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Taheri MM, Javan F, Poudineh M, Athari SS. CAR-NKT Cells in Asthma: Use of NKT as a Promising Cell for CAR Therapy. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol 2024:10.1007/s12016-024-08998-0. [PMID: 38995478 DOI: 10.1007/s12016-024-08998-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
NKT cells, unique lymphocytes bridging innate and adaptive immunity, offer significant potential for managing inflammatory disorders like asthma. Activating iNKT induces increasing IFN-γ, TGF-β, IL-2, and IL-10 potentially suppressing allergic asthma. However, their immunomodulatory effects, including granzyme-perforin-mediated cytotoxicity, and expression of TIM-3 and TRAIL warrant careful consideration and targeted approaches. Although CAR-T cell therapy has achieved remarkable success in treating certain cancers, its limitations necessitate exploring alternative approaches. In this context, CAR-NKT cells emerge as a promising approach for overcoming these challenges, potentially achieving safer and more effective immunotherapies. Strategies involve targeting distinct IgE-receptors and their interactions with CAR-NKT cells, potentially disrupting allergen-mast cell/basophil interactions and preventing inflammatory cytokine release. Additionally, targeting immune checkpoints like PDL-2, inducible ICOS, FASL, CTLA-4, and CD137 or dectin-1 for fungal asthma could further modulate immune responses. Furthermore, artificial intelligence and machine learning hold immense promise for revolutionizing NKT cell-based asthma therapy. AI can optimize CAR-NKT cell functionalities, design personalized treatment strategies, and unlock a future of precise and effective care. This review discusses various approaches to enhancing CAR-NKT cell efficacy and longevity, along with the challenges and opportunities they present in the treatment of allergic asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fatemeh Javan
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Mohadeseh Poudineh
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Seyyed Shamsadin Athari
- Cancer Gene therapy Research Center, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
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2
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Boonchalermvichian C, Yan H, Gupta B, Rubin A, Baker J, Negrin RS. invariant Natural Killer T cell therapy as a novel therapeutic approach in hematological malignancies. FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION 2024; 3:1353803. [PMID: 38993780 PMCID: PMC11235242 DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2024.1353803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Invariant Natural Killer T cell therapy is an emerging platform of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. This unique cell population is a promising candidate for cell therapy for cancer treatment because of its inherent cytotoxicity against CD1d positive cancers as well as its ability to induce host CD8 T cell cross priming. Substantial evidence supports that iNKT cells can modulate myelomonocytic populations in the tumor microenvironment to ameliorate immune dysregulation to antagonize tumor progression. iNKT cells can also protect from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) through several mechanisms, including the expansion of regulatory T cells (Treg). Ultimately, iNKT cell-based therapy can retain antitumor activity while providing protection against GVHD simultaneously. Therefore, these biological properties render iNKT cells as a promising "off-the-shelf" therapy for diverse hematological malignancies and possible solid tumors. Further the introduction of a chimeric antigen recetor (CAR) can further target iNKT cells and enhance function. We foresee that improved vector design and other strategies such as combinatorial treatments with small molecules or immune checkpoint inhibitors could improve CAR iNKT in vivo persistence, functionality and leverage anti-tumor activity along with the abatement of iNKT cell dysfunction or exhaustion.
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3
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Fan C, Xiong F, Zhang S, Gong Z, Liao Q, Li G, Guo C, Xiong W, Huang H, Zeng Z. Role of adhesion molecules in cancer and targeted therapy. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024; 67:940-957. [PMID: 38212458 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2417-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Adhesion molecules mediate cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions and transmit mechanical and chemical signals among them. Various mechanisms deregulate adhesion molecules in cancer, enabling tumor cells to proliferate without restraint, invade through tissue boundaries, escape from immune surveillance, and survive in the tumor microenvironment. Recent studies have revealed that adhesion molecules also drive angiogenesis, reshape metabolism, and are involved in stem cell self-renewal. In this review, we summarize the functions and mechanisms of adhesion molecules in cancer and the tumor microenvironment, as well as the therapeutic strategies targeting adhesion molecules. These studies have implications for furthering our understanding of adhesion molecules in cancer and providing a paradigm for exploring novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Fan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Fang Xiong
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Department of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Zhaojian Gong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Qianjin Liao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Can Guo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, China.
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4
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Isvoranu G, Chiritoiu-Butnaru M. Therapeutic potential of interleukin-21 in cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1369743. [PMID: 38638431 PMCID: PMC11024325 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1369743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is an immunostimulatory cytokine which belongs to the common gamma-chain family of cytokines. It plays an import role in the development, differentiation, proliferation, and activation of immune cells, in particular T and natural killer (NK) cells. Since its discovery in 2000, IL-21 has been shown to regulate both adaptive and immune responses associates with key role in antiviral and antitumor responses. Recent advances indicate IL-21 as a promising target for cancer treatment and encouraging results were obtained in preclinical studies which investigated the potency of IL-21 alone or in combination with other therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitory molecules, oncolytic virotherapy, and adoptive cell transfer. Furthermore, IL-21 showed antitumor effects in the treatment of patients with advanced cancer, with minimal side effects in several clinical trials. In the present review, we will outline the recent progress in IL-21 research, highlighting the potential of IL-21 based therapy as single agent or in combination with other drugs to enhance cancer treatment efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gheorghita Isvoranu
- Department of Animal Husbandry,” Victor Babeș” National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Marioara Chiritoiu-Butnaru
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
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5
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Liu Y, Dang Y, Zhang C, Liu L, Cai W, Li L, Fang L, Wang M, Xu S, Wang G, Zheng J, Li H. IL-21-armored B7H3 CAR-iNKT cells exert potent antitumor effects. iScience 2024; 27:108597. [PMID: 38179061 PMCID: PMC10765065 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108597] [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: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
CD1d-restricted invariant NKT (iNKT) cells play a critical role in tumor immunity. However, the scarcity and limited persistence restricts their development and clinical application. Here, we demonstrated that iNKT cells could be efficiently expanded using modified cytokines combination from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Introduction of IL-21 significantly increased the frequency of CD62L-positive memory-like iNKT cells. iNKT cells armoring with B7H3-targeting second generation CAR and IL-21 showed potent tumor cell killing activity. Moreover, co-expression of IL-21 promoted the activation of Stat3 signaling and reduced the expression of exhaustion markers in CAR-iNKT cells in vitro. Most importantly, IL-21-arming significantly prolonged B7H3 CAR-iNKT cell proliferation and survival in vivo, thus improving their therapeutic efficacy in mouse renal cancer xerograph models without observed cytokine-related adverse events. In summary, these results suggest that B7H3 CAR-iNKT armored with IL-21 is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Liu
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Yuanyuan Dang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Chuhan Zhang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Liu Liu
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Wenhui Cai
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Liantao Li
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Med-ical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Lin Fang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Med-ical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Med-ical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Shunzhe Xu
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Gang Wang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Med-ical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Junnian Zheng
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Med-ical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Huizhong Li
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Center of Clinical Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, 99 West Huaihai Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
- Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Med-ical University, 209 Tongshan Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
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6
