Co‐expression of IL‐7 and PH20 promote anti‐GPC3 CAR‐T tumour suppressor activity in vivo and in vitro

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingcheng Xiong ◽  
Juanli Xi ◽  
Qian Liu ◽  
Cixiao Wang ◽  
Zeyou Jiang ◽  
...  
2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1085-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Link

TRIB2 (tribbles homolog 2) encodes one of three members of the tribbles family in mammals. These members share a Trb (tribbles) domain, which is homologous to protein serine-threonine kinases, but lack the active site lysine. The tribbles proteins interact and modulate the activity of signal transduction pathways in a number of physiological and pathological processes. TRIB2 has been identified as an oncogene that inactivates the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) and causes acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Recent research provided compelling evidence that TRIB2 can also act as oncogenic driver in solid tumours, such as lung and liver cancer. In particular, our recent work demonstrated that TRIB2 is dramatically overexpressed in malignant melanomas compared with normal skin and promotes the malignant phenotype of melanoma cells via the down-regulation of FOXO (forkhead box protein O) tumour suppressor activity in vitro and in vivo. TRIB2 was found to be expressed in normal skin, but its expression consistently increased in benign nevi, melanoma and was highest in samples from patients with malignant melanoma. The observation that TRIB2 strongly correlates with the progression of melanocyte-derived malignancies suggests TRIB2 as a meaningful biomarker to both diagnose and stage melanoma. In addition, interfering with TRIB2 activity might be a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of several different tumour types.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Liu ◽  
Cixiao Wang ◽  
Zeyou Jiang ◽  
Su-yang Yue

Abstract While CAR-T therapy has successfully treated hematological malignancies, it has proved sub-optimal for solid tumors. The main limitation is the inability of CAR-T cells to infiltrate and then proliferate within tumors. In this study, we co-expressed IL-7 and PH20, a type of hyaluronidase, with CAR targeting GPC3 (G3CAR-7×20) to address these issues. We found (G3CAR-7×20) exhibited better proliferation in vivo and in vitro than G3CAR, reduced the level of apoptosis after stimulation by tumor cells, and maintained the memory phenotype of CAR-T cells. G3CAR-7×20 also increased the ability of CAR-T cells to infiltrate tumor tissue. G3CAR-7×20 may significantly enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cells in solid tumors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A109-A109
Author(s):  
Jiangyue Liu ◽  
Xianhui Chen ◽  
Jason Karlen ◽  
Alfonso Brito ◽  
Tiffany Jheng ◽  
...  

