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Wang K, Wang L, Wang Y, Xiao L, Wei J, Hu Y, Wang D, Huang H. Reprogramming natural killer cells for cancer therapy. Mol Ther 2024; 32:2835-2855. [PMID: 38273655 PMCID: PMC11403237 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.01.027] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The last decade has seen rapid development in the field of cellular immunotherapy, particularly in regard to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells. However, challenges, such as severe treatment-related toxicities and inconsistent quality of autologous products, have hindered the broader use of CAR-T cell therapy, highlighting the need to explore alternative immune cells for cancer targeting. In this regard, natural killer (NK) cells have been extensively studied in cellular immunotherapy and were found to exert cytotoxic effects without being restricted by human leukocyte antigen and have a lower risk of causing graft-versus-host disease; making them favorable for the development of readily available "off-the-shelf" products. Clinical trials utilizing unedited NK cells or reprogrammed NK cells have shown early signs of their effectiveness against tumors. However, limitations, including limited in vivo persistence and expansion potential, remained. To enhance the antitumor function of NK cells, advanced gene-editing technologies and combination approaches have been explored. In this review, we summarize current clinical trials of antitumor NK cell therapy, provide an overview of innovative strategies for reprogramming NK cells, which include improvements in persistence, cytotoxicity, trafficking and the ability to counteract the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and also discuss some potential combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexin Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Linqin Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yiyun Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lu Xiao
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jieping Wei
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yongxian Hu
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - Dongrui Wang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
| | - He Huang
- Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Institute of Hematology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China; Zhejiang Province Engineering Research Center for Stem Cell and Immunity Therapy, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
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2
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Jin X, Sun R, Li Z, Wang X, Xiong X, Lu W, Lyu H, Xiao X, Tian Y, Zhang H, Fang Z, Wang L, Zhao M. CD22-targeted glyco-engineered natural killer cells offer a further treatment option for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Haematologica 2024; 109:3004-3008. [PMID: 38695137 PMCID: PMC11367193 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2023.284241] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jin
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, 311121.
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192, China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071
| | - Zhu Li
- Institute of Ocean Research, Ningbo Institute of Marine Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, 100191.
| | - Xianwu Wang
- Xiamen Nuokangde Biological Technology Co., Ltd, Xiamen, 361006
| | - Xia Xiong
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192
| | - Wenyi Lu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192
| | - Hairong Lyu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192
| | - Xia Xiao
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192
| | - Yunpeng Tian
- Xiamen Nuokangde Biological Technology Co., Ltd, Xiamen, 361006
| | - Hongkai Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350
| | - Zhihong Fang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University and Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102.
| | - Luqiao Wang
- Department of Hematology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016.
| | - Mingfeng Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300192, China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071.
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3
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Wachholz GE, Akbari P, Huijbers EJM, Jalan P, van Beijnum JR, Griffioen AW. Targeting endothelial cell anergy to improve CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189155. [PMID: 39019408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189155] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy presents significant results, especially for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, there are limitations and challenges to be overcome to achieve similar success for the treatment of solid tumors. These challenges involve selection of the target, infiltration into the tumor microenvironment and maintenance of functionality. The tumor vasculature is a major barrier for leukocytes to enter the tumor parenchyma. Due to the exposure of the vasculature to angiogenic growth factors during tumor progression, the endothelial cells become anergic to inflammatory cytokines, resulting in reduced leukocyte adhesion molecule expression. As such adhesion molecules are a prerequisite for leukocyte extravasation, endothelial cell anergy allows tumors to escape from endogenous immunity, as well as from cellular immunotherapies such as CAR T cells. Hence, overcoming endothelial cell anergy, e.g. through the administration of angiogenesis inhibitors, is believed to restore anti-tumor immunity. Concomitantly, both endogenous immune cells as well as cellular therapeutics such as CAR T cells can permeate into the tumor parenchyma. Here, we discuss how prior or concomitant treatment with an antiangiogenic drug can improve CAR T cell therapy, to become an attractive strategy for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela E Wachholz
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Parvin Akbari
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth J M Huijbers
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Prachi Jalan
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Judy R van Beijnum
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arjan W Griffioen
- Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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4
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Mohammad Taheri M, Javan F, Poudineh M, Athari SS. Beyond CAR-T: The rise of CAR-NK cell therapy in asthma immunotherapy. J Transl Med 2024; 22:736. [PMID: 39103889 PMCID: PMC11302387 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05534-8] [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: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Asthma poses a major public health burden. While existing asthma drugs manage symptoms for many, some patients remain resistant. The lack of a cure, especially for severe asthma, compels exploration of novel therapies. Cancer immunotherapy successes with CAR-T cells suggest its potential for asthma treatment. Researchers are exploring various approaches for allergic diseases including membrane-bound IgE, IL-5, PD-L2, and CTLA-4 for asthma, and Dectin-1 for fungal asthma. NK cells offer several advantages over T cells for CAR-based immunotherapy. They offer key benefits: (1) HLA compatibility, meaning they can be used in a wider range of patients without the need for matching tissue types. (2) Minimal side effects (CRS and GVHD) due to their limited persistence and cytokine profile. (3) Scalability for "off-the-shelf" production from various sources. Several strategies have been introduced that highlight the superiority and challenges of CAR-NK cell therapy for asthma treatment including IL-10, IFN-γ, ADCC, perforin-granzyme, FASL, KIR, NCRs (NKP46), DAP, DNAM-1, TGF-β, TNF-α, CCL, NKG2A, TF, and EGFR. Furthermore, we advocate for incorporating AI for CAR design optimization and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology for precise gene manipulation to generate highly effective CAR constructs. This review will delve into the evolution and production of CAR designs, explore pre-clinical and clinical studies of CAR-based therapies in asthma, analyze strategies to optimize CAR-NK cell function, conduct a comparative analysis of CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapy with their respective challenges, and finally present established novel CAR designs with promising potential for asthma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fatemeh Javan
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mohadeseh Poudineh
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Seyed Shamseddin Athari
- Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, Zanjan School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, 12th Street, Shahrake Karmandan, Zanjan, 45139-561111, Iran.
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5
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Zhu Y, Wang L, Jiang B, Wang Y, Wu Q, Hong S, Wang X, Li Y, Guan T, Zeng H, Li C. Promising approach for targeting ROBO1 with CAR NK cells to combat ovarian cancer primary tumor cells and organoids. Future Sci OA 2024; 10:2340186. [PMID: 39069888 PMCID: PMC11290772 DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2023-0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to explore using peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells targeting ROBO1 as a personalized medicine approach for ovarian cancer. Methods: A two-step strategy generated ROBO1-targeted CAR NK cells from PBMCs of ovarian cancer patients. Efficacy was evaluated using xCELLigence RTCA, CCK-8 and Live/Dead fluorescence assays. Results: ROBO1-NK cells exhibited higher efficiency in eradicating primary ovarian cancer cells and lysing ovarian tumor organoids compared with primary NK cells without ROBO1-CAR modification. Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential of developing ROBO1-targeted CAR-NK cells from patients' PBMCs as a personalized treatment option for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Luanhong Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Biyu Jiang
- Department of Cancer Research, Guangdong Procapzoom Biosciences Co., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yini Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qing Wu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Sihua Hong
- Department of Cancer Research, Guangdong Procapzoom Biosciences Co., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuancheng Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tian Guan
- Department of Cancer Research, Guangdong Procapzoom Biosciences Co., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Haoyu Zeng
- Department of Cancer Research, Guangdong Procapzoom Biosciences Co., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Congzhu Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China
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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
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. 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. he 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. The K562.Clone1 co-cultured with peripheral NK showed a significant increase in cell count, with an approximate 94-fold expansion over 14 days. Expanded NK cells demonstrated cytotoxicity against the tested tumor cell lines, indicating preservation of their cytotoxic characteristics. Additionally, the CD56, CD16, inhibitory KIRs, and activation receptors were conserved and present in a well-balanced manner. 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
| | - David Wald
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - 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, 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, São Paulo, Brazil
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7
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Wang D, Dou L, Sui L, Xue Y, Xu S. Natural killer cells in cancer immunotherapy. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e626. [PMID: 38882209 PMCID: PMC11179524 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.626] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, as innate lymphocytes, possess cytotoxic capabilities and engage target cells through a repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors. Particularly, natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D) receptor on NK cells recognizes stress-induced ligands-the MHC class I chain-related molecules A and B (MICA/B) presented on tumor cells and is key to trigger the cytolytic response of NK cells. However, tumors have developed sophisticated strategies to evade NK cell surveillance, which lead to failure of tumor immunotherapy. In this paper, we summarized these immune escaping strategies, including the downregulation of ligands for activating receptors, upregulation of ligands for inhibitory receptors, secretion of immunosuppressive compounds, and the development of apoptosis resistance. Then, we focus on recent advancements in NK cell immune therapies, which include engaging activating NK cell receptors, upregulating NKG2D ligand MICA/B expression, blocking inhibitory NK cell receptors, adoptive NK cell therapy, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells (CAR-NK), and NKG2D CAR-T cells, especially several vaccines targeting MICA/B. This review will inspire the research in NK cell biology in tumor and provide significant hope for improving cancer treatment outcomes by harnessing the potent cytotoxic activity of NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- DanRu Wang
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LingYun Dou
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - LiHao Sui
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Yiquan Xue
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
| | - Sheng Xu
- National Key Lab of Immunity and Inflammation and Institute of Immunology Naval Medical University Shanghai China
- Shanghai Institute of Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation Dongfang Hospital Shanghai China
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8
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Du Y, Metcalfe S, Akunapuram S, Ghosh S, Spruck C, Richardson AM, Cohen‐Gadol AA, Shen J. Image-based assessment of natural killer cell activity against glioblastoma stem cells. FEBS Open Bio 2024; 14:1028-1034. [PMID: 38740554 PMCID: PMC11148112 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13818] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) poses a significant challenge in oncology and stands as the most aggressive form of brain cancer. A primary contributor to its relentless nature is the stem-like cancer cells, called glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs have the capacity for self-renewal and tumorigenesis, leading to frequent GBM recurrences and complicating treatment modalities. While natural killer (NK) cells exhibit potential in targeting and eliminating stem-like cancer cells, their efficacy within the GBM microenvironment is limited due to constrained infiltration and function. To address this limitation, novel investigations focusing on boosting NK cell activity against GSCs are imperative. This study presents two streamlined image-based assays assessing NK cell migration and cytotoxicity towards GSCs. It details protocols and explores the strengths and limitations of these methods. These assays could aid in identifying novel targets to enhance NK cell activity towards GSCs, facilitating the development of NK cell-based immunotherapy for improved GBM treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanning Du
