. Tracing back primed resistance in cancer via sister cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1158. [PMID: 38326354 PMCID: PMC10850087 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45478-7] [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: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring non-genetic evolution of cell states during cancer treatments has become attainable by recent advances in lineage-tracing methods. However, transcriptional changes that drive cells into resistant fates may be subtle, necessitating high resolution analysis. Here, we present ReSisTrace that uses shared transcriptomic features of sister cells to predict the states priming treatment resistance. Applying ReSisTrace in ovarian cancer cells perturbed with olaparib, carboplatin or natural killer (NK) cells reveals pre-resistant phenotypes defined by proteostatic and mRNA surveillance features, reflecting traits enriched in the upcoming subclonal selection. Furthermore, we show that DNA repair deficiency renders cells susceptible to both DNA damaging agents and NK killing in a context-dependent manner. Finally, we leverage the obtained pre-resistance profiles to predict and validate small molecules driving cells to sensitive states prior to treatment. In summary, ReSisTrace resolves pre-existing transcriptional features of treatment vulnerability, facilitating both molecular patient stratification and discovery of synergistic pre-sensitizing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Dai
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shuyu Zheng
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matías M Falco
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jie Bao
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johanna Eriksson
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sanna Pikkusaari
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sofia Forstén
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jing Jiang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Luping Gao
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fernando Perez-Villatoro
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Dufva
- Research Program in Translational Immunology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Khalid Saeed
- Research Program in Translational Immunology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yinyin Wang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ali Amiryousefi
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anniina Färkkilä
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Clinical Trial Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Mustjoki
- Research Program in Translational Immunology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Kauppi
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jing Tang
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Anna Vähärautio
- Research Program in Systems Oncology, Research Programs Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
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29
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Razmara AM, Gingrich AA, Toedebusch CM, Rebhun RB, Murphy WJ, Kent MS, Canter RJ. Improved characterization and translation of NK cells for canine immunotherapy. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1336158. [PMID: 38379924 PMCID: PMC10877038 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1336158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The field of cancer immunology has seen a meteoric rise in interest and application due to the discovery of immunotherapies that target immune cells, often leading to dramatic anti-tumor effects. However, successful cellular immunotherapy for solid tumors remains a challenge, and the application of immunotherapy to dogs with naturally occurring cancers has emerged as a high yield large animal model to bridge the bench-to-bedside challenges of immunotherapies, including those based on natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we review recent developments in the characterization and understanding of canine NK cells, a critical springboard for future translational NK immunotherapy research. The characterization of canine NK cells is exceptionally pertinent given the ongoing challenges in defining them and contextualizing their similarities and differences compared to human and murine NK cells compounded by the limited availability of validated canine specific reagents. Additionally, we summarize the current landscape of the clinical and translational literature employing strategies to capitalize on endogenous and exogenous NK cell immunotherapy in canine cancer patients. The insights regarding efficacy and immune correlates from these trials provide a solid foundation to design and test novel combinational therapies to enhance NK cell activity with the added benefit of motivating comparative work to translate these findings to human cancers with extensive similarities to their canine counterparts. The compilation of knowledge from basic canine NK phenotype and function to applications in first-in-dog clinical trials will support the canine cancer model and enhance translational work to improve cancer outcomes for both dogs and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryana M. Razmara
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Alicia A. Gingrich
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Christine M. Toedebusch
- Center for Companion Animal Health, Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Robert B. Rebhun
- Center for Companion Animal Health, Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - William J. Murphy
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Kent
- Center for Companion Animal Health, Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Robert J. Canter
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, United States
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30
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Vivier E, Rebuffet L, Narni-Mancinelli E, Cornen S, Igarashi RY, Fantin VR. Natural killer cell therapies. Nature 2024; 626:727-736. [PMID: 38383621 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06945-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system. A key feature of NK cells is their ability to recognize a wide range of cells in distress, particularly tumour cells and cells infected with viruses. They combine both direct effector functions against their cellular targets and participate in the generation, shaping and maintenance of a multicellular immune response. As our understanding has deepened, several therapeutic strategies focused on NK cells have been conceived and are currently in various stages of development, from preclinical investigations to clinical trials. Here we explore in detail the complexity of NK cell biology in humans and highlight the role of these cells in cancer immunity. We also analyse the harnessing of NK cell immunity through immune checkpoint inhibitors, NK cell engagers, and infusions of preactivated or genetically modified, autologous or allogeneic NK cell products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vivier
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France.
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France.
- APHM, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille-Immunopôle, Marseille, France.
- Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
| | - Lucas Rebuffet
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Emilie Narni-Mancinelli
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphanie Cornen
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
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31
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Alekseeva NA, Streltsova MA, Vavilova JD, Ustiuzhanina MO, Palamarchuk AI, Boyko AA, Timofeev ND, Popodko AI, Kovalenko EI. Obtaining Gene-Modified HLA-E-Expressing Feeder Cells for Stimulation of Natural Killer Cells. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:133. [PMID: 38276503 PMCID: PMC10818548 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16010133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-specific adaptive NK cells are capable of recognizing viral peptides presented by HLA-E on infected cells via the NKG2C receptor. Using retroviral transduction, we have generated a K562-cell-based line expressing HLA-E in the presence of the HLA-E-stabilizing peptide, which has previously shown the capacity to enhance adaptive NK cell response. The obtained K562-21E cell line was employed to investigate proliferative responses of the CD57- NK cell subset of HCMV-seropositive and seronegative donors. Stimulation of CD57- NK cells with K562-21E/peptide resulted in an increased cell expansion during the 12-day culturing period, regardless of the serological HCMV status of the donor. The enhanced proliferation in response to the peptide was associated with a greater proportion of CD56brightHLA-DR+ NK cells. In later stages of cultivation, the greatest proliferative response to K562-21E/peptide was shown for a highly HCMV-seropositive donor. These expanded NK cells were characterized by the accumulation of CD57-KIR2DL2/3+NKG2C+NKG2A- cells, which are hypothesized to represent adaptive NK cell progenitors. The K562-21E feeder cells can be applied both for the accumulation of NK cells as therapeutic effectors, and for the study of NK cell maturation into the adaptive state after the HLA-E peptide presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadezhda A. Alekseeva
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Maria A. Streltsova
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Julia D. Vavilova
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Maria O. Ustiuzhanina
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Anastasia I. Palamarchuk
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Anna A. Boyko
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Nikita D. Timofeev
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
| | - Alexey I. Popodko
- Department of Radiation Oncology, European Medical Center, Schepkina 35, 129110 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Elena I. Kovalenko
- Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (N.A.A.); (M.A.S.); (J.D.V.); (M.O.U.); (A.I.P.); (A.A.B.); (N.D.T.)
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32
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Di Ianni M, Liberatore C, Santoro N, Ranalli P, Guardalupi F, Corradi G, Villanova I, Di Francesco B, Lattanzio S, Passeri C, Lanuti P, Accorsi P. Cellular Strategies for Separating GvHD from GvL in Haploidentical Transplantation. Cells 2024; 13:134. [PMID: 38247827 PMCID: PMC10814899 DOI: 10.3390/cells13020134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
GvHD still remains, despite the continuous improvement of transplantation platforms, a fearful complication of transplantation from allogeneic donors. Being able to separate GvHD from GvL represents the greatest challenge in the allogeneic transplant setting. This may be possible through continuous improvement of cell therapy techniques. In this review, current cell therapies are taken into consideration, which are based on the use of TCR alpha/beta depletion, CD45RA depletion, T regulatory cell enrichment, NK-cell-based immunotherapies, and suicide gene therapies in order to prevent GvHD and maximally amplify the GvL effect in the setting of haploidentical transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Di Ianni
- Hematology Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (C.L.); (N.S.); (P.R.)
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (S.L.); (P.L.)
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Carmine Liberatore
- Hematology Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (C.L.); (N.S.); (P.R.)
| | - Nicole Santoro
- Hematology Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (C.L.); (N.S.); (P.R.)
| | - Paola Ranalli
- Hematology Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (C.L.); (N.S.); (P.R.)
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (S.L.); (P.L.)
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesco Guardalupi
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (S.L.); (P.L.)
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Giulia Corradi
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (S.L.); (P.L.)
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Ida Villanova
- Blood Bank Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (I.V.); (B.D.F.); (C.P.); (P.A.)
| | - Barbara Di Francesco
- Blood Bank Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (I.V.); (B.D.F.); (C.P.); (P.A.)
| | - Stefano Lattanzio
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (S.L.); (P.L.)
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Cecilia Passeri
- Blood Bank Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (I.V.); (B.D.F.); (C.P.); (P.A.)
| | - Paola Lanuti
- Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (F.G.); (G.C.); (S.L.); (P.L.)
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Patrizia Accorsi
- Blood Bank Unit, Pescara Hospital, 65124 Pescara, Italy; (I.V.); (B.D.F.); (C.P.); (P.A.)
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Huuhtanen J, Adnan-Awad S, Theodoropoulos J, Forstén S, Warfvinge R, Dufva O, Bouhlal J, Dhapola P, Duàn H, Laajala E, Kasanen T, Klievink J, Ilander M, Jaatinen T, Olsson-Strömberg U, Hjorth-Hansen H, Burchert A, Karlsson G, Kreutzman A, Lähdesmäki H, Mustjoki S. Single-cell analysis of immune recognition in chronic myeloid leukemia patients following tyrosine kinase inhibitor discontinuation. Leukemia 2024; 38:109-125. [PMID: 37919606 PMCID: PMC10776410 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-02074-w] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Immunological control of residual leukemia cells is thought to occur in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) that maintain treatment-free remission (TFR) following tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discontinuation. To study this, we analyzed 55 single-cell RNA and T cell receptor (TCR) sequenced samples (scRNA+TCRαβ-seq) from patients with CML (n = 13, N = 25), other cancers (n = 28), and healthy (n = 7). The high number and active phenotype of natural killer (NK) cells in CML separated them from healthy and other cancers. Most NK cells in CML belonged to the active CD56dim cluster with high expression of GZMA/B, PRF1, CCL3/4, and IFNG, with interactions with leukemic cells via inhibitory LGALS9-TIM3 and PVR-TIGIT interactions. Accordingly, upregulation of LGALS9 was observed in CML target cells and TIM3 in NK cells when co-cultured together. Additionally, we created a classifier to identify TCRs targeting leukemia-associated antigen PR1 and quantified anti-PR1 T cells in 90 CML and 786 healthy TCRβ-sequenced samples. Anti-PR1 T cells were more prevalent in CML, enriched in bone marrow samples, and enriched in the mature, cytotoxic CD8 + TEMRA cluster, especially in a patient maintaining TFR. Our results highlight the role of NK cells and anti-PR1 T cells in anti-leukemic immune responses in CML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani Huuhtanen
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Shady Adnan-Awad
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
- Foundation for the Finnish Cancer Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jason Theodoropoulos
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sofia Forstén
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rebecca Warfvinge
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Olli Dufva
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonas Bouhlal
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Parashar Dhapola
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Hanna Duàn
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Essi Laajala
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Kasanen
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jay Klievink
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mette Ilander
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Taina Jaatinen
- Histocompatibility Testing Laboratory, Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulla Olsson-Strömberg
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University and Hematology Section, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Henrik Hjorth-Hansen
- Department of Hematology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andreas Burchert
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Philipps University Marburg, and University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Göran Karlsson
- Division of Molecular Hematology, Lund Stem Cell Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Kreutzman
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Harri Lähdesmäki
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Satu Mustjoki
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland.