BackgroundMesothelin (MSLN) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein with high expression levels in an array of malignancies including mesothelioma, ovaria, non-small cell lung cancer, and pancreatic cancers and is an attractive target antigen for immune-based therapies. Early clinical evaluation of autologous MSLN-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies for malignant pleural mesothelioma has shown promising acceptable safety1 and have recently evolved with incorporation of next-generation CAR co-stimulatory domains and armoring with intrinsic checkpoint inhibition via expression of a PD-1 dominant negative receptor (PD1DNR).2 Despite the promise that MSLN CAR-T therapies hold, manufacturing and commercial challenges using an autologous approach may prove difficult for widespread application. EBV T cells represent a unique, non-gene edited approach toward an off-the-shelf, allogeneic T cell platform. EBV-specific T cells are currently being evaluated in phase 3 trials [NCT03394365] and, to-date, have demonstrated a favorable safety profile including limited risks for GvHD and cytokine release syndrome.3 4 Clinical proof-of-principle studies for CAR transduced allogeneic EBV T cell therapies have also been associated with acceptable safety and durable response in association with CD19 targeting.5 Here we describe the first preclinical evaluation of ATA3271, a next-generation allogeneic CAR EBV T cell therapy targeting MSLN and incorporating PD1DNR, designed for the treatment of solid tumor indications.MethodsWe generated allogeneic MSLN CAR+ EBV T cells (ATA3271) using retroviral transduction of EBV T cells. ATA3271 includes a novel 1XX CAR signaling domain, previously associated with improved signaling and decreased CAR-mediated exhaustion. It is also armored with PD1DNR to provide intrinsic checkpoint blockade and is designed to retain functional persistence.ResultsIn this study, we characterized ATA3271 both in vitro and in vivo. ATA3271 show stable and proportional CAR and PD1DNR expression. Functional studies show potent antitumor activity of ATA3271 against MSLN-expressing cell lines, including PD-L1-high expressors. In an orthotopic mouse model of pleural mesothelioma, ATA3271 demonstrates potent antitumor activity and significant survival benefit (100% survival exceeding 50 days vs. 25 day median for control), without evident toxicities. ATA3271 maintains persistence and retains central memory phenotype in vivo through end-of-study. Additionally, ATA3271 retains endogenous EBV TCR function and reduced allotoxicity in the context of HLA mismatched targets. ConclusionsOverall, ATA3271 shows potent anti-tumor activity without evidence of allotoxicity, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that allogeneic MSLN-CAR-engineered EBV T cells are a promising approach for the treatment of MSLN-positive cancers and warrant further clinical investigation.ReferencesAdusumilli PS, Zauderer MG, Rusch VW, et al. Abstract CT036: A phase I clinical trial of malignant pleural disease treated with regionally delivered autologous mesothelin-targeted CAR T cells: Safety and efficacy. Cancer Research 2019;79:CT036-CT036.Kiesgen S, Linot C, Quach HT, et al. Abstract LB-378: Regional delivery of clinical-grade mesothelin-targeted CAR T cells with cell-intrinsic PD-1 checkpoint blockade: Translation to a phase I trial. Cancer Research 2020;80:LB-378-LB-378.Prockop S, Doubrovina E, Suser S, et al. Off-the-shelf EBV-specific T cell immunotherapy for rituximab-refractory EBV-associated lymphoma following transplantation. J Clin Invest 2020;130:733–747.Prockop S, Hiremath M, Ye W, et al. A Multicenter, Open Label, Phase 3 Study of Tabelecleucel for Solid Organ Transplant Subjects with Epstein-Barr Virus-Driven Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease (EBV+PTLD) after Failure of Rituximab or Rituximab and Chemotherapy. Blood 2019; 134: 5326–5326.Curran KJ, Sauter CS, Kernan NA, et al. Durable remission following ‘Off-the-Shelf’ chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-Cells in patients with relapse/refractory (R/R) B-Cell malignancies. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation 2020;26:S89.


Leukemia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinan Alhallak ◽  
Jennifer Sun ◽  
Katherine Wasden ◽  
Nicole Guenthner ◽  
Julie O’Neal ◽  
...  

AbstractT-cell-based immunotherapy, such as CAR-T cells and bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), has shown promising clinical outcomes in many cancers; however, these therapies have significant limitations, such as poor pharmacokinetics and the ability to target only one antigen on the cancer cells. In multiclonal diseases, these therapies confer the development of antigen-less clones, causing tumor escape and relapse. In this study, we developed nanoparticle-based bispecific T-cell engagers (nanoBiTEs), which are liposomes decorated with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting T cells, and mAbs targeting the cancer antigen. We also developed a nanoparticle that targets multiple cancer antigens by conjugating multiple mAbs against multiple cancer antigens for T-cell engagement (nanoMuTEs). NanoBiTEs and nanoMuTEs have a long half-life of about 60 h, which enables once-a-week administration instead of continuous infusion, while maintaining efficacy in vitro and in vivo. NanoMuTEs targeting multiple cancer antigens showed greater efficacy in myeloma cells in vitro and in vivo, compared to nanoBiTEs targeting only one cancer antigen. Unlike nanoBiTEs, treatment with nanoMuTEs did not cause downregulation (or loss) of a single antigen, and prevented the development of antigen-less tumor escape. Our nanoparticle-based immuno-engaging technology provides a solution for the major limitations of current immunotherapy technologies.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 817
Author(s):  
Mehreen Ishfaq ◽  
Timothy Pham ◽  
Cooper Beaman ◽  
Pablo Tamayo ◽  
Alice L. Yu ◽  
...  

