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Peng L, Sferruzza G, Yang L, Zhou L, Chen S. CAR-T and CAR-NK as cellular cancer immunotherapy for solid tumors. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:1089-1108. [PMID: 39134804 PMCID: PMC11442786 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-024-01207-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has emerged as a promising immunotherapeutic approach for combating cancers, demonstrating remarkable efficacy in relapsed/refractory hematological malignancies in both pediatric and adult patients. CAR-natural killer (CAR-NK) cell complements CAR-T cell therapy by offering several distinct advantages. CAR-NK cells do not require HLA compatibility and exhibit low safety concerns. Moreover, CAR-NK cells are conducive to "off-the-shelf" therapeutics, providing significant logistic advantages over CAR-T cells. Both CAR-T and CAR-NK cells have shown consistent and promising results in hematological malignancies. However, their efficacy against solid tumors remains limited due to various obstacles including limited tumor trafficking and infiltration, as well as an immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss the recent advances and current challenges of CAR-T and CAR-NK cell immunotherapies, with a specific focus on the obstacles to their application in solid tumors. We also analyze in depth the advantages and drawbacks of CAR-NK cells compared to CAR-T cells and highlight CAR-NK CAR optimization. Finally, we explore future perspectives of these adoptive immunotherapies, highlighting the increasing contribution of cutting-edge biotechnological tools in shaping the next generation of cellular immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Peng
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Giacomo Sferruzza
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Luojia Yang
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liqun Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
- Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sidi Chen
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- System Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Development Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Immunobiology Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Liver Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Center for Biomedical Data Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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2
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Modern Advances in CARs Therapy and Creating a New Approach to Future Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315006. [PMID: 36499331 PMCID: PMC9739283 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically engineered T and NK cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) are promising cytotoxic cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Despite the successful therapies using CAR-T cells, they have some disadvantages, such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity, or graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). CAR-NK cells have lack or minimal cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, but also multiple mechanisms of cytotoxic activity. NK cells are suitable for developing an "off the shelf" therapeutic product that causes little or no graft versus host disease (GvHD), but they are more sensitive to apoptosis and have low levels of gene expression compared to CAR-T cells. To avoid these adverse effects, further developments need to be considered to enhance the effectiveness of adoptive cellular immunotherapy. A promising approach to enhance the effectiveness of adoptive cellular immunotherapy is overcoming terminal differentiation or senescence and exhaustion of T cells. In this case, EVs derived from immune cells in combination therapy with drugs may be considered in the treatment of cancer patients, especially effector T and NK cells-derived exosomes with the cytotoxic activity of their original cells.
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Murayama Y, Kasahara Y, Kubo N, Shin C, Imamura M, Oike N, Ariizumi T, Saitoh A, Baba M, Miyazaki T, Suzuki Y, Ling Y, Okuda S, Mihara K, Ogose A, Kawashima H, Imai C. NKp44-based chimeric antigen receptor effectively redirects primary T cells against synovial sarcoma. Transl Oncol 2022; 25:101521. [PMID: 35998437 PMCID: PMC9420389 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell therapies have achieved promising response rates against synovial sarcoma in clinical trials, but their applicability is limited owing to the HLA matching requirement. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) can redirect primary T cells to tumor-associated antigens without requiring HLA matching. However, various obstacles, including the paucity of targetable antigens, must be addressed for synovial sarcoma. Ligands for natural killer (NK) cell-activating receptors are highly expressed by tumor cells. METHODS The surface expression of ligands for NK cell-activating receptors in synovial sarcoma cell lines was analyzed. We analyzed RNA sequencing data deposited in a public database to evaluate NKp44-ligand expression. Primary T cells retrovirally transduced with CAR targeting NKp44 ligands were evaluated for their functions in synovial sarcoma cells. Alterations induced by various stimuli, including a histone deacetylase inhibitor, a hypomethylating agent, inflammatory cytokines, and ionizing radiation, in the expression levels of NKp44 ligands were investigated. RESULTS Ligands for NKp44 and NKp30 were expressed in all cell lines. NKG2D ligands were barely expressed in a single cell line. None of the cell lines expressed NKp46 ligand. Primary synovial sarcoma cells expressed the mRNA of the truncated isoform of MLL5, a known cellular ligand for NKp44. NKp44-based CAR T cells specifically recognize synovial sarcoma cells, secrete interferon-γ, and exert suppressive effects on tumor cell growth. No stimulus altered the expression of NKp44 ligands. CONCLUSION NKp44-based CAR T cells can redirect primary human T cells to synovial sarcoma cells. CAR-based cell therapies may be an option for treating synovial sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudai Murayama
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yasushi Kasahara
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Kubo
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Chansu Shin
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Masaru Imamura
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Naoki Oike
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Takashi Ariizumi
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Akihiko Saitoh
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Minori Baba
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Miyazaki
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yuko Suzuki
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; CURED, Inc., Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yiwei Ling
- Medical AI Center, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shujiro Okuda
- Medical AI Center, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Keichiro Mihara
- International Regenerative Medical Center, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Akira Ogose
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Uonuma Kikan Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kawashima
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Chihaya Imai
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.
