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Metanat Y, Viktor P, Amajd A, Kaur I, Hamed AM, Abed Al-Abadi NK, Alwan NH, Chaitanya MVNL, Lakshmaiya N, Ghildiyal P, Khalaf OM, Ciongradi CI, Sârbu I. The paths toward non-viral CAR-T cell manufacturing: A comprehensive review of state-of-the-art methods. Life Sci 2024; 348:122683. [PMID: 38702027 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122683] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Although CAR-T cell therapy has emerged as a game-changer in cancer immunotherapy several bottlenecks limit its widespread use as a front-line therapy. Current protocols for the production of CAR-T cells rely mainly on the use of lentiviral/retroviral vectors. Nevertheless, according to the safety concerns around the use of viral vectors, there are several regulatory hurdles to their clinical use. Large-scale production of viral vectors under "Current Good Manufacturing Practice" (cGMP) involves rigorous quality control assessments and regulatory requirements that impose exorbitant costs on suppliers and as a result, lead to a significant increase in the cost of treatment. Pursuing an efficient non-viral method for genetic modification of immune cells is a hot topic in cell-based gene therapy. This study aims to investigate the current state-of-the-art in non-viral methods of CAR-T cell manufacturing. In the first part of this study, after reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of the clinical use of viral vectors, different non-viral vectors and the path of their clinical translation are discussed. These vectors include transposons (sleeping beauty, piggyBac, Tol2, and Tc Buster), programmable nucleases (ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9), mRNA, plasmids, minicircles, and nanoplasmids. Afterward, various methods for efficient delivery of non-viral vectors into the cells are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yekta Metanat
- Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
| | - Patrik Viktor
- Óbuda University, Karoly Keleti faculty, Tavaszmező u. 15-17, H-1084 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ayesha Amajd
- Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Krasińskiego 8 Street, 40-019 Katowice, Poland
| | - Irwanjot Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetics, Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, Bangalore, Karnataka, India; Department of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan-303012, India
| | | | | | | | - M V N L Chaitanya
- School of pharmaceutical sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T. Road, Phagwara, Punjab - 144411, India
| | | | - Pallavi Ghildiyal
- Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
| | | | - Carmen Iulia Ciongradi
- 2nd Department of Surgery-Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania.
| | - Ioan Sârbu
- 2nd Department of Surgery-Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iași, Romania.
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2
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Moradi V, Khodabandehloo E, Alidadi M, Omidkhoda A, Ahmadbeigi N. Progress and pitfalls of gene editing technology in CAR-T cell therapy: a state-of-the-art review. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1388475. [PMID: 38912057 PMCID: PMC11190338 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1388475] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
CAR-T cell therapy has shown remarkable promise in treating B-cell malignancies, which has sparked optimism about its potential to treat other types of cancer as well. Nevertheless, the Expectations of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors and non-B cell hematologic malignancies have not been met. Furthermore, safety concerns regarding the use of viral vectors and the current personalized production process are other bottlenecks that limit its widespread use. In recent years the use of gene editing technology in CAR-T cell therapy has opened a new way to unleash the latent potentials of CAR-T cell therapy and lessen its associated challenges. Moreover, gene editing tools have paved the way to manufacturing CAR-T cells in a fully non-viral approach as well as providing a universal, off-the-shelf product. Despite all the advantages of gene editing strategies, the off-target activity of classical gene editing tools (ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9) remains a major concern. Accordingly, several efforts have been made in recent years to reduce their off-target activity and genotoxicity, leading to the introduction of advanced gene editing tools with an improved safety profile. In this review, we begin by examining advanced gene editing tools, providing an overview of how these technologies are currently being applied in clinical trials of CAR-T cell therapies. Following this, we explore various gene editing strategies aimed at enhancing the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Moradi
- Hematology and Blood Transfusion Science Department, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Khodabandehloo
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mehdi Alidadi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azadeh Omidkhoda
- Hematology and Blood Transfusion Science Department, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Naser Ahmadbeigi
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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3
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Montoya M, Gallus M, Phyu S, Haegelin J, de Groot J, Okada H. A Roadmap of CAR-T-Cell Therapy in Glioblastoma: Challenges and Future Perspectives. Cells 2024; 13:726. [PMID: 38727262 PMCID: PMC11083543 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor, with a median overall survival of less than 2 years and a nearly 100% mortality rate under standard therapy that consists of surgery followed by combined radiochemotherapy. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in hematological cancers has prompted preclinical and clinical investigations into CAR-T-cell treatment for GBM. However, recent trials have not demonstrated any major success. Here, we delineate existing challenges impeding the effectiveness of CAR-T-cell therapy for GBM, encompassing the cold (immunosuppressive) microenvironment, tumor heterogeneity, T-cell exhaustion, local and systemic immunosuppression, and the immune privilege inherent to the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma. Additionally, we deliberate on the progress made in developing next-generation CAR-T cells and novel innovative approaches, such as low-intensity pulsed focused ultrasound, aimed at surmounting current roadblocks in GBM CAR-T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Montoya
