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Klebanoff CA, Chandran SS, Baker BM, Quezada SA, Ribas A. T cell receptor therapeutics: immunological targeting of the intracellular cancer proteome. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:996-1017. [PMID: 37891435 PMCID: PMC10947610 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00809-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
The T cell receptor (TCR) complex is a naturally occurring antigen sensor that detects, amplifies and coordinates cellular immune responses to epitopes derived from cell surface and intracellular proteins. Thus, TCRs enable the targeting of proteins selectively expressed by cancer cells, including neoantigens, cancer germline antigens and viral oncoproteins. As such, TCRs have provided the basis for an emerging class of oncology therapeutics. Herein, we review the current cancer treatment landscape using TCRs and TCR-like molecules. This includes adoptive cell transfer of T cells expressing endogenous or engineered TCRs, TCR bispecific engagers and antibodies specific for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-bound peptides (TCR mimics). We discuss the unique complexities associated with the clinical development of these therapeutics, such as HLA restriction, TCR retrieval, potency assessment and the potential for cross-reactivity. In addition, we highlight emerging clinical data that establish the antitumour potential of TCR-based therapies, including tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, for the treatment of diverse human malignancies. Finally, we explore the future of TCR therapeutics, including emerging genome editing methods to safely enhance potency and strategies to streamline patient identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Klebanoff
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Smita S Chandran
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, New York, NY, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian M Baker
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, ID, USA
- The Harper Cancer Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, ID, USA
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Haematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
- Achilles Therapeutics, London, UK
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Li YR, Dunn ZS, Yu Y, Li M, Wang P, Yang L. Advancing cell-based cancer immunotherapy through stem cell engineering. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:592-610. [PMID: 36948187 PMCID: PMC10164150 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Advances in cell-based therapy, particularly CAR-T cell therapy, have transformed the treatment of hematological malignancies. Although an important step forward for the field, autologous CAR-T therapies are hindered by high costs, manufacturing challenges, and limited efficacy against solid tumors. With ongoing progress in gene editing and culture techniques, engineered stem cells and their application in cell therapy are poised to address some of these challenges. Here, we review stem cell-based immunotherapy approaches, stem cell sources, gene engineering and manufacturing strategies, therapeutic platforms, and clinical trials, as well as challenges and future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Zachary Spencer Dunn
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Yanqi Yu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Miao Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Pin Wang
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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3
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Dai X, Li J, Chen Y, Ostrikov KK. When Onco-Immunotherapy Meets Cold Atmospheric Plasma: Implications on CAR-T Therapies. Front Oncol 2022; 12:837995. [PMID: 35280746 PMCID: PMC8905244 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.837995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
T cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) have demonstrated its widespread efficacy as a targeted immunotherapeutic modality. Yet, concerns on its specificity, efficacy and generalization prevented it from being established into a first-line approach against cancers. By reviewing challenges limiting its clinical application, ongoing efforts trying to resolve them, and opportunities that emerging oncotherapeutic modalities may bring to temper these challenges, we conclude that careful CAR design should be done to avoid the off-tumor effect, enhance the efficacy of solid tumor treatment, improve product comparability, and resolve problems such as differential efficacies of co-stimulatory molecules, cytokine storm, tumor lysis syndrome, myelosuppression and severe hepatotoxicity. As a promising solution, we propose potential synergies between CAR-T therapies and cold atmospheric plasma, an emerging onco-therapeutic strategy relying on reactive species, towards improved therapeutic efficacies and enhanced safety that deserve extensive investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dai
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,CAPsoul Biotechnology Company, Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Jitian Li
- Henan Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital (Henan Provincial Orthopedic Hospital)/Henan Provincial Orthopedic Institute, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yiming Chen
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Kostya Ken Ostrikov
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Centre for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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4
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Zur RT, Adler G, Shamalov K, Tal Y, Ankri C, Cohen CJ. Adoptive T-cell Immunotherapy: Perfecting Self-Defenses. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 113:253-294. [PMID: 35165867 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-91311-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As an important part of the immune system, T lymphocytes exhibit undoubtedly an important role in targeting and eradicating cancer. However, despite these characteristics, their natural antitumor response may be insufficient. Numerous clinical trials in terminally ill cancer patients testing the design of novel and efficient immunotherapeutic approaches based on the adoptive transfer of autologous tumor-specific T lymphocytes have shown encouraging results. Moreover, this also led to the approval of engineered T-cell therapies in patients. Herein, we will expand on the development and the use of such strategies using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes or genetically engineered T-cells. We will also comment on the requirements and potential hurdles encountered when elaborating and implementing such treatments as well as the exciting prospects for this kind of emerging personalized medicine therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphaëlle Toledano Zur
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Galit Adler
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Katerina Shamalov
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yair Tal
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Chen Ankri
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Cyrille J Cohen
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Wei T, Leisegang M, Xia M, Kiyotani K, Li N, Zeng C, Deng C, Jiang J, Harada M, Agrawal N, Li L, Qi H, Nakamura Y, Ren L. Generation of neoantigen-specific T cells for adoptive cell transfer for treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1929726. [PMID: 34104546 PMCID: PMC8158031 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1929726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy using TCR-engineered T cells (TCR-T cells) represents a promising strategy for treating relapsed and metastatic cancers. We previously established methods to identify neoantigen-specific TCRs based on patients’ PBMCs. However, in clinical practice isolation of PBMCs from advanced-stage cancer patients proves to be difficult. In this study, we substituted blood-derived T cells for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and used an HLA-matched cell line of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to replace autologous dendritic cells. Somatic mutations were determined in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma resected from two patients. HLA-A*02:01-restricted neoantigen libraries were constructed and transferred into HLA-matched APCs for stimulation of patient TILs. TCRs were isolated from reactive TIL cultures and functionality was tested using TCR- T cells in vitro and in vivo. To exemplify the screening approach, we identified the targeted neoantigen leading to recognition of the minigene construct that stimulated the strongest TIL response. Neoantigen peptides were used to load MHC-tetramers for T cell isolation and a TCR was identified targeting the KIAA1429D1358E mutation. TCR-T cells were activated, exhibited cytotoxicity, and secreted cytokines in a dose-dependent manner, and only when stimulated with the mutant peptide. Furthermore, comparable to a neoantigen-specific TCR that was isolated from the patient’s PBMCs, KIAA1429D1358E-specific TCR T cells destroyed human tumors in mice. The established protocol provides the required flexibility to methods striving to identify neoantigen-specific TCRs. By using an MHC-matched APC cell line and neoantigen-encoding minigene libraries, autologous TILs can be stimulated and screened when patient PBMCs and/or tumor material are not available anymore. Abbreviations: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); adoptive T cell therapy (ACT); T cell receptor (TCR); tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL); cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL); peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC); dendritic cell (DC); antigen-presenting cells (APC)
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Wei
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China.,Institute of Clinical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Matthias Leisegang
- Institute of Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,David and Etta Jonas Center for Cellular Therapy, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ming Xia
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
| | - Kazuma Kiyotani
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ning Li
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
| | - Chenquan Zeng
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
| | - Chunyan Deng
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
| | - Jinxing Jiang
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
| | - Makiko Harada
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nishant Agrawal
- Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Liangping Li
- Institute of Clinical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui Qi
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
| | - Yusuke Nakamura
- Cancer Precision Medicine Center, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Lili Ren
- Cytotherapy Laboratory, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Guangdong, China
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6
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Hartnett EG, Knight J, Radolec M, Buckanovich RJ, Edwards RP, Vlad AM. Immunotherapy Advances for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12123733. [PMID: 33322601 PMCID: PMC7764119 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The overall five-year survival rate in epithelial ovarian cancer is 44% and has only marginally improved in the past two decades. Despite an initial response to standard treatment consisting of chemotherapy and surgical removal of tumor, the lesions invariably recur, and patients ultimately die of chemotherapy resistant disease. New treatment modalities are needed in order to improve the prognosis of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. One such modality is immunotherapy, which aims to boost the capacity of the patient’s immune system to recognize and attack the tumor cells. We performed a retrospective study to identify some of the most promising immune therapies for epithelial ovarian cancer. Special emphasis was given to immuno-oncology clinical trials. Abstract New treatment modalities are needed in order to improve the prognosis of women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the most aggressive gynecologic cancer type. Most ovarian tumors are infiltrated by immune effector cells, providing the rationale for targeted approaches that boost the existing or trigger new anti-tumor immune mechanisms. The field of immuno-oncology has experienced remarkable progress in recent years, although the results seen with single agent immunotherapies in several categories of solid tumors have yet to extend to ovarian cancer. The challenge remains to determine what treatment combinations are most suitable for this disease and which patients are likely to benefit and to identify how immunotherapy should be incorporated into EOC standard of care. We review here some of the most promising immune therapies for EOC and focus on those currently tested in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin G. Hartnett
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.G.H.); (M.R.); (R.J.B.); (R.P.E.)