- Medical Sciences ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
| | - Samuel Metcalfe
- Medical Sciences ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
- Cell, Molecular and Cancer Biology Graduate ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
| | - Shreya Akunapuram
- Medical Sciences ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
- Cell, Molecular and Cancer Biology Graduate ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
| | - Sugata Ghosh
- Medical Sciences ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
- Cell, Molecular and Cancer Biology Graduate ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
| | - Charles Spruck
- Cancer CenterSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteLa JollaCAUSA
| | - Angela M. Richardson
- Department of Neurological SurgeryIndiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisINUSA
| | - Aaron A. Cohen‐Gadol
- Department of Neurological SurgeryIndiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisINUSA
| | - Jia Shen
- Medical Sciences ProgramIndiana University School of MedicineBloomingtonINUSA
- Department of Medical and Molecular GeneticsIndiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisINUSA
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer CenterIndianapolisINUSA
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9
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Toffoli EC, van Vliet AA, Forbes C, Arns AJ, Verheul HWM, Tuynman J, van der Vliet HJ, Spanholtz J, de Gruijl TD. Allogeneic NK cells induce the in vitro activation of monocyte-derived and conventional type-2 dendritic cells and trigger an inflammatory response under cancer-associated conditions. Clin Exp Immunol 2024; 216:159-171. [PMID: 38330230 PMCID: PMC11036108 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxae007] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes capable to recognize and kill virus-infected and cancer cells. In the past years, the use of allogeneic NK cells as anti-cancer therapy gained interest due to their ability to induce graft-versus-cancer responses without causing graft-versus-host disease and multiple protocols have been developed to produce high numbers of activated NK cells. While the ability of these cells to mediate tumor kill has been extensively studied, less is known about their capacity to influence the activity of other immune cells that may contribute to a concerted anti-tumor response in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we analyzed how an allogeneic off-the-shelf cord blood stem cell-derived NK-cell product influenced the activation of dendritic cells (DC). Crosstalk between NK cells and healthy donor monocyte-derived DC (MoDC) resulted in the release of IFNγ and TNF, MoDC activation, and the release of the T-cell-recruiting chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10. Moreover, in the presence of prostaglandin-E2, NK cell/MoDC crosstalk antagonized the detrimental effect of IL-10 on MoDC maturation leading to higher expression of multiple (co-)stimulatory markers. The NK cells also induced activation of conventional DC2 (cDC2) and CD8+ T cells, and the release of TNF, GM-CSF, and CXCL9/10 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The activated phenotype of MoDC/cDC2 and the increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and T-cell-recruiting chemokines resulting from NK cell/DC crosstalk should contribute to a more inflamed TME and may thus enhance the efficacy of T-cell-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- E C Toffoli
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A A van Vliet
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - C Forbes
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A J Arns
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H W M Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Tuynman
- Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H J van der Vliet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lava Therapeutics, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J Spanholtz
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, The Netherlands
| | - T D de Gruijl
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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10
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Wu JW, Liu Y, Dai XJ, Liu HM, Zheng YC, Liu HM. CD155 as an emerging target in tumor immunotherapy. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 131:111896. [PMID: 38518596 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111896] [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: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
CD155 is an immunoglobulin-like protein overexpressed in almost all the tumor cells, which not only promotes proliferation, adhesion, invasion, and migration of tumor cells, but also regulates immune responses by interacting with TIGIT, CD226 or CD96 receptors expressed on several immune cells, thereby modulating the functionality of these cellular subsets. As a novel immune checkpoint, the inhibition of CD155/TIGIT, either as a standalone treatment or in conjunction with other immune checkpoint inhibitors, has demonstrated efficacy in managing advanced solid malignancies. In this review, we summarize the intricate relationship between on tumor surface CD155 and its receptors, with further discussion on how they regulate the occurrence of tumor immune escape. In addition, novel therapeutic strategies and clinical trials targeting CD155 and its receptors are summarized, providing a strong rationale and way forward for the development of next-generation immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang-Wan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, XNA Platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Application & Translation of Precision Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou 450052, China
| | - Xing-Jie Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, XNA Platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Hong-Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, XNA Platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China
| | - Yi-Chao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, XNA Platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China.
| | - Hui-Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Henan Province for Drug Quality and Evaluation, XNA Platform, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China.
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11
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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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12
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Lyu L, Feng Y, Huang B, Xu RH, Hu Y. Mapping the global landscape for induced pluripotent stem cells from patents and clinical trials. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:563-569. [PMID: 38632441 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02196-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Liyang Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Ye Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Borong Huang
- Center of Reproduction, Development & Aging, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
| | - Ren-He Xu
- Center of Reproduction, Development & Aging, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
| | - Yuanjia Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
- DPM, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
- Centre for Pharmaceutical Regulatory Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
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13
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Vo MC, Jung SH, Nguyen VT, Tran VDH, Ruzimurodov N, Kim SK, Nguyen XH, Kim M, Song GY, Ahn SY, Ahn JS, Yang DH, Kim HJ, Lee JJ. Exploring cellular immunotherapy platforms in multiple myeloma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27892. [PMID: 38524535 PMCID: PMC10957441 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27892] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite major advances in therapeutic platforms, most patients with multiple myeloma (MM) eventually relapse and succumb to the disease. Among the novel therapeutic options developed over the past decade, genetically engineered T cells have a great deal of potential. Cellular immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, are rapidly becoming an effective therapeutic modality for MM. Marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) derived from the bone marrow of patients with MM are a novel source of T cells for adoptive T-cell therapy, which robustly and specifically target myeloma cells. In this review, we examine the recent innovations in cellular immunotherapies, including the use of dendritic cells, and cellular tools based on MILs, natural killer (NK) cells, and CAR T cells, which hold promise for improving the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of treatment in patients with MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manh-Cuong Vo
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Danang, Viet Nam
- Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
- Vaxcell-Bio Therapeutics, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hoon Jung
- Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Van-Tan Nguyen
- Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Van-Dinh-Huan Tran
- Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Nodirjon Ruzimurodov
- Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
| | - Sang Ki Kim
- Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory and Companion Animal Science, College of Industrial Science, Kongju National University, Yesan-eup, Yesan-gun, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
- Vaxcell-Bio Therapeutics, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Xuan-Hung Nguyen
- Hi-Tech Center and Vinmec-VinUni Institute of Immunology, Vinmec Healthcare system, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Mihee Kim
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Ga-Young Song
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Seo-Yeon Ahn
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Sook Ahn
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Deok-Hwan Yang
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeoung-Joon Kim
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
| | - Je-Jung Lee
- Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
- Vaxcell-Bio Therapeutics, Hwasun, Jeollanamdo, Republic of Korea
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14
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Yang N, Zhang C, Zhang Y, Fan Y, Zhang J, Lin X, Guo T, Gu Y, Wu J, Gao J, Zhao X, He Z. CD19/CD20 dual-targeted chimeric antigen receptor-engineered natural killer cells exhibit improved cytotoxicity against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Transl Med 2024; 22:274. [PMID: 38475814 PMCID: PMC10935961 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04990-6] [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: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor natural killer (CAR-NK) cells represent a promising advancement in CAR cell therapy, addressing limitations observed in CAR-T cell therapy. However, our prior study revealed challenges in CAR-NK cells targeting CD19 antigens, as they failed to eliminate CD19+ Raji cells in NSG tumor-bearing mice, noting down-regulation or loss of CD19 antigen expression in some Raji cells. In response, this study aims to enhance CD19 CAR-NK cell efficacy and mitigate the risk of tumor recurrence due to target antigen escape by developing CD19 and CD20 (CD19/CD20) dual-targeted CAR-NK cells. METHODS Initially, mRNA encoding anti-CD19 CARs (FMC63 scFv-CD8α-4-1BB-CD3ζ) and anti-CD20 CARs (LEU16 scFv-CD8α-4-1BB-CD3ζ) was constructed via in vitro transcription. Subsequently, CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells were generated through simultaneous electrotransfection of CD19/CD20 CAR mRNA into umbilical cord blood-derived NK cells (UCB-NK). RESULTS Following co-electroporation, the percentage of dual-CAR expression on NK cells was 86.4% ± 1.83%, as determined by flow cytometry. CAR expression was detectable at 8 h post-electric transfer, peaked at 24 h, and remained detectable at 96 h. CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells exhibited increased specific cytotoxicity against acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines (BALL-1: CD19+CD20+, REH: CD19+CD20-, Jurkat: CD19-CD20-) compared to UCB-NK, CD19 CAR-NK, and CD20 CAR-NK cells. Moreover, CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells released elevated levels of perforin, IFN-γ, and IL-15. Multiple activation markers such as CD69 and cytotoxic substances were highly expressed. CONCLUSIONS The creation of CD19/CD20 dual-targeted CAR-NK cells addressed the risk of tumor escape due to antigen heterogeneity in ALL, offering efficient and safe 'off-the-shelf' cell products. These cells demonstrate efficacy in targeting CD20 and/or CD19 antigens in ALL, laying an experimental foundation for their application in ALL treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yang
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University (GMU), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Caili Zhang
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University (GMU), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yingchun Zhang
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yuting Fan
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University (GMU), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiaojin Lin
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University (GMU), Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Ting Guo
- Department of Gynecology, the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yangzuo Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jieheng Wu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jianmei Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Xing Zhao
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University (GMU), Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
| | - Zhixu He
- Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Experiment Center, Guizhou Medical University (GMU), Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Adult Stem Cell Translational Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Guiyang, China.
