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Granato AM, Pancisi E, Piccinini C, Stefanelli M, Pignatta S, Soldati V, Carloni S, Fanini F, Arienti C, Bulgarelli J, Tazzari M, Scarpi E, Passardi A, Tauceri F, La Barba G, Maimone G, Baravelli S, de Rosa F, Ridolfi L, Petrini M. Dendritic cell vaccines as cancer treatment: focus on 13 years of manufacturing and quality control experience in advanced therapy medicinal products. Cytotherapy 2024:S1465-3249(24)00771-0. [PMID: 39046388 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells of the mammalian immune system. Ex vivo differentiated DCs represent a unique Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP), used in several clinical trials as personalized cancer immunotherapy. The therapy's reliability depends on its capacity to produce high-quality mature DCs (mDCs) in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices. AIMS From March 2010 to December 2023, 103 patients were enrolled in multiple clinical trials at the Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory at IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori". Six hundred forty-two doses were produced, and the manufacturing process was implemented to optimize production. Our study is a retrospective analysis focusing on the quality control results. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the results of the quality control tests carried out on each produced batch, evaluating viability, purity and phenotype of mDCs and their quality in terms of microbiological safety. The data obtained are given with median and interquartile range. RESULTS The batches were found to be microbiologically safe in terms of sterility, mycoplasma, and endotoxins. An increase in DC maturation markers was found. The release criteria checks showed a high percentage of viability and purity was maintained during the production process. CONCLUSIONS Our findings have confirmed that the measures implemented have ensured the safety of the products and have contributed to the establishing a robust "Pharmaceutical Quality System." This has enabled many safe mDCs to be produced for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Granato
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Elena Pancisi
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Claudia Piccinini
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Monica Stefanelli
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Sara Pignatta
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Valentina Soldati
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Silvia Carloni
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Francesca Fanini
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Chiara Arienti
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Jenny Bulgarelli
- Experimental and Clinical Oncology Unit of Immunotherapy and Rare Cancers, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy.
| | - Marcella Tazzari
- Experimental and Clinical Oncology Unit of Immunotherapy and Rare Cancers, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Emanuela Scarpi
- Unit of Biostatistics and Clinical Trials, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Alessandro Passardi
- Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Francesca Tauceri
- Department of General and Oncologic Surgery, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, AUSL Romagna, Forlì, Italy
| | - Giuliano La Barba
- Department of General and Oncologic Surgery, Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, AUSL Romagna, Forlì, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Baravelli
- Unit of Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, GB Morgagni-L. Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy
| | - Francesco de Rosa
- Experimental and Clinical Oncology Unit of Immunotherapy and Rare Cancers, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Laura Ridolfi
- Experimental and Clinical Oncology Unit of Immunotherapy and Rare Cancers, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Petrini
- Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory, IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, Italy
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Capelli C, Cuofano C, Pavoni C, Frigerio S, Lisini D, Nava S, Quaroni M, Colombo V, Galli F, Bezukladova S, Panina-Bordignon P, Gaipa G, Comoli P, Cossu G, Martino G, Biondi A, Introna M, Golay J. Potency assays and biomarkers for cell-based advanced therapy medicinal products. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1186224. [PMID: 37359560 PMCID: PMC10288881 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1186224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) based on somatic cells expanded in vitro, with or without genetic modification, is a rapidly growing area of drug development, even more so following the marketing approval of several such products. ATMPs are produced according to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in authorized laboratories. Potency assays are a fundamental aspect of the quality control of the end cell products and ideally could become useful biomarkers of efficacy in vivo. Here we summarize the state of the art with regard to potency assays used for the assessment of the quality of the major ATMPs used clinic settings. We also review the data available on biomarkers that may substitute more complex functional potency tests and predict the efficacy in vivo of these cell-based drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Capelli
- Center of Cellular Therapy "G. Lanzani", ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Carolina Cuofano
- Center of Cellular Therapy "G. Lanzani", ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Chiara Pavoni
- Center of Cellular Therapy "G. Lanzani", ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Simona Frigerio
- Cell Therapy Production Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Lisini
- Cell Therapy Production Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Nava
- Cell Therapy Production Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Quaroni
- Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy Stefano Verri, ASST Monza Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Italy
| | - Valentina Colombo
- Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy Stefano Verri, ASST Monza Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Italy
| | - Francesco Galli
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Svetlana Bezukladova
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Neuroimmunology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Panina-Bordignon
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Neuroimmunology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gaipa
- Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy Stefano Verri, ASST Monza Ospedale San Gerardo, Monza, Italy
| | - Patrizia Comoli
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulio Cossu
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianvito Martino
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Neuroimmunology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Biondi
- Department of Pediatrics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Martino Introna
- Center of Cellular Therapy "G. Lanzani", ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Josée Golay
- Center of Cellular Therapy "G. Lanzani", ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
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Chavda VP, Patel AB, Vora LK, Apostolopoulos V, Uhal BD. Dendritic cell-based vaccine: the state-of-the-art vaccine platform for COVID-19 management. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1395-1403. [PMID: 35929957 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2110076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A correlation between new coronaviruses and host immunity, as well as the role of defective immune function in host response, would be extremely helpful in understanding coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pathogenicity, and a coherent structure of treatments and vaccines. As existing vaccines may be inadequate for new viral variants emerging in various regions of the world, it is a vital requirement for fresh and effective therapeutic alternatives. AREA COVERED Immunotherapy may give a viable protective option for COVID-19, a disease that is currently a big burden on global health and economic systems. Herein, we have outlined three dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines for COVID-19 which are in human clinical trials and have shown encouraging outcomes. EXPERT OPINION With existing knowledge of the virus, and the nature of DC, DC-based vaccines may be proven to be effective in inducing long-lasting protective immunity, especially T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek P Chavda
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, L M College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad - 380009, Gujarat, India
| | - Aayushi B Patel
- Pharmacy Section, LM College of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad - 380058, Gujarat, India
| | - Lalitkumar K Vora
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, BT9 7BL, UK
| | - Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, 3030, Australia
| | - Bruce D Uhal
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Stability Program in Dendritic Cell Vaccines: A “Real-World” Experience in the Immuno-Gene Therapy Factory of Romagna Cancer Center. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10070999. [PMID: 35891165 PMCID: PMC9323699 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10070999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced therapy medical products (ATMPs) are rapidly growing as innovative medicines for the treatment of several diseases. Hence, the role of quality analytical tests to ensure consistent product safety and quality has become highly relevant. Several clinical trials involving dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines for cancer treatment are ongoing at our institute. The DC-based vaccine is prepared via CD14+ monocyte differentiation. A fresh dose of 10 million DCs is administered to the patient, while the remaining DCs are aliquoted, frozen, and stored in nitrogen vapor for subsequent treatment doses. To evaluate the maintenance of quality parameters and to establish a shelf life of frozen vaccine aliquots, a stability program was developed. Several parameters of the DC final product at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months were evaluated. Our results reveal that after 24 months of storage in nitrogen vapor, the cell viability is in a range between 82% and 99%, the expression of maturation markers remains inside the criteria for batch release, the sterility tests are compliant, and the cell costimulatory capacity unchanged. Thus, the data collected demonstrate that freezing and thawing do not perturb the DC vaccine product maintaining over time its functional and quality characteristics.
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