| | - Julia Knight
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;
| | - Mackenzy Radolec
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.G.H.); (M.R.); (R.J.B.); (R.P.E.)
| | - Ronald J. Buckanovich
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.G.H.); (M.R.); (R.J.B.); (R.P.E.)
| | - Robert P. Edwards
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.G.H.); (M.R.); (R.J.B.); (R.P.E.)
| | - Anda M. Vlad
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation and Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.G.H.); (M.R.); (R.J.B.); (R.P.E.)
- Correspondence:
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7
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Agupitan AD, Neeson P, Williams S, Howitt J, Haupt S, Haupt Y. P53: A Guardian of Immunity Becomes Its Saboteur through Mutation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3452. [PMID: 32414156 PMCID: PMC7278985 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Awareness of the importance of immunity in controlling cancer development triggered research into the impact of its key oncogenic drivers on the immune response, as well as their value as targets for immunotherapy. At the heart of tumour suppression is p53, which was discovered in the context of viral infection and now emerges as a significant player in normal and cancer immunity. Wild-type p53 (wt p53) plays fundamental roles in cancer immunity and inflammation. Mutations in p53 not only cripple wt p53 immune functions but also sinisterly subvert the immune function through its neomorphic gain-of-functions (GOFs). The prevalence of mutant p53 across different types of human cancers, which are associated with inflammatory and immune dysfunction, further implicates mutant p53 in modulating cancer immunity, thereby promoting tumorigenesis, metastasis and invasion. In this review, we discuss several mutant p53 immune GOFs in the context of the established roles of wt p53 in regulating and responding to tumour-associated inflammation, and regulating innate and adaptive immunity. We discuss the capacity of mutant p53 to alter the tumour milieu to support immune dysfunction, modulate toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling pathways to disrupt innate immunity and subvert cell-mediated immunity in favour of immune privilege and survival. Furthermore, we expose the potential and challenges associated with mutant p53 as a cancer immunotherapy target and underscore existing therapies that may benefit from inquiry into cancer p53 status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjelle Decasa Agupitan
- Tumour Suppression Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia; (A.D.A.); (S.H.)
| | - Paul Neeson
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;
- Cancer Immunology Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Scott Williams
- Division of Radiation Oncology and Cancer Imaging, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Jason Howitt
- School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne 3122, Victoria, Australia;
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sue Haupt
- Tumour Suppression Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia; (A.D.A.); (S.H.)
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;
| | - Ygal Haupt
- Tumour Suppression Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia; (A.D.A.); (S.H.)
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia;
- Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Victoria, Australia
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8
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He Q, Jiang X, Zhou X, Weng J. Targeting cancers through TCR-peptide/MHC interactions. J Hematol Oncol 2019; 12:139. [PMID: 31852498 PMCID: PMC6921533 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-019-0812-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapy has achieved dramatic success in a clinic, and the Food and Drug Administration approved two chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cell (CAR-T) therapies that target hematological cancers in 2018. A significant issue faced by CAR-T therapies is the lack of tumor-specific biomarkers on the surfaces of solid tumor cells, which hampers the application of CAR-T therapies to solid tumors. Intracellular tumor-related antigens can be presented as peptides in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the cell surface, which interact with the T cell receptors (TCR) on antigen-specific T cells to stimulate an anti-tumor response. Multiple immunotherapy strategies have been developed to eradicate tumor cells through targeting the TCR-peptide/MHC interactions. Here, we summarize the current status of TCR-based immunotherapy strategies, with particular focus on the TCR structure, activated signaling pathways, the effects and toxicity associated with TCR-based therapies in clinical trials, preclinical studies examining immune-mobilizing monoclonal TCRs against cancer (ImmTACs), and TCR-fusion molecules. We propose several TCR-based therapeutic strategies to achieve optimal clinical responses without the induction of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua He
- Department of Center Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 621 Gangwan Rd, Huangpu Qu, Guangzhou, 510700, China
| | - Xianhan Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510700, China
| | - Xinke Zhou
- Department of Center Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 621 Gangwan Rd, Huangpu Qu, Guangzhou, 510700, China. .,Department of General Surgery, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510700, China.
| | - Jinsheng Weng
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1414 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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9
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Simon B, Harrer DC, Thirion C, Schuler-Thurner B, Schuler G, Uslu U. Enhancing lentiviral transduction to generate melanoma-specific human T cells for cancer immunotherapy. J Immunol Methods 2019; 472:55-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2019.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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10
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Puig-Saus C, Ribas A. Gene editing: Towards the third generation of adoptive T-cell transfer therapies. IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY TECHNOLOGY 2019; 1:19-26. [PMID: 35755321 PMCID: PMC9216344 DOI: 10.1016/j.iotech.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
First-generation adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) administering tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and second-generation ACT using autologous T cells genetically modified to express tumor-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have both shown promise for the treatment of several cancers, including melanoma, leukemia and lymphoma. However, these treatments require labor-intensive manufacturing of the cell product for each patient, frequently utilize lentiviral or retroviral vectors to genetically modify the T cells, and have limited antitumor efficacy in solid tumors. Gene editing is revolutionizing the field of gene therapy, and ACT is at the forefront of this revolution. Gene-editing technologies can be used to re-engineer the phenotype of T cells to increase their antitumor potency, to generate off-the-shelf ACT products, and to replace endogenous TCRs with tumor-specific TCRs or CARs using homology-directed repair (HDR) donor templates. Adeno-associated viral vectors or linear DNA have been used as HDR donor templates. Of note, non-viral delivery substantially reduces the time required to generate clinical-grade reagents for manufacture of T-cell products—a critical step for the translation of personalized T-cell therapies. These technological advances in the field using gene editing open the door to the third generation of ACT therapies. CRISPR-Cas9 allows the generation of tumor-specific T cells for adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT). Gene editing allows generation of off-the-shelf ACT products. Gene editing can tailor T-cell phenotype and increase antitumor potency. Non-viral gene editing is a requirement for personalized ACT. Personalized third-generation ACT: gene-edited neoantigen-specific T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Puig-Saus
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, USA
| | - Antoni Ribas
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, USA.,Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA.,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
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11
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Eisenberg V, Hoogi S, Shamul A, Barliya T, Cohen CJ. T-cells "à la CAR-T(e)" - Genetically engineering T-cell response against cancer. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2019; 141:23-40. [PMID: 30653988 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The last decade will be remembered as the dawn of the immunotherapy era during which we have witnessed the approval by regulatory agencies of genetically engineered CAR T-cells and of checkpoint inhibitors for cancer treatment. Understandably, T-lymphocytes represent the essential player in these approaches. These cells can mediate impressive tumor regression in terminally-ill cancer patients. Moreover, they are amenable to genetic engineering to improve their function and specificity. In the present review, we will give an overview of the most recent developments in the field of T-cell genetic engineering including TCR-gene transfer and CAR T-cells strategies. We will also elaborate on the development of other types of genetic modifications to enhance their anti-tumor immune response such as the use of co-stimulatory chimeric receptors (CCRs) and unconventional CARs built on non-antibody molecules. Finally, we will discuss recent advances in genome editing and synthetic biology applied to T-cell engineering and comment on the next challenges ahead.