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Stern LA, Gholamin S, Moraga I, Yang X, Saravanakumar S, Cohen JR, Starr R, Aguilar B, Salvary V, Hibbard JC, Kalbasi A, Shepphird JK, O’Hearn J, Garcia KC, Brown CE. Engineered IL13 variants direct specificity of IL13Rα2-targeted CAR T cell therapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112006119. [PMID: 35939683 PMCID: PMC9388138 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112006119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
IL13Rα2 is an attractive target due to its overexpression in a variety of cancers and rare expression in healthy tissue, motivating expansion of interleukin 13 (IL13)-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy from glioblastoma into systemic malignancies. IL13Rα1, the other binding partner of IL13, is ubiquitously expressed in healthy tissue, raising concerns about the therapeutic window of systemic administration. IL13 mutants with diminished binding affinity to IL13Rα1 were previously generated by structure-guided protein engineering. In this study, two such variants, termed C4 and D7, are characterized for their ability to mediate IL13Rα2-specific response as binding domains for CAR T cells. Despite IL13Rα1 and IL13Rα2 sharing similar binding interfaces on IL13, mutations to IL13 that decrease binding affinity for IL13Rα1 did not drastically change binding affinity for IL13Rα2. Micromolar affinity to IL13Rα1 was sufficient to pacify IL13-mutein CAR T cells in the presence of IL13Rα1-overexpressing cells in vitro. Interestingly, effector activity of D7 CAR T cells, but not C4 CAR T cells, was demonstrated when cocultured with IL13Rα1/IL4Rα-coexpressing cancer cells. While low-affinity interactions with IL13Rα1 did not result in observable toxicities in mice, in vivo biodistribution studies demonstrated that C4 and D7 CAR T cells were better able to traffic away from IL13Rα1+ lung tissue than were wild-type (WT) CAR T cells. These results demonstrate the utility of structure-guided engineering of ligand-based binding domains with appropriate selectivity while validating IL13-mutein CARs with improved selectivity for application to systemic IL13Rα2-expressing malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence A. Stern
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Sharareh Gholamin
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Ignacio Moraga
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5345
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5345
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Supraja Saravanakumar
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Joseph R. Cohen
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Renate Starr
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Brenda Aguilar
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Vanessa Salvary
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Jonathan C. Hibbard
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - Anusha Kalbasi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024
| | - Jennifer K. Shepphird
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - James O’Hearn
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
| | - K. Christopher Garcia
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5345
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5345
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5345
- School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-5345
| | - Christine E. Brown
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA 91010
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5
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Peipp M, Klausz K, Boje AS, Zeller T, Zielonka S, Kellner C. Immunotherapeutic targeting of activating natural killer cell receptors and their ligands in cancer. Clin Exp Immunol 2022; 209:22-32. [PMID: 35325068 PMCID: PMC9307233 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells exert an important role in cancer immune surveillance. Recognition of malignant cells and controlled activation of effector functions are facilitated by the expression of activating and inhibitory receptors, which is a complex interplay that allows NK cells to discriminate malignant cells from healthy tissues. Due to their unique profile of effector functions, the recruitment of NK cells is attractive in cancer treatment and a key function of NK cells in antibody therapy is widely appreciated. In recent years, besides the low-affinity fragment crystallizable receptor for immunoglobulin G (FcγRIIIA), the activating natural killer receptors p30 (NKp30) and p46 (NKp46), as well as natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D), have gained increasing attention as potential targets for bispecific antibody-derivatives to redirect NK cell cytotoxicity against tumors. Beyond modulation of the receptor activity on NK cells, therapeutic targeting of the respective ligands represents an attractive approach. Here, novel therapeutic approaches to unleash NK cells by engagement of activating NK-cell receptors and alternative strategies targeting their tumor-expressed ligands in cancer therapy are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Peipp