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Landoni E, Woodcock MG, Barragan G, Casirati G, Cinella V, Stucchi S, Flick LM, Withers TA, Hudson H, Casorati G, Dellabona P, Genovese P, Savoldo B, Metelitsa LS, Dotti G. IL-12 reprograms CAR-expressing natural killer T cells to long-lived Th1-polarized cells with potent antitumor activity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:89. [PMID: 38167707 PMCID: PMC10762263 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44310-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Human natural killer T cells (NKTs) are innate-like T lymphocytes increasingly used for cancer immunotherapy. Here we show that human NKTs expressing the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-12 (IL-12) undergo extensive and sustained molecular and functional reprogramming. Specifically, IL-12 instructs and maintains a Th1-polarization program in NKTs in vivo without causing their functional exhaustion. Furthermore, using CD62L as a marker of memory cells in human NKTs, we observe that IL-12 maintains long-term CD62L-expressing memory NKTs in vivo. Notably, IL-12 initiates a de novo programming of memory NKTs in CD62L-negative NKTs indicating that human NKTs circulating in the peripheral blood possess an intrinsic differentiation hierarchy, and that IL-12 plays a role in promoting their differentiation to long-lived Th1-polarized memory cells. Human NKTs engineered to co-express a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) coupled with the expression of IL-12 show enhanced antitumor activity in leukemia and neuroblastoma tumor models, persist long-term in vivo and conserve the molecular signature driven by the IL-12 expression. Thus IL-12 reveals an intrinsic plasticity of peripheral human NKTs that may play a crucial role in the development of cell therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Landoni
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mark G Woodcock
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gabriel Barragan
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gabriele Casirati
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Vincenzo Cinella
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Simone Stucchi
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Leah M Flick
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tracy A Withers
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hanna Hudson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Giulia Casorati
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Dellabona
- Experimental Immunology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Genovese
- Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder Center, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Zappa E, Vitali A, Anders K, Molenaar JJ, Wienke J, Künkele A. Adoptive cell therapy in paediatric extracranial solid tumours: current approaches and future challenges. Eur J Cancer 2023; 194:113347. [PMID: 37832507 PMCID: PMC10695178 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2023.113347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has ignited hope to cure paediatric solid tumours that resist traditional therapies. Among the most promising methods is adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Particularly, ACT using T cells equipped with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has moved into the spotlight in clinical studies. However, the efficacy of ACT is challenged by ACT-intrinsic factors, like lack of activation or T cell exhaustion, as well as immune evasion strategies of paediatric solid tumours, such as their highly immunosuppressive microenvironment. Novel strategies, including ACT using innate-like lymphocytes, innovative cell engineering techniques, and ACT combination therapies, are being developed and will be crucial to overcome these challenges. Here, we discuss the main classes of ACT for the treatment of paediatric extracranial solid tumours, reflect on the available preclinical and clinical evidence supporting promising strategies, and address the challenges that ACT is still facing. Ultimately, we highlight state-of-the-art developments and opportunities for new therapeutic options, which hold great potential for improving outcomes in this challenging patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Zappa
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Alice Vitali
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Kathleen Anders
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan J Molenaar
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Judith Wienke
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Annette Künkele
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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8
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O’Neal J, Cooper ML, Ritchey JK, Gladney S, Niswonger J, González LS, Street E, Haas GJ, Carter A, Amayta PN, Gao F, Lee BH, Choi D, Berrien-Elliott M, Zhou A, Fehniger TA, Rettig MP, DiPersio JF. Anti-myeloma efficacy of CAR-iNKT is enhanced with a long-acting IL-7, rhIL-7-hyFc. Blood Adv 2023; 7:6009-6022. [PMID: 37399471 PMCID: PMC10582278 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM), a malignancy of mature plasma cells, remains incurable. B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) is the lead protein target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy because of its high expression in most MM, with limited expression in other cell types, resulting in favorable on-target, off tumor toxicity. The response rate to autologous BCMA CAR-T therapy is high; however, it is not curative and is associated with risks of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome. Outcomes in patients treated with BCMA CAR-T cells (CAR-Ts) may improve with allogeneic CAR T-cell therapy, which offer higher cell fitness and reduced time to treatment. However, to prevent the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), allogenic BCMA CAR-Ts require genetic deletion of the T-cell receptor (TCR), which has potential for unexpected functional or phenotype changes. Invariant natural killer T cells (iNKTs) have an invariant TCR that does not cause GVHD and, as a result, can be used in an allogeneic setting without the need for TCR gene editing. We demonstrate significant anti-myeloma activity of BCMA CAR-iNKTs in a xenograft mouse model of myeloma. We found that a long-acting interleukin-7 (IL-7), rhIL-7-hyFc, significantly prolonged survival and reduced tumor burden in BCMA CAR-iNKT-treated mice in both primary and re-challenge settings. Furthermore, in CRS in vitro assays, CAR-iNKTs induced less IL-6 than CAR-Ts, suggesting a reduced likelihood of CAR-iNKT therapy to induce CRS in patients. These data suggest that BCMA CAR-iNKTs are potentially a safer, effective alternative to BCMA CAR-Ts and that BCMA CAR-iNKT efficacy is further potentiated with rhIL-7-hyFc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie O’Neal
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Matthew L. Cooper
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Julie K. Ritchey
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Susan Gladney
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Jessica Niswonger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - L. Sofía González
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Emily Street
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Gabriel J. Haas
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Alun Carter
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Parmeshwar N. Amayta
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Feng Gao
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | | | | | - Melissa Berrien-Elliott
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Alice Zhou
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Todd A. Fehniger
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - Mike P. Rettig
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
| | - John F. DiPersio
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
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9
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Zhang P, Zhang G, Wan X. Challenges and new technologies in adoptive cell therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:97. [PMID: 37596653 PMCID: PMC10439661 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01492-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapies (ACTs) have existed for decades. From the initial infusion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to the subsequent specific enhanced T cell receptor (TCR)-T and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies, many novel strategies for cancer treatment have been developed. Owing to its promising outcomes, CAR-T cell therapy has revolutionized the field of ACTs, particularly for hematologic malignancies. Despite these advances, CAR-T cell therapy still has limitations in both autologous and allogeneic settings, including practicality and toxicity issues. To overcome these challenges, researchers have focused on the application of CAR engineering technology to other types of immune cell engineering. Consequently, several new cell therapies based on CAR technology have been developed, including CAR-NK, CAR-macrophage, CAR-γδT, and CAR-NKT. In this review, we describe the development, advantages, and possible challenges of the aforementioned ACTs and discuss current strategies aimed at maximizing the therapeutic potential of ACTs. We also provide an overview of the various gene transduction strategies employed in immunotherapy given their importance in immune cell engineering. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility that strategies capable of creating a positive feedback immune circuit, as healthy immune systems do, could address the flaw of a single type of ACT, and thus serve as key players in future cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchao Zhang
- Center for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Guizhong Zhang
- Center for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaochun Wan