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12
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Abstract
The past decade has seen enormous progress in cancer immunotherapy. Checkpoint inhibitors are a class of immunotherapy that act to recruit endogenous T cells of a patient's immune system against cancer-associated peptide- MHC antigens. In this process, mutated antigenic peptides referred to as neoantigens often serve as the target on cancer cells that are recognized by the T cell receptor (TCR) on endogenous T cells. Another successful immunotherapy has involved adoptive T cell therapy, where therapeutic doses of T cells expressing a gene for an anti-cancer receptor are delivered to a patient. This approach has been used primarily against hematopoietic cancers using synthetic receptors called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). CARs typically contain an antibody fragment (single-chain Fv, scFv) against a cancer cell surface antigen such as the B cell molecule CD19. While therapeutic CARs (and full antibodies) target antigens expressed on cell surfaces, TCRs can target a much larger array of intracellular proteins by binding to any cellular peptide associated with an MHC product. These cancer targets include self-peptides from aberrantly expressed/overexpressed proteins or neoantigens. In this review, we discuss the use of TCRs in adoptive T cell therapy and their target antigens. We focus on two properties that impact sensitivity, potency, and possible toxic cross-reactivity of TCR-mediated therapy: (1) the affinity of the TCR for the target antigen, and (2) the density of the target antigen. Finally, we provide a comprehensive listing of the current clinical trials that involve TCRs in adoptive T cell cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
| | - David M. Kranz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
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13
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Echchannaoui H, Petschenka J, Ferreira EA, Hauptrock B, Lotz-Jenne C, Voss RH, Theobald M. A Potent Tumor-Reactive p53-Specific Single-Chain TCR without On- or Off-Target Autoimmunity In Vivo. Mol Ther 2018; 27:261-271. [PMID: 30528087 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic engineering of T cells with a T cell receptor (TCR) targeting tumor antigen is a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. Inefficient expression of the introduced TCR due to TCR mispairing may limit the efficacy and adversely affect the safety of TCR gene therapy. Here, we evaluated the safety and therapeutic efficiency of an optimized single-chain TCR (scTCR) specific for an HLA-A2.1-restricted (non-mutated) p53(264-272) peptide in adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) models using our unique transgenic mice expressing human p53 and HLA-A2.1 that closely mimic the human setting. Specifically, we showed that adoptive transfer of optimized scTCR-redirected T cells does not induce on-target and off-target autoimmunity. Furthermore, ACT resulted in full tumor protection and led to a long-lived effective, antigen-specific memory T cell response in syngeneic and xenograft models. Taken together, the study demonstrated that our scTCR specific for the broadly expressed tumor-associated antigen p53(264-272) can eradicate p53+A2.1+ tumor cells without inducing off-target or self-directed toxicities in mouse models of ACT. These data strongly support the improved safety and therapeutic efficacy of high-affinity p53scTCR for TCR-based immunotherapy of p53-associated malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakim Echchannaoui
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center (UMC), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany; German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Frankfurt/Mainz, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jutta Petschenka
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Edite Antunes Ferreira
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Beate Hauptrock
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Carina Lotz-Jenne
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ralf-Holger Voss
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Matthias Theobald
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Pneumology, University Medical Center (UMC) and University Cancer Center (UCT), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Research Center for Immunotherapy (FZI), University Medical Center (UMC), Johannes Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany; German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Frankfurt/Mainz, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Eisenberg V, Shamalov K, Meir S, Hoogi S, Sarkar R, Pinker S, Markel G, Porgador A, Cohen CJ. Targeting Multiple Tumors Using T-Cells Engineered to Express a Natural Cytotoxicity Receptor 2-Based Chimeric Receptor. Front Immunol 2017; 8:1212. [PMID: 29085357 PMCID: PMC5649149 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in cancer treatment are demonstrating the increasing and powerful potential of immunotherapeutic strategies. In this regard, the adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T-lymphocytes approaches can lead to tumor regression in cancer patients. More recently, the use of T-cells genetically engineered to express cancer-specific receptors such as the anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) continues to show promise for the treatment of hematological malignancies. Still, there is a crucial need to develop efficient CAR-T cell approaches for the treatment of solid tumors. It has been shown that other lymphocytes such as natural killer (NK) cells can demonstrate potent antitumor function—nonetheless, their use in immunotherapy is rather limited due to difficulties in expanding these cells to therapeutically relevant numbers and to suppression by endogenous inhibitory mechanisms. Cancer recognition by NK cells is partly mediated by molecules termed natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs). In the present study, we hypothesize that it is possible to endow T-cells with an NK recognition pattern, providing them with a mean to recognize tumor cells, in a non-MHC restricted way. To test this, we genetically modified human T-cells with different chimeric receptors based on the human NCR2 molecule and then assessed their antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Our results show that expression in primary lymphocytes of an NCR2-derived CAR, termed s4428z, confers T-cells with the ability to specifically recognize heterogeneous tumors and to mediate tumor cytotoxicity in a mouse model. This study demonstrates the benefit of combining tumor recognition capability of NK cells with T cell effectiveness to improve cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasyl Eisenberg
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Katerina Shamalov
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shimrit Meir
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shiran Hoogi
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Rhitajit Sarkar
- Faculty of Health Sciences, The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.,ASAS, Amity University Haryana, Manesar, India
| | - Shirel Pinker
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Gal Markel
- The Ella Lemelbaum Institute of Immuno-Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Angel Porgador
- Faculty of Health Sciences, The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Cyrille J Cohen
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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15
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Mo Z, Du P, Wang G, Wang Y. The Multi-Purpose Tool of Tumor Immunotherapy: Gene-Engineered T Cells. J Cancer 2017; 8:1690-1703. [PMID: 28775789 PMCID: PMC5535725 DOI: 10.7150/jca.18681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A detailed summary of the published clinical trials of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) and TCR-transduced T cells (TCR-T) was constructed to understand the development trend of adoptive T cell therapy (ACT). In contrast to TCR-T, the number of CAR-T clinical trials has increased dramatically in China in the last three years. The ACT seems to be very prosperous. But, the multidimensional interaction of tumor, tumor associated antigen (TAA) and normal tissue exacerbates the uncontrolled outcome of T cells gene therapy. It reminds us the importance that optimizing treatment security to prevent the fatal serious adverse events. How to balance the safety and effectiveness of the ACT? At least six measures can potentially optimize the safety of ACT. At the same time, with the application of gene editing techniques, more endogenous receptors are disrupted while more exogenous receptors are expressed on T cells. As a multi-purpose tool of tumor immunotherapy, gene-engineered T cells (GE-T) have been given different functional weapons. A network which is likely to link radiation therapy, tumor vaccines, CAR-T and TCR-T is being built. Moreover, more and more evidences indicated that the combination of the ACT and other therapies would further enhance the anti-tumor capacity of the GE-T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeming Mo
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 610041
| | - Peixin Du
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 610041
| | - Guoping Wang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 610041
| | - Yongsheng Wang
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 610041
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16
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Rodriguez-Garcia A, Minutolo NG, Robinson JM, Powell DJ. T-cell target antigens across major gynecologic cancers. Gynecol Oncol 2017; 145:426-435. [PMID: 28377094 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.03.510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapies have achieved remarkable success in treating different forms of cancer including melanoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, bladder cancer, synovial cell sarcoma, and multiple myeloma using immune checkpoint blockade or gene-engineered T-cells. Although gynecologic cancers have not been historically classified as immunogenic tumors, growing evidence has shown that they are in fact able to elicit endogenous antitumor immune responses suggesting that patients with these cancers may benefit from immunotherapy. Modest clinical success has been accomplished in early trials using immunotherapeutic modalities for major gynecologic cancers including ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer. Unlike solid cancers with high mutational burdens, or hematologic malignancies where target antigens are expressed homogenously and exclusively by tumor cells, identifying tumor-restricted antigens has been challenging when designing a T-cell targeted therapy for gynecologic tumors. Nevertheless, mounting preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that targeting shared, viral or patient-specific mutated antigens expressed by gynecologic tumors with T-cells may improve patient outcome. Here we review the strengths and weaknesses of targeting these various antigens, as well as provide insight into the future of immunotherapy for gynecologic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Rodriguez-Garcia