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Marco Gallus
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Su Phyu
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jeffrey Haegelin
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - John de Groot
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA 94129, USA
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4
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Kruglova N, Shepelev M. Increasing Gene Editing Efficiency via CRISPR/Cas9- or Cas12a-Mediated Knock-In in Primary Human T Cells. Biomedicines 2024; 12:119. [PMID: 38255224 PMCID: PMC10813735 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes represent a promising target for genome editing. They are primarily modified to recognize and kill tumor cells or to withstand HIV infection. In most studies, T cell genome editing is performed using the CRISPR/Cas technology. Although this technology is easily programmable and widely accessible, its efficiency of T cell genome editing was initially low. Several crucial improvements were made in the components of the CRISPR/Cas technology and their delivery methods, as well as in the culturing conditions of T cells, before a reasonable editing level suitable for clinical applications was achieved. In this review, we summarize and describe the aforementioned parameters that affect human T cell editing efficiency using the CRISPR/Cas technology, with a special focus on gene knock-in.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kruglova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology RAS, 119334 Moscow, Russia;
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5
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Webber BR, Johnson MJ, Skeate JG, Slipek NJ, Lahr WS, DeFeo AP, Mills LJ, Qiu X, Rathmann B, Diers MD, Wick B, Henley T, Choudhry M, Starr TK, McIvor RS, Moriarity BS. Cas9-induced targeted integration of large DNA payloads in primary human T cells via homology-mediated end-joining DNA repair. Nat Biomed Eng 2023:10.1038/s41551-023-01157-4. [PMID: 38092857 PMCID: PMC11169092 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01157-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The reliance on viral vectors for the production of genetically engineered immune cells for adoptive cellular therapies remains a translational bottleneck. Here we report a method leveraging the DNA repair pathway homology-mediated end joining, as well as optimized reagent composition and delivery, for the Cas9-induced targeted integration of large DNA payloads into primary human T cells with low toxicity and at efficiencies nearing those of viral vectors (targeted knock-in of 1-6.7 kb payloads at rates of up to 70% at multiple targeted genomic loci and with cell viabilities of over 80%). We used the method to produce T cells with an engineered T-cell receptor or a chimaeric antigen receptor and show that the cells maintained low levels of exhaustion markers and excellent capacities for proliferation and cytokine production and that they elicited potent antitumour cytotoxicity in vitro and in mice. The method is readily adaptable to current good manufacturing practices and scale-up processes, and hence may be used as an alternative to viral vectors for the production of genetically engineered T cells for cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beau R Webber
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
| | - Matthew J Johnson
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Joseph G Skeate
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nicholas J Slipek
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Walker S Lahr
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Anthony P DeFeo
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Lauren J Mills
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Xiaohong Qiu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Blaine Rathmann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Miechaleen D Diers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Bryce Wick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | | | - Timothy K Starr
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Ob-Gyn and Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - R Scott McIvor
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Branden S Moriarity
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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6
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Chen C, Wang Z, Qin Y. CRISPR/Cas9 system: recent applications in immuno-oncology and cancer immunotherapy. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:95. [PMID: 37964355 PMCID: PMC10647168 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00457-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) is essentially an adaptive immunity weapon in prokaryotes against foreign DNA. This system inspires the development of genome-editing technology in eukaryotes. In biomedicine research, CRISPR has offered a powerful platform to establish tumor-bearing models and screen potential targets in the immuno-oncology field, broadening our insights into cancer genomics. In translational medicine, the versatile CRISPR/Cas9 system exhibits immense potential to break the current limitations of cancer immunotherapy, thereby expanding the feasibility of adoptive cell therapy (ACT) in treating solid tumors. Herein, we first explain the principles of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology and introduce CRISPR as a tool in tumor modeling. We next focus on the CRISPR screening for target discovery that reveals tumorigenesis, immune evasion, and drug resistance mechanisms. Moreover, we discuss the recent breakthroughs of genetically modified ACT using CRISPR/Cas9. Finally, we present potential challenges and perspectives in basic research and clinical translation of CRISPR/Cas9. This review provides a comprehensive overview of CRISPR/Cas9 applications that advance our insights into tumor-immune interaction and lay the foundation to optimize cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zehua Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yanru Qin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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7