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Katja Klausz
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ammelie Svea Boje
- Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy, Department of Internal Medicine II, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tobias Zeller
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Zielonka
- Protein Engineering and Antibody Technologies, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christian Kellner
- Correspondence: Christian Kellner, Division of Transfusion Medicine, Cell Therapeutics and Haemostaseology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
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6
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Rossi F, Fredericks N, Snowden A, Allegrezza MJ, Moreno-Nieves UY. Next Generation Natural Killer Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:886429. [PMID: 35720306 PMCID: PMC9202478 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.886429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immunotherapy for cancer has become mainstream with several products now authorized for therapeutic use in the clinic and are becoming the standard of care for some malignancies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have demonstrated substantial efficacy for the treatment of hematological malignancies; however, they are complex and currently expensive to manufacture, and they can generate life-threatening adverse events such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The limitations of current CAR-T cells therapies have spurred an interest in alternative immunotherapy approaches with safer risk profiles and with less restrictive manufacturing constraints. Natural killer (NK) cells are a population of immune effector cells with potent anti-viral and anti-tumor activity; they have the capacity to swiftly recognize and kill cancer cells without the need of prior stimulation. Although NK cells are naturally equipped with cytotoxic potential, a growing body of evidence shows the added benefit of engineering them to better target tumor cells, persist longer in the host, and be fitter to resist the hostile tumor microenvironment (TME). NK-cell-based immunotherapies allow for the development of allogeneic off-the-shelf products, which have the potential to be less expensive and readily available for patients in need. In this review, we will focus on the advances in the development of engineering of NK cells for cancer immunotherapy. We will discuss the sourcing of NK cells, the technologies available to engineer NK cells, current clinical trials utilizing engineered NK cells, advances on the engineering of receptors adapted for NK cells, and stealth approaches to avoid recipient immune responses. We will conclude with comments regarding the next generation of NK cell products, i.e., armored NK cells with enhanced functionality, fitness, tumor-infiltration potential, and with the ability to overcome tumor heterogeneity and immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiorella Rossi
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Nathaniel Fredericks
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Andrew Snowden
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Michael J Allegrezza
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
| | - Uriel Y Moreno-Nieves
- Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States
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7
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Ruppel KE, Fricke S, Köhl U, Schmiedel D. Taking Lessons from CAR-T Cells and Going Beyond: Tailoring Design and Signaling for CAR-NK Cells in Cancer Therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:822298. [PMID: 35371071 PMCID: PMC8971283 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.822298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies utilize the capabilities of the immune system to efficiently target malignant cells. In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) equipped T cells showed promising results against B cell lymphomas. Autologous CAR-T cells require patient-specific manufacturing and thus extensive production facilities, resulting in high priced therapies. Along with potentially severe side effects, these are the major drawbacks of CAR-T cells therapies. Natural Killer (NK) cells pose an alternative for CAR equipped immune cells. Since NK cells can be safely transferred from healthy donors to cancer patients, they present a suitable platform for an allogeneic “off-the-shelf” immunotherapy. However, administration of activated NK cells in cancer therapy has until now shown poor anti-cancer responses, especially in solid tumors. Genetic modifications such as CARs promise to enhance recognition of tumor cells, thereby increasing anti-tumor effects and improving clinical efficacy. Although the cell biology of T and NK cells deviates in many aspects, the development of CAR-NK cells