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nicholas G Minutolo
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John M Robinson
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Gynecologic Oncology, MD Anderson Cooper Cancer Center, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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17
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Shamalov K, Levy SN, Horovitz-Fried M, Cohen CJ. The mutational status of p53 can influence its recognition by human T-cells. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1285990. [PMID: 28507791 PMCID: PMC5414872 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1285990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
p53 was reported to be an attractive immunotherapy target because it is mutated in approximately half of human cancers, resulting in its inactivation and often accumulation in tumor cells. Peptides derived from p53 are presented by class I MHC molecules and may act as tumor-associated epitopes which could be targeted by p53-specific T cells. Interestingly, it was recently shown that there is a lack of significant correlation between p53 expression levels in tumors and their recognition by p53-TCR transduced T cells. To better understand the influence of the mutational status of p53 on its presentation by the MHC system and on T cell antitumor reactivity, we generated several mutant p53 constructs and expressed them in HLA-A2+/p53- cells. Upon co-culture with p53-specific T cells, we measured the specific recognition of p53-expressing target cells by means of cytokine secretion, marker upregulation and cytotoxicity, and in parallel determined p53 expression levels by intracellular staining. We also examined the relevance of antigen presentation components on p53 recognition and the impact of mutant p53 expression on cell-cycle dynamics. Our results show that selected p53 mutations altering protein stability can modulate p53 presentation to T cells, leading to a differential immune reactivity inversely correlated with measured p53 protein levels. Thus, p53 may behave differently than other classical tumor antigens and its mutational status should therefore be taken into account when elaborating immunotherapy treatments of cancer patients targeting p53.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Shamalov
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Shlomo N. Levy
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Miryam Horovitz-Fried
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Cyrille J. Cohen
- The Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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18
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Yang F, Jin H, Wang J, Sun Q, Yan C, Wei F, Ren X. Adoptive Cellular Therapy (ACT) for Cancer Treatment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 909:169-239. [PMID: 27240459 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-7555-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) with various lymphocytes or antigen-presenting cells is one stone in the pillar of cancer immunotherapy, which relies on the tumor-specific T cell. The transfusion of bulk T-cell population into patients is an effective treatment for regression of cancer. In this chapter, we summarize the development of various strategies in ACT for cancer immunotherapy and discuss some of the latest progress and obstacles in technical, safety, and even regulatory aspects to translate these technologies to the clinic. ACT is becoming a potentially powerful approach to cancer treatment. Further experiments and clinical trials are needed to optimize this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Jin
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China
| | - Qian Sun
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China
| | - Cihui Yan
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Wei
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiubao Ren
- Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China. .,Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China. .,Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China. .,Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Huanhuxi Road, Tiyuanbei, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300060, Tianjin, China.
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19
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Menderes G, Schwab CL, Black J, Santin AD. The Role of the Immune System in Ovarian Cancer and Implications on Therapy. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2016; 12:681-95. [PMID: 26821930 DOI: 10.1586/1744666x.2016.1147957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy in the United States. While the treatment options have improved with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy and advanced surgical techniques, disease recurrence is common and fatal in nearly all cases. Current evidence suggests that the immune system and its ability to recognize and eliminate microscopic disease is paramount in preventing recurrence. The goal of immunotherapy is to balance the activation of the immune system against cancer while preventing the potential for tremendous toxicity elicited by immune modulation. In this paper we will review the role of immune system in disease pathogenesis and different immunotherapies available for the treatment of ovarian cancer as well as current ongoing studies and potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulden Menderes
- a Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Carlton L Schwab
- a Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Jonathan Black
- a Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Alessandro D Santin
- a Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences , Yale University School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
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20
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Themeli M, Rivière I, Sadelain M. New cell sources for T cell engineering and adoptive immunotherapy. Cell Stem Cell 2016; 16:357-66. [PMID: 25842976 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2015.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The promising clinical results obtained with engineered T cells, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy, call for further advancements to facilitate and broaden their applicability. One potentially beneficial innovation is to exploit new T cell sources that reduce the need for autologous cell manufacturing and enable cell transfer across histocompatibility barriers. Here we review emerging T cell engineering approaches that utilize alternative T cell sources, which include virus-specific or T cell receptor-less allogeneic T cells, expanded lymphoid progenitors, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived T lymphocytes. The latter offer the prospect for true off-the-shelf, genetically enhanced, histocompatible cell therapy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Themeli
- The Center for Cell Engineering, Immunology and Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Programs, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Isabelle Rivière
- The Center for Cell Engineering, Immunology and Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Programs, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Michel Sadelain
- The Center for Cell Engineering, Immunology and Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Programs, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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21
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Wang QJ, Yu Z, Griffith K, Hanada KI, Restifo NP, Yang JC. Identification of T-cell Receptors Targeting KRAS-Mutated Human Tumors. Cancer Immunol Res 2015; 4:204-14. [PMID: 26701267 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-15-0188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
KRAS is one of the most frequently mutated proto-oncogenes in human cancers. The dominant oncogenic mutations of KRAS are single amino acid substitutions at codon 12, in particular G12D and G12V present in 60% to 70% of pancreatic cancers and 20% to 30% of colorectal cancers. The consistency, frequency, and tumor specificity of these "neoantigens" make them attractive therapeutic targets. Recent data associate T cells that target mutated antigens with clinical immunotherapy responses in patients with metastatic melanoma, lung cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma. Using HLA-peptide prediction algorithms, we noted that HLA-A*11:01 could potentially present mutated KRAS variants. By immunizing HLA-A*11:01 transgenic mice, we generated murine T cells and subsequently isolated T-cell receptors (TCR) highly reactive to the mutated KRAS variants G12V and G12D. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) transduced with these TCRs could recognize multiple HLA-A*11:01(+) tumor lines bearing the appropriate KRAS mutations. In a xenograft model of large established tumor, adoptive transfer of these transduced PBLs reactive with an HLA-A*11:01, G12D-mutated pancreatic cell line could significantly reduce its growth in NSG mice (P = 0.002). The success of adoptive transfer of TCR-engineered T cells against melanoma and other cancers supports clinical trials with these T cells that recognize mutated KRAS in patients with a variety of common cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong J Wang
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Zhiya Yu
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kayla Griffith
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ken-ichi Hanada
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nicholas P Restifo
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - James C Yang
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.