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland.
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Liu C, Li Y, Li Y, Hu M, Wang H, Lu S, Li Z, Dilimulati D, Jiao S, Lu S, Zhao W. Sufficiently activated mature natural killer cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells substantially enhance antitumor activity. Immun Inflamm Dis 2024; 12:e1143. [PMID: 38270321 PMCID: PMC10777885 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral blood-derived natural killer (NK) cells spontaneously lyse tumor cells without prior sensitization. However, NK cells in peripheral blood (PBNK cells) are in a resting state and exhibit inhibitory phenotypes and impaired cytotoxicity. Thus, strengthening the cytotoxic effector function of PBNK cells and improving NK cell expansion in vitro for a convenient allogeneic therapy are essential. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pure cytokine activation and expansion of NK cells (super NK [SNK]) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells were studied. Markers of activated and inhibited NK cells and cytokine secretion by NK cells were examined using flow cytometry. NK cell antitumor activity in vitro was assessed using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay and an Incucyte real-time imaging system. Additionally, the function of SNK cells against ascites caused by ovarian cancer in NOD-Prkdc(em26Cd52)il2rg(em26Cd22)/Nju (NCG) mice was determined. In a further investigation of the differences between PBNK and SNK, the mRNA of both cells was sequenced and analyzed. RESULTS Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed selective NK cell expansion upon cytokine activation and culture. Both SNK and PBNK cells expressed activation markers, but at different levels, and SNK cells secreted more cytokines related to cytotoxicity than PBNK cells did. Accordingly, SNK cells exhibited strong antitumor activity ex vivo and improved NCG mice survival after intraperitoneal ovarian cancer transplantation. Mechanistically, SNK cells expressed more genes associated with nucleotide metabolism, fatty acid, and ATP metabolism than PBNK cells. CONCLUSION SNK cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells have sufficiently activated mature characteristics and high antitumor activity, rendering them a highly promising and essential therapeutic approach for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanling Liu
- Department of OncologyChinese PLA General HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Yingying Li
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Yanrong Li
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Meng Hu
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Shasha Lu
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Zhao Li
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Dilinuer Dilimulati
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Shunchang Jiao
- Department of OncologyChinese PLA General HospitalBeijingChina
| | - Shelian Lu
- Research and Development DepartmentBeijing DCTY® Biotech Co., LtdBeijingChina
| | - Weihong Zhao
- Department of OncologyChinese PLA General HospitalBeijingChina
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Saultz JN, Otegbeye F. Optimizing the cryopreservation and post-thaw recovery of natural killer cells is critical for the success of off-the-shelf platforms. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1304689. [PMID: 38193082 PMCID: PMC10773738 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1304689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are a promising allogeneic, off-the-shelf, cellular immunotherapy product. These cells can be manipulated ex vivo, genetically edited to enhance tumor targeting and expanded to produce large cell banks for multiple patient infusions. Therapeutic efficacy of these products depends on the recovery of viable and functional cells post-thaw. Post-thaw loss of viability and cytolytic activity results in large, and often variable, discrepancies between the intended cell dose (based on counts at cryopreservation) and the actual dose administered. Compared to their highly activated state in fresh culture, post-thaw NK cells demonstrate critical changes in cytokine production, cytotoxic activity, in vivo proliferation and migration. When these NK cells are introduced into the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, the functional changes induced by cryopreservation further limits the clinical potential of these products. This report will review the impact of cryopreservation on ex vivo expanded NK cells and outlines strategies described in published studies to recover post-thaw function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N. Saultz
- Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Folashade Otegbeye
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, United States
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Dufva O, Gandolfi S, Huuhtanen J, Dashevsky O, Duàn H, Saeed K, Klievink J, Nygren P, Bouhlal J, Lahtela J, Näätänen A, Ghimire BR, Hannunen T, Ellonen P, Lähteenmäki H, Rumm P, Theodoropoulos J, Laajala E, Härkönen J, Pölönen P, Heinäniemi M, Hollmén M, Yamano S, Shirasaki R, Barbie DA, Roth JA, Romee R, Sheffer M, Lähdesmäki H, Lee DA, De Matos Simoes R, Kankainen M, Mitsiades CS, Mustjoki S. Single-cell functional genomics reveals determinants of sensitivity and resistance to natural killer cells in blood cancers. Immunity 2023; 56:2816-2835.e13. [PMID: 38091953 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells can evade natural killer (NK) cell activity, thereby limiting anti-tumor immunity. To reveal genetic determinants of susceptibility to NK cell activity, we examined interacting NK cells and blood cancer cells using single-cell and genome-scale functional genomics screens. Interaction of NK and cancer cells induced distinct activation and type I interferon (IFN) states in both cell types depending on the cancer cell lineage and molecular phenotype, ranging from more sensitive myeloid to less sensitive B-lymphoid cancers. CRISPR screens in cancer cells uncovered genes regulating sensitivity and resistance to NK cell-mediated killing, including adhesion-related glycoproteins, protein fucosylation genes, and transcriptional regulators, in addition to confirming the importance of antigen presentation and death receptor signaling pathways. CRISPR screens with a single-cell transcriptomic readout provided insight into underlying mechanisms, including regulation of IFN-γ signaling in cancer cells and NK cell activation states. Our findings highlight the diversity of mechanisms influencing NK cell susceptibility across different cancers and provide a resource for NK cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olli Dufva
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sara Gandolfi
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jani Huuhtanen
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Olga Dashevsky
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hanna Duàn
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Khalid Saeed
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jay Klievink
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petra Nygren
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonas Bouhlal
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Lahtela
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Näätänen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bishwa R Ghimire
