1
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Sharma J, Mudalagiriyappa S, Abdelaal HFM, Kelly TC, Choi W, Ponnuraj N, Vieson MD, Talaat AM, Nanjappa SG. E3 ubiquitin ligase CBLB regulates innate immune responses and bacterial dissemination during nontuberculous mycobacteria infection. J Leukoc Biol 2024; 115:1118-1130. [PMID: 38271280 PMCID: PMC11135617 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiae019] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are emerging opportunistic pathogens causing pulmonary infection to fatal disseminated disease. NTM infections are steadily increasing in children and adults, and immune-compromised individuals are at a greater risk of fatal infections. The NTM disease's adverse pathology and resistance to antibiotics have further worsened the therapeutic measures. Innate immune regulators are potential targets for therapeutics to NTM, especially in a T cell-suppressed population, and many ubiquitin ligases modulate pathogenesis and innate immunity during infections, including mycobacterial infections. Here, we investigated the role of an E3 ubiquitin ligase, Casitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene B (CBLB), in immunocompromised mouse models of NTM infection. We found that CBLB is essential to prevent bacterial growth and dissemination. Cblb deficiency debilitated natural killer cells, inflammatory monocytes, and macrophages in vivo. However, Cblb deficiency in macrophages did not wane its ability to inhibit bacterial growth or production of reactive oxygen species or interferon γ production by natural killer cells in vitro. CBLB restricted NTM growth and dissemination by promoting early granuloma formation in vivo. Our study shows that CBLB bolsters innate immune responses and helps prevent the dissemination of NTM during compromised T cell immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaishree Sharma
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Srinivasu Mudalagiriyappa
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Hazem F M Abdelaal
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Thomas C Kelly
- Integrative Biology Honors Program, University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Woosuk Choi
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Nagendraprabhu Ponnuraj
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Miranda D Vieson
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
| | - Adel M Talaat
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Som Gowda Nanjappa
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, United States
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2
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Dooley NL, Chabikwa TG, Pava Z, Loughland JR, Hamelink J, Berry K, Andrew D, Soon MSF, SheelaNair A, Piera KA, William T, Barber BE, Grigg MJ, Engwerda CR, Lopez JA, Anstey NM, Boyle MJ. Single cell transcriptomics shows that malaria promotes unique regulatory responses across multiple immune cell subsets. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7387. [PMID: 37968278 PMCID: PMC10651914 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43181-7] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria drives immunoregulatory responses across multiple cell subsets, which protects from immunopathogenesis, but also hampers the development of effective anti-parasitic immunity. Understanding malaria induced tolerogenic responses in specific cell subsets may inform development of strategies to boost protective immunity during drug treatment and vaccination. Here, we analyse the immune landscape with single cell RNA sequencing during P. falciparum malaria. We identify cell type specific responses in sub-clustered major immune cell types. Malaria is associated with an increase in immunosuppressive monocytes, alongside NK and γδ T cells which up-regulate tolerogenic markers. IL-10-producing Tr1 CD4 T cells and IL-10-producing regulatory B cells are also induced. Type I interferon responses are identified across all cell types, suggesting Type I interferon signalling may be linked to induction of immunoregulatory networks during malaria. These findings provide insights into cell-specific and shared immunoregulatory changes during malaria and provide a data resource for further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas L Dooley
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Environment and Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Zuleima Pava
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Julianne Hamelink
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kiana Berry
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dean Andrew
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Megan S F Soon
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Arya SheelaNair
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kim A Piera
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Timothy William
- Infectious Diseases Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Program, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Bridget E Barber
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Program, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Matthew J Grigg
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Program, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | | | - J Alejandro Lopez
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Environment and Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicholas M Anstey
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Kota Kinabalu Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Program, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Michelle J Boyle
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- School of Environment and Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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3
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Mohammadian Gol T, Kim M, Sinn R, Ureña-Bailén G, Stegmeyer S, Gratz PG, Zahedipour F, Roig-Merino A, Antony JS, Mezger M. CRISPR-Cas9-Based Gene Knockout of Immune Checkpoints in Expanded NK Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16065. [PMID: 38003255 PMCID: PMC10671270 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216065] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell immunotherapy has emerged as a novel treatment modality for various cancer types, including leukemia. The modulation of inhibitory signaling pathways in T cells and NK cells has been the subject of extensive investigation in both preclinical and clinical settings in recent years. Nonetheless, further research is imperative to optimize antileukemic activities, especially regarding NK-cell-based immunotherapies. The central scientific question of this study pertains to the potential for boosting cytotoxicity in expanded and activated NK cells through the inhibition of inhibitory receptors. To address this question, we employed the CRISPR-Cas9 system to target three distinct inhibitory signaling pathways in NK cells. Specifically, we examined the roles of A2AR within the metabolic purinergic signaling pathway, CBLB as an intracellular regulator in NK cells, and the surface receptors NKG2A and CD96 in enhancing the antileukemic efficacy of NK cells. Following the successful expansion of NK cells, they were transfected with Cas9+sgRNA RNP to knockout A2AR, CBLB, NKG2A, and CD96. The analysis of indel frequencies for all four targets revealed good knockout efficiencies in expanded NK cells, resulting in diminished protein expression as confirmed by flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Our in vitro killing assays demonstrated that NKG2A and CBLB knockout led to only a marginal improvement in the cytotoxicity of NK cells against AML and B-ALL cells. Furthermore, the antileukemic activity of CD96 knockout NK cells did not yield significant enhancements, and the blockade of A2AR did not result in significant improvement in killing efficiency. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CRISPR-Cas9-based knockout strategies for immune checkpoints might not be sufficient to efficiently boost the antileukemic functions of expanded (and activated) NK cells and, at the same time, point to the need for strong cellular activating signals, as this can be achieved, for example, via transgenic chimeric antigen receptor expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahereh Mohammadian Gol
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Miso Kim
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Ralph Sinn
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Guillermo Ureña-Bailén
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Sarah Stegmeyer
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Paul Gerhard Gratz
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Fatemeh Zahedipour
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | | | - Justin S. Antony
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
| | - Markus Mezger
- Department of General Pediatrics, Hematology and Oncology, University Children’s Hospital Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.K.); (P.G.G.); (F.Z.)