MDSCs are immune cells of myeloid lineage that plays a key role in promoting tumor growth. The expansion of MDSCs in tumor-bearing hosts reduces the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T therapies, and hence strategies that deplete or block the recruitment of MDSCs have shown benefit in improving responses to immunotherapy in various cancers, including NB. Ibrutinib, an irreversible molecular inhibitor of BTK, has been widely studied in B cell malignancies, and recently, this drug is repurposed for the treatment of solid tumors. Herein we report that BTK is highly expressed in both granulocytic and monocytic murine MDSCs isolated from mice bearing NB tumors, and its increased expression correlates with a poor relapse-free survival probability of NB patients. Moreover, in vitro treatment of murine MDSCs with ibrutinib altered NO production, decreased mRNA expression of Ido, Arg, Tgfβ, and displayed defects in T-cell suppression. Consistent with these findings, in vivo inhibition of BTK with ibrutinib resulted in reduced MDSC-mediated immune suppression, increased CD8+ T cell infiltration, decreased tumor growth, and improved response to anti-PDL1 checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a murine model of NB. These results demonstrate that ibrutinib modulates immunosuppressive functions of MDSC and can be used either alone or in combination with immunotherapy for augmenting antitumor immune responses in NB.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii102-ii103
Author(s):  
Syed Faaiz Enam ◽  
Jianxi Huang ◽  
Cem Kilic ◽  
Connor Tribble ◽  
Martha Betancur ◽  
...  

Abstract As a cancer therapy, hypothermia has been used at sub-zero temperatures to cryosurgically ablate tumors. However, these temperatures can indiscriminately damage both tumorous and healthy cells. Additionally, strategies designed to kill tumor typically accelerate their evolution and recurrence can be inevitable in cancers such as glioblastoma (GBM). To bypass these limitations, here we studied the use of hypothermia as a cytostatic tool against cancer and deployed it against an aggressive rodent model of GBM. To identify the minimal dosage of ‘cytostatic hypothermia’, we cultured at least 4 GBM lines at 4 continuous or intermittent degrees of hypothermia and evaluated their growth rates through a custom imaging-based assay. This revealed cell-specific sensitivities to hypothermia. Subsequently, we examined the effects of cytostatic hypothermia on these cells by a cursory study of their cell-cycle, energy metabolism, and protein synthesis. Next, we investigated the use of cytostatic hypothermia as an adjuvant to chemotherapy and CAR T immunotherapy. Our studies demonstrated that cytostatic hypothermia did not interfere with Temozolomide in vitro and may have been synergistic against at least 1 GBM line. Interestingly, we also demonstrated that CAR T immunotherapy can function under cytostatic hypothermia. To assess the efficacy of hypothermia in vivo, we report the design of an implantable device to focally administer cytostatic hypothermia in an aggressive rodent model of F98 GBM. Cytostatic hypothermia significantly doubled the median survival of tumor-bearing rats with no obvious signs of distress. The absence of gross behavioral alterations is in concurrence with literature suggesting the brain is naturally resilient to focal hypothermia. Based on these findings, we anticipate that focally administered cytostatic hypothermia alone has the potential to delay tumor recurrence or increase progression-free survival in patients. Additionally, it could also provide more time to evaluate concomitant, curative cytotoxic treatments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A126-A126
Author(s):  
John Goulding ◽  
Mochtar Pribadi ◽  
Robert Blum ◽  
Wen-I Yeh ◽  
Yijia Pan ◽  
...  