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Guo S, Gao X, Sadhana M, Guo R, Liu J, Lu W, Zhao MF. Developing Strategies to Improve the Efficacy of CAR-T Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Curr Treat Options Oncol 2023; 24:1614-1632. [PMID: 37870695 DOI: 10.1007/s11864-023-01140-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
OPINION STATEMENT Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a fatal blood malignancy. With the development of immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), the treatment of AML has undergone a significant change. Despite its advantages, CAR-T still faces a number of limitations and challenges while treating AML. Finding novel targets, altering the structure of CAR to increase efficacy while lowering side effects, and using double-target CAR and logic circuits are typical examples of key to answer these problems. With the advancement of gene editing technology, gene editing of tumor cells or normal cells to create therapeutic effects has grown in popularity. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs is routinely used to address some of the obstacles and difficulties associated with CAR-T therapy. The review's primary goal was to summarize recent strategies and developments of CAR-T therapy for AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Guo
- First Center, Clinic College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Xuejin Gao
- Emergency Department, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Mahara Sadhana
- First Center, Clinic College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Ruiting Guo
- First Center, Clinic College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Jile Liu
- First Center, Clinic College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Wenyi Lu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
| | - Ming Feng Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China.
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8
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Mikkelsen NS, Hernandez SS, Jensen TI, Schneller JL, Bak RO. Enrichment of transgene integrations by transient CRISPR activation of a silent reporter gene. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 29:1-16. [PMID: 36922985 PMCID: PMC10009645 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.02.010] [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: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas-mediated site-specific integration of transgenes by homology-directed repair (HDR) is challenging, especially in primary cells, where inferior editing efficiency may impede the development of gene- and cellular therapies. Various strategies for enrichment of cells with transgene integrations have been developed, but most strategies either generate unwanted genomic scars or rely on permanent integration and expression of a reporter gene used for selection. However, stable expression of a reporter gene may perturb cell homeostasis and function. Here we develop a broadly applicable and versatile enrichment strategy by harnessing the capability of CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) to transiently induce expression of a therapeutically relevant reporter gene used for immunomagnetic enrichment. This strategy is readily adaptable to primary human T cells and CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), where enrichment of 1.8- to 3.3-fold and 3.2- to 3.6-fold was achieved, respectively. Furthermore, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells were enriched 2.5-fold and demonstrated improved cytotoxicity over non-enriched CAR T cells. Analysis of HDR integrations showed a proportion of cells harboring deletions of the transgene cassette arising either from impartial HDR or truncated adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector genomes. Nonetheless, this novel enrichment strategy expands the possibility to enrich for transgene integrations in research settings and in gene and cellular therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Trine I Jensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jessica L Schneller
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,RNA and Gene Therapies, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - Rasmus O Bak
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.,Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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9
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Fraessle SP, Tschulik C, Effenberger M, Cletiu V, Gerget M, Schober K, Busch DH, Germeroth L, Stemberger C, Poltorak MP. Activation-inducible CAR expression enables precise control over engineered CAR T cell function. Commun Biol 2023; 6:604. [PMID: 37277433 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04978-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CAR T cell therapy is a rapidly growing area of oncological treatments having a potential of becoming standard care for multiple indications. Coincidently, CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technology is entering next-generation CAR T cell product manufacturing with the promise of more precise and more controllable cell modification methodology. The intersection of these medical and molecular advancements creates an opportunity for completely new ways of designing engineered cells to help overcome current limitations of cell therapy. In this manuscript we present proof-of-concept data for an engineered feedback loop. We manufactured activation-inducible CAR T cells with the help of CRISPR-mediated targeted integration. This new type of engineered T cells expresses the CAR gene dependent on their activation status. This artifice opens new possibilities to regulate CAR T cell function both in vitro and in vivo. We believe that such a physiological control system can be a powerful addition to the currently available toolbox of next-generation CAR constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon P Fraessle
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Tschulik
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Manuel Effenberger
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany.