- Department of Pediatrics, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China.
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15
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Das S, Niemeyer E, Leung ZA, Fritsch T, Matosevic S. Human Natural Killer Cells Cryopreserved without DMSO Sustain Robust Effector Responses. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:651-660. [PMID: 38230666 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy has benefitted from the multiple strengths that NK cells offer in adoptive transfer settings, not the least of which is their safety and potential for allogeneic use. Such use, however, necessitates the cryopreservation of NK cell-based therapy products to support logistical efforts in deploying these cells in different locations, decentralized from the point of collection or manufacturing. DMSO, the most commonly used cryoprotective agent (CPA), has been effective in protecting immune cells during freezing and thawing, but its ability to induce molecular and genetic changes to immune cells as well as its toxicity has stimulated interest in alternative CPAs. However, replacing DMSO's ability to act intracellularly has been difficult, and the sensitivity of human peripheral blood-derived NK cells to freezing and thawing-induced damage has meant that investigations into the potential of replacing DMSO are lacking. As a first step toward establishing the feasibility of cryopreserving human NK cells with CPAs' alternative to DMSO, we investigate the potential of using noncell-penetrating and cell-penetrating CPAs to recover NK cells post-thaw without DMSO. Here, we find that cryoprotection using cell-penetrating CPAs can retain the viability of human peripheral blood-derived NK cells to a comparable degree to DMSO. In addition, non-DMSO-cryopreserved human NK cells were as cytotoxic as those cryopreserved with DMSO and displayed a comparable level of surface markers of activation. In summary, we present the first example of the potential of developing non-DMSO CPA formulations that could be deployed in future cell therapy regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumyajit Das
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Emmett Niemeyer
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Zach A Leung
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tyler Fritsch
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Sandro Matosevic
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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16
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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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Acharya L, Garg A, Rai M, Kshetri R, Grewal US, Dhakal P. Novel chimeric antigen receptor targets and constructs for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Moving beyond CD19. J Investig Med 2024; 72:32-46. [PMID: 37497999 DOI: 10.1177/10815589231191811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the second most common acute leukemia in adults with a poor prognosis with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell lineage ALL (B-ALL). Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown excellent response rates in RR B-ALL, but most patients relapse due to poor persistence of CAR T-cell therapy or other tumor-associated escape mechanisms. In addition, anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy causes several serious side effects such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. In this review, we will discuss novel CAR targets, CAR constructs, and various strategies to boost CARs for the treatment of RR B-ALL. In addition, we discuss a few novel strategies developed to reduce the side effects of CAR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna Acharya
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Alpana Garg
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Manoj Rai
- Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Rupesh Kshetri
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Udhayvir S Grewal
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Prajwal Dhakal
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA, USA
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18
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Lupo KB, Torregrosa-Allen S, Elzey BD, Utturkar S, Lanman NA, Cohen-Gadol AA, Slivova V, McIntosh M, Pollok KE, Matosevic S. TIGIT contributes to the regulation of 4-1BB and does not define NK cell dysfunction in glioblastoma. iScience 2023; 26:108353. [PMID: 38053639 PMCID: PMC10694670 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
TIGIT is a receptor on human natural killer (NK) cells. Here, we report that TIGIT does not spontaneously induce inhibition of NK cells in glioblastoma (GBM), but rather acts as a decoy-like receptor, by usurping binding partners and regulating expression of NK activating ligands and receptors. Our data show that in GBM patients, one of the underpinnings of unresponsiveness to TIGIT blockade is that by targeting TIGIT, NK cells do not lose an inhibitory signal, but gains the potential for new interactions with other, shared, TIGIT ligands. Therefore, TIGIT does not define NK cell dysfunction in GBM. Further, in GBM, TIGIT+ NK cells are hyperfunctional. In addition, we discovered that 4-1BB correlates with TIGIT expression, the agonism of which contributes to TIGIT immunotherapy. Overall, our data suggest that in GBM, TIGIT acts as a regulator of a complex network, and provide new clues about its use as an immunotherapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B. Lupo
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | - Bennett D. Elzey
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Urology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sagar Utturkar
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Nadia A. Lanman
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | - Veronika Slivova
- Enterprise Clinical Research Operations Biorepository, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - MacKenzie McIntosh
- Histology Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Karen E. Pollok
- In Vivo Therapeutics Core, Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sandro Matosevic
- Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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Du Y, Pollok KE, Shen J. Unlocking Glioblastoma Secrets: Natural Killer Cell Therapy against Cancer Stem Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5836. [PMID: 38136381 PMCID: PMC10741423 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245836] [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: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) represents a paramount challenge as the most formidable primary brain tumor characterized by its rapid growth, aggressive invasiveness, and remarkable heterogeneity, collectively impeding effective therapeutic interventions. The cancer stem cells within GBM, GBM stem cells (GSCs), hold pivotal significance in fueling tumor advancement, therapeutic refractoriness, and relapse. Given their unique attributes encompassing self-renewal, multipotent differentiation potential, and intricate interplay with the tumor microenvironment, targeting GSCs emerges as a critical strategy for innovative GBM treatments. Natural killer (NK) cells, innate immune effectors recognized for their capacity to selectively detect and eliminate malignancies without the need for prior sensitization, offer substantial therapeutic potential. Harnessing the inherent capabilities of NK cells can not only directly engage tumor cells but also augment broader immune responses. Encouraging outcomes from clinical investigations underscore NK cells as a potentially effective modality for cancer therapy. Consequently, NK cell-based approaches hold promise for effectively targeting GSCs, thereby presenting an avenue to enhance treatment outcomes for GBM patients. This review outlines GBM's intricate landscape, therapeutic challenges, GSC-related dynamics, and elucidates the potential of NK cell as an immunotherapeutic strategy directed towards GSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanning Du
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA;
| | - Karen E. Pollok
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Jia Shen
- Medical Sciences Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA;
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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20
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Toffoli EC, van Vliet AA, Verheul HWM, van der Vliet HJ, Tuynman J, Spanholtz J, de Gruijl TD. Allogeneic NK cells induce monocyte-to-dendritic cell conversion, control tumor growth, and trigger a pro-inflammatory shift in patient-derived cultures of primary and metastatic colorectal cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007554. [PMID: 38056896 PMCID: PMC10711876 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007554] [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: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes with a key role in the defense against tumors. Recently, allogeneic NK cell-based therapies have gained interest because of their ability to directly lyse tumor cells without inducing graft-versus-host disease. As NK cells are also able to influence the function of other immune cells (most notably dendritic cells (DC)), a better understanding of the effects of allogeneic NK cell products on the host immune system is required. In this study, we analyzed the effects of an allogeneic off-the-shelf NK cell product, on the tumor microenvironment (TME) of primary and metastatic colorectal cancer (pCRC and mCRC, respectively). Moreover, we explored if the combination of NK cells with R848, a toll-like receptors 7/8 ligand, could further enhance any pro-inflammatory effects. METHODS Ex vivo expanded umbilical cord blood stem cell derived NK cells were co-cultured with pCRC or mCRC single-cell suspensions in the presence or absence of R848 for 5 days, during and after which flow cytometry and cytokine release profiling were performed. RESULTS NK cells efficiently induced lysis of tumor cells in both pCRC and mCRC single-cell suspensions and thereby controlled growth rates during culture. They also induced differentiation of infiltrating monocytic cells to an activated DC phenotype. Importantly, this NK-mediated myeloid conversion was also apparent in cultures after tumor cell depletion and was further enhanced by combining NK cells with R848. Moreover, NK cells, and to a greater extent, the combination of NK cells and R848, triggered CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell activation as well as a reduction in activated regulatory T cell rates. Finally, the combination of NK cells and R848 induced a pro-inflammatory shift in the cytokine release profile resulting in higher levels of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-12p70, and IFN-α as well as a reduction in IL-6, in both pCRC and mCRC cultures. CONCLUSION Allogeneic NK cells engaged in favorable myeloid crosstalk, displayed effective antitumor activity and, when combined with R848, induced a pro-inflammatory shift of the CRC TME. These findings prompt the investigation of NK cells and R848 as a combination therapy for solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa C Toffoli
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amanda A van Vliet