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tiina Hannunen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Ellonen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hanna Lähteenmäki
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pauliina Rumm
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jason Theodoropoulos
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Essi Laajala
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jouni Härkönen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petri Pölönen
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Merja Heinäniemi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Maija Hollmén
- Medicity Research Laboratory, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Shizuka Yamano
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ryosuke Shirasaki
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - David A Barbie
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jennifer A Roth
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rizwan Romee
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Michal Sheffer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Harri Lähdesmäki
- Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Dean A Lee
- Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Ricardo De Matos Simoes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Matti Kankainen
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Laboratory of Genetics, HUS Diagnostic Center, Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusima (HUS), 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Constantine S Mitsiades
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
| | - Satu Mustjoki
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
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Hasan MF, Campbell AR, Croom-Perez TJ, Oyer JL, Dieffenthaller TA, Robles-Carrillo LD, Cash CA, Eloriaga JE, Kumar S, Andersen BW, Naeimi Kararoudi M, Tullius BP, Lee DA, Copik AJ. Knockout of the inhibitory receptor TIGIT enhances the antitumor response of ex vivo expanded NK cells and prevents fratricide with therapeutic Fc-active TIGIT antibodies. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007502. [PMID: 38081778 PMCID: PMC10729131 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007502] [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: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inhibitory receptor T-cell Immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) expressed by Natural Killer (NK) and T cells regulates cancer immunity and has been touted as the next frontier in the development of cancer immunotherapeutics. Although early results of anti-TIGIT and its combinations with antiprogrammed death-ligand 1 were highly exciting, results from an interim analysis of phase III trials are disappointing. With mixed results, there is a need to understand the effects of therapeutic anti-TIGIT on the TIGIT+ immune cells to support its clinical use. Most of the TIGIT antibodies in development have an Fc-active domain, which binds to Fc receptors on effector cells. In mouse models, Fc-active anti-TIGIT induced superior immunity, while Fc receptor engagement was required for its efficacy. NK-cell depletion compromised the antitumor immunity of anti-TIGIT indicating the essential role of NK cells in the efficacy of anti-TIGIT. Since NK cells express TIGIT and Fc-receptor CD16, Fc-active anti-TIGIT may deplete NK cells via fratricide, which has not been studied. METHODS CRISPR-Cas9-based TIGIT knockout (KO) was performed in expanded NK cells. Phenotypic and transcriptomic properties of TIGIT KO and wild-type (WT) NK cells were compared with flow cytometry, CyTOF, and RNA sequencing. The effect of TIGIT KO on NK-cell cytotoxicity was determined by calcein-AM release and live cell imaging-based cytotoxicity assays. The metabolic properties of TIGIT KO and WT NK cells were compared with a Seahorse analyzer. The effect of the Fc-component of anti-TIGIT on NK-cell fratricide was determined by co-culturing WT and TIGIT KO NK cells with Fc-active and Fc-inactive anti-TIGIT. RESULTS TIGIT KO increased the cytotoxicity of NK cells against multiple cancer cell lines including spheroids. TIGIT KO NK cells upregulated mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling and had better metabolic fitness with an increased basal glycolytic rate when co-cultured with cancer cells compared with WT NK cells. Importantly, TIGIT KO prevented NK-cell fratricide when combined with Fc-active anti-TIGIT. CONCLUSIONS TIGIT KO in ex vivo expanded NK cells increased their cytotoxicity and metabolic fitness and prevented NK-cell fratricide when combined with Fc-active anti-TIGIT antibodies. These fratricide-resistant TIGIT KO NK cells have therapeutic potential alone or in combination with Fc-active anti-TIGIT antibodies to enhance their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Faqrul Hasan
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Amanda R Campbell
- Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Tayler J Croom-Perez
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Jeremiah L Oyer
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | | | - Liza D Robles-Carrillo
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Catherine A Cash
- Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jonathan E Eloriaga
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Sanjana Kumar
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Brendan W Andersen
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Meisam Naeimi Kararoudi
- Center for Childhood Cancer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Brian P Tullius
- Pediatric Cellular Therapies, AdventHealth for Children, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Dean A Lee
- Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Alicja J Copik
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
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Dagher OK, Posey AD. Forks in the road for CAR T and CAR NK cell cancer therapies. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1994-2007. [PMID: 38012406 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01659-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has resulted in unprecedented long-term clearance of relapse/refractory hematological malignancies in both pediatric and adult patients. However, severe toxicities, such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, associated with CAR T cells affect therapeutic utility; and treatment efficacies for solid tumors are still not impressive. As a result, engineering strategies that modify other immune cell types, especially natural killer (NK) cells have arisen. Owing to both CAR-dependent and CAR-independent (innate immune-mediated) antitumor killing capacity, major histocompatibility complex-independent cytotoxicity, reduced risk of alloreactivity and lack of major CAR T cell toxicities, CAR NK cells constitute one of the promising next-generation CAR immune cells that are also amenable as 'off-the-shelf' therapeutics. In this Review, we compare CAR T and CAR NK cell therapies, with particular focus on immunological synapses, engineering strategies and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oula K Dagher
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Avery D Posey