| | - Vlad Cletiu
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Gerget
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Kilian Schober
- Institute for Medical Microbiology Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dirk H Busch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology Immunology and Hygiene, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lothar Germeroth
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Stemberger
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Mateusz P Poltorak
- Juno Therapeutics GmbH, a Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Grillparzerstr. 10, 81675, Munich, Germany
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10
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Lučanský V, Holubeková V, Kolková Z, Halašová E, Samec M, Golubnitschaja O. Multi-faceted CRISPR/Cas technological innovation aspects in the framework of 3P medicine. EPMA J 2023; 14:201-217. [PMID: 37275547 PMCID: PMC10201107 DOI: 10.1007/s13167-023-00324-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Since 2009, the European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (EPMA, Brussels) promotes the paradigm change from reactive approach to predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM) to protect individuals in sub-optimal health conditions from the health-to-disease transition, to increase life-quality of the affected patient cohorts improving, therefore, ethical standards and cost-efficacy of healthcare to great benefits of the society at large. The gene-editing technology utilizing CRISPR/Cas gene-editing approach has demonstrated its enormous value as a powerful tool in a broad spectrum of bio/medical research areas. Further, CRISPR/Cas gene-editing system is considered applicable to primary and secondary healthcare, in order to prevent disease spread and to treat clinically manifested disorders, involving diagnostics of SARS-Cov-2 infection and experimental treatment of COVID-19. Although the principle of the proposed gene editing is simple and elegant, there are a lot of technological challenges and ethical considerations to be solved prior to its broadly scaled clinical implementation. This article highlights technological innovation beyond the state of the art, exemplifies current achievements, discusses unsolved technological and ethical problems, and provides clinically relevant outlook in the framework of 3PM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Lučanský
- Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin (JFMED CU), Biomedical Center, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Veronika Holubeková
- Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin (JFMED CU), Biomedical Center, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Kolková
- Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin (JFMED CU), Biomedical Center, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Erika Halašová
- Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin (JFMED CU), Biomedical Center, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Marek Samec
- Department of Pathophysiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovakia
| | - Olga Golubnitschaja
- Predictive, Preventive, Personalised (3P) Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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11
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Mohr M, Damas N, Gudmand-Høyer J, Zeeberg K, Jedrzejczyk D, Vlassis A, Morera-Gómez M, Pereira-Schoning S, Puš U, Oliver-Almirall A, Lyholm Jensen T, Baumgartner R, Tate Weinert B, Gill RT, Warnecke T. The CRISPR-Cas12a Platform for Accurate Genome Editing, Gene Disruption, and Efficient Transgene Integration in Human Immune Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:375-389. [PMID: 36750230 PMCID: PMC9942205 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas12a nucleases have expanded the toolbox for targeted genome engineering in a broad range of organisms. Here, using a high-throughput engineering approach, we explored the potential of a novel CRISPR-MAD7 system for genome editing in human cells. We evaluated several thousand optimization conditions and demonstrated accurate genome reprogramming with modified MAD7. We identified crRNAs that allow for ≤95% non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and 66% frameshift mutations in various genes and observed the high-cleavage fidelity of MAD7 resulting in undetectable off-target activity. We explored the dsDNA delivery efficiency of CRISPR-MAD7, and by using our optimized transfection protocol, we obtained ≤85% chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) insertions in primary T cells, thus exceeding the baseline integration efficiencies of therapeutically relevant transgenes using currently available virus-free technologies. Finally, we evaluated multiplex editing efficiency with CRISPR-MAD7 and demonstrated simultaneous ≤35% CAR transgene insertions and ≤80% gene disruption efficiencies. Both the platform and our transfection procedure are easily adaptable for further preclinical studies and could potentially be used for clinical manufacturing of CAR T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mohr
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nkerorema Damas
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Johanne Gudmand-Høyer
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katrine Zeeberg
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dominika Jedrzejczyk
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Arsenios Vlassis