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Glycostem Therapeutics, Oss, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk W M Verheul
- Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hans J van der Vliet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Lava Therapeutics, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jurriaan Tuynman
- Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tanja D de Gruijl
- Department of Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Cancer Biology and Immunology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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21
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Fetzko SL, Timothy LD, Parihar R. NK Cell Therapeutics for Hematologic Malignancies: from Potential to Fruition. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 2023; 18:264-272. [PMID: 37751103 DOI: 10.1007/s11899-023-00711-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] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current review focuses on the preclinical development and clinical advances of natural killer (NK) cell therapeutics for hematologic malignancies and offers perspective on the unmet challenges that will direct future discovery in the field. RECENT FINDINGS Approaches to improve or re-direct NK cell anti-tumor functions against hematologic malignancies have included transgenic expression of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), administration of NK cell engagers including BiKEs and TriKEs that enhance antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) by co-engaging NK cell CD16 and antigens on tumors, incorporation of a non-cleavable CD16 that results in enhanced ADCC, use of induced memory-like NK cells alone or in combination with CARs, and blockade of NK immune checkpoints to enhance NK cytotoxicity. Recently reported and ongoing clinical trials support the feasibility and safety of these approaches. NK cell-based therapeutic strategies hold great promise as cost-effective, off-the-shelf cell therapies for patients with relapsed and refractory hematologic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Fetzko
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Leander D Timothy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Robin Parihar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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22
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Rauch-Wirth L, Renner A, Kaygisiz K, Weil T, Zimmermann L, Rodriguez-Alfonso AA, Schütz D, Wiese S, Ständker L, Weil T, Schmiedel D, Münch J. Optimized peptide nanofibrils as efficient transduction enhancers for in vitro and ex vivo gene transfer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1270243. [PMID: 38022685 PMCID: PMC10666768 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1270243] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a groundbreaking immunotherapy for cancer. However, the intricate and costly manufacturing process remains a hurdle. Improving the transduction rate is a potential avenue to cut down costs and boost therapeutic efficiency. Peptide nanofibrils (PNFs) serve as one such class of transduction enhancers. PNFs bind to negatively charged virions, facilitating their active engagement by cellular protrusions, which enhances virion attachment to cells, leading to increased cellular entry and gene transfer rates. While first-generation PNFs had issues with aggregate formation and potential immunogenicity, our study utilized in silico screening to identify short, endogenous, and non-immunogenic peptides capable of enhancing transduction. This led to the discovery of an 8-mer peptide, RM-8, which forms PNFs that effectively boost T cell transduction rates by various retroviral vectors. A subsequent structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis refined RM-8, resulting in the D4 derivative. D4 peptide is stable and assembles into smaller PNFs, avoiding large aggregate formation, and demonstrates superior transduction rates in primary T and NK cells. In essence, D4 PNFs present an economical and straightforward nanotechnological tool, ideal for refining ex vivo gene transfer in CAR-T cell production and potentially other advanced therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Rauch-Wirth
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Renner
- Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kübra Kaygisiz
- Department Synthesis of Macromolecules, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Tatjana Weil
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Laura Zimmermann
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Armando A. Rodriguez-Alfonso
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Desiree Schütz
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wiese
- Core Unit of Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Weil
- Department Synthesis of Macromolecules, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dominik Schmiedel
- Department for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
- Core Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
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23
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Gingrich AA, Razmara AM, Gingrich PW, Rebhun RB, Murphy WJ, Kent MS, Brown CT, Siegel JB, Canter RJ. Missing a "Missing Self" Mechanism: Modeling and Detection of Ly49 Expression in Canine NK Cells. Immunohorizons 2023; 7:760-770. [PMID: 37971282 PMCID: PMC10696421 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2300092] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
NK cells are a key focus in immuno-oncology, based on their ability to eliminate malignant cells without prior sensitization. Dogs are valuable models for translational immunotherapy studies, especially for NK cells, where critical species differences exist between mice and humans. Given that the mechanism for recognition of "self" by canine NK cells is currently unknown, we sought to evaluate expression of Ly49 in canine NK cells using in silico and high-throughput techniques. We interrogated the identified polymorphism/mutation in canine Ly49 and assessed the potential impact on structure using computational modeling of three-dimensional protein structure and protein-protein docking of canine Ly49 with MHC class I (MHC-I). Bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to detect gene expression of Ly49/KLRA1 in resting and activated NK cells. Tertiary protein structure demonstrated significant structural similarity to the known murine system. Molecular docking of canine Ly49 with MHC-I was favorable, converging at a single low-energy conformation. RNA sequencing revealed expression of Ly49/KLRA1 in both resting and activated NK cells and demonstrated almost exclusive expression of the gene in the NK cluster at the single-cell level. Despite prior reports of a mutated, nonfunctional canine Ly49, our data support that the protein product is predicted to bind to MHC-I in a comparable conformation to the murine system and is expressed in canine NK cells with upregulation following activation. Taken together, these data suggest that Ly49 is capable of recognizing MHC-I and therefore regulating NK cell function in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia A. Gingrich
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Aryana M. Razmara
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Phillip W. Gingrich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Robert B. Rebhun
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA
| | - William J. Murphy
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Michael S. Kent
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA
| | - C. Titus Brown
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA
| | - Justin B. Siegel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
| | - Robert J. Canter
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA
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24
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Liu T, Dai X, Xu Y, Guan T, Hong L, Zaib T, Zhou Q, Cheng K, Zhou X, Ma C, Sun P. CD22 is a potential target of CAR-NK cell therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Transl Med 2023; 21:710. [PMID: 37817249 PMCID: PMC10563326 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04409-8] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chimeric antigen receptor NK (CAR-NK) cell therapy is one of the most promising immunotherapies. Although it has shown a significant therapeutic effect in hematologic malignancies, few successes have been obtained in solid tumors including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The major reasons are lack of specific cell surface antigens and complex tumor microenvironment. Here we identify CD22, a well-known tumor surface marker in hematologic malignancies, is expressed in ESCC, possibly serving as a potential target of CAR-NK cell therapy. METHODS The expression of 13 tumor cell surface antigens used clinically was analyzed in patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Also, mRNA expression were detected in 2 ESCC cell lines and 2 patients samples by qCPR. Then according to Venn diagram, CD22 was selected for further investigation. Following this, the expression of CD22 by immunofluorescence (IF) in ESCC cell lines and by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 87 cases of human ESCC samples was detected respectively. On the basis of H-score results, the correlation between CD22 expression and clinical parameters was analyzed. As a proof, the efficacy of CD22-targeted CAR-NK cells against ESCC cell lines was performed by a real-time cell analyzer (RTCA) platform. RESULTS KYSE-140 and KYSE-150 cell lines displayed surface expression of CD22. IHC showed an 80.46% (70/87) positive rate in ESCC patient samples. Among these, cell membranous expression of CD22 was observed in 27.59% (24/87) patient samples. Through chi-square test, expression of CD22 in ESCC was associated with lymph node metastasis while it was no related to the depth of tumor invasion and clinical stage. Engineered CD22-targeted CAR-NK cells exhibited inhibitory growth capability against ESCC cell lines (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS CD22 is a potential tumor surface antigen capable of being targeted by CAR-NK cells in ESCC. And potential therapeutics for ESCC may be developed based on immune cells expressing anti-CD22 CAR. The study also indicates that CD22 CAR-NK cells could be used in other cancers and more in vivo experiments are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingdang Liu
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ximing Dai
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yien Xu
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
- Cancer Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tian Guan
- Guangdong Procapzoom Biosciences, Inc., Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Liangli Hong
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tahir Zaib
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ke Cheng
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhou
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Changchun Ma
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China.
- Cancer Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Pingnan Sun
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong Province, China.
