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Kath J, Du W, Pruene A, Braun T, Thommandru B, Turk R, Sturgeon ML, Kurgan GL, Amini L, Stein M, Zittel T, Martini S, Ostendorf L, Wilhelm A, Akyüz L, Rehm A, Höpken UE, Pruß A, Künkele A, Jacobi AM, Volk HD, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Stripecke R, Reinke P, Wagner DL. Pharmacological interventions enhance virus-free generation of TRAC-replaced CAR T cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 25:311-330. [PMID: 35573047 PMCID: PMC9062427 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [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: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) redirected T cells are potent therapeutic options against hematological malignancies. The current dominant manufacturing approach for CAR T cells depends on retroviral transduction. With the advent of gene editing, insertion of a CD19-CAR into the T cell receptor (TCR) alpha constant (TRAC) locus using adeno-associated viruses for gene transfer was demonstrated, and these CD19-CAR T cells showed improved functionality over their retrovirally transduced counterparts. However, clinical-grade production of viruses is complex and associated with extensive costs. Here, we optimized a virus-free genome-editing method for efficient CAR insertion into the TRAC locus of primary human T cells via nuclease-assisted homology-directed repair (HDR) using CRISPR-Cas and double-stranded template DNA (dsDNA). We evaluated DNA-sensor inhibition and HDR enhancement as two pharmacological interventions to improve cell viability and relative CAR knockin rates, respectively. While the toxicity of transfected dsDNA was not fully prevented, the combination of both interventions significantly increased CAR knockin rates and CAR T cell yield. Resulting TRAC-replaced CD19-CAR T cells showed antigen-specific cytotoxicity and cytokine production in vitro and slowed leukemia progression in a xenograft mouse model. Amplicon sequencing did not reveal significant indel formation at potential off-target sites with or without exposure to DNA-repair-modulating small molecules. With TRAC-integrated CAR+ T cell frequencies exceeding 50%, this study opens new perspectives to exploit pharmacological interventions to improve non-viral gene editing in T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Kath
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Weijie Du
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alina Pruene
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | - Tobias Braun
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
| | | | - Rolf Turk
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | | | - Gavin L. Kurgan
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA 52241, USA
| | - Leila Amini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maik Stein
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tatiana Zittel
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefania Martini
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lennard Ostendorf
- Department of Nephrology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum (DRFZ), A Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Armin Rehm
- Department of Translational Tumorimmunology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Uta E. Höpken
- Department of Microenvironmental Regulation in Autoimmunity and Cancer, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Axel Pruß
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Künkele
- Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Hans-Dieter Volk
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Schmueck-Henneresse
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Renata Stripecke
- Regenerative Immune Therapies Applied, Clinics of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hannover-Braunschweig Region, Germany
- Clinic I for Internal Medicine, Cancer Center Cologne Essen, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Reinke
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dimitrios L. Wagner
- BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Corresponding author Dimitrios Laurin Wagner, MD, PhD, Berlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT) BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT) Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
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Kavanagh H, Dunne S, Martin DS, McFadden E, Gallagher L, Schwaber J, Leonard S, O'Dea S. A novel non-viral delivery method that enables efficient engineering of primary human T cells for ex vivo cell therapy applications. Cytotherapy 2021; 23:852-860. [PMID: 33941482 PMCID: PMC8386197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.03.002] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Background aims Next-generation immune cell therapy products will require complex modifications using engineering technologies that can maintain high levels of cell functionality. Non-viral engineering methods have the potential to address limitations associated with viral vectors. However, while electroporation is the most widely used non-viral modality, concerns about its effects on cell functionality have led to the exploration of alternative approaches. Here the authors have examined the suitability of the Solupore non-viral delivery system for engineering primary human T cells for cell therapy applications. Methods The Solupore system was used to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) guide RNA ribonucleoprotein (RNP) cargos to T cells, and efficiency was measured by flow cytometry. Cell perturbation was assessed by immune gene expression profiling, including an electroporation comparator. In vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells generated using the Solupore system was evaluated using a real-time cellular impedance assay and a Raji-luciferase mouse tumor model, respectively. Results Efficient transfection was demonstrated through delivery of mRNA and CRISPR CAS9 RNP cargos individually, simultaneously and sequentially using the Solupore system while consistently maintaining high levels of cell viability. Gene expression profiling revealed minimal alteration in immune gene expression, demonstrating the low level of perturbation experienced by the cells during this transfection process. By contrast, electroporation resulted in substantial changes in immune gene expression in T cells. CAR T cells generated using the Solupore system exhibited efficient cytotoxicity against target cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions The Solupore system is a non-viral means of simply, rapidly and efficiently delivering cargos to primary human immune cells with retention of high cell viability and functionality.
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