frequently follows within the footsteps of CAR-T cells, meaning that T cell technologies are simply adopted to NK cells. In this review, we underline the unique properties of NK cells and their potential in CAR therapies. First, we summarize the characteristics of NK cell biology with a focus on signaling, a fine-tuned interaction of activating and inhibitory receptors. We then discuss why tailored NK cell-specific CAR designs promise superior efficacy compared to designs developed for T cells. We summarize current findings and developments in the CAR-NK landscape: different CAR formats and modifications to optimize signaling, to target a broader pool of antigens or to increase in vivo persistence. Finally, we address challenges beyond NK cell engineering, including expansion and manufacturing, that need to be addressed to pave the way for CAR-NK therapies from the bench to the clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Eva Ruppel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for GMP Process Development & ATMP Design, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephan Fricke
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for GMP Process Development & ATMP Design, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrike Köhl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Dominik Schmiedel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Department for GMP Process Development & ATMP Design, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Dominik Schmiedel,
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8
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Zur RT, Adler G, Shamalov K, Tal Y, Ankri C, Cohen CJ. Adoptive T-cell Immunotherapy: Perfecting Self-Defenses. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 113:253-294. [PMID: 35165867 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-91311-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As an important part of the immune system, T lymphocytes exhibit undoubtedly an important role in targeting and eradicating cancer. However, despite these characteristics, their natural antitumor response may be insufficient. Numerous clinical trials in terminally ill cancer patients testing the design of novel and efficient immunotherapeutic approaches based on the adoptive transfer of autologous tumor-specific T lymphocytes have shown encouraging results. Moreover, this also led to the approval of engineered T-cell therapies in patients. Herein, we will expand on the development and the use of such strategies using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes or genetically engineered T-cells. We will also comment on the requirements and potential hurdles encountered when elaborating and implementing such treatments as well as the exciting prospects for this kind of emerging personalized medicine therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaëlle Toledano Zur
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Galit Adler
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Katerina Shamalov
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yair Tal
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Chen Ankri
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Cyrille J Cohen
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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9
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Sheffer M, Lowry E, Beelen N, Borah M, Amara SNA, Mader CC, Roth JA, Tsherniak A, Freeman SS, Dashevsky O, Gandolfi S, Bender S, Bryan JG, Zhu C, Wang L, Tariq I, Kamath GM, Simoes RDM, Dhimolea E, Yu C, Hu Y, Dufva O, Giannakis M, Syrgkanis V, Fraenkel E, Golub T, Romee R, Mustjoki S, Culhane AC, Wieten L, Mitsiades CS. Genome-scale screens identify factors regulating tumor cell responses to natural killer cells. Nat Genet 2021; 53:1196-1206. [PMID: 34253920 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-021-00889-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
To systematically define molecular features in human tumor cells that determine their degree of sensitivity to human allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells, we quantified the NK cell responsiveness of hundreds of molecularly annotated 'DNA-barcoded' solid tumor cell lines in multiplexed format and applied genome-scale CRISPR-based gene-editing screens in several solid tumor cell lines, to functionally interrogate which genes in tumor cells regulate the response to NK cells. In these orthogonal studies, NK cell-sensitive tumor cells tend to exhibit 'mesenchymal-like' transcriptional programs; high transcriptional signature for chromatin remodeling complexes; high levels of B7-H6 (NCR3LG1); and low levels of HLA-E/antigen presentation genes. Importantly, transcriptional signatures of NK cell-sensitive tumor cells correlate with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) resistance in clinical samples. This study provides a comprehensive map of mechanisms regulating tumor cell responses to NK cells, with implications for future biomarker-driven applications of NK cell immunotherapies.