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25
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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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26
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Ameen R, Titus R, Geo JA, Al Shemmari S, Geraghty DE, Pyo CW, Askar M. KIR genotype and haplotype repertoire in Kuwaiti healthy donors, hematopoietic cell transplant recipients and healthy family members. HLA 2023; 102:179-191. [PMID: 36960942 DOI: 10.1111/tan.15029] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The gene complex located on chromosome 19q13.4 encodes the Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs), which exhibit remarkable polymorphism in both gene content and sequences. Further, the repertoire of KIR genes varies within and between populations, creating a diverse pool of KIR genotypes. This study was carried out to characterize KIR genotypes and haplotypes among 379 Arab Kuwaiti individuals including 60 subjects from 20 trio families, 49 hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients and 270 healthy Kuwaiti volunteer HCT donors. KIR Genotyping was performed by a combination of reverse sequence specific oligonucleotide probes (rSSO) and/or Real Time PCR. The frequencies of KIR genes in 270 healthy Kuwaiti volunteer donors were compared to previously reported frequencies in other populations. In addition, we compared the differences in KIR repertoire of patients and healthy donors to investigate the reproducibility of previously reported significant differences between patients with hematological malignancies and healthy donors. The observed frequencies in our cohort volunteer HCT donors was comparable to those reported in neighboring Arab populations. The activating genes KIR2DS1, KIR2DS5 and KIR3DS1 and the inhibitory gene KIR2DL5 were significantly more frequent in patients compared to healthy donors, however, none of the previously reported differences were reproducible in our Kuwaiti cohort. This report is the first description of KIR gene carrier frequency and haplotype characterization in a fairly large cohort of the Kuwaiti population, which may have implications in KIR based HCT donor selection strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Ameen
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Roshni Titus
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Jeethu Anu Geo
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Salem Al Shemmari
- Department of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, Kuwait University, Jabriya, Kuwait
| | - Daniel E Geraghty
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Chul-Woo Pyo
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Medhat Askar
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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27
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Einloth KR, Gayfield S, McMaster T, Didier A, Dworkin L, Creeden JF. The application, safety, and future of ex vivo immune cell therapies and prognosis in different malignancies. BIOIMPACTS : BI 2023; 13:439-455. [PMID: 38022382 PMCID: PMC10676524 DOI: 10.34172/bi.2023.27521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Immunotherapy has revolutionized how cancer is treated. Many of these immunotherapies rely on ex vivo expansion of immune cells, classically T cells. Still, several immunological obstacles remain, including tumor impermeability by immune cells and the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Logistically, high costs of treatment and variable clinical responses have also plagued traditional T cell-based immunotherapies. Methods To review the existing literature on cellular immunotherapy, the PubMed database was searched for publications using variations of the phrases "cancer immunotherapy", "ex vivo expansion", and "adoptive cell therapy". The Clinicaltrials.gov database was searched for clinical trials related to ex vivo cellular therapies using the same phrases. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for cancer treatment were also referenced. Results To circumvent the challenges of traditional T cell-based immunotherapies, researchers have developed newer therapies including tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), T cell receptor (TCR) modified T cell, and antibody-armed T cell therapies. Additionally, newer immunotherapeutic strategies have used other immune cells, including natural killer (NK) and dendritic cells (DC), to modulate the T cell immune response to cancers. From a prognostic perspective, circulating tumor cells (CTC) have been used to predict cancer morbidity and mortality. Conclusion This review highlights the mechanism and clinical utility of various types of ex vivo cellular therapies in the treatment of cancer. Comparing these therapies or using them in combination may lead to more individualized and less toxic chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn R. Einloth
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Scott Gayfield
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Thomas McMaster
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Alexander Didier
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Lance Dworkin
- Department of Medicine, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Justin Fortune Creeden
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, Toledo, OH, USA
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28
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Zheng Z, Li S, Liu M, Chen C, Zhang L, Zhou D. Fine-Tuning through Generations: Advances in Structure and Production of CAR-T Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3476. [PMID: 37444586 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a promising form of immunotherapy that has seen significant advancements in the past few decades. It involves genetically modifying T cells to target cancer cells expressing specific antigens, providing a novel approach to treating various types of cancer. However, the initial success of first-generation CAR-T cells was limited due to inadequate proliferation and undesirable outcomes. Nonetheless, significant progress has been made in CAR-T cell engineering, leading to the development of the latest fifth-generation CAR-T cells that can target multiple antigens and overcome individual limitations. Despite these advancements, some shortcomings prevent the widespread use of CAR-T therapy, including life-threatening toxicities, T-cell exhaustion, and inadequate infiltration for solid tumors. Researchers have made considerable efforts to address these issues by developing new strategies for improving CAR-T cell function and reducing toxicities. This review provides an overview of the path of CAR-T cell development and highlights some of the prominent advances in its structure and manufacturing process, which include the strategies to improve antigen recognition, enhance T-cell activation and persistence, and overcome immune escape. Finally, the review briefly covers other immune cells for cancer therapy and ends with the discussion on the broad prospects of CAR-T in the treatment of various diseases, not just hematological tumors, and the challenges that need to be addressed for the widespread clinical application of CAR-T cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhibo Zheng
- Department of International Medical Services, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Siyuan Li
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Mohan Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Chuyan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Disease, Beijing Digestive Disease Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Daobin Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
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Wang YA, Ranti D, Bieber C, Galsky M, Bhardwaj N, Sfakianos JP, Horowitz A. NK Cell-Targeted Immunotherapies in Bladder Cancer: Beyond Checkpoint Inhibitors. Bladder Cancer 2023; 9:125-139. [PMID: 38993289 PMCID: PMC11181717 DOI: 10.3233/blc-220109] [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: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For decades, immunotherapies have been integral for the treatment and management of bladder cancer, with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) transforming patient care in recent years. However, response rates are poor to T cell-targeted ICIs such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking antibodies, framing a critical need for complementary immunotherapies. Promising strategies involve harnessing the activation potential of natural killer (NK) cells. They quickly exert their antitumor activity via signaling through germline-encoded activating receptors and are rapidly sensitized to new tissue microenvironments via their regulation by polymorphic HLA class I, KIR and NKG2A receptors. OBJECTIVE In this review, we examined the roles of currently available NK-targeted antitumor treatment strategies such as engineered viral vectors, small-molecule IMiDs, NK agonist antibodies, interleukins, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells, and their potential for improving the efficacy of immunotherapy in the treatment of bladder cancer. METHODS Through review of current literature, we summarized our knowledge of NK cells in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies as their roles pertain to novel immunotherapies already being applied to the treatment of bladder cancer or that offer rationale for considering as potential novel immunotherapeutic strategies. RESULTS NK cells play a critical role in shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME) that can be exploited to improve T cell-targeted immunotherapies. CONCLUSIONS Emerging evidence suggests that NK cells are a prime target for improving antitumor functions in immunotherapies for the treatment of bladder cancer. Further research into profiling NK cells in settings of immunotherapies for bladder cancer could help identify patients who might maximally benefit from NK cell-targeted immunotherapies and the various approaches for exploiting their antitumor properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanshuo A Wang
- The Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Ranti
- The Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christine Bieber
- The Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Galsky
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nina Bhardwaj
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - John P Sfakianos
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Urology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amir Horowitz
- The Marc and Jennifer Lipschultz Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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30
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Czajka-Francuz P, Prendes MJ, Mankan A, Quintana Á, Pabla S, Ramkissoon S, Jensen TJ, Peiró S, Severson EA, Achyut BR, Vidal L, Poelman M, Saini KS. Mechanisms of immune modulation in the tumor microenvironment and implications for targeted therapy. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1200646. [PMID: 37427115 PMCID: PMC10325690 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1200646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of cancer therapies is limited to a great extent by immunosuppressive mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Numerous immune escape mechanisms have been identified. These include not only processes associated with tumor, immune or stromal cells, but also humoral, metabolic, genetic and epigenetic factors within the TME. The identification of immune escape mechanisms has enabled the development of small molecules, nanomedicines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell and epigenetic therapies that can reprogram the TME and shift the host immune response towards promoting an antitumor effect. These approaches have translated into series of breakthroughs in cancer therapies, some of which have already been implemented in clinical practice. In the present article the authors provide an overview of some of the most important mechanisms of immunosuppression within the TME and the implications for targeted therapies against different cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ángela Quintana
- Breast Cancer Unit, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Sandra Peiró
- Breast Cancer Unit, Vall d'Hebrón Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Kamal S. Saini
- Fortrea, Inc., Durham, NC, United States
- Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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31
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Lui A, Lee J, Thall PF, Daher M, Rezvani K, Basar R. A Bayesian feature allocation model for identifying cell subpopulations using CyTOF data. J R Stat Soc Ser C Appl Stat 2023; 72:718-738. [PMID: 37325776 PMCID: PMC10264057 DOI: 10.1093/jrsssc/qlad029] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A Bayesian feature allocation model (FAM) is presented for identifying cell subpopulations based on multiple samples of cell surface or intracellular marker expression level data obtained by cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF). Cell subpopulations are characterized by differences in marker expression patterns, and cells are clustered into subpopulations based on their observed expression levels. A model-based method is used to construct cell clusters within each sample by modeling subpopulations as latent features, using a finite Indian buffet process. Non-ignorable missing data due to technical artifacts in mass cytometry instruments are accounted for by defining a static missingship mechanism. In contrast with conventional cell clustering methods, which cluster observed marker expression levels separately for each sample, the FAM-based method can be applied simultaneously to multiple samples, and also identify important cell subpopulations likely to be otherwise missed. The proposed FAM-based method is applied to jointly analyse three CyTOF datasets to study natural killer (NK) cells. Because the subpopulations identified by the FAM may define novel NK cell subsets, this statistical analysis may provide useful information about the biology of NK cells and their potential role in cancer immunotherapy which may lead, in turn, to development of improved NK cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Lui
- Department of Statistics, Baskin School of Engineering, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Juhee Lee
- Department of Statistics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Peter F Thall
- Department of Biostatistics, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - May Daher
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Katy Rezvani
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rafet Basar
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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32
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D’Silva SZ, Singh M, Pinto AS. NK cell defects: implication in acute myeloid leukemia. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1112059. [PMID: 37228595 PMCID: PMC10203541 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1112059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a complex disease with rapid progression and poor/unsatisfactory outcomes. In the past few years, the focus has been on developing newer therapies for AML; however, relapse remains a significant problem. Natural Killer cells have strong anti-tumor potential against AML. This NK-mediated cytotoxicity is often restricted by cellular defects caused by disease-associated mechanisms, which can lead to disease progression. A stark feature of AML is the low/no expression of the cognate HLA ligands for the activating KIR receptors, due to which these tumor cells evade NK-mediated lysis. Recently, different Natural Killer cell therapies have been implicated in treating AML, such as the adoptive NK cell transfer, Chimeric antigen receptor-modified NK (CAR-NK) cell therapy, antibodies, cytokine, and drug treatment. However, the data available is scarce, and the outcomes vary between different transplant settings and different types of leukemia. Moreover, remission achieved by some of these therapies is only for a short time. In this mini-review, we will discuss the role of NK cell defects in AML progression, particularly the expression of different cell surface markers, the available NK cell therapies, and the results from various preclinical and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Z. D’Silva
- Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Education and Research in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
| | - Meenakshi Singh
- Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Education and Research in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | - Andrea S. Pinto