- Center for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1068 Xueyuan Avenue, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Lv Z, Luo F, Chu Y. Strategies for overcoming bottlenecks in allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1199145. [PMID: 37554322 PMCID: PMC10405079 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1199145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a revolutionary breakthrough in immunotherapy and has made impressive progress in both preclinical and clinical studies. However, autologous CAR-T cells still have notable drawbacks in clinical manufacture, such as long production time, variable cell potency and possible manufacturing failures. Allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy is significantly superior to autologous CAR-T cell therapy in these aspects. The use of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy may provide simplified manufacturing process and allow the creation of 'off-the-shelf' products, facilitating the treatments of various types of tumors at less delivery time. Nevertheless, severe graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) or host-mediated allorejection may occur in the allogeneic setting, implying that addressing these two critical issues is urgent for the clinical application of allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we summarize the current approaches to overcome GvHD and host rejection, which empower allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy with a broader future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixin Lv
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Biotherapy Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Luo
- Biotherapy Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwei Chu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Biotherapy Research Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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11
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Heczey A, Xu X, Courtney AN, Tian G, Barragan GA, Guo L, Amador CM, Ghatwai N, Rathi P, Wood MS, Li Y, Zhang C, Demberg T, Di Pierro EJ, Sher AC, Zhang H, Mehta B, Thakkar SG, Grilley B, Wang T, Weiss BD, Montalbano A, Subramaniam M, Xu C, Sachar C, Wells DK, Dotti G, Metelitsa LS. Anti-GD2 CAR-NKT cells in relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma: updated phase 1 trial interim results. Nat Med 2023; 29:1379-1388. [PMID: 37188782 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02363-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKTs) have anti-tumor properties that can be enhanced by chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Here we report updated interim results from the first-in-human phase 1 evaluation of autologous NKTs co-expressing a GD2-specific CAR with interleukin 15 (IL15) (GD2-CAR.15) in 12 children with neuroblastoma (NB). The primary objectives were safety and determination of maximum tolerated dose (MTD). The anti-tumor activity of GD2-CAR.15 NKTs was assessed as a secondary objective. Immune response evaluation was an additional objective. No dose-limiting toxicities occurred; one patient experienced grade 2 cytokine release syndrome that was resolved by tocilizumab. The MTD was not reached. The objective response rate was 25% (3/12), including two partial responses and one complete response. The frequency of CD62L+NKTs in products correlated with CAR-NKT expansion in patients and was higher in responders (n = 5; objective response or stable disease with reduction in tumor burden) than non-responders (n = 7). BTG1 (BTG anti-proliferation factor 1) expression was upregulated in peripheral GD2-CAR.15 NKTs and is a key driver of hyporesponsiveness in exhausted NKT and T cells. GD2-CAR.15 NKTs with BTG1 knockdown eliminated metastatic NB in a mouse model. We conclude that GD2-CAR.15 NKTs are safe and can mediate objective responses in patients with NB. Additionally, their anti-tumor activity may be enhanced by targeting BTG1. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03294954 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Andras Heczey
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amy N Courtney
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gengwen Tian
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Gabriel A Barragan
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Linjie Guo
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Claudia Martinez Amador
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nisha Ghatwai
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Purva Rathi
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael S Wood
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yanchuan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chunchao Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Thorsten Demberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erica J Di Pierro
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew C Sher
- Department of Radiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Birju Mehta
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sachin G Thakkar
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bambi Grilley
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tao Wang
- Biostatistics and Data Management Resource, Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brian D Weiss
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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12
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Zhu R, Wang W, Yang A, Zhao W, Wang W, Wang Z, Wang J, Hou Y, Su X, Zhang L, Feng B, Yang J, Wang Z, Niu X, Lv W, Qu Z, Hao M. Interactions between vaginal local cytokine IL-2 and high-risk human papillomavirus infection with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in a Chinese population-based study. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1109741. [PMID: 37256111 PMCID: PMC10225571 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1109741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although interleukin-2 (IL-2) has long been associated with cancer development, its roles in the development of cervical cancer remains unclear. Few studies examined the associations between IL-2 and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) with risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Objective We aimed to assess the association of IL-2 and high-risk HPV infection with risk of CIN as well as their interactions on the risk of CIN. Design We performed a cross-sectional analysis of screening data in 2285 women aged 19-65 years who participated in an ongoing community-based cohort of 40,000 women in Shanxi, China in 2014-2015. Both categorical and spline analyses were used to evaluation the association between IL-2 in the local vaginal fluids and prevalence of CIN. In addition, 1503 controls were followed up until January 31, 2019), the nested case-control study design was adopted to evaluate the association of vaginal lavage IL-2 levels and the risk of CIN progression. Results After adjusting for potential confounders, IL-2 levels were statistically inversely associated with prevalence of CIN (the 1st versus 4th quartile IL-2 levels: the respective odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI] was: = 1.75 [1.37, 2.23] for CIN, 1.32 [1.01, 1.73] for CIN I, and 3.53 [2.26, 5.52] for CIN II/III). Increased IL-2 levels were inversely associated with prevalence of CIN (P-overall<0.01, P-nonlinearity<0.01 for CIN; P-overall<0.01, P-nonlinearity = 0.01 for CIN I; P-overall <0.01, P-nonlinearity = 0.62 for CIN II/III). The highest prevalence of CIN was observed in women with high-risk HPV, who also had the lowest IL-2 levels (P-interaction < 0.01). Nested case-control study observed an inverse association between IL-2 levels and risk of CIN progression (OR=3.43, [1.17, 10.03]). Conclusions IL-2 levels in the local vaginal fluids were inversely associated with the risk of CIN in Chinese women either with or without high-risk HPV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoxi Zhu
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Wenhao Wang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Aiming Yang
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Weihong Zhao
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Zhilian Wang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Jintao Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Yongli Hou
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Su
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Bo Feng
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaofen Niu
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Weiguo Lv
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhican Qu
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Min Hao
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
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13
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Hadiloo K, Tahmasebi S, Esmaeilzadeh A. CAR-NKT cell therapy: a new promising paradigm of cancer immunotherapy. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:86. [PMID: 37158883 PMCID: PMC10165596 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02923-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Today, cancer treatment is one of the fundamental problems facing clinicians and researchers worldwide. Efforts to find an excellent way to treat this illness continue, and new therapeutic strategies are developed quickly. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) is a practical approach that has been emerged to improve clinical outcomes in cancer patients. In the ACT, one of the best ways to arm the immune cells against tumors is by employing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) via genetic engineering. CAR equips cells to target specific antigens on tumor cells and selectively eradicate them. Researchers have achieved promising preclinical and clinical outcomes with different cells by using CARs. One of the potent immune cells that seems to be a good candidate for CAR-immune cell therapy is the Natural Killer-T (NKT) cell. NKT cells have multiple features that make them potent cells against tumors and would be a powerful replacement for T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. NKT cells are cytotoxic immune cells with various capabilities and no notable side effects on normal cells. The current study aimed to comprehensively provide the latest advances in CAR-NKT cell therapy for cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaveh Hadiloo
- Student Research Committee, Department of immunology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Safa Tahmasebi
- Student Research Committee, Department of immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abdolreza Esmaeilzadeh
- Department of Immunology, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
- Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center (CGRC), Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
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14