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22
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Sherman LA. Using Autoimmunity To Inform Tumor Immunity. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2015; 195:5091-5. [PMID: 26589742 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1590023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda A Sherman
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
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23
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Karpanen T, Olweus J. T-cell receptor gene therapy--ready to go viral? Mol Oncol 2015; 9:2019-42. [PMID: 26548533 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes can be redirected to recognize a tumor target and harnessed to combat cancer by genetic introduction of T-cell receptors of a defined specificity. This approach has recently mediated encouraging clinical responses in patients with cancers previously regarded as incurable. However, despite the great promise, T-cell receptor gene therapy still faces a multitude of obstacles. Identification of epitopes that enable effective targeting of all the cells in a heterogeneous tumor while sparing normal tissues remains perhaps the most demanding challenge. Experience from clinical trials has revealed the dangers associated with T-cell receptor gene therapy and highlighted the need for reliable preclinical methods to identify potentially hazardous recognition of both intended and unintended epitopes in healthy tissues. Procedures for manufacturing large and highly potent T-cell populations can be optimized to enhance their antitumor efficacy. Here, we review the current knowledge gained from preclinical models and clinical trials using adoptive transfer of T-cell receptor-engineered T lymphocytes, discuss the major challenges involved and highlight potential strategies to increase the safety and efficacy to make T-cell receptor gene therapy a standard-of-care for large patient groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terhi Karpanen
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet and K.G. Jebsen Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Oslo, Ullernchausseen 70, N-0379 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Johanna Olweus
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital Radiumhospitalet and K.G. Jebsen Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Oslo, Ullernchausseen 70, N-0379 Oslo, Norway.
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24
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Cohen CJ, Gartner JJ, Horovitz-Fried M, Shamalov K, Trebska-McGowan K, Bliskovsky VV, Parkhurst MR, Ankri C, Prickett TD, Crystal JS, Li YF, El-Gamil M, Rosenberg SA, Robbins PF. Isolation of neoantigen-specific T cells from tumor and peripheral lymphocytes. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:3981-91. [PMID: 26389673 DOI: 10.1172/jci82416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptively transferred tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TILs) that mediate complete regression of metastatic melanoma have been shown to recognize mutated epitopes expressed by autologous tumors. Here, in an attempt to develop a strategy for facilitating the isolation, expansion, and study of mutated antigen-specific T cells, we performed whole-exome sequencing on matched tumor and normal DNA isolated from 8 patients with metastatic melanoma. Candidate mutated epitopes were identified using a peptide-MHC-binding algorithm, and these epitopes were synthesized and used to generate panels of MHC tetramers that were evaluated for binding to tumor digests and cultured TILs used for the treatment of patients. This strategy resulted in the identification of 9 mutated epitopes from 5 of the 8 patients tested. Cells reactive with 8 of the 9 epitopes could be isolated from autologous peripheral blood, where they were detected at frequencies that were estimated to range between 0.4% and 0.002%. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first demonstration of the successful isolation of mutation-reactive T cells from patients' peripheral blood prior to immune therapy, potentially providing the basis for designing personalized immunotherapies to treat patients with advanced cancer.
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Guerrero AD, Moyes JS, Cooper LJN. The human application of gene therapy to re-program T-cell specificity using chimeric antigen receptors. CHINESE JOURNAL OF CANCER 2015; 33:421-33. [PMID: 25189715 PMCID: PMC4190432 DOI: 10.5732/cjc.014.10100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of T cells is a promising approach to treat cancers. Primary human T cells can be modified using viral and non-viral vectors to promote the specific targeting of cancer cells via the introduction of exogenous T-cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). This gene transfer displays the potential to increase the specificity and potency of the anticancer response while decreasing the systemic adverse effects that arise from conventional treatments that target both cancerous and healthy cells. This review highlights the generation of clinical-grade T cells expressing CARs for immunotherapy, the use of these cells to target B-cell malignancies and, particularly, the first clinical trials deploying the Sleeping Beauty gene transfer system, which engineers T cells to target CD19+ leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Guerrero
- Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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26
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Figueroa JA, Reidy A, Mirandola L, Trotter K, Suvorava N, Figueroa A, Konala V, Aulakh A, Littlefield L, Grizzi F, Rahman RL, R. Jenkins M, Musgrove B, Radhi S, D'Cunha N, D'Cunha LN, Hermonat PL, Cobos E, Chiriva-Internati M. Chimeric Antigen Receptor Engineering: A Right Step in the Evolution of Adoptive Cellular Immunotherapy. Int Rev Immunol 2015; 34:154-87. [PMID: 25901860 DOI: 10.3109/08830185.2015.1018419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Geiger TL, Rubnitz JE. New approaches for the immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia. DISCOVERY MEDICINE 2015; 19:275-284. [PMID: 25977190 PMCID: PMC4628787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a set of related diseases characterized by the immortalization and uncontrolled expansion of myeloid precursor cells. Core therapy for AML has remained unchanged for nearly 30 years, and survival rates remain unsatisfactory. However, advances in the immunotherapy of AML have created opportunities for improved outcomes. Enforcing a tumor-specific immune response through the re-direction of the adaptive immune system, which links remarkable specificity with potent cytotoxic effector functions, has proven particularly compelling. This may be coupled with immune checkpoint blockade and conventional therapies for optimal effect. Engineered antibodies are currently in use in AML and the repertoire of available therapeutics will expand. NK cells have shown effectiveness in this disease. New methods to optimize their activation and the targeting of AML show potential. Most significantly, adoptive immunotherapy with tumor-specific T cells, and particularly T cells re-directed using genetically introduced TCR or chimeric antigen receptors, have demonstrated promise. Each of these approaches has unique benefits and challenges that we explore in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrence L. Geiger
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105
| | - Jeffrey E. Rubnitz
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105
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Wang X, Rivière I. Manufacture of tumor- and virus-specific T lymphocytes for adoptive cell therapies. Cancer Gene Ther 2015; 22:85-94. [PMID: 25721207 DOI: 10.1038/cgt.2014.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and genetically engineered T lymphocytes expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or conventional alpha/beta T-cell receptors (TCRs), collectively termed adoptive cell therapy (ACT), is an emerging novel strategy to treat cancer patients. Application of ACT has been constrained by the ability to isolate and expand functional tumor-reactive T cells. The transition of ACT from a promising experimental regimen to an established standard of care treatment relies largely on the establishment of safe, efficient, robust and cost-effective cell manufacturing protocols. The manufacture of cellular products under current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) has a critical role in the process. Herein, we review current manufacturing methods for the large-scale production of clinical-grade TILs, virus-specific and genetically modified CAR or TCR transduced T cells in the context of phase I/II clinical trials as well as the regulatory pathway to get these complex personalized cellular products to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Wang
- 1] Cell Therapy and Cell Engineering Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA [2] Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - I Rivière
- 1] Cell Therapy and Cell Engineering Facility, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA [2] Molecular Pharmacology and Chemistry Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA [3] Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Urbanska K, Powell DJ. Advances and prospects in adoptive cell transfer therapy for ovarian cancer. Immunotherapy 2015; 7:473-6. [PMID: 26065472 PMCID: PMC4851244 DOI: 10.2217/imt.15.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Urbanska
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg. 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5156, USA
| | - Daniel J Powell
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg. 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5156, USA
- Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Oren R, Hod-Marco M, Haus-Cohen M, Thomas S, Blat D, Duvshani N, Denkberg G, Elbaz Y, Benchetrit F, Eshhar Z, Stauss H, Reiter Y. Functional comparison of engineered T cells carrying a native TCR versus TCR-like antibody-based chimeric antigen receptors indicates affinity/avidity thresholds. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 193:5733-43. [PMID: 25362181 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1301769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of Ag-specific T lymphocytes is an attractive form of immunotherapy for cancers. However, acquiring sufficient numbers of host-derived tumor-specific T lymphocytes by selection and expansion is challenging, as these cells may be rare or anergic. Using engineered T cells can overcome this difficulty. Such engineered cells can be generated using a chimeric Ag receptor based on common formats composed from Ag-recognition elements such as αβ-TCR genes with the desired specificity, or Ab variable domain fragments fused with T cell-signaling moieties. Combining these recognition elements are Abs that recognize peptide-MHC. Such TCR-like Abs mimic the fine specificity of TCRs and exhibit both the binding properties and kinetics of high-affinity Abs. In this study, we compared the functional properties of engineered T cells expressing a native low affinity αβ-TCR chains or high affinity TCR-like Ab-based CAR targeting the same specificity. We isolated high-affinity TCR-like Abs recognizing HLA-A2-WT1Db126 complexes and constructed CAR that was transduced into T cells. Comparative analysis revealed major differences in function and specificity of such CAR-T cells or native TCR toward the same antigenic complex. Whereas the native low-affinity αβ-TCR maintained potent cytotoxic activity and specificity, the high-affinity TCR-like Ab CAR exhibited reduced activity and loss of specificity. These results suggest an upper affinity threshold for TCR-based recognition to mediate effective functional outcomes of engineered T cells. The rational design of TCRs and TCR-based constructs may need to be optimized up to a given affinity threshold to achieve optimal T cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravit Oren