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MESH Headings
- Allogeneic Cells/physiology
- Animals
- B7 Antigens/genetics
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly/physiology
- Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic/methods
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/genetics
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/physiology
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/genetics
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Genome, Human
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/genetics
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class I/immunology
- Humans
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Killer Cells, Natural/physiology
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- HLA-E Antigens
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Sheffer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Emily Lowry
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicky Beelen
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ GROW, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Minasri Borah
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Chris C Mader
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Roth
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aviad Tsherniak
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Samuel S Freeman
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Olga Dashevsky
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Gandolfi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samantha Bender
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jordan G Bryan
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cong Zhu
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ifrah Tariq
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Ricardo De Matos Simoes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eugen Dhimolea
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Channing Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yiguo Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Olli Dufva
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marios Giannakis
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Todd Golub
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rizwan Romee
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Satu Mustjoki
- Hematology Research Unit Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland
- Translational Immunology Research Program and Department of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aedin C Culhane
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lotte Wieten
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center+ GROW, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Constantine S Mitsiades
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Ludwig Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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10
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Obajdin J, Davies DM, Maher J. Engineering of chimeric natural killer cell receptors to develop precision adoptive immunotherapies for cancer. Clin Exp Immunol 2020; 202:11-27. [PMID: 32544282 PMCID: PMC7488126 DOI: 10.1111/cei.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune effectors which play a crucial role in recognizing and eliminating virally infected and cancerous cells. They effectively distinguish between healthy and distressed self through the integration of signals delivered by germline‐encoded activating and inhibitory cell surface receptors. The frequent up‐regulation of stress markers on genetically unstable cancer cells has prompted the development of novel immunotherapies that exploit such innate receptors. One prominent example entails the development of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) that detect cell surface ligands bound by NK receptors, coupling this engagement to the delivery of tailored immune activating signals. Here, we review strategies to engineer CARs in which specificity is conferred by natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) or other NK receptor types. Multiple preclinical studies have demonstrated the remarkable ability of chimeric NK receptor‐targeted T cells and NK cells to effectively and specifically eliminate cancer cells and to reject established tumour burdens. Importantly, such systems act not only acutely but, in some cases, they also incite immunological memory. Moreover, CARs targeted with the NKG2D ligand binding domain have also been shown to disrupt the tumour microenvironment, through the targeting of suppressive T regulatory cells, myeloid‐derived suppressor cells and tumour vasculature. Collectively, these findings have led to the initiation of early‐phase clinical trials evaluating both autologous and allogeneic NKG2D‐targeted CAR T cells in the haematological and solid tumour settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Obajdin
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, CAR Mechanics Laboratory, Guy's Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - D M Davies
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, CAR Mechanics Laboratory, Guy's Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - J Maher
- School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, CAR Mechanics Laboratory, Guy's Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.,Department of Immunology, Eastbourne Hospital, Eastbourne, UK.,Leucid Bio Ltd, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
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11