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Look A, Burns D, Tews I, Roghanian A, Mansour S. Towards a better understanding of human iNKT cell subpopulations for improved clinical outcomes. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1176724. [PMID: 37153585 PMCID: PMC10154573 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1176724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a unique T lymphocyte population expressing semi-invariant T cell receptors (TCRs) that recognise lipid antigens presented by CD1d. iNKT cells exhibit potent anti-tumour activity through direct killing mechanisms and indirectly through triggering the activation of other anti-tumour immune cells. Because of their ability to induce potent anti-tumour responses, particularly when activated by the strong iNKT agonist αGalCer, they have been the subject of intense research to harness iNKT cell-targeted immunotherapies for cancer treatment. However, despite potent anti-tumour efficacy in pre-clinical models, the translation of iNKT cell immunotherapy into human cancer patients has been less successful. This review provides an overview of iNKT cell biology and why they are of interest within the context of cancer immunology. We focus on the iNKT anti-tumour response, the seminal studies that first reported iNKT cytotoxicity, their anti-tumour mechanisms, and the various described subsets within the iNKT cell repertoire. Finally, we discuss several barriers to the successful utilisation of iNKT cells in human cancer immunotherapy, what is required for a better understanding of human iNKT cells, and the future perspectives facilitating their exploitation for improved clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Look
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Burns
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ivo Tews
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Roghanian
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Salah Mansour
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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15
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Ngai H, Barragan GA, Tian G, Balzeau JC, Zhang C, Courtney AN, Guo L, Xu X, Wood MS, Drabek JM, Demberg T, Sands CM, Chauvin-Fleurence CN, Di Pierro EJ, Rosen JM, Metelitsa LS. LEF1 Drives a Central Memory Program and Supports Antitumor Activity of Natural Killer T Cells. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:171-183. [PMID: 36484736 PMCID: PMC9898189 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKT) possess innate antitumor properties that can be exploited for cancer immunotherapy. We have shown previously that the CD62L+ central memory-like subset of these cells drives the in vivo antitumor activity of NKTs, but molecular mediators of NKT central memory differentiation remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that relative to CD62L- cells, CD62L+ NKTs express a higher level of the gene encoding the Wnt/β-catenin transcription factor lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) and maintain active Wnt/β-catenin signaling. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated LEF1 knockout reduced CD62L+ frequency after antigenic stimulation, whereas Wnt/β-catenin activator Wnt3a ligand increased CD62L+ frequency. LEF1 overexpression promoted NKT expansion and limited exhaustion following serial tumor challenge and was sufficient to induce a central memory-like transcriptional program in NKTs. In mice, NKTs expressing a GD2-specific chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR) with LEF1 demonstrated superior control of neuroblastoma xenograft tumors compared with control CAR-NKTs. These results identify LEF1 as a transcriptional activator of the NKT central memory program and advance development of NKT cell-based immunotherapy. See related Spotlight by Van Kaer, p. 144.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Ngai
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Gabriel A Barragan
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Gengwen Tian
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Julien C Balzeau
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Chunchao Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Amy N Courtney
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Linjie Guo
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Xin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael S Wood
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Janice M Drabek
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Thorsten Demberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Caroline M Sands
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Cynthia N Chauvin-Fleurence
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Erica J Di Pierro
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffrey M Rosen
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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16
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Kratzmeier C, Singh S, Asiedu EB, Webb TJ. Current Developments in the Preclinical and Clinical use of Natural Killer T cells. BioDrugs 2023; 37:57-71. [PMID: 36525216 PMCID: PMC9756707 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-022-00572-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) cells play a pivotal role as a bridge between the innate and the adaptive immune response and are instrumental in the regulation of homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the potential for NKT cells to serve as biodrugs in viral infections and in cancer. NKT cells are being investigated for their use as a prognostic biomarker, an immune adjuvant, and as a form of cellular therapy. Historically, the clinical utility of NKT cells was hampered by their low frequency in the blood, discrepancies in nomenclature, and challenges with ex vivo expansion. However, recent advances in the field have permitted the development of several NKT cell-based preclinical and clinical strategies. These new developments pave the way for the successful implementation of NKT cell-based approaches for the treatment of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Kratzmeier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore St, HSF I-Room 380, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Sasha Singh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore St, HSF I-Room 380, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Emmanuel B Asiedu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore St, HSF I-Room 380, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Tonya J Webb
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore St, HSF I-Room 380, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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17
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Li YR, Wilson M, Yang L. Target tumor microenvironment by innate T cells. Front Immunol 2022; 13:999549. [PMID: 36275727 PMCID: PMC9582148 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.999549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) remains one of the most prevailing barriers obstructing the implementation of effective immunotherapy against solid-state cancers. Eminently composed of immunosuppressive tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) among others, the TME attenuates the effects of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive cell therapies, mandating a novel therapy capable of TME remediation. In this review we explore the potential of three innate-like T cell subsets, invariant natural killer T (iNKT), mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and gamma delta T (γδT) cells, that display an intrinsic anti-TAM/MDSC capacity. Exhibiting both innate and adaptive properties, innate-like T cell types express a subset-specific TCR with distinct recombination, morphology, and target cell recognition, further supplemented by a variety of NK activating receptors. Both NK activating receptor and TCR activation result in effector cell cytotoxicity against targeted immunosuppressive cells for TME remediation. In addition, innate-like T cells showcase moderate levels of tumor cell killing, providing dual antitumor and anti-TAM/MDSC function. This latent antitumor capacity can be further bolstered by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineering for recognition of tumor specific antigens to enhance antitumor targeting. In contrast with established CAR-T cell therapies, adoption of these innate-like cell types provides an enhanced safety profile without the risk of graft versus host disease (GvHD), due to their non-recognition of mismatched major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, for use as widely accessible, allogeneic “off-the-shelf” cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Matthew Wilson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Lili Yang,
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18
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Sudarsanam H, Buhmann R, Henschler R. Influence of Culture Conditions on Ex Vivo Expansion of T Lymphocytes and Their Function for Therapy: Current Insights and Open Questions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:886637. [PMID: 35845425 PMCID: PMC9277485 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.886637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ex vivo expansion of T lymphocytes is a central process in the generation of cellular therapies targeted at tumors and other disease-relevant structures, which currently cannot be reached by established pharmaceuticals. The influence of culture conditions on T cell functions is, however, incompletely understood. In clinical applications of ex vivo expanded T cells, so far, a relatively classical standard cell culture methodology has been established. The expanded cells have been characterized in both preclinical models and clinical studies mainly using a therapeutic endpoint, for example antitumor response and cytotoxic function against cellular targets, whereas the influence of manipulations of T cells ex vivo including transduction and culture expansion has been studied to a much lesser detail, or in many contexts remains unknown. This includes the circulation behavior of expanded T cells after intravenous application, their intracellular metabolism and signal transduction, and their cytoskeletal (re)organization or their adhesion, migration, and subsequent intra-tissue differentiation. This review aims to provide an overview of established T cell expansion methodologies and address unanswered questions relating in vivo interaction of ex vivo expanded T cells for cellular therapy.