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martí Morera-Gómez
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Sara Pereira-Schoning
- Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Urška Puš
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anna Oliver-Almirall
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tanja Lyholm Jensen
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Roland Baumgartner
- Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Brian Tate Weinert
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Ryan T. Gill
- Novo
Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 220, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark,Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States,
| | - Tanya Warnecke
- Artisan
Bio, 363 Centennial Parkway,
Suite 310, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States,
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12
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Braun T, Pruene A, Darguzyte M, vom Stein AF, Nguyen PH, Wagner DL, Kath J, Roig-Merino A, Heuser M, Riehm LL, Schneider A, Awerkiew S, Talbot SR, Bleich A, Figueiredo C, Bornhäuser M, Stripecke R. Non-viral TRAC-knocked-in CD19 KICAR-T and gp350 KICAR-T cells tested against Burkitt lymphomas with type 1 or 2 EBV infection: In vivo cellular dynamics and potency. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1086433. [PMID: 37033919 PMCID: PMC10081580 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1086433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The ubiquitous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic herpes virus associated with several human malignancies. EBV is an immune-evasive pathogen that promotes CD8+ T cell exhaustion and dysregulates CD4+ T cell functions. Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is frequently associated with EBV infections. Since BL relapses after conventional therapies are difficult to treat, we evaluated prospective off-the-shelf edited CAR-T cell therapies targeting CD19 or the EBV gp350 cell surface antigen. Methods We used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing methods to knock in (KI) the CD19CAR.CD28z or gp350CAR.CD28z into the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha chain (TRAC) locus. Results Applying upscaled methods with the ExPERT ATx® MaxCyte system, KI efficacy was ~20% of the total ~2 × 108 TCR-knocked-out (KO) generated cells. KOTCRKICAR-T cells were co-cultured in vitro with the gp350+CD19+ BL cell lines Daudi (infected with type 1 EBV) or with Jiyoye (harboring a lytic type 2 EBV). Both types of CAR-T cells showed cytotoxic effects against the BL lines in vitro. CD8+ KICAR-T cells showed higher persistency than CD4+ KICAR-T cells after in vitro co-culture with BL and upregulation of the activation/exhaustion markers PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3. Two preclinical in vivo xenograft models were set up with Nod.Rag.Gamma mice injected intravenously (i.v.) with 2 × 105 Daudi/fLuc-GFP or with Jiyoye/fLuc-GFP cells. Compared with the non-treated controls, mice challenged with BL and treated with CD19KICAR-T cells showed delayed lymphoma dissemination with lower EBV DNA load. Notably, for the Jiyoye/fLuc-GFP model, almost exclusively CD4+ CD19KICAR-T cells were detectable at the endpoint analyses in the bone marrow, with increased frequencies of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and TIM-3+CD4+ T cells. Administration of gp350KICAR-T cells to mice after Jiyoye/GFP-fLuc challenge did not inhibit BL growth in vivo but reduced the EBV DNA load in the bone marrow and promoted gp350 antigen escape. CD8+PD-1+LAG-3+ gp350KICAR-T cells were predominant in the bone marrow. Discussion The two types of KOTCRKICAR-T cells showed different therapeutic effects and in vivo dynamics. These findings reflect the complexities of the immune escape mechanisms of EBV, which may interfere with the CAR-T cell property and potency and should be taken into account for future clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Braun
- Clinic of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Alina Pruene
- Clinic of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Milita Darguzyte
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Translational Immune-Oncology, Cancer Research Center Cologne-Essen (CCCE), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander F. vom Stein
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
| | - Phuong-Hien Nguyen
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
| | - Dimitrios L. Wagner
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- BIH-Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Kath
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- BIH-Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael Heuser
- Clinic of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Lucas L. Riehm
- Clinic of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Andreas Schneider
- Clinic of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Sabine Awerkiew
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, MHH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Constanca Figueiredo
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Organ Engineering, MHH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Bornhäuser
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Clinic of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Translational Immune-Oncology, Cancer Research Center Cologne-Essen (CCCE), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Renata Stripecke,