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Kasahara Y, Shin C, Kubo N, Mihara K, Iwabuchi H, Takachi T, Imamura M, Saitoh A, Imai C. Development and characterisation of NKp44-based chimeric antigen receptors that confer T cells with NK cell-like specificity. Clin Transl Immunology 2020; 9:e1147. [PMID: 32670576 PMCID: PMC7341825 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives One of the reasons as to why chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-T cell therapy for malignancies other than CD19- or BCMA-positive tumors has yet to produce remarkable progress is the paucity of targetable antigens. NKp44 is only expressed by activated natural killer cells and detects a variety of transformed cells, while it reportedly does not react with normal tissues. The aim of this study is to develop CAR-T cell that can target multiple types of tumor cells. Methods We created a series of novel CAR constructs in first-generation (1G) and second-generation (2G) CAR format with the extracellular immunoglobulin-like domain of NKp44 (NKp44-CAR). Results Transduction of the best 1G construct into human primary T cells led to specific cytotoxic effects and cytokine secretion upon encountering multiple types of neoplastic cells including AML, T-ALL and childhood solid tumors. Replacement of the extracellular hinge domain of NKp44 with that of CD8α resulted in diminished CAR function. The 1G NKp44-CAR-T cells exhibited significantly better tumor control in long-term co-culture assays compared with activated NK cells, as well as with NK cells transduced with identical NKp44-CAR. T cells transduced with the best 2G-CAR construct with 4-1BB co-stimulatory domain proliferated at significantly higher levels upon single antigen exposure and showed significantly better tumor control compared with the 1G-CAR and 2G-CAR with CD28 co-stimulatory domain. Conclusions NKp44-based CAR endows T cells with NK cell-like anti-tumor specificity. The CAR gene created in this study will be useful for the development of novel gene-modified T-cell immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasushi Kasahara
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Chansu Shin
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Kubo
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Keichiro Mihara
- International Regenerative Medical Center Fujita Health University Aichi Japan
| | - Haruko Iwabuchi
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Takayuki Takachi
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Masaru Imamura
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Akihiko Saitoh
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
| | - Chihaya Imai
- Department of Pediatrics Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences Niigata Japan
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12
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Meril S, Harush O, Reboh Y, Matikhina T, Barliya T, Cohen CJ. Targeting glycosylated antigens on cancer cells using siglec‐7/9‐based CAR T‐cells. Mol Carcinog 2020; 59:713-723. [DOI: 10.1002/mc.23213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Meril
- Division of Molecular, Cellular and Medical BiologyThe Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar‐Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
| | - Ortal Harush
- Division of Molecular, Cellular and Medical BiologyThe Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar‐Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
| | - Yishai Reboh
- Division of Molecular, Cellular and Medical BiologyThe Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar‐Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
| | - Tatyana Matikhina
- Division of Molecular, Cellular and Medical BiologyThe Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar‐Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
| | - Tilda Barliya
- Division of Molecular, Cellular and Medical BiologyThe Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar‐Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
| | - Cyrille J. Cohen
- Division of Molecular, Cellular and Medical BiologyThe Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar‐Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
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13
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Hoogi S, Eisenberg V, Mayer S, Shamul A, Barliya T, Cohen CJ. A TIGIT-based chimeric co-stimulatory switch receptor improves T-cell anti-tumor function. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:243. [PMID: 31500665 PMCID: PMC6734436 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0721-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tumors can employ different mechanisms to evade immune surveillance and function. Overexpression of co-inhibitory ligands that bind to checkpoint molecules on the surface of T-cells can greatly impair the function of latter. TIGIT (T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains) is such a co-inhibitory receptor expressed by T and NK cells which, upon binding to its ligand (e.g., CD155), can diminish cytokine production and effector function. Additionally, the absence of positive co-stimulation at the tumor site can further dampen T-cell response. Methods As T-cell genetic engineering has become clinically-relevant in the recent years, we devised herein a strategy aimed at enhancing T-cell anti-tumor function by diverting T-cell coinhibitory signals into positive ones using a chimeric costimulatory switch receptor (CSR) composed of the TIGIT exodomain fused to the signaling domain of CD28. Results After selecting an optimized TIGIT-28 CSR, we co-transduced it along with tumor-specific TCR or CAR into human T-cells. TIGIT-28-equipped T-cells exhibited enhanced cytokine secretion and upregulation of activation markers upon co-culture with tumor cells. TIGIT-28 enhancing capability was also demonstrated in an original in vitro model of T-cell of hypofunction induction upon repetitive antigen exposure. Finally, we tested the function of this molecule in the context of a xenograft model of established human melanoma tumors and showed that TIGIT-28-engineered human T-cells demonstrated superior anti-tumor function. Conclusion Overall, we propose that TIGIT-based CSR can substantially enhance T-cell function and thus contribute to the improvement of engineered T cell-based immunotherapy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40425-019-0721-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiran Hoogi
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 52900-02, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Vasyl Eisenberg
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 52900-02, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shimrit Mayer
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 52900-02, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Astar Shamul
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 52900-02, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Tilda Barliya
