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Galli E, Viscovo M, Fosso F, Pansini I, Di Cesare G, Iacovelli C, Maiolo E, Sorà F, Hohaus S, Sica S, Bellesi S, Chiusolo P. Unlocking Predictive Power: Quantitative Assessment of CAR-T Expansion with Digital Droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2673. [PMID: 38473919 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052673] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Flow cytometry (FCM) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) are conventional methods for assessing CAR-T expansion, while digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) is emerging as a promising alternative. We monitored CAR-T transcript expansion in 40 B-NHL patients post-infusion of CAR-T products (axi-cel; tisa-cel; and brexu-cel) with both His-Tag FCM and ddPCR techniques. Sensitivity and predictive capacity for efficacy and safety outcomes of ddPCR were analyzed and compared with FCM. A significant correlation between CAR-T counts determined by FCM and CAR transcripts assessed by ddPCR (p < 0.001) was observed. FCM revealed median CD3+CAR+ cell counts at 7, 14, and 30 days post-infusion with no significant differences. In contrast, ddPCR-measured median copies of CAR-T transcripts demonstrated significant lower copy numbers in tisa-cel recipients compared to the other products at day 7 and day 14. Patients with a peak of CAR transcripts at day 7 exceeding 5000 copies/microg gDNA, termed "good CAR-T expanders", were more likely to achieve a favorable response at 3 months (HR 10.79, 95% CI 1.16-100.42, p = 0.036). Good CAR-T expanders showed superior progression-free survival at 3, 6, and 12 months compared to poor CAR-T expanders (p = 0.088). Those reaching a peak higher than 5000 copies/microg gDNA were more likely to experience severe CRS and ICANS. DdPCR proves to be a practical method for monitoring CAR-T expansion, providing quantitative information that better predicts both treatment outcomes and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenio Galli
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Viscovo
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Fosso
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pansini
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Di Cesare
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Iacovelli
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Maiolo
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Sorà
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefan Hohaus
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Sica
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellesi
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Chiusolo
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Sezione di Ematologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Masilamani M, Jawa V, Dai Y, Das R, Park A, Lamba M, Wu F, Zheng X, Lu E, Gleason C, Mack T, Mora J, Surapaneni S. Bioanalytical Methods for Characterization of CAR-T Cellular Kinetics: Comparison of PCR Assays and Matrices. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2023; 114:664-672. [PMID: 37422675 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Recently, multiple chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T)-based therapies have been approved for treating hematological malignancies, targeting CD19 and B-cell maturation antigen. Unlike protein or antibody therapies, CAR-T therapies are "living cell" therapies whose pharmacokinetics are characterized by expansion, distribution, contraction, and persistence. Therefore, this unique modality requires a different approach for quantitation compared with conventional ligand binding assays implemented for most biologics. Cellular (flow cytometry) or molecular assays (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)) can be deployed with each having unique advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we describe the molecular assays utilized: quantitative PCR (qPCR), which was the initial platform used to estimate transgene copy numbers and more recently droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) which quantitates the absolute copy numbers of CAR transgene. The comparability of the two methods in patient samples and of each method across different matrices (isolated CD3+ T-cells or whole blood) was also performed. The results show a good correlation between qPCR and ddPCR for the amplification of same gene in clinical samples from a CAR-T therapy trial. In addition, our studies show that the qPCR-based amplification of transgene levels was well-correlated, independent of DNA sources (either CD3+ T-cells or whole blood). Our results also highlight that ddPCR can be a better platform for monitoring samples at the early phase of CAR-T dosing prior to expansion and during long-term monitoring as they can detect samples with very low copy numbers with high sensitivity, in addition to easier implementation and sample logistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhan Masilamani
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Vibha Jawa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yanshan Dai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Romita Das
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Alice Park
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Manisha Lamba
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Fan Wu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Xirong Zheng
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edwin Lu
- Global Biometrics and Data Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Carol Gleason
- Global Biometrics and Data Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Tim Mack
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Johanna Mora
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sekhar Surapaneni
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Disposition, and Bioanalysis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, New Jersey, USA