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Wang Y, Jin S, Zhuang Q, Liu N, Chen R, Adam SA, Jin J, Sun J. Chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells: a promising antitumor immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e422. [PMID: 38045827 PMCID: PMC10691297 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have been successfully used in adoptive cell therapy for malignancies. However, some obstacles, including side effects such as graft-versus-host disease and cytokine release syndrome, therapy resistance, limited sources, as well as high cost, limited the application of CAR T cells. Recently, CAR natural killer (NK) cells have been pursued as the effector cells for adoptive immunotherapy for their attractive merits of strong intrinsic antitumor activity and relatively mild side effects. Additionally, CAR NK cells can be available from various sources and do not require strict human leukocyte antigen matching, which suggests them as promising "off-the-shelf" products for clinical application. Although the use of CAR NK cells is restrained by the limited proliferation and impaired efficiency within the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, further investigation in optimizing CAR structure and combination therapies will overcome these challenges. This review will summarize the advancement of CAR NK cells, CAR NK cell manufacture, the clinical outcomes of CAR NK therapy, the challenges in the field, and prospective solutions. Besides, we will discuss the emerging application of other immune cells for CAR engineering. Collectively, this comprehensive review will provide a valuable and informative summary of current progress and evaluate challenges and future opportunities of CAR NK cells in tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Shengjie Jin
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Qiqi Zhuang
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Na Liu
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Department of OncologyAffiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical UniversitySchool of Clinical MedicineWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangShandongChina
| | - Ruyi Chen
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Sofia Abdulkadir Adam
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jie Jin
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang University Cancer CenterHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hematological DisordersHangzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of HematologyThe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Hematologic MalignanciesDiagnosis, and TreatmentHangzhouZhejiangChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hematological DisordersHangzhouZhejiangChina
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Mehra V, Chhetri JB, Ali S, Roddie C. The Emerging Role of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as Adoptive Cellular Immunotherapeutics. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1419. [PMID: 37998018 PMCID: PMC10669440 DOI: 10.3390/biology12111419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) has transformed the treatment landscape for cancer and infectious disease through the investigational use of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-Ts), tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and viral-specific T-cells (VSTs). Whilst these represent breakthrough treatments, there are subsets of patients who fail to respond to autologous ACT products. This is frequently due to impaired patient T-cell function or "fitness" as a consequence of prior treatments and age, and can be exacerbated by complex manufacturing protocols. Further, the manufacture of autologous, patient-specific products is time-consuming, expensive and non-standardised. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as an allogeneic alternative to patient-specific products can potentially overcome the issues outlined above. iPSC technology provides an unlimited source of rejuvenated iPSC-derived T-cells (T-iPSCs) or natural killer (NK) cells (NK-iPSCs), and in the context of the growing field of allogeneic ACT, iPSCs have enormous potential as a platform for generating off-the-shelf, standardised, "fit" therapeutics for patients. In this review, we evaluate current and future applications of iPSC technology in the CAR-T/NK, TIL and VST space. We discuss current and next-generation iPSC manufacturing protocols, and report on current iPSC-based adoptive therapy clinical trials to elucidate the potential of this technology as the future of ACT.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Claire Roddie
- Research Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, Paul O’Gorman Building, London WCIE 6DD, UK
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Portillo AL, Monteiro JK, Rojas EA, Ritchie TM, Gillgrass A, Ashkar AA. Charting a killer course to the solid tumor: strategies to recruit and activate NK cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286750. [PMID: 38022679 PMCID: PMC10663242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to expand and activate natural Killer (NK) cells ex vivo has dramatically changed the landscape in the development of novel adoptive cell therapies for treating cancer over the last decade. NK cells have become a key player for cancer immunotherapy due to their innate ability to kill malignant cells while not harming healthy cells, allowing their potential use as an "off-the-shelf" product. Furthermore, recent advancements in NK cell genetic engineering methods have enabled the efficient generation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing NK cells that can exert both CAR-dependent and antigen-independent killing. Clinically, CAR-NK cells have shown promising efficacy and safety for treating CD19-expressing hematologic malignancies. While the number of pre-clinical studies using CAR-NK cells continues to expand, it is evident that solid tumors pose a unique challenge to NK cell-based adoptive cell therapies. Major barriers for efficacy include low NK cell trafficking and infiltration into solid tumor sites, low persistence, and immunosuppression by the harsh solid tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review we discuss the barriers posed by the solid tumor that prevent immune cell trafficking and NK cell effector functions. We then discuss promising strategies to enhance NK cell infiltration into solid tumor sites and activation within the TME. This includes NK cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms such as NK cell engineering to resist TME-mediated inhibition and use of tumor-targeted agents such as oncolytic viruses expressing chemoattracting and activating payloads. We then discuss opportunities and challenges for using combination therapies to extend NK cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Monteiro
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Eduardo A. Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tyrah M. Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Amy Gillgrass