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Wagner DL, Koehl U, Chmielewski M, Scheid C, Stripecke R. Review: Sustainable Clinical Development of CAR-T Cells – Switching From Viral Transduction Towards CRISPR-Cas Gene Editing. Front Immunol 2022; 13:865424. [PMID: 35784280 PMCID: PMC9248912 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.865424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells modified for expression of Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) were the first gene-modified cell products approved for use in cancer immunotherapy. CAR-T cells engineered with gammaretroviral or lentiviral vectors (RVs/LVs) targeting B-cell lymphomas and leukemias have shown excellent clinical efficacy and no malignant transformation due to insertional mutagenesis to date. Large-scale production of RVs/LVs under good-manufacturing practices for CAR-T cell manufacturing has soared in recent years. However, manufacturing of RVs/LVs remains complex and costly, representing a logistical bottleneck for CAR-T cell production. Emerging gene-editing technologies are fostering a new paradigm in synthetic biology for the engineering and production of CAR-T cells. Firstly, the generation of the modular reagents utilized for gene editing with the CRISPR-Cas systems can be scaled-up with high precision under good manufacturing practices, are interchangeable and can be more sustainable in the long-run through the lower material costs. Secondly, gene editing exploits the precise insertion of CARs into defined genomic loci and allows combinatorial gene knock-ins and knock-outs with exciting and dynamic perspectives for T cell engineering to improve their therapeutic efficacy. Thirdly, allogeneic edited CAR-effector cells could eventually become available as “off-the-shelf” products. This review addresses important points to consider regarding the status quo, pending needs and perspectives for the forthright evolution from the viral towards gene editing developments for CAR-T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios L. Wagner
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- BIH-Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) as well as Institute of Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Chmielewski
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christoph Scheid
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Laboratory of Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine (Rebirth), Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Cancer Research Center Cologne Essen (CCCE), Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Renata Stripecke, ;
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14
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Kath J, Du W, Pruene A, Braun T, Thommandru B, Turk R, Sturgeon ML, Kurgan GL, Amini L, Stein M, Zittel T, Martini S, Ostendorf L, Wilhelm A, Akyüz L, Rehm A, Höpken UE, Pruß A, Künkele A, Jacobi AM, Volk HD, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Stripecke R, Reinke P, Wagner DL. Pharmacological interventions enhance virus-free generation of TRAC-replaced CAR T cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:311-330. [PMID: 35573047 PMCID: PMC9062427 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) redirected T cells are potent therapeutic options against hematological malignancies. The current dominant manufacturing approach for CAR T cells depends on retroviral transduction. With the advent of gene editing, insertion of a CD19-CAR into the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha constant (TRAC) locus using adeno-associated viruses for gene transfer was demonstrated, and these CD19-CAR T cells showed improved functionality over their retrovirally transduced counterparts. However, clinical-grade production of viruses is complex and associated with extensive costs. Here, we optimized a virus-free genome-editing method for efficient CAR insertion into the TRAC locus of primary human T cells via nuclease-assisted homology-directed repair (HDR) using CRISPR-Cas and double-stranded template DNA (dsDNA). We evaluated DNA-sensor inhibition and HDR enhancement as two pharmacological interventions to improve cell viability and relative CAR knockin rates, respectively. While the toxicity of transfected dsDNA was not fully prevented, the combination of both interventions significantly increased CAR knockin rates and CAR T cell yield. Resulting TRAC-replaced CD19-CAR T cells showed antigen-specific cytotoxicity and cytokine production in vitro and slowed leukemia progression in a xenograft mouse model. Amplicon sequencing did not reveal significant indel formation at potential off-target sites with or without exposure to DNA-repair-modulating small molecules. With TRAC-integrated CAR+ T cell frequencies exceeding 50%, this study opens new perspectives to exploit pharmacological interventions to improve non-viral gene editing in T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kath
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Weijie Du
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alina Pruene
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | - Tobias Braun
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | | | - Rolf Turk
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | | | - Gavin L. Kurgan
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | - Leila Amini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Stein
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatiana Zittel