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19
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Role of NK-Like CD8 + T Cells during Asymptomatic Borrelia burgdorferi Infection. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0055521. [PMID: 35416707 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00555-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) due to Borrelia burgdorferi is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. There is a poor understanding of how immunity contributes to bacterial control, pathology, or both during LD. Dogs in an area of endemicity were screened for B. burgdorferi and Anaplasma exposure and stratified according to seropositivity, presence of LD symptoms, and doxycycline treatment. Significantly elevated serum interleukin-21 (IL-21) and increased circulating CD3+ CD94+ lymphocytes with an NK-like CD8+ T cell phenotype were predominant in asymptomatic dogs exposed to B. burgdorferi. Both CD94+ T cells and CD3- CD94+ lymphocytes, corresponding to NK cells, from symptomatic dogs expressed gamma interferon (IFN-γ) at a 3-fold-higher frequency upon stimulation with B. burgdorferi than the same subset among endemic controls. Surface expression of activating receptor NKp46 was reduced on CD94+ T cells from LD, compared to cells after doxycycline treatment. A higher frequency of NKp46-expressing CD94+ T cells correlated with significantly increased peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cytotoxic activity via calcein release assay. PBMCs from dogs with symptomatic LD showed significantly reduced killing ability compared with endemic control PBMCs. An elevated NK-like CD8+ T cell response was associated with protection against development of clinical LD, while excess IFN-γ was associated with clinical disease.
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20
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Liu Y, Wang G, Chai D, Dang Y, Zheng J, Li H. iNKT: A new avenue for CAR-based cancer immunotherapy. Transl Oncol 2022; 17:101342. [PMID: 35063813 PMCID: PMC8784340 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell is a T lymphocyte-based immunotherapy, which achieves great successes in treating blood malignancies and provides new hope to cue advanced cancer patients. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a kind of special T lymphocytes characterized by expressing invariant TCR of Vα24Vβ11 to recognize CD1d-presented glycolipid antigens, which bridge innate and adaptive immune responses. iNKT cells themselves show strong anti-tumor effect in tumor models via CD1d-mediated killing of CD1d-positive tumor cells and immunosuppressive TAMs and MDSCs, and are closely related to the prognosis of cancer patients. iNKT cells are not restricted to polymorphic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and can prevent Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), which makes it to be an ideal CAR vector for allogeneic therapy. Although CAR-iNKT was developed and verified by several different teams and attracts more and more attentions, many obstacles are still needed to be resolved before obtaining CAR-iNKT therapeutics. In this review, we summarized the current status of clinical application of iNKT cells and the latest achievements of CAR-iNKT cells, which provides new insight in CAR-iNKT development and usages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Liu
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China
| | - Gang Wang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China
| | - Dafei Chai
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Dang
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China
| | - Junnian Zheng
- Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China.
| | - Huizhong Li
- Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Center of Clinical Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, PR China.
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21
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Li YR, Dunn ZS, Zhou Y, Lee D, Yang L. Development of Stem Cell-Derived Immune Cells for Off-the-Shelf Cancer Immunotherapies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123497. [PMID: 34944002 PMCID: PMC8700013 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-based cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematological malignancies. Specifically, autologous chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T (CAR-T) cell therapies have received approvals for treating leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma following unprecedented clinical response rates. A critical barrier to the widespread usage of current CAR-T cell products is their autologous nature, which renders these cellular products patient-selective, costly, and challenging to manufacture. Allogeneic cell products can be scalable and readily administrable but face critical concerns of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a life-threatening adverse event in which therapeutic cells attack host tissues, and allorejection, in which host immune cells eliminate therapeutic cells, thereby limiting their antitumor efficacy. In this review, we discuss recent advances in developing stem cell-engineered allogeneic cell therapies that aim to overcome the limitations of current autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, with a special focus on stem cell-engineered conventional αβ T cells, unconventional T (iNKT, MAIT, and γδ T) cells, and natural killer (NK) cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ruide Li
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
| | - Zachary Spencer Dunn
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
| | - Derek Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
| | - Lili Yang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; (Y.-R.L.); (Y.Z.); (D.L.)