- Transplant Immunology and Immunogenetics Lab, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Education and Research in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, India
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33
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Ding T, Yu Y, Pan X, Chen H. Establishment of humanized mice and its application progress in cancer immunotherapy. Immunotherapy 2023; 15:679-697. [PMID: 37096919 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2022-0148] [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] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The current high prevalence of malignant tumors has attracted considerable attention, and treating advanced malignancies is becoming increasingly difficult. Although immunotherapy is a hopeful alternative, it is effective in only a few people. Thus, development of preclinical animal models is needed. Humanized xenotransplantation mouse models can help with selecting treatment protocols, evaluating curative effects and assessing prognosis. This review discusses the establishment of humanized mouse models and their application prospects in cancer immunotherapy to identify tailored therapies for individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlong Ding
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
- Department of Tumor Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
| | - Yang Yu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
| | - Xiaoyuan Pan
- Department of Vision Rehabilitation, Gansu Province Hospital Rehabilitation Center, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Tumor Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, PR China
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34
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Ruf B, Greten TF, Korangy F. Innate lymphoid cells and innate-like T cells in cancer - at the crossroads of innate and adaptive immunity. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:351-371. [PMID: 37081117 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00562-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapies targeting conventional T cells have revolutionized systemic treatment for many cancers, yet only a subset of patients benefit from these approaches. A better understanding of the complex immune microenvironment of tumours is needed to design the next generation of immunotherapeutics. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and innate-like T cells (ILTCs) are abundant, tissue-resident lymphocytes that have recently been shown to have critical roles in many types of cancers. ILCs and ILTCs rapidly respond to changes in their surrounding environment and act as the first responders to bridge innate and adaptive immunity. This places ILCs and ILTCs as pivotal orchestrators of the final antitumour immune response. In this Review, we outline hallmarks of ILCs and ILTCs and discuss their emerging role in antitumour immunity, as well as the pathophysiological adaptations leading to their pro-tumorigenic function. We explore the pleiotropic, in parts redundant and sometimes opposing, mechanisms that underlie the delicate interplay between the different subsets of ILCs and ILTCs. Finally, we highlight their role in amplifying and complementing conventional T cell functions and summarize immunotherapeutic strategies for targeting ILCs and ILTCs in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Ruf
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tim F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- NCI CCR Liver Cancer Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Firouzeh Korangy
- Gastrointestinal Malignancy Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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35
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Kim S, Oh S, Lee S, Kong L, Lee J, Kim T. FTO negatively regulates the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e55681. [PMID: 36744362 PMCID: PMC10074099 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255681] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
N6 -Methyladenosine (m6 A) is the most abundant epitranscriptomic mark and plays a fundamental role in almost every aspect of mRNA metabolism. Although m6 A writers and readers have been widely studied, the roles of m6 A erasers are not well-understood. Here, we investigate the role of FTO, one of the m6 A erasers, in natural killer (NK) cell immunity. We observe that FTO-deficient NK cells are hyperactivated. Fto knockout (Fto-/- ) mouse NK cells prevent melanoma metastasis in vivo, and FTO-deficient human NK cells enhance the antitumor response against leukemia in vitro. We find that FTO negatively regulates IL-2/15-driven JAK/STAT signaling by increasing the mRNA stability of suppressor of cytokine signaling protein (SOCS) family genes. Our results suggest that FTO is an essential modulator of NK cell immunity, providing a new immunotherapeutic strategy for allogeneic NK cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok‐Min Kim
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
| | - Se‐Chan Oh
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
| | - Sun‐Young Lee
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Division of Life ScienceKorea UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Ling‐Zu Kong
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of BiochemistryChungnam National UniversityDaejeonKorea
| | - Jong‐Hee Lee
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
- National Primate Research Center (NPRC), KRIBBCheongjuKorea
| | - Tae‐Don Kim
- Immunotherapy Research CenterKorea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of BioscienceKorea University of Science and Technology (UST)DaejeonKorea
- Biomedical Mathematics GroupInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonKorea
- Department of Biopharmaceutical ConvergenceSchool of PharmacySungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonKorea
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36
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Desimio MG, Covino DA, Rivalta B, Cancrini C, Doria M. The Role of NK Cells in EBV Infection and Related Diseases: Current Understanding and Hints for Novel Therapies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15061914. [PMID: 36980798 PMCID: PMC10047181 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061914] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus most often transmitted during infancy and infecting the vast majority of human beings. Usually, EBV infection is nearly asymptomatic and results in life-long persistency of the virus in a latent state under the control of the host immune system. Yet EBV can cause an acute infectious mononucleosis (IM), particularly in adolescents, and is associated with several malignancies and severe diseases that pose a serious threat to individuals with specific inborn error of immunity (IEI). While there is a general consensus on the requirement for functional CD8 T cells to control EBV infection, the role of the natural killer (NK) cells of the innate arm of immunity is more enigmatic. Here we provide an overview of the interaction between EBV and NK cells in the immunocompetent host as well as in the context of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies. Moreover, we report in vitro data on the mechanisms that regulate the capacity of NK cells to recognize and kill EBV-infected cell targets and discuss the potential of recently optimized NK cell-based immunotherapies for the treatment of EBV-associated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Desimio
- Primary Immunodeficiency Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela A Covino
- Primary Immunodeficiency Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Rivalta
- Primary Immunodeficiency Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Cancrini
- Primary Immunodeficiency Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Margherita Doria
- Primary Immunodeficiency Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
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37
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Peng Y, Zhang W, Chen Y, Zhang L, Shen H, Wang Z, Tian S, Yang X, Cui D, He Y, Chang X, Feng Z, Tang Q, Mao Y. Engineering c-Met-CAR NK-92 cells as a promising therapeutic candidate for lung adenocarcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2023; 188:106656. [PMID: 36640859 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (C-Met) has been acknowledged as a significant therapeutic target for treating lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the potential application of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-modified natural killer (NK) cells targeting c-Met in LUAD is rarely explored. In this study, bioinformatic databases were searched and a tissue microarray (TMA) was enrolled to investigate expression status and prognostic role of c-Met in LUAD. Then, four types of c-Met-CAR structures were designed and prepared. The engineering CAR-NK cells containing c-Met-CARs were transfected, verified and characterized. The tumor-inhibitory role of c-Met-CAR-NK cells was finally evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that c-Met expression elevated and confirmed that high c-Met expression was significantly associated with unfavorable prognosis in LUAD. Then, C-Met-CAR-NK cells were successfully constructed and DAP10 designed in CAR structure was a favorable stimulator for NK cell activation. CCN4 containing DAP10 co-stimulator exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity compared with other CAR-NK cells. Furthermore, CCN4 cells also exerted the prominent tumor-inhibitory effect on xenograft tumor growth. Collectively, this study suggests that DAP10 is a potent stimulator in CAR structure for NK cell activation, and CCN4-based immunotherapy may represent a promising strategy for the treatment of c-Met-positive LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Peng
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenqing Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Yufeng Chen
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Louqian Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongyu Shen
- Gusu School, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheyue Wang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuning Tian
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Daixun Cui
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiting He
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinxia Chang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhenqing Feng
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China; Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Qi Tang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Antibody Techniques, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Pathology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Antibody Drug, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yuan Mao
- Department of Oncology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Oncology, Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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38
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Maalej KM, Merhi M, Inchakalody VP, Mestiri S, Alam M, Maccalli C, Cherif H, Uddin S, Steinhoff M, Marincola FM, Dermime S. CAR-cell therapy in the era of solid tumor treatment: current challenges and emerging therapeutic advances. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:20. [PMID: 36717905 PMCID: PMC9885707 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01723-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 129.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has emerged as a promising immunotherapeutic approach to fight cancers. This approach consists of genetically engineered immune cells expressing a surface receptor, called CAR, that specifically targets antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells. In hematological malignancies like leukemias, myeloma, and non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas, adoptive CAR-T cell therapy has shown efficacy in treating chemotherapy refractory patients. However, the value of this therapy remains inconclusive in the context of solid tumors and is restrained by several obstacles including limited tumor trafficking and infiltration, the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, as well as adverse events associated with such therapy. Recently, CAR-Natural Killer (CAR-NK) and CAR-macrophages (CAR-M) were introduced as a complement/alternative to CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors. CAR-NK cells could be a favorable substitute for CAR-T cells since they do not require HLA compatibility and have limited toxicity. Additionally, CAR-NK cells might be generated in large scale from several sources which would suggest them as promising off-the-shelf product. CAR-M immunotherapy with its capabilities of phagocytosis, tumor-antigen presentation, and broad tumor infiltration, is currently being investigated. Here, we discuss the emerging role of CAR-T, CAR-NK, and CAR-M cells in solid tumors. We also highlight the advantages and drawbacks of CAR-NK and CAR-M cells compared to CAR-T cells. Finally, we suggest prospective solutions such as potential combination therapies to enhance the efficacy of CAR-cells immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karama Makni Maalej
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Maysaloun Merhi
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Varghese P. Inchakalody
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sarra Mestiri
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Majid Alam
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar ,grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XDepartment of Dermatology and Venereology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Cristina Maccalli
- grid.467063.00000 0004 0397 4222Laboratory of Immune and Biological Therapy, Research Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Honar Cherif
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XDepartment of Hematology, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Martin Steinhoff
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar ,grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XDepartment of Dermatology and Venereology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar ,grid.416973.e0000 0004 0582 4340Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar ,grid.412603.20000 0004 0634 1084College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar ,grid.5386.8000000041936877XDepartment of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Francesco M. Marincola
- grid.418227.a0000 0004 0402 1634Global Head of Research, Kite Pharma, Santa Monica, California USA
| | - Said Dermime
- grid.413548.f0000 0004 0571 546XTranslational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar ,grid.452146.00000 0004 1789 3191College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
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Recombinant GPEHT Fusion Protein Derived from HTLV-1 Proteins with Alum Adjuvant Induces a High Immune Response in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010115. [PMID: 36679960 PMCID: PMC9865465 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a positive single-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the delta retrovirus family. As a result, a vaccine candidate that can be recognized by B cells and T cells is a good candidate for generating a durable immune response. Further, the GPEHT protein is a multi-epitope protein designed based on the Gag, Pol, Env, Hbz, and Tax proteins of HTLV-1. In developing a suitable and effective vaccine against HTLV-1, the selection of a designed protein (GPEHT) with the formulation of an alum adjuvant was conducted. In this study, we assessed the potential of a multi-epitope vaccine candidate for stimulating the immune response against HTLV-1. In assessing the type of stimulated immune reaction, total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a isotypes, as well as the cytokines associated with Th1 (IFN-γ), Th2 (IL-4), and Th17 (IL-17), were analyzed. The outcomes showed that the particular antisera (total IgG) were more elevated in mice that received the GPEHT protein with the alum adjuvant than those in the PBS+Alum control. A subcutaneous vaccination with our chimera protein promoted high levels of IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes. Additionally, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 levels were significantly increased after spleen cell stimulation in mice that received the GPEHT protein. The immunogenic analyses revealed that the GPEHT vaccine candidate could generate humoral and cell-mediated immune reactions. Ultimately, this study suggests that GPEHT proteins developed with an alum adjuvant can soon be considered as a prospective vaccine to more accurately evaluate their protective efficacy against HTLV-1.