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefania Martini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lennard Ostendorf
- Department of Nephrology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Armin Rehm
- Department of Translational Tumorimmunology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Uta E. Höpken
- Department of Microenvironmental Regulation in Autoimmunity and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Künkele
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Schmueck-Henneresse
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, Cancer Center Cologne Essen, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Reinke
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitrios L. Wagner
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Corresponding author Dimitrios Laurin Wagner, MD, PhD, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT) BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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Dimitri A, Herbst F, Fraietta JA. Engineering the next-generation of CAR T-cells with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:78. [PMID: 35303871 PMCID: PMC8932053 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01559-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells represent a breakthrough in personalized cancer therapy. In this strategy, synthetic receptors comprised of antigen recognition, signaling, and costimulatory domains are used to reprogram T-cells to target tumor cells for destruction. Despite the success of this approach in refractory B-cell malignancies, optimal potency of CAR T-cell therapy for many other cancers, particularly solid tumors, has not been achieved. Factors such as T-cell exhaustion, lack of CAR T-cell persistence, cytokine-related toxicities, and bottlenecks in the manufacturing of autologous products have hampered the safety, effectiveness, and availability of this approach. With the ease and accessibility of CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing, it is possible to address many of these limitations. Accordingly, current research efforts focus on precision engineering of CAR T-cells with conventional CRISPR-Cas9 systems or novel editors that can install desired genetic changes with or without introduction of a double-stranded break (DSB) into the genome. These tools and strategies can be directly applied to targeting negative regulators of T-cell function, directing therapeutic transgenes to specific genomic loci, and generating reproducibly safe and potent allogeneic universal CAR T-cell products for on-demand cancer immunotherapy. This review evaluates several of the ongoing and future directions of combining next-generation CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing with synthetic biology to optimize CAR T-cell therapy for future clinical trials toward the establishment of a new cancer treatment paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Dimitri
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, South Pavilion Expansion (SPE), Room 9-104, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg. 421, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA.,Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Friederike Herbst
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Translational Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases, Dresden and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joseph A Fraietta
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, South Pavilion Expansion (SPE), Room 9-104, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg. 421, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-5156, USA. .,Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Arnaud M, Bobisse S, Chiffelle J, Harari A. The Promise of Personalized TCR-Based Cellular Immunotherapy for Cancer Patients. Front Immunol 2021; 12:701636. [PMID: 34394096 PMCID: PMC8363295 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.701636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation-derived neoantigens are now established as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. The field of adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) therapy was significantly reshaped by tumor neoantigens and is now moving towards the genetic engineering of T cells with neoantigen-specific T cell receptors (TCRs). Yet, the identification of neoantigen-reactive TCRs remains challenging and the process needs to be adapted to clinical timelines. In addition, the state of recipient T cells for TCR transduction is critical and can affect TCR-ACT efficacy. Here we provide an overview of the main strategies for TCR-engineering, describe the selection and expansion of optimal carrier cells for TCR-ACT and discuss the next-generation methods for rapid identification of relevant TCR candidates for gene transfer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Arnaud
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Bobisse
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Chiffelle
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Harari
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center of Experimental Therapeutics, Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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17