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Correspondence:
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22
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Simonetta F, Lohmeyer JK, Hirai T, Maas-Bauer K, Alvarez M, Wenokur AS, Baker J, Aalipour A, Ji X, Haile S, Mackall CL, Negrin RS. Allogeneic CAR Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Exert Potent Antitumor Effects through Host CD8 T-Cell Cross-Priming. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:6054-6064. [PMID: 34376537 PMCID: PMC8563377 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The development of allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for off-the-shelf use is a major goal that faces two main immunologic challenges, namely the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) induction by the transferred cells and the rejection by the host immune system limiting their persistence. In this work we assessed the direct and indirect antitumor effect of allogeneic CAR-engineered invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, a cell population without GvHD-induction potential that displays immunomodulatory properties. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN After assessing murine CAR iNKT cells direct antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo, we employed an immunocompetent mouse model of B-cell lymphoma to assess the interaction between allogeneic CAR iNKT cells and endogenous immune cells. RESULTS We demonstrate that allogeneic CAR iNKT cells exerted potent direct and indirect antitumor activity when administered across major MHC barriers by inducing tumor-specific antitumor immunity through host CD8 T-cell cross-priming. CONCLUSIONS In addition to their known direct cytotoxic effect, allogeneic CAR iNKT cells induce host CD8 T-cell antitumor responses, resulting in a potent antitumor effect lasting longer than the physical persistence of the allogeneic cells. The utilization of off-the-shelf allogeneic CAR iNKT cells could meet significant unmet needs in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Simonetta
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Division of Hematology, Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals and Translational Research Centre in Onco-Haematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Juliane K Lohmeyer
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Toshihito Hirai
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Kristina Maas-Bauer
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Maite Alvarez
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Arielle S Wenokur
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Jeanette Baker
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Amin Aalipour
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Xuhuai Ji
- Human Immune Monitoring Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Samuel Haile
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Crystal L Mackall
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, California
| | - Robert S Negrin
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
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23
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Konduri V, Joseph SK, Byrd TT, Nawas Z, Vazquez-Perez J, Hofferek CJ, Halpert MM, Liu D, Liang Z, Baig Y, Salsman VS, Oyewole-Said D, Tsimelzon A, Burns BA, Chen C, Levitt JM, Yao Q, Ahmed NM, Hegde M, Decker WK. A subset of cytotoxic effector memory T cells enhances CAR T cell efficacy in a model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/592/eabc3196. [PMID: 33952672 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc3196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In humans, the natural killer (NK) cell marker CD161 identifies several subsets of T cells, including a polyclonal CD8 αβ T cell receptor-expressing subset with characteristic specificity for tissue-localized viruses. This subset also displays enhanced cytotoxic and memory phenotypes. Here, we characterized this unique T cell subset and determined its potential suitability for use in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. In mice, gene expression profiling among the CD161-equivalent CD8+ T cell populations (CD8+NK1.1+) revealed substantial up-regulation of granzymes, perforin, killer lectin-like receptors, and innate signaling molecules in comparison to CD8+NK1.1- T cells. Adoptive transfer of CD8+NK1.1+ cells from previously exposed animals offered substantially enhanced protection and improved survival against melanoma tumors and influenza infection compared to CD8+NK1.1- cells. Freshly isolated human CD8+CD61+ T cells exhibited heightened allogeneic killing activity in comparison to CD8+CD61- T cells or total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). To determine whether this subset might improve the antitumor efficacy of CAR T cell therapy against solid tumors, we compared bulk PBMCs, CD8+CD161-, and CD8+CD161+ T cells transduced with a human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-specific CAR construct. In vitro, CD8+CD161+ CAR-transduced T cells killed HER2+ targets faster and with greater efficiency. Similarly, these cells mediated enhanced in vivo antitumor efficacy in xenograft models of HER2+ pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, exhibiting elevated expression of granzymes and reduced expression of exhaustion markers. These data suggest that this T cell subset presents an opportunity to improve CAR T cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanaja Konduri
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sujith K Joseph
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tiara T Byrd
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zeid Nawas
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan Vazquez-Perez
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Colby J Hofferek
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Matthew M Halpert
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dongliang Liu
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhengdong Liang
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yunyu Baig
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Vita S Salsman
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Damilola Oyewole-Said
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Anna Tsimelzon
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Briana A Burns
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Changyi Chen
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan M Levitt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Qizhi Yao
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CTRID), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nabil M Ahmed
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Meenakshi Hegde
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - William K Decker
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. .,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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24
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Abstract
ABSTRACT Banked chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells immediately available for off-the-shelf (OTS) application can solve key limitations of patient-specific CAR T-cell products while retaining their potency. The allogeneic nature of OTS cell therapies requires additional measures to minimize graft-versus-host disease and host-versus-graft immune rejection in immunocompetent recipients. In this review, we discuss engineering and manufacturing strategies aimed at minimizing unwanted interactions between allogeneic CAR T cells and the host. Overcoming these limitations will improve safety and antitumor potency of OTS CAR T cells and facilitate their wider use in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiro Watanabe
- From the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine; Houston Methodist Hospital; and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
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25
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Konduri V, Oyewole-Said D, Vazquez-Perez J, Weldon SA, Halpert MM, Levitt JM, Decker WK. CD8 +CD161 + T-Cells: Cytotoxic Memory Cells With High Therapeutic Potential. Front Immunol 2021; 11:613204. [PMID: 33597948 PMCID: PMC7882609 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.613204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
NK1.1 and its human homolog CD161 are expressed on NK cells, subsets of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and NKT cells. While the expression of NK1.1 is thought to be inhibitory to NK cell function, it is reported to play both costimulatory and coinhibitory roles in T-cells. CD161 has been extensively studied and characterized on subsets of T-cells that are MR1-restricted, IL-17 producing CD4+ (TH17 MAIT cells) and CD8+ T cells (Tc17 cells). Non-MAIT, MR1-independent CD161-expressing T-cells also exist and are characterized as generally effector memory cells with a stem cell like phenotype. Gene expression analysis of this enigmatic subset indicates a significant enhancement in the expression of cytotoxic granzyme molecules and innate like stress receptors in CD8+NK1.1+/CD8+CD161+ cells in comparison to CD8+ cells that do not express NK1.1 or CD161. First identified and studied in the context of viral infection, the role of CD8+CD161+ T-cells, especially in the context of tumor immunology, is still poorly understood. In this review, the functional characteristics of the CD161-expressing CD8+ T cell subset with respect to gene expression profile, cytotoxicity, and tissue homing properties are discussed, and application of this subset to immune responses against infectious disease and cancer is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanaja Konduri
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Damilola Oyewole-Said
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan Vazquez-Perez
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Scott A Weldon
- Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Matthew M Halpert
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan M Levitt
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Scott Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - William K Decker
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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26
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Chimeric Antigen Receptor beyond CAR-T Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030404. [PMID: 33499101 PMCID: PMC7865527 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) are engineered molecules expressed on the cell surface that can recognise specific proteins and deliver an activation signal to the cells. Human T lymphocytes equipped with CAR, also called CAR-T cells, can target and kill tumour cells. This technology has been successfully used in treating some of the blood cancers in the last decade. Although the majority of research interest in CAR technology has been focused on CAR-T cells to date, the CAR design has also been used in other types of immune cells to fight against cancers. In this review, we discuss recent advances in CAR design beyond that used in conventional CAR-T cells and their novel indications to develop more potent CAR-based therapy for cancers. Abstract Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) are genetically engineered receptors that can recognise specific antigens and subsequently activate downstream signalling. Human T cells engineered to express a CAR, also known as CAR-T cells, can target a specific tumour antigen on the cell surface to mediate a cytotoxic response against the tumour. CAR-T cell therapy has achieved remarkable success in treating hematologic malignancies, but not in solid tumours. Currently, extensive research is being carried out to make CAR-T cells a therapy for solid tumours. To date, most of the research interest in the field has focused on cytotoxic T lymphocytes as the carrier of CAR products. However, in addition to T cells, the CAR design can be introduced in other immune cells, such as natural killer (NK)/NKT cells, γδ T cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, regulatory T cells (Treg), B cells, etc. Some of the CAR-engineered immune cells, such as CAR- γδ T and CAR-NK/NK-T cells, are directly involved in the anti-tumour response, demonstrated in preclinical studies and/or clinical trials. CAR-Tregs showed promising therapeutic potential in treating autoimmune diseases. In particular, B cells engineered with chimeric receptors can be used as a platform for long-term delivery of therapeutic proteins, such as recombinant antibodies or protein replacement, in an antigen-specific manner. CAR technology is one of the most powerful engineering platforms in immunotherapy, especially for the treatment of cancers. In this review, we will discuss the recent application of the CAR design in non-CAR-T cells and future opportunities in immunotherapy.