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ali A. Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Zhang C, Kadu S, Xiao Y, Johnson O, Kelly A, O'Connor RS, Lai M, Kong H, Srivatsa S, Tai V, Greenblatt E, Holmes M, Riley JL, June CH, Sheppard NC. Sequential Exposure to IL21 and IL15 During Human Natural Killer Cell Expansion Optimizes Yield and Function. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1524-1537. [PMID: 37649085 PMCID: PMC10618651 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are frequently expanded for the clinic using irradiated, engineered K562 feeder cells expressing a core transgene set of membrane-bound (mb) IL15 and/or mbIL21 together with 41BBL. Prior comparisons of mbIL15 to mbIL21 for NK expansion lack comparisons of key attributes of the resulting NK cells, including their high-dimensional phenotype, polyfunctionality, the breadth and potency of cytotoxicity, cellular metabolism, and activity in xenograft tumor models. Moreover, despite multiple rounds of K562 stimulation, studies of sequential use of mbIL15- and mbIL21-based feeder cells are absent. We addressed these gaps and found that using mbIL15- versus mbIL21-based feeder cells drove distinct phenotypic and functional profiles. Feeder cells expressing mbIL15 alone drove superior functionality by nearly all measures, whereas those expressing mbIL21 alone drove superior yield. In combination, most attributes resembled those imparted by mbIL21, whereas in sequence, NK yield approximated that imparted by the first cytokine, and the phenotype, transcriptome, and function resembled that driven by the second cytokine, highlighting the plasticity of NK cell differentiation. The sequence mbIL21 followed by mbIL15 was advantageous in achieving significant yields of highly functional NK cells that demonstrated equivalent in vivo activity to those expanded by mbIL15 alone in two of three xenograft models. Our findings define the impact of mbIL15 versus mbIL21 during NK expansion and reveal a previously underappreciated tradeoff between NK yield and function for which sequential use of mbIL21-based followed by mbIL15-based feeder cells may be the optimal approach in many settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caimei Zhang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Siddhant Kadu
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yansen Xiao
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Omar Johnson
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Andre Kelly
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Roddy S. O'Connor
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Meizan Lai
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hong Kong
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sriram Srivatsa
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Victoria Tai
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | | | - James L. Riley
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Carl H. June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Neil C. Sheppard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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Hojjatipour T, Sharifzadeh Z, Maali A, Azad M. Chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cells: a promising sword against insidious tumor cells. Hum Cell 2023; 36:1843-1864. [PMID: 37477869 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-00948-w] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are a critical component of innate immunity, particularly in initial cancer recognition and inhibition of additional tumor growth or metastasis propagation. NK cells recognize transformed cells without prior sensitization via stimulatory receptors and rapidly eradicate them. However, the protective tumor microenvironment facilitates tumor escaping via induction of an exhaustion state in immune cells, including NK cells. Hence, genetic manipulation of NK cells for specific identification of tumor-associated antigens or a more robust response against tumor cells is a promising strategy for NK cells' tumoricidal augmentation. Regarding the remarkable achievement of engineered CAR-T cells in treating hematologic malignancies, there is evolving interest in CAR-NK cell recruitment in cancer immunotherapy. Innate functionality of NK cells, higher safety, superior in vivo maintenance, and the off-the-shelf potential move CAR-NK-based therapy superior to CAR-T cells treatment. In this review, we have comprehensively discussed the recent genetic manipulations of CAR-NK cell manufacturing regarding different domains of CAR constructs and their following delivery systems into diverse sources of NK cells. Then highlight the preclinical and clinical investigations of CAR-NK cells and examine the current challenges and prospects as an optimistic remedy in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahereh Hojjatipour
- Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Students Research Center, School of Allied Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amirhosein Maali
- Department of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciecnes, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Mehdi Azad
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Paramedicine, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, 3419759811, Iran.
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Wen W, Chen X, Shen XY, Li HY, Zhang F, Fang FQ, Zhang XB. Enhancing cord blood stem cell-derived NK cell growth and differentiation through hyperosmosis. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:295. [PMID: 37840146 PMCID: PMC10578005 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cells hold great promise in treating diverse hematopoietic and solid tumors. Despite their availability from peripheral blood and cord blood, stem cell-derived NK cells offer an 'off-the-shelf' solution. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) derived from cord blood pose no risk to the newborn or mother and are virtually ideal sources for NK cell differentiation. METHODS We developed a modified protocol to differentiate HSPCs to NK cells under serum-free conditions using defined factors. The HSPC-derived NK (HSC-NK) cells could be expanded in a K562 feeder cell-dependent manner. Furthermore, using lentivirus transduction, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified HSPCs could be differentiated into NK cells, leading to the establishment of CAR-NK cells. RESULTS The efficiency of NK cell differentiation from HSPCs was increased through the simple modulation of osmotic pressure by the addition of sodium chloride or glucose. Furthermore, the hyperosmosis-primed HSC-NK cells exhibited enhanced proliferation capacity and maintained normal functional characteristics, including transcriptome and antitumor efficacy. The optimized protocol yielded approximately 1.8 million NK cells from a single CD34-positive cell within a 28-day cycle, which signifies more than a ten-fold increase in efficiency relative to the conventional methods. This optimized protocol was also suitable for generating CAR-NK cells with high yields compared to standard conditions. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study establish high osmotic pressure as a simple yet powerful adjustment that significantly enhances the efficiency and functionality of HSC-NK cells, including CAR-NK cells. This optimized protocol could lead to cost-effective, high-yield NK cell therapies, potentially revolutionizing cancer immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Xin-Yi Shen
- College of Computer Science and Technology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, China
| | - Hua-Yu Li
- College of Computer Science and Technology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng-Qi Fang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
| | - Xiao-Bing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, China.