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4
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Tong L, Kremer V, Neo SY, Liu Y, Chen Y, Wagner AK, Yang Y, Chen Z, Seitz C, Tobin NP, Ligtenberg MA, Alici E, Chen X, Haglund F, Seliger B, Harmenberg U, Colón E, Plogell AHS, Liu LL, Lundqvist A. Renal cell carcinoma escapes NK cell-mediated immune surveillance through the downregulation of DNAM-1. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2023. [PMID: 37314951 PMCID: PMC10354414 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Le Tong
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Veronika Kremer
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shi Yong Neo
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yaxuan Liu
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, USA
| | | | - Ying Yang
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ziqing Chen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, New Jersey, USA
| | - Christina Seitz
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Maarten Alexander Ligtenberg
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Evren Alici
- Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xinsong Chen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Felix Haglund
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Barbara Seliger
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- Institute of Translational Immunology, Medical School Theodor Fontane, Brandenburg an der Havel, 14770, and Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrika Harmenberg
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eugenia Colón
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet and S:t Göran's Hospital-Unilabs, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Lisa Lei Liu
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Lundqvist
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Ma S, Caligiuri MA, Yu J. Harnessing IL-15 signaling to potentiate NK cell-mediated cancer immunotherapy. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:833-847. [PMID: 36058806 PMCID: PMC9612852 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, a crucial component of the innate immune system, have long been of clinical interest for their antitumor properties. Almost every aspect of NK cell immunity is regulated by interleukin-15 (IL-15), a cytokine in the common γ-chain family. Several current clinical trials are using IL-15 or its analogs to treat various cancers. Moreover, NK cells are being genetically modified to produce membrane-bound or secretory IL-15. Here, we discuss the key role of IL-15 signaling in NK cell immunity and provide an up-to-date overview of IL-15 in NK cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoubao Ma
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA; Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA
| | - Michael A Caligiuri
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA; Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA; Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA.
| | - Jianhua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA; Hematologic Malignancies and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA; Comprehensive Cancer Center, City of Hope, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA; Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Los Angeles, CA 91010, USA.
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6
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Lipid accumulation induced by APOE4 impairs microglial surveillance of neuronal-network activity. Cell Stem Cell 2022; 29:1197-1212.e8. [PMID: 35931030 PMCID: PMC9623845 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) is the greatest known genetic risk factor for developing sporadic Alzheimer's disease. How the interaction of APOE4 microglia with neurons differs from microglia expressing the disease-neutral APOE3 allele remains unknown. Here, we employ CRISPR-edited induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to dissect the impact of APOE4 in neuron-microglia communication. Our results reveal that APOE4 induces a lipid-accumulated state that renders microglia weakly responsive to neuronal activity. By examining the transcriptional signatures of APOE3 versus APOE4 microglia in response to neuronal conditioned media, we established that neuronal cues differentially induce a lipogenic program in APOE4 microglia that exacerbates pro-inflammatory signals. Through decreased uptake of extracellular fatty acids and lipoproteins, we identified that APOE4 microglia disrupts the coordinated activity of neuronal ensembles. These findings suggest that abnormal neuronal network-level disturbances observed in Alzheimer's disease patients harboring APOE4 may in part be triggered by impairment in lipid homeostasis in non-neuronal cells.