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27
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Trujillo-Ocampo A, Cho HW, Clowers M, Pareek S, Ruiz-Vazquez W, Lee SE, Im JS. IL-7 During Antigenic Stimulation Using Allogeneic Dendritic Cells Promotes Expansion of CD45RA -CD62L +CD4 + Invariant NKT Cells With Th-2 Biased Cytokine Production Profile. Front Immunol 2020; 11:567406. [PMID: 33329531 PMCID: PMC7728799 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.567406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes cells that recognize glycolipid antigens associated with CD1d, non-classical antigen presenting proteins. They can drive either pro-inflammatory (Th-1) or anti-inflammatory (Th-2) immune microenvironment through the production of both Th-1 and Th-2 type cytokines upon activation, thus play a vital role in cancer, infection, and autoimmune diseases. Adoptive cell therapy using ex vivo expanded iNKT cells is a promising approach to enhance anti-tumor immunity or immunosuppression. However, overcoming phenotypic and functional heterogeneity and promoting in vivo persistency of iNKT cells remains to be a challenge. Here, we compared various methods for ex vivo expansion of human iNKT cells and assessed the quality of expansion, phenotype, and cytokine production profile of expanded iNKT cells. While a direct stimulation of iNKT cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with agonist glycolipid led to the expansion of iNKT cells in varying degrees, stimulation of enriched iNKT cells by irradiated autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells or allogeneic dendritic cells resulted in consistent expansion of highly pure iNKT cells. Interestingly, the mode of antigenic stimulation influenced the dominant subtype of expanded iNKT cells. Further, we evaluated whether additional IL-7 or IL-15 during antigenic stimulation with allogeneic dendritic cells can improve the phenotypic heterogeneity and modify cytokine production profile of iNKT cells expanded from 18 consecutive donors. The presence of IL-7 or IL-15 during antigenic stimulation did not affect the fold of expansion or purity of expanded iNKT cells. However, IL-7, but not IL-15, led to a better expansion of CD4+ iNKT cells, enhanced Th-2 type cytokine production of CD4+ iNKT cells, and maintained the expansion of central memory (CD45RA-CD62L+) CD4+ iNKT cells. Our results suggest the addition of IL-7 during antigenic stimulation with allogeneic dendritic cells can promote the expansion of CD62L+Th-2+CD4+ human iNKT cells that can be used as novel immunotherapeutic to control excessive inflammation to treat various autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abel Trujillo-Ocampo
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hyun-Woo Cho
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Michael Clowers
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sumedha Pareek
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Wilfredo Ruiz-Vazquez
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sung-Eun Lee
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Hematology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin S Im
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Hematology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
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28
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Perez C, Gruber I, Arber C. Off-the-Shelf Allogeneic T Cell Therapies for Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges Using Naturally Occurring "Universal" Donor T Cells. Front Immunol 2020; 11:583716. [PMID: 33262761 PMCID: PMC7685996 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.583716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered T cell therapies individually prepared for each patient with autologous T cells have recently changed clinical practice in the management of B cell malignancies. Even though CARs used to redirect polyclonal T cells to the tumor are not HLA restricted, CAR T cells are also characterized by their endogenous T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. Tumor-antigen targeted TCR-based T cell therapies in clinical trials are thus far using “conventional” αβ-TCRs that recognize antigens presented as peptides in the context of the major histocompatibility complex. Thus, both CAR- and TCR-based adoptive T cell therapies (ACTs) are dictated by compatibility of the highly polymorphic HLA molecules between donors and recipients in order to avoid graft-versus-host disease and rejection. The development of third-party healthy donor derived well-characterized off-the-shelf cell therapy products that are readily available and broadly applicable is an intensive area of research. While genome engineering provides the tools to generate “universal” donor cells that can be redirected to cancers, we will focus our attention on third-party off-the-shelf strategies with T cells that are characterized by unique natural features and do not require genome editing for safe administration. Specifically, we will discuss the use of virus-specific T cells, lipid-restricted (CD1) T cells, MR1-restricted T cells, and γδ-TCR T cells. CD1- and MR1-restricted T cells are not HLA-restricted and have the potential to serve as a unique source of universal TCR sequences to be broadly applicable in TCR-based ACT as their targets are presented by the monomorphic CD1 or MR1 molecules on a wide variety of tumor types. For each cell type, we will summarize the stage of preclinical and clinical development and discuss opportunities and challenges to deliver off-the-shelf targeted cellular therapies against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Perez
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Gruber
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Arber
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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29
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Heczey A, Courtney AN, Montalbano A, Robinson S, Liu K, Li M, Ghatwai N, Dakhova O, Liu B, Raveh-Sadka T, Chauvin-Fleurence CN, Xu X, Ngai H, Di Pierro EJ, Savoldo B, Dotti G, Metelitsa LS. Anti-GD2 CAR-NKT cells in patients with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma: an interim analysis. Nat Med 2020; 26:1686-1690. [PMID: 33046868 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-1074-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Vα24-invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells have shown potent anti-tumor properties in murine tumor models and have been linked to favorable outcomes in patients with cancer. However, low numbers of these cells in humans have hindered their clinical applications. Here we report interim results from all three patients enrolled on dose level 1 in a phase 1 dose-escalation trial of autologous NKT cells engineered to co-express a GD2-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) with interleukin-15 in children with relapsed or resistant neuroblastoma (NCT03294954). Primary and secondary objectives were to assess safety and anti-tumor responses, respectively, with immune response evaluation as an additional objective. We ex vivo expanded highly pure NKT cells (mean ± s.d., 94.7 ± 3.8%) and treated patients with 3 × 106 CAR-NKT cells per square meter of body surface area after lymphodepleting conditioning with cyclophosphamide/fludarabine (Cy/Flu). Cy/Flu conditioning was the probable cause for grade 3-4 hematologic adverse events, as they occurred before CAR-NKT cell infusion, and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed. CAR-NKT cells expanded in vivo, localized to tumors and, in one patient, induced an objective response with regression of bone metastatic lesions. These initial results suggest that CAR-NKT cells can be expanded to clinical scale and safely applied to treat patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andras Heczey
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Amy N Courtney
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Simon Robinson
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ka Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mingmei Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nisha Ghatwai
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Olga Dakhova
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Xin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ho Ngai
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Erica J Di Pierro
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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30
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Chanswangphuwana C, Allan DSJ, Chakraborty M, Reger RN, Childs RW. Augmentation of NK Cell Proliferation and Anti-tumor Immunity by Transgenic Expression of Receptors for EPO or TPO. Mol Ther 2020; 29:47-59. [PMID: 33010232 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Many investigational adoptive immunotherapy regimens utilizing natural killer (NK) cells require the administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-15, but these cytokines cause serious dose-dependent toxicities. To reduce or preclude the necessity for IL-2 use, we investigated whether genetic engineering of NK cells to express the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) or thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor (c-MPL) could be used as a method to improve NK cell survival and function. Viral transduction of NK-92 cells to express EPOR or c-MPL receptors conveyed signaling via appropriate pathways, protected cells from apoptosis, augmented cellular proliferation, and increased cell cytotoxic function in response to EPO or TPO ligands in vitro. In the presence of TPO, viral transduction of primary human NK cells to express c-MPL enhanced cellular proliferation and increased degranulation and cytokine production toward target cells in vitro. In contrast, transgenic expression of EPOR did not augment the proliferation of primary NK cells. In immunodeficient mice receiving TPO, in vivo persistence of primary human NK cells genetically modified to express c-MPL was higher compared with control NK cells. These data support the concept that genetic manipulation of NK cells to express hematopoietic growth factor receptors could be used as a strategy to augment NK cell proliferation and antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantiya Chanswangphuwana