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Burns JS. The Evolving Landscape of Potency Assays. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1420:165-189. [PMID: 37258790 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-30040-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
There is a "goldilocks" aspect to potency assays. On the one hand, a comprehensive evaluation of the cell product with detailed quantitative measurement of the critical quality attribute/s of the desired biological activity is required. On the other hand, the potency assay benefits from simplification and lean approaches that avoid unnecessary complication and enhance robustness, to provide a reproducible and scalable product. There is a need to balance insightful knowledge of complex biological healing processes with straightforward manufacture of an advanced therapeutic medicinal product (ATMP) that can be administered in a trustworthy cost-effective manner. While earlier chapters within this book have highlighted numerous challenges facing the potency assay conundrum, this chapter offers a forward-looking perspective regarding the many recent advances concerning acellular products, cryopreservation, induced MSC, cell priming, nanotechnology, 3D culture, regulatory guidelines and evolving institutional roles, that are likely to facilitate potency assay development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Burns
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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Berger SC, Fehse B, Akyüz N, Geffken M, Wolschke C, Janson D, Gagelmann N, Luther M, Wichmann D, Frenzel C, Thayssen G, Alegiani A, Badbaran A, Zeschke S, Dierlamm J, Kröger N, Ayuk FA. Molecular monitoring of T-cell kinetics and migration in severe neurotoxicity after real-world CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy. Haematologica 2022; 108:444-456. [PMID: 35950534 PMCID: PMC9890009 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CD19-CAR) T-cell therapies mediate durable responses in late-stage B-cell malignancies, but can be complicated by a potentially severe immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Despite broad efforts, the precise mechanisms of ICANS are not entirely known, and resistance to current ICANSdirected therapies (especially corticosteroids) has been observed. Recent data suggest that inflammatory cytokines and/or targeting of cerebral CD19-expressing pericytes can disrupt the blood-brain barrier and facilitate influx of immune cells, including CAR T cells. However, specific tools for CD19-CAR T-cell analysis within often minute samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are not broadly available. Here, we applied our recently developed digital polymerase chain reaction assays to monitor CD19-CAR T-cell kinetics in CSF and blood in real-world patients with neurotoxicity. Consistently, we observed a CAR T-cell enrichment within CSF in ICANS patients with further progressive accumulation despite intense corticosteroid- containing immuno-chemotherapies in a subset of patients with prolonged and therapy-resistant grade 3-4 neurotoxicity. We used next-generation T-cell receptor-b sequencing to assess the repertoire of treatment-refractory cells. Longitudinal analysis revealed a profound skewing of the T-cell receptor repertoire, which at least partly reflected selective expansion of infused T-cell clones. Interestingly, a major fraction of eventually dominating hyperexpanded T-cell clones were of non-CAR T-cell derivation. These findings hint to a role of therapy-refractory T-cell clones in severe ICANS development and prompt future systematic research to determine if CAR T cells may serve as 'door openers' and to further characterize both CAR-positive and non-CAR T cells to interrogate the transcriptional signature of these possibly pathologic T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Boris Fehse
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation,Research Department Cell and Gene Therapy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Guenther Thayssen
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Alegiani
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany,°Current address: Department of Neurology with Stroke Unit, Asklepios Clinic Altona, Hamburg, Germany
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Clinically Applicable Assessment of Tisagenlecleucel CAR T Cell Treatment by Digital Droplet PCR for Copy Number Variant Assessment. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147573. [PMID: 35886920 PMCID: PMC9322953 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147573] [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: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an innovative immunotherapy for treating cancers in both children and adults with proven utility in numerous clinical trials. Significantly, some CAR T cell therapies have now been approved by relevant national regulatory bodies across numerous countries for clinical therapeutic use outside of clinical trials. One such recently licensed product is tisagenlecleucel, a CAR T therapy approved for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) using autologous T cells from the patient. The genetically engineered T cells target a protein called CD19, common to B cells, through a CAR incorporating a 4-1BB costimulatory domain to improve response. Since tisagenlecleucel is now a standard of care treatment for B-ALL, it is clinically essential to be able to accurately monitor these CAR T cells in patients. Assessment of the copy number variant (CNV) of the CAR T cell products allows this within a clinically acceptable timeframe for optimal patient benefit. However, no standardized method with high reproducibility and efficiency has been described within a routine clinical laboratory setting. Here, we demonstrated a novel digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)-based methodology for the study of CNV (ddPCR-CNV) in 4-1BB CD19-specific CAR T cells with universal applicability across clinical diagnostic laboratories.
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