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Moran Hod-Marco
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Maya Haus-Cohen
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Sharyn Thomas
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Immunity, Infection and Transplantation, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Blat
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel; and
| | - Nerri Duvshani
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | | | - Yael Elbaz
- Applied Immune Technologies, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | | | - Zelig Eshhar
- Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel; and
| | - Hans Stauss
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Immunity, Infection and Transplantation, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London NW3 2PF, United Kingdom
| | - Yoram Reiter
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel;
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31
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Garber HR, Mirza A, Mittendorf EA, Alatrash G. Adoptive T-cell therapy for Leukemia. MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR THERAPIES 2014; 2:25. [PMID: 26056592 PMCID: PMC4452065 DOI: 10.1186/2052-8426-2-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is the most robust form of adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) and has been tremendously effective in the treatment of leukemia. It is one of the original forms of cancer immunotherapy and illustrates that lymphocytes can specifically recognize and eliminate aberrant, malignant cells. However, because of the high morbidity and mortality that is associated with alloSCT including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), refining the anti-leukemia immunity of alloSCT to target distinct antigens that mediate the graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect could transform our approach to treating leukemia, and possibly other hematologic malignancies. Over the past few decades, many leukemia antigens have been discovered that can separate malignant cells from normal host cells and render them vulnerable targets. In concert, the field of T-cell engineering has matured to enable transfer of ectopic high-affinity antigen receptors into host or donor cells with greater efficiency and potency. Many preclinical studies have demonstrated that engineered and conventional T-cells can mediate lysis and eradication of leukemia via one or more leukemia antigen targets. This evidence now serves as a foundation for clinical trials that aim to cure leukemia using T-cells. The recent clinical success of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cells for treating patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia displays the potential of this new therapeutic modality. In this review, we discuss some of the most promising leukemia antigens and the novel strategies that have been implemented for adoptive cellular immunotherapy of lymphoid and myeloid leukemias. It is important to summarize the data for ACT of leukemia for physicians in-training and in practice and for investigators who work in this and related fields as there are recent discoveries already being translated to the patient setting and numerous accruing clinical trials. We primarily focus on ACT that has been used in the clinical setting or that is currently undergoing preclinical testing with a foreseeable clinical endpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haven R Garber
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
| | - Asma Mirza
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Department Surgical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gheath Alatrash
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
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32
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Garber HR, Mirza A, Mittendorf EA, Alatrash G. Adoptive T-cell therapy for Leukemia. MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR THERAPIES 2014; 2:25. [PMID: 26056592 PMCID: PMC4452065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is the most robust form of adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) and has been tremendously effective in the treatment of leukemia. It is one of the original forms of cancer immunotherapy and illustrates that lymphocytes can specifically recognize and eliminate aberrant, malignant cells. However, because of the high morbidity and mortality that is associated with alloSCT including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), refining the anti-leukemia immunity of alloSCT to target distinct antigens that mediate the graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect could transform our approach to treating leukemia, and possibly other hematologic malignancies. Over the past few decades, many leukemia antigens have been discovered that can separate malignant cells from normal host cells and render them vulnerable targets. In concert, the field of T-cell engineering has matured to enable transfer of ectopic high-affinity antigen receptors into host or donor cells with greater efficiency and potency. Many preclinical studies have demonstrated that engineered and conventional T-cells can mediate lysis and eradication of leukemia via one or more leukemia antigen targets. This evidence now serves as a foundation for clinical trials that aim to cure leukemia using T-cells. The recent clinical success of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cells for treating patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia displays the potential of this new therapeutic modality. In this review, we discuss some of the most promising leukemia antigens and the novel strategies that have been implemented for adoptive cellular immunotherapy of lymphoid and myeloid leukemias. It is important to summarize the data for ACT of leukemia for physicians in-training and in practice and for investigators who work in this and related fields as there are recent discoveries already being translated to the patient setting and numerous accruing clinical trials. We primarily focus on ACT that has been used in the clinical setting or that is currently undergoing preclinical testing with a foreseeable clinical endpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haven R Garber
- />Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
| | - Asma Mirza
- />Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- />Department Surgical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gheath Alatrash
- />Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Houston, 77030 Texas
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Lanitis E, Smith JB, Dangaj D, Flingai S, Poussin M, Xu S, Czerniecki BJ, Li YF, Robbins PF, Powell DJ. A human ErbB2-specific T-cell receptor confers potent antitumor effector functions in genetically engineered primary cytotoxic lymphocytes. Hum Gene Ther 2014; 25:730-9. [PMID: 25003657 PMCID: PMC4137348 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2014.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ErbB2 protein is a member of the tyrosine kinase family of growth factor receptors that is overexpressed in cancers of the breast, ovary, stomach, kidney, colon, and lung, and therefore represents an attractive candidate antigen for targeted cancer immunotherapy. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for various immunogenic ErbB2 peptides have been described, but they often exhibit both poor functional avidity and tumor reactivity. In order to generate potent CD8(+) T cells with specificity for the ErbB2(369-377) peptide, we performed one round of in vitro peptide stimulation of CD8(+) T cells isolated from an HLA-A2(+) patient who was previously vaccinated with autologous dendritic cells pulsed with HLA class I ErbB2 peptides. Using this approach, we enriched highly avid ErbB2-reactive T cells with strong ErbB2-specific, antitumor effector functions. We then stimulated these ErbB2-reactive T cells with ErbB2(+) HLA-A2(+) tumor cells in vitro and sorted tumor-activated ErbB2(369-377) peptide T cells, which allowed for the isolation of a novel T-cell receptor (TCR) with ErbB2(369-377) peptide specificity. Primary human CD8(+) T cells genetically modified to express this ErbB2-specific TCR specifically bound ErbB2(369-377) peptide containing HLA-A2 tetramers, and efficiently recognized target cells pulsed with low nanomolar concentrations of ErbB2(369-377) peptide as well as nonpulsed ErbB2(+) HLA-A2(+) tumor cell lines in vitro. In a novel xenograft model, ErbB2-redirected T cells also significantly delayed progression of ErbB2(+) HLA-A2(+) human tumor in vivo. Together, these results support the notion that redirection of normal T-cell specificity by TCR gene transfer can have potential applications in the adoptive immunotherapy of ErbB2-expressing malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evripidis Lanitis
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Jenessa B. Smith
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Denarda Dangaj
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Seleeke Flingai
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Mathilde Poussin
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Shuwen Xu
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Brian J. Czerniecki
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Yong F. Li
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Paul F. Robbins
- Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Daniel J. Powell
- Ovarian Cancer Research Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Abramson Cancer Center, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Abstract
Recent clinical success has underscored the potential for immunotherapy based on the adoptive cell transfer (ACT) of engineered T lymphocytes to mediate dramatic, potent, and durable clinical responses. This success has led to the broader evaluation of engineered T-lymphocyte-based adoptive cell therapy to treat a broad range of malignancies. In this review, we summarize concepts, successes, and challenges for the broader development of this promising field, focusing principally on lessons gleaned from immunological principles and clinical thought. We present ACT in the context of integrating T-cell and tumor biology and the broader systemic immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Ruella
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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35
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The immune system and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: from carcinogenesis to new therapeutic opportunities. Immunol Res 2014; 57:52-69. [PMID: 24218361 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-013-8462-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) exhibit complex interactions with the host immune system that may simultaneously explain resistance to various therapeutic modalities and that may also provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Discoveries in immunologic research over the last decade have led to an increased understanding of these interactions as well as the development of a multitude of investigational immunotherapies. Here, we describe the interaction between HNSCC and the immune system, including a discussion of immune cells involved with tumor carcinogenesis and the role of immune-modulating factors derived from tumors. We also describe the current immunotherapeutic approaches being investigated for HNSCC, including a discussion of the successes and limitations. With this review, we hope to present HNSCC as a model to guide future research in cancer immunology.