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - David S J Allan
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mala Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Robert N Reger
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Richard W Childs
- Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics Branch, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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31
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Guan P, Schaub R, Nichols KE, Das R. Combination of NKT14m and Low Dose IL-12 Promotes Invariant Natural Killer T Cell IFN-γ Production and Tumor Control. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21145085. [PMID: 32708464 PMCID: PMC7404385 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21145085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes characterized by the expression of an invariant T cell receptor (iTCR) that recognizes glycolipid antigens presented by the MHC I-like CD1d molecule. Following antigenic stimulation, iNKT cells rapidly produce large amounts of cytokines that can trans-activate dendritic cells (DC) and promote the anti-tumor functions of cytotoxic lymphocytes, such as natural killer (NK) and CD8 T cells. Additionally, iNKT cells can mediate robust and direct cytotoxicity against CD1d+ tumor targets. However, many tumors down-regulate CD1d and evade iNKT cell attack. To circumvent this critical barrier to iNKT cell anti-tumor activity, a novel monoclonal antibody (mAb), NKT14 has been recently developed. This agonistic antibody binds directly and specifically to the iTCR of murine iNKT cells. In the current study, we demonstrate that NKT14m mediates robust activation, cytokine production and degranulation of murine iNKT cells, in vitro. Consistently, NKT14m also promoted iNKT cell activation and immunomodulatory functions, in vivo. Finally, administration of NKT14m with low dose interleukin (IL)-12 further augmented iNKT cell IFN-γ production in vivo, and this combination conferred superior suppression of tumor cell growth compared to NKT14m or IL-12 alone. Together, these data demonstrate that a combination treatment consisting of low dose IL-12 and iTCR-specific mAb may be an attractive alternative to activate iNKT cell anti-tumor functions.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology
- Antigens, CD1d/immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cytokines/metabolism
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic/drug effects
- Drug Synergism
- Drug Therapy, Combination/methods
- Immunomodulation/drug effects
- Interferon-gamma/metabolism
- Interleukin-12/pharmacology
- Lymphoma/drug therapy
- Lymphoma/immunology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Natural Killer T-Cells/drug effects
- Natural Killer T-Cells/immunology
- Natural Killer T-Cells/metabolism
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Guan
- Division of Oncology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Robert Schaub
- RGS Consulting, 118 Jeremy Hill Road Pelham, Pelham, NH 03076, USA;
| | - Kim E. Nichols
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA;
| | - Rupali Das
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-517-884-5049; Fax: +1-517-355-5125
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32
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Chronic Viral Liver Diseases: Approaching the Liver Using T Cell Receptor-Mediated Gene Technologies. Cells 2020; 9:cells9061471. [PMID: 32560123 PMCID: PMC7349849 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic infection with viral hepatitis is a major risk factor for liver injury and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). One major contributing factor to the chronicity is the dysfunction of virus-specific T cell immunity. T cells engineered to express virus-specific T cell receptors (TCRs) may be a therapeutic option to improve host antiviral responses and have demonstrated clinical success against virus-associated tumours. This review aims to give an overview of TCRs identified from viral hepatitis research and discuss how translational lessons learned from cancer immunotherapy can be applied to the field. TCR isolation pipelines, liver homing signals, cell type options, as well as safety considerations will be discussed herein.
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33
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Challenges of iNKT cell-based antitumor immunotherapies. Cell Mol Immunol 2020; 18:1077-1078. [PMID: 32523114 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-020-0479-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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34
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Xu X, Huang W, Heczey A, Liu D, Guo L, Wood M, Jin J, Courtney AN, Liu B, Di Pierro EJ, Hicks J, Barragan GA, Ngai H, Chen Y, Savoldo B, Dotti G, Metelitsa LS. NKT Cells Coexpressing a GD2-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor and IL15 Show Enhanced In Vivo Persistence and Antitumor Activity against Neuroblastoma. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:7126-7138. [PMID: 31484667 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-0421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Vα24-invariant natural killer T cells (NKT) are attractive carriers for chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) due to their inherent antitumor properties and preferential localization to tumor sites. However, limited persistence of CAR-NKTs in tumor-bearing mice is associated with tumor recurrence. Here, we evaluated whether coexpression of the NKT homeostatic cytokine IL15 with a CAR enhances the in vivo persistence and therapeutic efficacy of CAR-NKTs. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Human primary NKTs were ex vivo expanded and transduced with CAR constructs containing an optimized GD2-specific single-chain variable fragment and either the CD28 or 4-1BB costimulatory endodomain, each with or without IL15 (GD2.CAR or GD2.CAR.15). Constructs that mediated robust CAR-NKT cell expansion were selected for further functional evaluation in vitro and in xenogeneic mouse models of neuroblastoma. RESULTS Coexpression of IL15 with either costimulatory domain increased CAR-NKT absolute numbers. However, constructs containing 4-1BB induced excessive activation-induced cell death and reduced numeric expansion of NKTs compared with respective CD28-based constructs. Further evaluation of CD28-based GD2.CAR and GD2.CAR.15 showed that coexpression of IL15 led to reduced expression levels of exhaustion markers in NKTs and increased multiround in vitro tumor cell killing. Following transfer into mice bearing neuroblastoma xenografts, GD2.CAR.15 NKTs demonstrated enhanced in vivo persistence, increased localization to tumor sites, and improved tumor control compared with GD2.CAR NKTs. Importantly, GD2.CAR.15 NKTs did not produce significant toxicity as determined by histopathologic analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our results informed selection of the CD28-based GD2.CAR.15 construct for clinical testing and led to initiation of a first-in-human CAR-NKT cell clinical trial (NCT03294954).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Wei Huang
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Andras Heczey
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Daofeng Liu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Linjie Guo
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Michael Wood
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Jingling Jin
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Amy N Courtney
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Bin Liu
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Erica J Di Pierro
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - John Hicks
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Gabriel A Barragan
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Ho Ngai
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Yuhui Chen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Barbara Savoldo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Texas Children's Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. .,Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.,Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
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35
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Chimeric antigen receptor engineered innate immune cells in cancer immunotherapy. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2019; 62:633-639. [DOI: 10.1007/s11427-018-9451-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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36
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Impairment of Vα24-Jα18+Vβ11+ natural killer T cells in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. Exp Cell Res 2019; 374:69-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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