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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: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Maas-Bauer K, Lohmeyer JK, Hirai T, Ramos TL, Fazal FM, Litzenburger UM, Yost KE, Ribado JV, Kambham N, Wenokur AS, Lin PY, Alvarez M, Mavers M, Baker J, Bhatt AS, Chang HY, Simonetta F, Negrin RS. Invariant natural killer T-cell subsets have diverse graft-versus-host-disease-preventing and antitumor effects. Blood 2021; 138:858-870. [PMID: 34036317 PMCID: PMC8432044 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021010887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a T-cell subset with potent immunomodulatory properties. Experimental evidence in mice and observational studies in humans indicate that iNKT cells have antitumor potential as well as the ability to suppress acute and chronic graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). Murine iNKT cells differentiate during thymic development into iNKT1, iNKT2, and iNKT17 sublineages, which differ transcriptomically and epigenomically and have subset-specific developmental requirements. Whether distinct iNKT sublineages also differ in their antitumor effect and their ability to suppress GVHD is currently unknown. In this work, we generated highly purified murine iNKT sublineages, characterized their transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape, and assessed specific functions. We show that iNKT2 and iNKT17, but not iNKT1, cells efficiently suppress T-cell activation in vitro and mitigate murine acute GVHD in vivo. Conversely, we show that iNKT1 cells display the highest antitumor activity against murine B-cell lymphoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we report for the first time that iNKT sublineages have distinct and different functions, with iNKT1 cells having the highest antitumor activity and iNKT2 and iNKT17 cells having immune-regulatory properties. These results have important implications for the translation of iNKT cell therapies to the clinic for cancer immunotherapy as well as for the prevention and treatment of GVHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Maas-Bauer
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, University of Freiburg Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Juliane K Lohmeyer
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Toshihito Hirai
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Teresa Lopes Ramos
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Arielle S Wenokur
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Po-Yu Lin
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Maite Alvarez
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Melissa Mavers
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Bass Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Jeanette Baker
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Ami S Bhatt
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Genetics, and
- Division of Hematology and
| | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Federico Simonetta
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Division of Hematology, Department of Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; and
- Translational Research Center for Oncohematology, Department of Internal Medicine Specialties, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robert S Negrin
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
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Alvarez M, Simonetta F, Baker J, Morrison AR, Wenokur AS, Pierini A, Berraondo P, Negrin RS. Indirect Impact of PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade on a Murine Model of NK Cell Exhaustion. Front Immunol 2020; 11:7. [PMID: 32117218 PMCID: PMC7026672 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The induction of exhaustion on effector immune cells is an important limiting factor for cancer immunotherapy efficacy as these cells undergo a hierarchical loss of proliferation and cytolytic activity due to chronic stimulation. Targeting PD-1 has shown unprecedented clinical benefits for many cancers, which have been attributed to the prevention of immune suppression and exhaustion with enhanced anti-tumor responses. In this study, we sought to evaluate the role of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in murine natural killer (NK) cell activation, function, and exhaustion. In an in vivo IL-2-dependent exhaustion mouse model, neutralization of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway improved NK cell activation after chronic stimulation when compared to control-treated mice. These cells displayed higher proliferative capabilities and enhanced granzyme B production. However, the blockade of these molecules during long-term in vitro IL-2 stimulation did not alter the progression of NK cell exhaustion (NCE), suggesting an indirect involvement of PD-1/PD-L1 on NCE. Given the expansion of CD8 T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) observed upon acute and chronic stimulation with IL-2, either of these two populations could influence NK cell homeostasis after PD-L1/PD-1 therapy. Importantly, CD8 T cell activation and functional phenotype were indeed enhanced by PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, particularly with anti-PD-1 treatment that resulted in the highest upregulation of CD25 during chronic stimulation and granted an advantage for IL-2 over NK cells. These results indicate a competition for resources between NK and CD8 T cells that arguably delays the onset of NCE rather than improving its activation during chronic stimulation. Supporting this notion, the depletion of CD8 T cells reversed the benefits of PD-1 therapy on chronically stimulated NK cells. These data suggest a bystander effect of anti-PD1 on NK cells, resulting from the global competition that exists between NK and CD8 T cells for IL-2 as a key regulator of these cells' activation. Thus, achieving an equilibrium between these immune cells might be important to accomplish long-term efficacy during anti-PD-1/IL-2 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Alvarez
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States.,Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Federico Simonetta
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jeanette Baker
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Alyssa R Morrison
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Arielle S Wenokur
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Antonio Pierini
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Pedro Berraondo
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert S Negrin
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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Alvarez M, Simonetta F, Baker J, Pierini A, Wenokur AS, Morrison AR, Murphy WJ, Negrin RS. Regulation of murine NK cell exhaustion through the activation of the DNA damage repair pathway. JCI Insight 2019; 5:127729. [PMID: 31211693 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.127729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
NK cell exhaustion (NCE) due to sustained proliferation results in impaired NK cell function with loss of cytokine production and lytic activity. Using murine models of chronic NK cell stimulation, we have identified a phenotypic signature of NCE characterized by up-regulation of the terminal differentiation marker KLRG1 and by down-regulation of eomesodermin and the activating receptor NKG2D. Chronic stimulation of mice lacking NKG2D resulted in minimized NCE compared to control mice, thus identifying NKG2D as a crucial mediator of NCE. NKG2D internalization and downregulations on NK cells has been previously observed in the presence of tumor cells with high expression of NKG2D ligands (NKG2DL) due to the activation of the DNA damage repair pathways. Interestingly, our study revealed that during NK cell activation there is an increase of MULT1, and NKG2DL, that correlates with an induction of DNA damage. Treatment with the ATM DNA damage repair pathway inhibitor KU55933 (KU) during activation reduced NCE by improving expression of activation markers and genes involved in cell survival, by sustaining NKG2D expression and by preserving cell functionality. Importantly, NK cells expanded ex vivo in the presence of KU displayed increased anti-tumor efficacy in both NKG2D-dependent and -independent mouse models. Collectively, these data demonstrate that NCE is caused by DNA damage and regulated, at least in part, by NKG2D. Further, the prevention of NCE is a promising strategy to improve NK cell-based immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maite Alvarez
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Federico Simonetta
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jeanette Baker
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Antonio Pierini
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Arielle S Wenokur
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Alyssa R Morrison
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Department of Dermatology and Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Robert S Negrin
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
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