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36
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O'Connor CM, Wilson-Robles H. Developing T Cell Cancer Immunotherapy in the Dog with Lymphoma. ILAR J 2014; 55:169-81. [DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilu020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
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Abstract
Protein arrays have shown potential applications in cancer research. After several decades of research, it has become evident that many cytokines are central to the development of cancer and its treatment. Cytokine antibody arrays that have been designed to simultaneously detect multiple cytokines are not only available, but show a diversity of applications in the study of many diseases in addition to cancer. This review will focus on the implementation of cytokine antibody arrays in many aspects of cancer research, such as biomarker discovery, molecular mechanisms of cancer development, preclinical studies and the effects of cancer compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruo-Pan Huang
- Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Ankri C, Shamalov K, Horovitz-Fried M, Mauer S, Cohen CJ. Human T Cells Engineered To Express a Programmed Death 1/28 Costimulatory Retargeting Molecule Display Enhanced Antitumor Activity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 191:4121-9. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1203085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Daniel-Meshulam I, Horovitz-Fried M, Cohen CJ. Enhanced antitumor activity mediated by human 4-1BB-engineered T cells. Int J Cancer 2013; 133:2903-13. [PMID: 23754772 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
4-1BB (CD137) is a costimulatory molecule transiently expressed on the T-cell surface after TCR engagement, whereas its ligand 4-1BBL can be found on professional antigen-presenting cells, but more importantly, also on tumor cells. As the role of the 4-1BB/4-1BBL pathway has emerged central to CD8(+) T-cell responses and survival, we sought to test its relevance in the context of genetically modified human T cells. To that end, T cells purified from healthy donors and from vaccinated-melanoma patients were transduced to express high levels of constitutive 4-1BB. 4-1BB-transduced T cells were cocultured with melanoma tumor lines and exhibited enhanced cytokine secretion, upregulation of activation markers as well as increased cytotoxicity in a chick-chorioallantoic membrane model of human melanoma tumors. In addition, these cells expanded and proliferated at a higher rate, expressed heightened levels of the antiapoptotic molecule Bcl(XL) and were also relatively insensitive to immunosuppression mediated by transforming growth factor-β, compared to control cells. We also show that 4-1BBL expression on the target cell is essential to 4-1BB-mediated functional improvement. Overall, we conclude that the modification of human T cells with 4-1BB yields enhanced antitumor function which may have important applications in therapies based on the genetic modification of patient lymphocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbal Daniel-Meshulam
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat, Gan, Israel
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40
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Abstract
T-cell immunotherapy is a promising approach to treat disseminated cancer. However, it has been limited by the ability to isolate and expand T cells restricted to tumour-associated antigens. Using ex vivo gene transfer, T cells from patients can be genetically engineered to express a novel T cell receptor or chimeric antigen receptor to specifically recognize a tumour-associated antigen and thereby selectively kill tumour cells. Indeed, genetically engineered T cells have recently been successfully used for cancer treatment in a small number of patients. Here we review the recent progress in the field, and summarize the challenges that lie ahead and the strategies being used to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Essand
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Daniel-Meshulam I, Ya'akobi S, Ankri C, Cohen CJ. How (specific) would like your T-cells today? Generating T-cell therapeutic function through TCR-gene transfer. Front Immunol 2012; 3:186. [PMID: 22783259 PMCID: PMC3390604 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2012.00186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cells are central players in the immune response against both pathogens and cancer. Their specificity is solely dictated by the T-cell receptor (TCR) they clonally express. As such, the genetic modification of T lymphocytes using pathogen- or cancer-specific TCRs represents an appealing strategy to generate a desired immune response from peripheral blood lymphocytes. Moreover, notable objective clinical responses were observed in terminally ill cancer patients treated with TCR-gene modified cells in several clinical trials conducted recently. Nevertheless, several key aspects of this approach are the object of intensive research aimed at improving the reliability and efficacy of this strategy. Herein, we will survey recent studies in the field of TCR-gene transfer dealing with the improvement of this approach and its application for the treatment of malignant, autoimmune, and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbal Daniel-Meshulam
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences , Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Abstract
The function of T lymphocytes as orchestrators and effectors of the adaptive immune response is directed by the specificity of their T cell receptors (TCRs). By transferring into T cells the genes encoding antigen-specific receptors, the functional activity of large populations of T cells can be redirected against defined targets including virally infected or cancer cells. The potential of therapeutic T cells to traffic to sites of disease, to expand and to persist after a single treatment remains a major advantage over the currently available immunotherapies that use monoclonal antibodies. Here we review recent progress in the field of TCR gene therapy, outlining challenges to its successful implementation and the strategies being used to overcome them. We detail strategies used in the optimization of affinity and surface expression of the introduced TCR, the choice of T cell subpopulations for gene transfer, and the promotion of persistence of gene-modified T cells in vivo. We review the safety concerns surrounding the use of gene-modified T cells in patients, discussing emerging solutions to these problems, and describe the increasingly positive results from the use of gene-modified T cells in recent clinical trials of adoptive cellular immunotherapy. The increasing sophistication of measures to ensure the safety of engineered T cells is accompanied by an increasing number of clinical trials: these will be essential to guide the effective translation of cellular immunotherapy from the laboratory to the bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Uttenthal
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Immunity, Infection and Transplantation, University College London (UCL), Royal Free Hospital, London, UK.
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Genetic engineering with T cell receptors. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2012; 64:756-62. [PMID: 22178904 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2011.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2011] [Accepted: 11/21/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, human gene transfer research has been translated from a laboratory technology to clinical evaluation. The success of adoptive transfer of tumor-reactive lymphocytes to treat the patients with metastatic melanoma has led to new strategies to redirect normal T cells to recognize tumor antigens by genetic engineering with tumor antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR) genes. This new strategy can generate large numbers of defined antigen-specific cells for therapeutic application. Much progress has been made to TCR gene transfer systems by optimizing gene expression and gene transfer protocols. Vector and protein modifications have enabled excellent expression of introduced TCR chains in human lymphocytes with reduced mis-pairing between the introduced and endogenous TCR chains. Initial clinical studies have demonstrated that TCR gene-engineered T cells could mediate tumor regression in vivo. In this review, we discuss the progress and prospects of TCR gene-engineered T cells as a therapeutic strategy for treating patients with melanoma and other cancers.
