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Logun M, Colonna MB, Mueller KP, Ventarapragada D, Rodier R, Tondepu C, Piscopo NJ, Das A, Chvatal S, Hayes HB, Capitini CM, Brat DJ, Kotanchek T, Edison AS, Saha K, Karumbaiah L. Label-free in vitro assays predict the potency of anti-disialoganglioside chimeric antigen receptor T-cell products. Cytotherapy 2023; 25:670-682. [PMID: 36849306 PMCID: PMC10159906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have demonstrated remarkable efficacy against hematological malignancies; however, they have not experienced the same success against solid tumors such as glioblastoma (GBM). There is a growing need for high-throughput functional screening platforms to measure CAR T-cell potency against solid tumor cells. METHODS We used real-time, label-free cellular impedance sensing to evaluate the potency of anti-disialoganglioside (GD2) targeting CAR T-cell products against GD2+ patient-derived GBM stem cells over a period of 2 days and 7 days in vitro. We compared CAR T products using two different modes of gene transfer: retroviral transduction and virus-free CRISPR-editing. Endpoint flow cytometry, cytokine analysis and metabolomics data were acquired and integrated to create a predictive model of CAR T-cell potency. RESULTS Results indicated faster cytolysis by virus-free CRISPR-edited CAR T cells compared with retrovirally transduced CAR T cells, accompanied by increased inflammatory cytokine release, CD8+ CAR T-cell presence in co-culture conditions and CAR T-cell infiltration into three-dimensional GBM spheroids. Computational modeling identified increased tumor necrosis factor α concentrations with decreased glutamine, lactate and formate as being most predictive of short-term (2 days) and long-term (7 days) CAR T cell potency against GBM stem cells. CONCLUSIONS These studies establish impedance sensing as a high-throughput, label-free assay for preclinical potency testing of CAR T cells against solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Logun
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Maxwell B Colonna
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Katherine P Mueller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin USA
| | | | - Riley Rodier
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Chaitanya Tondepu
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Edgar L. Rhodes Center for Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicole J Piscopo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin USA
| | - Amritava Das
- Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | | | - Christian M Capitini
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin USA; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin USA
| | - Daniel J Brat
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois USA
| | | | - Arthur S Edison
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Krishanu Saha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin USA; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin USA
| | - Lohitash Karumbaiah
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Division of Neuroscience, Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Edgar L. Rhodes Center for Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
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Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are considered "living drugs" and offer a compelling alternative to conventional anticancer therapies. Briefly, T-cells are redirected, using gene engineering technology, toward a specific cancer cell surface target antigen via a synthetic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) protein. CARs have a modular design comprising four main structures: an antigen-binding domain, a hinge region, a transmembrane domain, and one or more intracellular signaling domains for T-cell activation. A major challenge in the CAR T-cell manufacturing field is balancing product quality with scalability and cost-effectiveness, especially when transitioning from an academic clinical trial into a marketed product, to be implemented across many collection, manufacturing, and treatment sites. Achieving product consistency while circumnavigating the intrinsic variability associated with autologous products is an additional barrier. To overcome these limitations, a robust understanding of the product and its biological actions is crucial to establish a target product profile with a defined list of critical quality attributes to be assessed for each batch prior to product certification. Additional challenges arise as the field progresses, such as new safety considerations associated with the use of allogenic T-cells and genome editing tools. In this chapter, we will discuss the release and potency assays required for CAR T-cell manufacturing, covering their relevance, current challenges, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Dias
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK.
- Royal Free Hospital London, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Amaia Cadiñanos-Garai
- USC/CHLA Cell Therapy Program, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Claire Roddie
- UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Haematology, UCL Hospital, London, UK
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