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Zafarani A, Taghavi-Farahabadi M, Razizadeh MH, Amirzargar MR, Mansouri M, Mahmoudi M. The Role of NK Cells and Their Exosomes in Graft Versus Host Disease and Graft Versus Leukemia. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:26-45. [PMID: 35994137 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10449-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the innate immune cells that play an important role in preventing and controlling tumors and viral diseases, but their role in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is not yet fully understood. However, according to some research, these cells can prevent infections and tumor relapse without causing graft versus host disease (GVHD). In addition to NK cells, several studies are about the anti-leukemia effects of NK cell-derived exosomes that can highlight their roles in graft-versus-leukemia (GVL). In this paper, we intend to investigate the results of various articles on the role of NK cells in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and also their exosomes in GVL. Also, we have discussed the antiviral effects of these cells in post-HCT cytomegalovirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Zafarani
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Taghavi-Farahabadi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Amirzargar
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansoure Mansouri
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahmoudi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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41
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Jin X, Bi J. Prospects for NK-based immunotherapy of chronic HBV infection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1084109. [PMID: 36591230 PMCID: PMC9797727 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1084109] [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: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective and long-term treatment is required for controlling chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection. Natural killer (NK) cells are antiviral innate lymphocytes and represent an essential arm of current immunotherapy. In chronic HBV (CHB), NK cells display altered changes in phenotypes and functions, but preserve antiviral activity, especially for cytolytic activity. On the other hand, NK cells might also cause liver injury in the disease. NK -based immunotherapy, including adoptive NK cell therapy and NK -based checkpoint inhibition, could potentially exploit the antiviral aspect of NK cells for controlling CHB infection while preventing liver tissue damage. Here, we review recent progress in NK cell biology under the context of CHB infection, and discuss potential NK -based immunotherapy strategies for the disease.
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Liu WN, So WY, Harden SL, Fong SY, Wong MXY, Tan WWS, Tan SY, Ong JKL, Rajarethinam R, Liu M, Cheng JY, Suteja L, Yeong JPS, Iyer NG, Lim DWT, Chen Q. Successful targeting of PD-1/PD-L1 with chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cells and nivolumab in a humanized mouse cancer model. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd1187. [PMID: 36417514 PMCID: PMC9683725 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add1187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered immune effector cells have demonstrated promising antileukemic activity. Nevertheless, their efficacy remains unsatisfactory on solid cancers, plausibly due to the influence of tumor microenvironments (TME). In a novel mouse cancer model with a humanized immune system, tumor-infiltrating immunosuppressive leukocytes and exhausted programmed death protein-1 (PD-1)high T cells were found, which better mimic patient TME, allowing the screening and assessment of immune therapeutics. Particularly, membrane-bound programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level was elevated on a tumor cell surface, which serves as an attractive target for natural killer (NK) cell-mediated therapy. Hematopoietic stem cell-derived CAR-NK (CAR pNK) cells targeting the PD-L1 showed enhanced in vitro and in vivo anti-solid tumor function. The CAR pNK cells and nivolumab resulted in a synergistic anti-solid tumor response. Together, our study highlights a robust platform to develop and evaluate the antitumor efficacy and safety of previously unexplored therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Nam Liu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Wing Yan So
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Sarah L. Harden
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Shin Yie Fong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Melissa Xin Yu Wong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Wilson Wei Sheng Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Sue Yee Tan
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Jessica Kai Lin Ong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Ravisankar Rajarethinam
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Min Liu
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - Jia Ying Cheng
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | | | - Joe Poh Sheng Yeong
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
| | - N. Gopalakrishna Iyer
- Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Darren Wan-Teck Lim
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138673, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117593, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 138648, Singapore
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Kirchhammer N, Trefny MP, Auf der Maur P, Läubli H, Zippelius A. Combination cancer immunotherapies: Emerging treatment strategies adapted to the tumor microenvironment. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabo3605. [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo3605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, resistance to ICB occurs frequently due to tumor-intrinsic alterations or extrinsic factors in the tumor microenvironment. This Viewpoint aims to give an update on recent developments in immunotherapy for solid tumors and highlights progress in translational research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Kirchhammer
- Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
| | - Marcel P. Trefny
- Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
| | - Priska Auf der Maur
- Tumor Heterogeneity, Metastasis and Resistance, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital of Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Läubli
- Cancer Immunotherapy, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
- Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
| | - Alfred Zippelius
- Cancer Immunology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
- Medical Oncology, University Hospital Basel, Basel 4031, Switzerland
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Hambach J, Mann AM, Bannas P, Koch-Nolte F. Targeting multiple myeloma with nanobody-based heavy chain antibodies, bispecific killer cell engagers, chimeric antigen receptors, and nanobody-displaying AAV vectors. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1005800. [PMID: 36405759 PMCID: PMC9668101 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1005800] [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: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies are well suited for constructing biologics due to their high solubility. We generated nanobodies directed against CD38, a tumor marker that is overexpressed by multiple myeloma and other hematological malignancies. We then used these CD38-specific nanobodies to construct heavy chain antibodies, bispecific killer cell engagers (BiKEs), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells, and nanobody-displaying AAV vectors. Here we review the utility of these nanobody-based constructs to specifically and effectively target CD38-expressing myeloma cells. The promising results of our preclinical studies warrant further clinical studies to evaluate the potential of these CD38-specific nanobody-based constructs for treatment of multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hambach
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Marei Mann
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Peter Bannas
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Koch-Nolte
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany,*Correspondence: Friedrich Koch-Nolte,
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Wang X, Yang X, Yuan X, Wang W, Wang Y. Chimeric antigen receptor-engineered NK cells: new weapons of cancer immunotherapy with great potential. Exp Hematol Oncol 2022; 11:85. [PMID: 36324149 PMCID: PMC9628181 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T (CAR-T) cells have obtained prominent achievement in the clinical immunotherapy of hematological malignant tumors, leading to a rapid development of cellular immunotherapy in cancer treatment. Scientists are also aware of the prospective advantages of CAR engineering in cellular immunotherapy. Due to various limitations such as the serious side effects of CAR-T therapy, researchers began to investigate other immune cells for CAR modification. Natural killer (NK) cells are critical innate immune cells with the characteristic of non-specifically recognizing target cells and with the potential to become "off-the-shelf" products. In recent years, many preclinical studies on CAR-engineered NK (CAR-NK) cells have shown their remarkable efficacy in cancer therapy and their superiority over autologous CAR-T cells. In this review, we summarize the generation, mechanisms of anti-tumor activity and unique advantages of CAR-NK cells, and then analyze some challenges and recent clinical trials about CAR-NK cells therapy. We believe that CAR-NK therapy is a promising prospect for cancer immunotherapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Xuejiao Yang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Xiang Yuan
- grid.13291.380000 0001 0807 1581Department of Thoracic Oncology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Yueying Wang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
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Mendoza-Valderrey A, Alvarez M, De Maria A, Margolin K, Melero I, Ascierto ML. Next Generation Immuno-Oncology Strategies: Unleashing NK Cells Activity. Cells 2022; 11:3147. [PMID: 36231109 PMCID: PMC9562848 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, immunotherapy has become a powerful therapeutic option against multiple malignancies. The unique capacity of natural killer (NK) cells to attack cancer cells without antigen specificity makes them an optimal immunotherapeutic tool for targeting tumors. Several approaches are currently being pursued to maximize the anti-tumor properties of NK cells in the clinic, including the development of NK cell expansion protocols for adoptive transfer, the establishment of a favorable microenvironment for NK cell activity, the redirection of NK cell activity against tumor cells, and the blockage of inhibitory mechanisms that constrain NK cell function. We here summarize the recent strategies in NK cell-based immunotherapies and discuss the requirement to further optimize these approaches for enhancement of the clinical outcome of NK cell-based immunotherapy targeting tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Mendoza-Valderrey
- Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Cancer Immunotherapy Research Program, Borstein Family Melanoma Program, Translational Immunology Department, Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
| | - Maite Alvarez
- Program for Immunology and Immunotherapy, CIMA, Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrea De Maria
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, 16126 Genova, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Kim Margolin
- Borstein Family Melanoma Program, Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Program for Immunology and Immunotherapy, CIMA, Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria Libera Ascierto
- Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Cancer Immunotherapy Research Program, Borstein Family Melanoma Program, Translational Immunology Department, Saint John’s Cancer Institute, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
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Valeri A, García-Ortiz A, Castellano E, Córdoba L, Maroto-Martín E, Encinas J, Leivas A, Río P, Martínez-López J. Overcoming tumor resistance mechanisms in CAR-NK cell therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:953849. [PMID: 35990652 PMCID: PMC9381932 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.953849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the impressive results of autologous CAR-T cell therapy in refractory B lymphoproliferative diseases, CAR-NK immunotherapy emerges as a safer, faster, and cost-effective approach with no signs of severe toxicities as described for CAR-T cells. Permanently scrutinized for its efficacy, recent promising data in CAR-NK clinical trials point out the achievement of deep, high-quality responses, thus confirming its potential clinical use. Although CAR-NK cell therapy is not significantly affected by the loss or downregulation of its CAR tumor target, as in the case of CAR-T cell, a plethora of common additional tumor intrinsic or extrinsic mechanisms that could also disable NK cell function have been described. Therefore, considering lessons learned from CAR-T cell therapy, the emergence of CAR-NK cell therapy resistance can also be envisioned. In this review we highlight the processes that could be involved in its development, focusing on cytokine addiction and potential fratricide during manufacturing, poor tumor trafficking, exhaustion within the tumor microenvironment (TME), and NK cell short in vivo persistence on account of the limited expansion, replicative senescence, and rejection by patient’s immune system after lymphodepletion recovery. Finally, we outline new actively explored alternatives to overcome these resistance mechanisms, with a special emphasis on CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genetic engineering approaches, a promising platform to optimize CAR-NK cell function to eradicate refractory cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Valeri
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena García-Ortiz
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Castellano
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Córdoba
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Maroto-Martín
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jessica Encinas
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandra Leivas
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Río
- Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Biomedical Innovation Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Martínez-López
- Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (H12O-CNIO) Haematological Malignancies Clinical Research Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Hematology, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre-Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Joaquín Martínez-López,
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Focaccetti C, Benvenuto M, Pighi C, Vitelli A, Napolitano F, Cotugno N, Fruci D, Palma P, Rossi P, Bei R, Cifaldi L. DNAM-1-chimeric receptor-engineered NK cells, combined with Nutlin-3a, more effectively fight neuroblastoma cells in vitro: a proof-of-concept study. Front Immunol 2022; 13:886319. [PMID: 35967339 PMCID: PMC9367496 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.886319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of engineered NK cells, one of clinical approaches to fight cancer, is gaining great interest in the last decade. However, the development of new strategies is needed to improve clinical efficacy and safety of NK cell-based immunotherapy. NK cell-mediated recognition and lysis of tumor cells are strictly dependent on the expression of ligands for NK cell-activating receptors NKG2D and DNAM-1 on tumor cells. Of note, the PVR/CD155 and Nectin-2/CD112 ligands for DNAM-1 are expressed primarily on solid tumor cells and poorly expressed in normal tissue cells. Here, we generated human NK cells expressing either the full length DNAM-1 receptor or three different DNAM-1-based chimeric receptor that provide the expression of DNAM-1 fused to a costimulatory molecule such as 2B4 and CD3ζ chain. Upon transfection into primary human NK cells isolated from healthy donors, we evaluated the surface expression of DNAM-1 and, as a functional readout, we assessed the extent of degranulation, cytotoxicity and the production of IFNγ and TNFα in response to human leukemic K562 cell line. In addition, we explored the effect of Nutlin-3a, a MDM2-targeting drug able of restoring p53 functions and known to have an immunomodulatory effect, on the degranulation of DNAM-1-engineered NK cells in response to human neuroblastoma (NB) LA-N-5 and SMS-KCNR cell lines. By comparing NK cells transfected with four different plasmid vectors and through blocking experiments, DNAM-1-CD3ζ-engineered NK cells showed the strongest response. Furthermore, both LA-N-5 and SMS-KCNR cells pretreated with Nutlin-3a were significantly more susceptible to DNAM-1-engineered NK cells than NK cells transfected with the empty vector. Our results provide a proof-of-concept suggesting that the combined use of DNAM-1-chimeric receptor-engineered NK cells and Nutlin-3a may represent a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of solid tumors, such as NB, carrying dysfunctional p53.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Focaccetti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Benvenuto
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Pighi
- Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Dipartimento Pediatrico Universitario Ospedaliero (DPUO), Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Nicola Cotugno
- Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Dipartimento Pediatrico Universitario Ospedaliero (DPUO), Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Doriana Fruci
- Department of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology and of Cell and Gene Therapy, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Palma
- Research Unit of Clinical Immunology and Vaccinology, Dipartimento Pediatrico Universitario Ospedaliero (DPUO), Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Rossi
- Chair of Pediatrics, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Loredana Cifaldi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Academic Department of Pediatrics (DPUO), Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Loredana Cifaldi,
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Chiawpanit C, Panwong S, Sawasdee N, Yenchitsomanus PT, Panya A. Genistein Sensitizes Human Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Lines to Be Susceptible to Natural Killer Cells. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081098. [PMID: 35892954 PMCID: PMC9330512 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal bile duct cancer, which has poor treatment outcomes due to its high resistance to chemotherapy and cancer recurrence. Activation of aberrant anti-apoptotic signaling pathway has been reported to be a mechanism of chemoresistance and immune escape of CCA. Therefore, reversal of anti-apoptotic signaling pathway represents a feasible approach to potentiate effective treatments, especially for CCA with high chemoresistance. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of genistein on reactivation of apoptosis cascade and increase the susceptibility of CCA cells to natural killer (NK-92) cells. Genistein at 50 and 100 µM significantly activated extrinsic apoptotic pathway in CCA cells (KKU055, KKU100, and KKU213A), which was evident by reduction of procaspase-8 and -3 expression. Pretreatment of CCA cells with genistein at 50 µM, but not NK-92 cells, significantly increased NK-92 cell killing ability over the untreated control, suggesting the ability of genistein to sensitize CCA cells. Interestingly, genistein treatment could greatly lower the expression of cFLIP, an anti-apoptotic protein involved in the immune escape pathway, in addition to upregulation of death receptors, Fas- and TRAIL-receptors, in CCA cells, which might be the underlying molecular mechanism of genistein to sensitize CCA to be susceptible to NK-92 cells. Taken together, this finding revealed the benefit of genistein as a sensitizer to enhance the efficiency of NK cell immunotherapy for CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chutipa Chiawpanit
- Doctoral Program in Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
| | - Suthida Panwong
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
- Doctoral Program in Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Nunghathai Sawasdee
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy (SiCORE-CIT), Research Department, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand; (N.S.); (P.-t.Y.)
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Pa-thai Yenchitsomanus
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy (SiCORE-CIT), Research Department, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand; (N.S.); (P.-t.Y.)
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Research Department, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Aussara Panya
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
- Research Center in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +66-53-943346
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Alternative CAR Therapies: Recent Approaches in Engineering Chimeric Antigen Receptor Immune Cells to Combat Cancer. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071493. [PMID: 35884798 PMCID: PMC9313317 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
For nearly three decades, chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have captivated the interest of researchers seeking to find novel immunotherapies to treat cancer. CARs were first designed to work with T cells, and the first CAR T cell therapy was approved to treat B cell lymphoma in 2017. Recent advancements in CAR technology have led to the development of modified CARs, including multi-specific CARs and logic gated CARs. Other immune cell types, including natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages, have also been engineered to express CARs to treat cancer. Additionally, CAR technology has been adapted in novel approaches to treating autoimmune disease and other conditions and diseases. In this article, we review these recent advancements in alternative CAR therapies and design, as well as their mechanisms of action, challenges in application, and potential future directions.
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