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Haga-Friedman A, Horovitz-Fried M, Cohen CJ. Incorporation of transmembrane hydrophobic mutations in the TCR enhance its surface expression and T cell functional avidity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2012; 188:5538-46. [PMID: 22544927 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1103020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
TCR-gene transfer represents an effective way to redirect the specificity of T lymphocytes for therapeutic purposes. Recent successful clinical trials have underscored the potential of this approach in which efficient expression of the exogenous TCR has been directly linked to the efficacy of T cell activity. It has been also demonstrated that the TCR exhibits a lack of stability associated with the presence of positively charged residues in its transmembrane (TM) region. In this study, we designed an original approach selectively to improve exogenous TCR stability by increasing the hydrophobic nature of the TCRα TM region. Incorporation of hydrophobic residues at evolutionarily permissive positions resulted in an enhanced surface expression of the TCR chains, leading to an improved cellular avidity and anti-tumor TCR activity. Furthermore, this strategy was successfully applied to different TCRs, enabling the targeting of human tumors from different histologies. We also show that the combination of these hydrophobic mutations with another TCR-enhancing approach further improved TCR expression and function. Overall, these findings provide information regarding TCR TM composition that can be applied for the improvement of TCR-gene transfer-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astar Haga-Friedman
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
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Abstract
There is much renewed activity in the testing of vaccines that target metastatic melanoma, driven by successes in other areas, most notably prostate cancer. Yet, sound evidence that any stand-alone vaccination approach has clinical benefit against melanoma remains lacking. With phase III studies showing no efficacy of promising whole-cell vaccines and heat shock proteins, peptide and dendritic cell vaccines remain the most common approaches. A major obstacle to progress is the lack of any surrogate measures in phase II studies that associate meaningfully with clinical benefit, and this is further complicated by phase III evidence in prostate cancer that immunologic monitoring, tumor response rates, or even times to tumor progression may not accurately predict survival benefit. The area with the most progress has been in combining vaccines with other systemic immunostimulatory agents. Although no vaccine has been found which fulfills the prediction from murine models that they can enhance the efficacy of ipilimumab, combining a peptide vaccination with high-dose interleukin 2 was shown to enhance complete and overall response rates compared with interleukin 2 alone. These promising combinations continue to struggle with the same unresolved issues that have plagued melanoma vaccines from the beginning-what are the best antigens to target, what are the best methods of vaccination, and what constitutes a sufficient immune response to be of value? Virtually no progress has been made toward answering these questions.
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Merhavi-Shoham E, Haga-Friedman A, Cohen CJ. Genetically modulating T-cell function to target cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2011; 22:14-22. [PMID: 22210183 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2011.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2011] [Accepted: 12/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T-lymphocytes holds promise for the treatment of metastatic cancer. Genetic modulation of T-lymphocytes using TCR transfer with tumor-specific TCR genes is an attractive strategy to generate anti-tumor response, especially against large solid tumors. Recently, several clinical trials have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of this approach which lead to impressive tumor regression in cancer patients. Still, several factors may hinder the clinical benefit of this approach, such as the type of cells to modulate, the vector configuration or the safety of the procedure. In the present review we will aim at giving an overview of the recent developments related to the immune modulation of the anti-tumor adaptive response using genetically engineered lymphocytes and will also elaborate the development of other genetic modifications to enhance their anti-tumor immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efrat Merhavi-Shoham
- Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
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Treating cancer with genetically engineered T cells. Trends Biotechnol 2011; 29:550-7. [PMID: 21663987 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2011.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Revised: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Administration of ex vivo cultured, naturally occurring tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has been shown to mediate durable regression of melanoma tumors. However, the generation of TILs is not possible in all patients and there has been limited success in generating TIL in other cancers. Advances in genetic engineering have overcome these limitations by introducing tumor-antigen-targeting receptors into human T lymphocytes. Physicians can now genetically engineer lymphocytes to express highly active T-cell receptors (TCRs) or chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting a variety of tumor antigens expressed in cancer patients. In this review, we discuss the development of TCR and CAR gene transfer technology and the expansion of these therapies into different cancers with the recent demonstration of the clinical efficacy of these treatments.
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Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for metastatic melanoma: analysis of tumors resected for TIL. J Immunother 2011; 33:840-7. [PMID: 20842052 DOI: 10.1097/cji.0b013e3181f05b91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Adoptive cell transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can mediate objective tumor regression in 49% to 72% of patients with many long-term durable responses. To undergo treatment a patient must have (1) a resectable tumor from which (2) TIL can be generated that (3) exhibit tumor-specific reactivity. From July 2002 to July 2007, 787 tumors from 402 patients were processed for possible use in the generation of TIL, leading to the eventual treatment of 107 patients (27%). Viable TILs were generated in 376 patients (94%), and active, specific TILs were identified in 269 patients (67%). Patient demographics and tumor characteristics were analyzed for possible prognostic factors for growth and activity. Gastrointestinal-derived TIL grew less frequently, whereas lymph node and lung-derived TIL exhibited specific activity more often. TIL that grew and exhibited specific reactivity were from tumors that were larger in diameter and digests that had a higher percentage of lymphocytes. Despite these considerations, active, specific TIL could be generated from almost any site of metastasis. As more centers begin exploring the use of adoptive transfer with TIL, this compendium may provide a framework for therapeutic decision making and future investigation.
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Davis JL, Theoret MR, Zheng Z, Lamers CHJ, Rosenberg SA, Morgan RA. Development of human anti-murine T-cell receptor antibodies in both responding and nonresponding patients enrolled in TCR gene therapy trials. Clin Cancer Res 2011; 16:5852-61. [PMID: 21138872 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-10-1280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immune responses to gene-modified cells are a concern in the field of human gene therapy, as they may impede effective treatment. We conducted 2 clinical trials in which cancer patients were treated with lymphocytes genetically engineered to express murine T-cell receptors (mTCR) specific for tumor-associated antigens p53 and gp100. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Twenty-six patients treated with autologous lymphocytes expressing mTCR had blood and serum samples available for analysis. Patient sera were assayed for the development of a humoral immune response. Adoptive cell transfer characteristics were analyzed to identify correlates to immune response. RESULTS Six of 26 (23%) patients' posttreatment sera exhibited specific binding of human anti-mTCR antibodies to lymphocytes transduced with the mTCR. Antibody development was found in both responding and nonresponding patients. The posttreatment sera of 3 of these 6 patients mediated a 60% to 99% inhibition of mTCR activity as measured by a reduction in antigen-specific interferon-γ release. Detailed analysis of posttreatment serum revealed that antibody binding was β-chain specific in 1 patient whereas it was α-chain specific in another. CONCLUSIONS A subset of patients treated with mTCR-engineered T cells developed antibodies directed to the mTCR variable regions and not to the constant region domains common to all mTCR. Overall, the development of a host immune response was not associated with the level of transduced cell persistence or response to therapy. In summary, patients treated with mTCR can develop an immune response to gene-modified cells in a minority of cases, but this may not affect clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy L Davis
- Surgery Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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Ochi T, Fujiwara H, Yasukawa M. Requisite considerations for successful adoptive immunotherapy with engineered T-lymphocytes using tumor antigen-specific T-cell receptor gene transfer. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2011; 11:699-713. [PMID: 21413911 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2011.566853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although engineered T-cell-based antitumor immunotherapy using tumor-antigen-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) gene transfer is undoubtedly a promising strategy, a number of studies have revealed that it has several drawbacks. AREAS COVERED This review covers selected articles detailing recent progress in this field, not only for solid tumors, but also for leukemias. In terms of achieving uniform therapeutic quality of TCR gene-modified T cells as an 'off-the-shelf' product, the authors abstract and discuss the requisite conditions for successful outcome, including: i) the optimal target choice reflecting the specificity of the introduced TCR, ii) the quality and quantity of expressed TCRs in gene-modified T cells, and additional genetic modification reflecting enhanced antitumor functionality, and iii) 'on-' and 'off-target' adverse events caused by the quality of the introduced TCRs and other adverse events related to genetic modification itself. Readers will be able to readily abstract recent advances in TCR gene-transferred T-cell therapy, centering notably on efforts to obtain uniformity in the therapeutic functionality of engineered T cells. EXPERT OPINION Harmonizing the functionality and target specificity of TCR will allow the establishment of clinically useful adoptive immunotherapy in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Ochi
- Department of Bioregulatory Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791 0295, Japan.
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