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Katz OB, Yehudai-Ofir D, Zuckerman T. Cellular Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Have We Advanced in the Last Decade? Acta Haematol 2023; 147:99-112. [PMID: 37812926 DOI: 10.1159/000534341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a heterogeneous B-cell malignancy, affecting mainly older adults. Despite the recent introduction of multiple targeted agents, CLL remains an incurable disease. Cellular therapy is a promptly evolving area that has developed over the last decades from such standard of care as hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) to the novel treatment modalities employing genetically engineered immune cells. SUMMARY Tailoring the proper treatment for each patient is warranted and should take into account the disease biology, patient characteristics, and the available treatment modalities. Nowadays, the most broadly applied cellular therapies for CLL management are HCT and chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells. However, CAR-T cell therapy is currently not yet approved in CLL, and the appropriate sequencing for the administration of these agents remains to be clarified. KEY MESSAGES The current review will discuss various available cellular treatment options, their advances and limitations, as well as the optimal timing for the employment of such therapies in CLL patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofrat Beyar Katz
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Dana Yehudai-Ofir
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tsila Zuckerman
- Department of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
- The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
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Motallebnejad P, Kantardjieff A, Cichocki F, Azarin SM, Hu WS. Process engineering of natural killer cell-based immunotherapy. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1314-1326. [PMID: 37142447 PMCID: PMC10523923 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Cell therapy offers the potential for curative treatment of cancers. Although T cells have been the predominantly used cell type, natural killer (NK) cells have attracted great attention owing to their ability to kill cancer cells and because they are naturally suitable for allogeneic applications. Upon stimulation by cytokines or activation by a target cell, NK cells proliferate and expand their population. These cytotoxic NK cells can be cryopreserved and used as an off-the-shelf medicine. The production process for NK cells thus differs from that of autologous cell therapies. We briefly outline key biological features of NK cells, review the manufacturing technologies for protein biologics, and discuss their adaptation for developing robust NK cell biomanufacturing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedram Motallebnejad
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Frank Cichocki
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Samira M Azarin
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Wei-Shou Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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de Jonge PKJD, van Hauten PMM, Janssen LD, de Goede AL, Berrien-Elliott MM, van der Meer JMR, Mousset CM, Roeven MWH, Foster M, Blijlevens N, Hobo W, Fehniger TA, Jansen JH, Schaap NPM, Dolstra H. Good manufacturing practice production of CD34 + progenitor-derived NK cells for adoptive immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:3323-3335. [PMID: 37477653 PMCID: PMC10491545 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy is a promising, well-tolerated adjuvant therapeutic approach for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). For reproducible NK cell immunotherapy, a homogenous, pure and scalable NK cell product is preferred. Therefore, we developed a good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant, cytokine-based ex vivo manufacturing process for generating NK cells from CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). This manufacturing process combines amongst others IL15 and IL12 and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist StemRegenin-1 (SR1) to generate a consistent and active NK cell product that fits the requirements for NK cell immunotherapy well. The cell culture protocol was first optimized to generate NK cells with required expansion and differentiation capacity in GMP-compliant closed system cell culture bags. In addition, phenotype, antitumor potency, proliferative and metabolic capacity were evaluated to characterize the HSPC-NK product. Subsequently, seven batches were manufactured for qualification of the process. All seven runs demonstrated consistent results for proliferation, differentiation and antitumor potency, and preliminary specifications for the investigational medicinal product for early clinical phase trials were set. This GMP-compliant manufacturing process for HSPC-NK cells (named RNK001 cells) is used to produce NK cell batches applied in the clinical trial 'Infusion of ex vivo-generated allogeneic natural killer cells in combination with subcutaneous IL2 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia' approved by the Dutch Ethics Committee (EudraCT 2019-001929-27).
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Affiliation(s)
- P K J D de Jonge
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P M M van Hauten
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - L D Janssen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A L de Goede
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M M Berrien-Elliott
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - J M R van der Meer
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - C M Mousset
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M W H Roeven
- Department of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Foster
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - N Blijlevens
- Department of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - W Hobo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - T A Fehniger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - J H Jansen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N P M Schaap
- Department of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - H Dolstra
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Laboratory of Hematology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 8, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Dobson LJ, Saunderson SC, Smith-Bell SW, McLellan AD. Sleeping Beauty kit sets provide rapid and accessible generation of artificial antigen-presenting cells for natural killer cell expansion. Immunol Cell Biol 2023; 101:847-856. [PMID: 37585342 DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12679] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) offer a cost effective and convenient tool for the expansion of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-bearing T cells and NK cells. aAPCs are particularly useful because of their ability to efficiently expand low-frequency antigen-reactive lymphocytes in bulk cultures. Commonly derived from the leukemic cell line K562, these aAPCs lack most major histocompatibility complex expression and are therefore useful for NK cell expansion without triggering allogeneic T-cell proliferation. To combat difficulties in accessing existing aAPC lines, while circumventing the iterative lentiviral gene transfers with antibody-mediated sorting required for the isolation of stable aAPC clones, we developed a single-step technique using Sleeping Beauty (SB)-based vectors with antibiotic selection options. Our SB vectors contain options of two to three genes encoding costimulatory molecules, membrane-bound cytokines as well as the presence of antibiotic-resistance genes that allow for stable transposition-based transfection of feeder cells. Transfection of K562 with SB vectors described in this study allows for the surface expression of CD86, 4-1BBL, membrane-bound (mb) interleukin (IL)-15 and mbIL-21 after simultaneous transposition and antibiotic selection using only two antibiotics. aAPCs successfully expanded NK cells to high purity (80-95%). Expanded NK cells could be further engineered by lentiviral CAR transduction. The multivector kit set is publicly available and will allow convenient and reproducible in-house production of effective aAPCs for the in vitro expansion of primary cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan J Dobson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sarah C Saunderson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Samuel Wj Smith-Bell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alexander D McLellan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Shman TV, Vashkevich KP, Migas AA, Matveyenka MA, Lasiukov YA, Mukhametshyna NS, Horbach KI, Aleinikova OV. Phenotypic and functional characterisation of locally produced natural killer cells ex vivo expanded with the K562-41BBL-mbIL21 cell line. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:2551-2560. [PMID: 36527513 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00974-2] [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: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We characterised the expansion, phenotype and functional activity of natural killer (NK) cells obtained for a clinical trial. Nineteen expansion procedures were performed to obtain NK cell products for 16 patients. NK cells were expanded ex vivo from haploidentical donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of the locally generated feeder cell line K-562 with ectopic expression of 4-1BBL and mbIL-21. The median duration of expansion was 18 days (interquartile range 15-19). The median number of live cells yielded was 2.26 × 109 (range 1.6-3.4 × 109) with an NK content of 96.6% (range 95.1-97.9%). The median NK cell fold expansion was 171 (range 124-275). NK cell fold expansion depended on the number of seeded NK cells, the initial level of C-myc expression and the initial number of mature and immature NK cells. The majority of expanded NK cells had the phenotype of immature activated cells (NKG2A + , double bright CD56 + + CD16 + + , CD57-) expressing NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKG2D, CD69, HLA-DR and CD96. Despite the expression of exhaustion markers, expanded NK cells exhibited high cytolytic activity against leukaemia cell lines, high degranulation activity and cytokine production. There was a noted decrease in the functional activity of NK cells in tests against the patient's blasts.In conclusion, NK cells obtained by ex vivo expansion with locally generated K562-41BBL-mbIL21 cells had a relatively undifferentiated phenotype and enhanced cytolytic activity against cancer cell lines. Expansion of NK cells with feeder cells yielded a sufficient quantity of the NK cell product to reach high cell doses or increase the frequency of cell infusions for adoptive immunotherapy. Registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04327037.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsiana V Shman
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus.
| | - Katsiaryna P Vashkevich
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Alexandr A Migas
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Mikhail A Matveyenka
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Yauheni A Lasiukov
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Nastassia S Mukhametshyna
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Katsiaryna I Horbach
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
| | - Olga V Aleinikova
- Belarusian Research Center for Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, Minsk Reg., d., Frunzenskaya Str., 43., 223053, Borovliany, Belarus
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Mou J, Xie L, Xu Y, Zhou T, Liu Y, Huang Q, Tang K, Tian Z, Xing H, Qiu S, Rao Q, Wang M, Wang J. 2B4 inhibits the apoptosis of natural killer cells through phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase/B-cell lymphoma 2 signal pathway. Cytotherapy 2023; 25:1080-1090. [PMID: 37516949 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Decades after the identification of natural killer (NK) cells as potential effector cells against malignantly transformed cells, an increasing amount of research suggests that NK cells are a prospective choice of immunocytes for cancer immunotherapy in addition to T lymphocytes for cancer immunotherapy. Recent studies have led to a breakthrough in the combination of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation with allogeneic NK cells infusion for the treatment of malignant tumors. However, the short lifespan of NK cells in patients is the major impediment, limiting their efficacy. Therefore, prolonging the survival of NK cells will promote the application of NK-cell immunotherapy. As we have known, NK cells use a "missing-self" mechanism to lyse target cells and exert their functions through a wide array of activating, co-stimulatory and inhibitory receptors. Our previous study has suggested that CD244 (2B4), one of the co-stimulatory receptors, can improve the function of chimeric antigen receptor NK cells. However, the underlying mechanism of how 2B4 engages in the function of NK cells requires further investigation. Overall, we established a feeder cell with the expression of CD48, the ligand of 2B4, to investigate the function of 2B4-CD48 axis in NK cells, and meanwhile, to explore whether the newly generated feeder cell can improve the function of ex vivo-expanded NK cells. METHODS First, K562 cells overexpressing 4-1BBL and membrane-bound IL-21 (mbIL-21) were constructed (K562-41BBL-mbIL-21) and were sorted to generate the single clone. These widely used feeder cells (K562-41BBL-mbIL-21) were named as Basic Feeder hereinafter. Based on the Basic feeder, CD48 was overexpressed and named as CD48 Feeder. Then, the genetically modified feeder cells were used to expand primary NK cells from peripheral blood or umbilical cord blood. In vitro experiments were performed to compare proliferation ability, cytotoxicity, survival and activation/inhibition phenotypes of NK cells stimulated via different feeder cells. K562 cells were injected into nude mice subcutaneously with tail vein injection of NK cells from different feeder system for the detection of NK in vivo persistence and function. RESULTS Compared with Basic Feeders, CD48 Feeders can promote the proliferation of primary NK cells from peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood and reduce NK cell apoptosis by activating the p-ERK/BCL2 pathway both in vitro and in vivo without affecting overall phenotypes. Furthermore, NK cells expanded via CD48 Feeders showed stronger anti-tumor capability and infiltration ability into the tumor microenvironment. CONCLUSIONS In this preclinical study, the engagement of the 2B4-CD48 axis can inhibit the apoptosis of NK cells through the p-ERK/BCL2 signal pathway, leading to an improvement in therapeutic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junli Mou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Leling Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yingxi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Qianqian Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Kejing Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Zheng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Haiyan Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Shaowei Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Qing Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jianxiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cell Therapy for Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Tianjin, China; Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China.
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