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 52900-02, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Cyrille J Cohen
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, 52900-02, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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14
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Shembrey C, Huntington ND, Hollande F. Impact of Tumor and Immunological Heterogeneity on the Anti-Cancer Immune Response. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1217. [PMID: 31438563 PMCID: PMC6770225 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic tumors are the primary cause of cancer-related mortality. In recent years, interest in the immunologic control of malignancy has helped establish escape from immunosurveillance as a critical requirement for incipient metastases. Our improved understanding of the immune system's interactions with cancer cells has led to major therapeutic advances but has also unraveled a previously unsuspected level of complexity. This review will discuss the vast spatial and functional heterogeneity in the tumor-infiltrating immune system, with particular focus on natural killer (NK) cells, as well as the impact of tumor cell-specific factors, such as secretome composition, receptor-ligand repertoire, and neoantigen diversity, which can further drive immunological heterogeneity. We emphasize how tumor and immunological heterogeneity may undermine the efficacy of T-cell directed immunotherapies and explore the potential of NK cells to be harnessed to circumvent these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Shembrey
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Nicholas D Huntington
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Frédéric Hollande
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
- Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
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15
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Alfei F, Kanev K, Hofmann M, Wu M, Ghoneim HE, Roelli P, Utzschneider DT, von Hoesslin M, Cullen JG, Fan Y, Eisenberg V, Wohlleber D, Steiger K, Merkler D, Delorenzi M, Knolle PA, Cohen CJ, Thimme R, Youngblood B, Zehn D. TOX reinforces the phenotype and longevity of exhausted T cells in chronic viral infection. Nature 2019; 571:265-269. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1326-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 396] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Modified CAR T cells targeting membrane-proximal epitope of mesothelin enhances the antitumor function against large solid tumor. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:476. [PMID: 31209210 PMCID: PMC6572851 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1711-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mesothelin (MSLN) is an attractive antigen for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy and the epitope selection within MSLN is essential. In this study, we constructed two types of CARs targeting either region I of MSLN (meso1 CAR, also known as a membrane-distal region) or region III of MSLN (meso3 CAR, also known as a membrane-proximal region) using a modified piggyBac transposon system. We reported that, compared with meso1 CAR T cells, meso3 CAR T cells express higher levels of CD107α upon activation and produce increased levels of interleukin-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ against multiple MSLN-expressing cancer cells in vitro. In a real-time cell analyzer system and a three-dimensional spheroid cancer cell model, we also demonstrated that meso3 CAR T cells display an enhanced killing effect compared with that of meso1 CAR T cells. More importantly, in a gastric cancer NSG mice model, meso3 CAR T cells mediated stronger antitumor responses than meso1 CAR T cells did. We further identified that meso3 CAR T cells can effectively inhibit the growth of large ovarian tumors in vivo. Collectively, our study provides evidences that meso3 CAR T-cell therapy performs as a better immunotherapy than meso1 CAR T-cell therapy in treating MSLN-positive solid tumors.
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17
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Besser H, Yunger S, Merhavi-Shoham E, Cohen CJ, Louzoun Y. Level of neo-epitope predecessor and mutation type determine T cell activation of MHC binding peptides. J Immunother Cancer 2019; 7:135. [PMID: 31118084 PMCID: PMC6532181 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-019-0595-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Targeting epitopes derived from neo-antigens (or "neo-epitopes") represents a promising immunotherapy approach with limited off-target effects. However, most peptides predicted using MHC binding prediction algorithms do not induce a CD8 + T cell response, and there is a crucial need to refine the predictions to readily identify the best antigens that could mediate T-cell responses. Such a response requires a high enough number of epitopes bound to the target MHC. This number is correlated with both the peptide-MHC binding affinity and the number of peptides reaching the ER. Beyond this, the response may be affected by the properties of the neo-epitope mutated residues. METHODS Herein, we analyzed several experimental datasets from cancer patients to elaborate better predictive algorithms for T-cell reactivity to neo-epitopes. RESULTS Indeed, potent classifiers for epitopes derived from neo-antigens in melanoma and other tumors can be developed based on biochemical properties of the mutated residue, the antigen expression level and the peptide processing stage. Among MHC binding peptides, the present classifiers can remove half of the peptides falsely predicted to activate T cells while maintaining the absolute majority of reactive peptides. CONCLUSIONS The classifier properties further highlight the contribution of the quantity of peptides reaching the ER and the mutation type to CD8 + T cell responses. These classifiers were then validated on neo-antigens obtained from other datasets, confirming the validity of our prediction. Algorithm Availability: http://peptibase.cs.biu.ac.il/Tcell_predictor/ or by request from the authors as a standalone code.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan Besser