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7
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Lu T, Ma R, Li Z, Mansour AG, Teng KY, Chen L, Zhang J, Barr T, Caligiuri MA, Yu J. Hijacking TYRO3 from Tumor Cells via Trogocytosis Enhances NK-Cell Effector Functions and Proliferation. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:1229-1241. [PMID: 34326137 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-1014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Trogocytosis is a fast, cell-cell contact-dependent uptake of membrane patches and associated molecules by one cell from another. Here, we report our investigation of trogocytosis of TYRO3, a cell membrane protein, from tumor target cells to natural killer (NK) cells and the associated functional consequences for NK cells. We found that although NK cells did not express endogenous TYRO3 on the cell surface, activated NK cells rapidly acquired TYRO3 from tumor cells via trogocytosis in vitro and in vivo. NK cells that acquired TYRO3, which we termed TYRO3+ NK cells, had significantly enhanced cytotoxicity and IFNγ production as well as higher expression of some activated surface markers compared with TYRO3- NK cells. Furthermore, the activation status of NK cells and TYRO3 expression levels on donor cells, either endogenous or ectopic, positively correlated with trogocytosis levels. When the antigen-presenting cell (APC) K562 leukemia cell line, a feeder cell line to expand NK cells, overexpressed TYRO3, TYRO3 was transferred to NK cells via trogocytosis, which improved NK-cell proliferation ex vivo. This provides a strategy to manufacture NK cells or their engineered counterparts, such as chimeric antigen receptor NK cells, for the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Lu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rui Ma
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zhenlong Li
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Anthony G Mansour
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kun-Yu Teng
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jianying Zhang
- Department of Computational and Quantitative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Tasha Barr
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael A Caligiuri
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. .,Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.,City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jianhua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. .,Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California.,Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.,City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, California
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8
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Guo X, Mahlakõiv T, Ye Q, Somanchi S, He S, Rana H, DiFiglia A, Gleason J, van der Touw W, Hariri R, Zhang X. CBLB ablation with CRISPR/Cas9 enhances cytotoxicity of human placental stem cell-derived NK cells for cancer immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e001975. [PMID: 33741730 PMCID: PMC7986888 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumors often develop resistance to surveillance by endogenous immune cells, which include natural killer (NK) cells. Ex vivo activated and/or expanded NK cells demonstrate cytotoxicity against various tumor cells and are promising therapeutics for adoptive cancer immunotherapy. Genetic modification can further enhance NK effector cell activity or activation sensitization. Here, we evaluated the effect of the genetic deletion of ubiquitin ligase Casitas B-lineage lymphoma pro-oncogene-b (CBLB), a negative regulator of lymphocyte activity, on placental CD34+ cell-derived NK (PNK) cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells. METHODS Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, CBLB was knocked out in placenta-derived CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, followed by differentiation into PNK cells. Cell expansion, phenotype and cytotoxicity against tumor cells were characterized in vitro. The antitumor efficacy of CBLB knockout (KO) PNK cells was tested in an acute myeloid leukemia (HL-60) tumor model in NOD-scid IL2R gammanull (NSG) mice. PNK cell persistence, biodistribution, proliferation, phenotype and antitumor activity were evaluated. RESULTS 94% of CBLB KO efficacy was achieved using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. CBLB KO placental CD34+ cells differentiated into PNK cells with high cell yield and >90% purity determined by CD56+ CD3- cell identity. Ablation of CBLB did not impact cell proliferation, NK cell differentiation or phenotypical characteristics of PNK cells. When compared with the unmodified PNK control, CBLB KO PNK cells exhibited higher cytotoxicity against a range of liquid and solid tumor cell lines in vitro. On infusion into busulfan-conditioned NSG mice, CBLB KO PNK cells showed in vivo proliferation and maturation as evidenced by increased expression of CD16, killer Ig-like receptors and NKG2A over 3 weeks. Additionally, CBLB KO PNK cells showed greater antitumor activity in a disseminated HL60-luciferase mouse model compared with unmodified PNK cells. CONCLUSION CBLB ablation increased PNK cell effector function and proliferative capacity compared with non-modified PNK cells. These data suggest that targeting CBLB may offer therapeutic advantages via enhancing antitumor activities of NK cell therapies.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/deficiency
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics
- Animals
- Antigens, CD34/metabolism
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/genetics
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- Coculture Techniques
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- Female
- GPI-Linked Proteins/metabolism
- Gene Knockout Techniques
- HL-60 Cells
- Humans
- Immunotherapy, Adoptive
- K562 Cells
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Killer Cells, Natural/transplantation
- Mice, Inbred NOD
- Mice, SCID
- NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C/metabolism
- Neoplasms/immunology
- Neoplasms/metabolism
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Phenotype
- Placenta/cytology
- Pregnancy
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl/deficiency
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-cbl/genetics
- Receptors, IgG/metabolism
- Stem Cells/immunology
- Stem Cells/metabolism
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Guo
- Celularity Inc, Florham Park, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Qian Ye
- Celularity Inc, Florham Park, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Shuyang He
- Celularity Inc, Florham Park, New Jersey, USA
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