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Heinze A, Grebe B, Bremm M, Huenecke S, Munir TA, Graafen L, Frueh JT, Merker M, Rettinger E, Soerensen J, Klingebiel T, Bader P, Ullrich E, Cappel C. The Synergistic Use of IL-15 and IL-21 for the Generation of NK Cells From CD3/CD19-Depleted Grafts Improves Their ex vivo Expansion and Cytotoxic Potential Against Neuroblastoma: Perspective for Optimized Immunotherapy Post Haploidentical Stem Cell Transplantation. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2816. [PMID: 31849984 PMCID: PMC6901699 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [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: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common solid extracranial tumor in childhood. Despite therapeutic progress, prognosis in high-risk NB is poor and innovative therapies are urgently needed. Therefore, we addressed the potential cytotoxic capacity of interleukin (IL)-activated natural killer (NK) cells compared to cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells for the treatment of NB. NK cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by indirect CD56-enrichment or CD3/CD19-depletion and expanded with different cytokine combinations, such as IL-2, IL-15, and/or IL-21 under feeder-cell free conditions. CIK cells were generated from PBMCs by ex vivo stimulation with interferon-γ, IL-2, OKT-3, and IL-15. Comparative analysis of expansion rate, purity, phenotype and cytotoxicity was performed. CD56-enriched NK cells showed a median expansion rate of 4.3-fold with up to 99% NK cell content. The cell product after CD3/CD19-depletion consisted of a median 43.5% NK cells that expanded significantly faster reaching also 99% of NK cell purity. After 10–12 days of expansion, both NK cell preparations showed a significantly higher median cytotoxic capacity against NB cells relative to CIK cells. Remarkably, these NK cells were also capable of efficiently killing NB spheroidal 3D culture in long-term cytotoxicity assays. Further optimization using a novel NK cell culture medium and a prolonged culturing procedure after CD3/CD19-depletion for up to 15 days enhanced the expansion rate up to 24.4-fold by maintaining the cytotoxic potential. Addition of an IL-21 boost prior to harvesting significantly increased the cytotoxicity. The final cell product consisted for the major part of CD16−, NCR-expressing, poly-functional NK cells with regard to cytokine production, CD107a degranulation and antitumor capacity. In summary, our study revealed that NK cells have a significantly higher cytotoxic potential to combat NB than CIK cell products, especially following the synergistic use of IL-15 and IL-21 for NK cell activation. Therefore, the use of IL-15+IL-21 expanded NK cells generated from CD3/CD19-depleted apheresis products seems to be highly promising as an immunotherapy in combination with haploidentical stem cell transplantation (SCT) for high-risk NB patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annekathrin Heinze
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Beatrice Grebe
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Melanie Bremm
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sabine Huenecke
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tasleem Ah Munir
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lea Graafen
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jochen T Frueh
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael Merker
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Eva Rettinger
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jan Soerensen
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Klingebiel
- Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Peter Bader
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Evelyn Ullrich
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Claudia Cappel
- Division for Stem Cell Transplantation, Immunology and Intensive Care Medicine, Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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