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Department of Mathematics, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Sharon Yunger
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Efrat Merhavi-Shoham
- Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Cyrille J Cohen
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| | - Yoram Louzoun
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Department of Mathematics, Bar-Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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18
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Barrow AD, Martin CJ, Colonna M. The Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors in Health and Disease. Front Immunol 2019; 10:909. [PMID: 31134055 PMCID: PMC6514059 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors (NCRs), NKp46, NKp44, and NKp30, were some of the first human activating Natural Killer (NK) cell receptors involved in the non-MHC-restricted recognition of tumor cells to be cloned over 20 years ago. Since this time many host- and pathogen-encoded ligands have been proposed to bind the NCRs and regulate the cytotoxic and cytokine-secreting functions of tissue NK cells. This diverse set of NCR ligands can manifest on the surface of tumor or virus-infected cells or can be secreted extracellularly, suggesting a remarkable NCR polyfunctionality that regulates the activity of NK cells in different tissue compartments during steady state or inflammation. Moreover, the NCRs can also be expressed by other innate and adaptive immune cell subsets under certain tissue conditions potentially conferring NK recognition programs to these cells. Here we review NCR biology in health and disease with particular reference to how this important class of receptors regulates the functions of tissue NK cells as well as confer NK cell recognition patterns to other innate and adaptive lymphocyte subsets. Finally, we highlight how NCR biology is being harnessed for novel therapeutic interventions particularly for enhanced tumor surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander David Barrow
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Claudia Jane Martin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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19
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Eisenberg V, Hoogi S, Shamul A, Barliya T, Cohen CJ. T-cells "à la CAR-T(e)" - Genetically engineering T-cell response against cancer. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019; 141:23-40. [PMID: 30653988 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The last decade will be remembered as the dawn of the immunotherapy era during which we have witnessed the approval by regulatory agencies of genetically engineered CAR T-cells and of checkpoint inhibitors for cancer treatment. Understandably, T-lymphocytes represent the essential player in these approaches. These cells can mediate impressive tumor regression in terminally-ill cancer patients. Moreover, they are amenable to genetic engineering to improve their function and specificity. In the present review, we will give an overview of the most recent developments in the field of T-cell genetic engineering including TCR-gene transfer and CAR T-cells strategies. We will also elaborate on the development of other types of genetic modifications to enhance their anti-tumor immune response such as the use of co-stimulatory chimeric receptors (CCRs) and unconventional CARs built on non-antibody molecules. Finally, we will discuss recent advances in genome editing and synthetic biology applied to T-cell engineering and comment on the next challenges ahead.
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20
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Tao K, He M, Tao F, Xu G, Ye M, Zheng Y, Li Y. Development of NKG2D-based chimeric antigen receptor-T cells for gastric cancer treatment. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2018; 82:815-827. [PMID: 30132099 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-018-3670-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortalities worldwide and mostly incurable. It remains an urgent need for novel strategies in the management of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy has shown unprecedented clinical success in hematological malignancies and potential utility is going on various solid tumors like gastric cancer. In this study, a broad expression of NKG2D ligands was observed in gastric cancer cell lines, making them suitable targets for gastric cancer therapy. T cells were engineered with an NKG2D-based second-generation CAR and the resulting NKG2D-CAR-T cells showed significantly increased cytolytic activity against gastric cancer compared to untransduced T cells. In vivo, these cells can significantly suppressed the growth of established gastric cancer xenografts. Besides, cisplatin was shown to upregulate NKG2D ligand expression in gastric cancer cells and enhance the susceptibility to NKG2D-CAR-T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In conclusion, NKG2D-based CAR-T cells have potent in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor activities against gastric cancer and could be a new paradigm for patients with gastric cancer, either used alone or combined with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelong Tao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), No. 568 Zhongxing North Road, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng He
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), Shaoxing, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Tao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), No. 568 Zhongxing North Road, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangen Xu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), No. 568 Zhongxing North Road, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Minfeng Ye
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), No. 568 Zhongxing North Road, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), Shaoxing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaoqing Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shaoxing People's Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine), No. 568 Zhongxing North Road, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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