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Sauer T, Parikh K, Sharma S, Omer B, Sedloev D, Chen Q, Angenendt L, Schliemann C, Schmitt M, Müller-Tidow C, Gottschalk S, Rooney CM. CD70-specific CAR T cells have potent activity against acute myeloid leukemia without HSC toxicity. Blood 2021; 138:318-330. [PMID: 34323938 PMCID: PMC8323977 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020008221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains dismal, highlighting the need for novel innovative treatment strategies. The application of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to patients with AML has been limited, in particular by the lack of a tumor-specific target antigen. CD70 is a promising antigen to target AML, as it is expressed on most leukemic blasts, whereas little or no expression is detectable in normal bone marrow samples. To target CD70 on AML cells, we generated a panel of CD70-CAR T cells that contained a common single-chain variable fragment (scFv) for antigen detection, but differed in size and flexibility of the extracellular spacer and in the transmembrane and the costimulatory domains. These CD70scFv CAR T cells were compared with a CAR construct that contained human CD27, the ligand of CD70 fused to the CD3ζ chain (CD27z). The structural composition of the CAR strongly influenced expression levels, viability, expansion, and cytotoxic capacities of CD70scFv-based CAR T cells, but CD27z-CAR T cells demonstrated superior proliferation and antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo, compared with all CD70scFv-CAR T cells. Although CD70-CAR T cells recognized activated virus-specific T cells (VSTs) that expressed CD70, they did not prevent colony formation by normal hematopoietic stem cells. Thus, CD70-targeted immunotherapy is a promising new treatment strategy for patients with CD70-positive AML that does not affect normal hematopoiesis but will require monitoring of virus-specific T-cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Sauer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital-Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kathan Parikh
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital-Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Sandhya Sharma
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital-Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Bilal Omer
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital-Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - David Sedloev
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linus Angenendt
- Department of Internal Medicine A, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; and
| | - Christoph Schliemann
- Department of Internal Medicine A, University Hospital of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; and
| | - Michael Schmitt
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carsten Müller-Tidow
- Department of Internal Medicine V, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Cliona M Rooney
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital-Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
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18
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Combination of CRISPR/Cas9 System and CAR-T Cell Therapy: A New Era for Refractory and Relapsed Hematological Malignancies. Curr Med Sci 2021; 41:420-430. [PMID: 34218353 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-021-2391-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy is the novel treatment strategy for hematological malignancies such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), lymphoma and multiple myeloma. However, treatment-related toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) have become significant hurdles to CAR-T treatment. Multiple strategies were established to alter the CAR structure on the genomic level to improve efficacy and reduce toxicities. Recently, the innovative gene-editing technology-clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease9 (Cas9) system, which particularly exhibits preponderance in knock-in and knockout at specific sites, is widely utilized to manufacture CAR-T products. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 to CAR-T cell therapy has shown promising clinical results with minimal toxicity. In this review, we summarized the past achievements of CRISPR/Cas9 in CAR-T therapy and focused on the potential CAR-T targets.
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19
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Atsavapranee ES, Billingsley MM, Mitchell MJ. Delivery technologies for T cell gene editing: Applications in cancer immunotherapy. EBioMedicine 2021; 67:103354. [PMID: 33910123 PMCID: PMC8099660 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
While initial approaches to adoptive T cell therapy relied on the identification and expansion of rare tumour-reactive T cells, genetic engineering has transformed cancer immunotherapy by enabling the modification of primary T cells to increase their therapeutic potential. Specifically, gene editing technologies have been utilized to create T cell populations with improved responses to antigens, lower rates of exhaustion, and potential for use in allogeneic applications. In this review, we provide an overview of T cell therapy gene editing strategies and the delivery technologies utilized to genetically engineer T cells. We also discuss recent investigations and clinical trials that have utilized gene editing to enhance the efficacy of T cells and broaden the application of cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella S Atsavapranee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Michael J Mitchell
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Cardiovascular Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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