BackgroundMHC class I related proteins A (MICA) and B (MICB) are induced by cellular stress and transformation, and their expression has been reported for many cancer types. NKG2D, an activating receptor expressed on natural killer (NK) and T cells, targets the membrane-distal domains of MICA/B, activating a potent cytotoxic response. However, advanced cancer cells frequently evade immune cell recognition by proteolytic shedding of the α1 and α2 domains of MICA/B, which can significantly reduce NKG2D function and the cytolytic activity.MethodsRecent publications have shown that therapeutic antibodies targeting the membrane-proximal α3 domain inhibited MICA/B shedding, resulting in a substantial increase in the cell surface density of MICA/B and restoration of immune cell-mediated tumor immunity.1 We have developed a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting the conserved α3 domain of MICA/B (CAR-MICA/B). Additionally, utilizing our proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform, we have developed multiplexed engineered, iPSC-derived CAR-MICA/B NK (iNK) cells for off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy.ResultsA screen of CAR spacer and ScFv orientations in primary T cells delineated MICA-specific in vitro activation and cytotoxicity as well as in vivo tumor control against MICA+ cancer cells. The novel CAR-MICA/B design was used to compare efficacy against NKG2D CAR T cells, an alternative MICA/B targeting strategy. CAR-MICA/B T cells showed superior cytotoxicity against melanoma, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and lung cancer lines in vitro compared to primary NKG2D CAR T cells (p<0.01). Additionally, using an in vivo xenograft metastasis model, CAR-MICA/B T cells eliminated A2058 human melanoma metastases in the majority of the mice treated. In contrast, NKG2D CAR T cells were unable to control tumor growth or metastases. To translate CAR-MICA/B functionality into an off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy, CAR-MICA/B was introduced into a clonal master engineered iPSC line to derive a multiplexed engineered, CAR-MICA/B iNK cell product candidate. Using a panel of tumor cell lines expressing MICA/B, CAR-MICA/B iNK cells displayed MICA specificity, resulting in enhanced cytokine production, degranulation, and cytotoxicity. Furthermore, in vivo NK cell cytotoxicity was evaluated using the B16-F10 melanoma cell line, engineered to express MICA. In this model, CAR-MICA/B iNK cells significantly reduced liver and lung metastases, compared to untreated controls, by 93% and 87% respectively.ConclusionsOngoing work is focused on extending these preclinical studies to further support the clinical translation of an off-the-shelf, CAR-MICA/B iNK cell cancer immunotherapy with the potential to overcome solid tumor escape from NKG2D-mediated mechanisms of recognition and killing.ReferenceFerrari de Andrade L, Tay RE, Pan D, Luoma AM, Ito Y, Badrinath S, Tsoucas D, Franz B, May KF Jr, Harvey CJ, Kobold S, Pyrdol JW, Yoon C, Yuan GC, Hodi FS, Dranoff G, Wucherpfennig KW. Antibody-mediated inhibition of MICA and MICB shedding promotes NK cell-driven tumor immunity. Science 2018 Mar 30;359(6383):1537–1542.


Leukemia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Georgiadis ◽  
Jane Rasaiyaah ◽  
Soragia Athina Gkazi ◽  
Roland Preece ◽  
Aniekan Etuk ◽  
...  

AbstractTargeting T cell malignancies using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is hindered by ‘T v T’ fratricide against shared antigens such as CD3 and CD7. Base editing offers the possibility of seamless disruption of gene expression of problematic antigens through creation of stop codons or elimination of splice sites. We describe the generation of fratricide-resistant T cells by orderly removal of TCR/CD3 and CD7 ahead of lentiviral-mediated expression of CARs specific for CD3 or CD7. Molecular interrogation of base-edited cells confirmed elimination of chromosomal translocations detected in conventional Cas9 treated cells. Interestingly, 3CAR/7CAR co-culture resulted in ‘self-enrichment’ yielding populations 99.6% TCR−/CD3−/CD7−. 3CAR or 7CAR cells were able to exert specific cytotoxicity against leukaemia lines with defined CD3 and/or CD7 expression as well as primary T-ALL cells. Co-cultured 3CAR/7CAR cells exhibited highest cytotoxicity against CD3 + CD7 + T-ALL targets in vitro and an in vivo human:murine chimeric model. While APOBEC editors can reportedly exhibit guide-independent deamination of both DNA and RNA, we found no problematic ‘off-target’ activity or promiscuous base conversion affecting CAR antigen-specific binding regions, which may otherwise redirect T cell specificity. Combinational infusion of fratricide-resistant anti-T CAR T cells may enable enhanced molecular remission ahead of allo-HSCT for T cell malignancies.


1986 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 2663-2673 ◽  
Author(s):  
M C Strobel ◽  
J Abelson

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae leucine-inserting amber suppressor tRNA gene SUP53 (a tRNALeu3 allele) was used to investigate the relationship between precursor tRNA structure and mature tRNA function. This gene encodes a pre-tRNA which contains a 32-base intron. The mature tRNASUP53 contains a 5-methylcytosine modification of the anticodon wobble base. Mutations were made in the SUP53 intron. These mutant genes were transcribed in an S. cerevisiae nuclear extract preparation. In this extract, primary tRNA gene transcripts are end-processed and base modified after addition of cofactors. The base modifications made in vitro were examined, and the mutant pre-tRNAs were analyzed for their ability to serve as substrates for partially purified S. cerevisiae tRNA endonuclease and ligase. Finally, the suppressor function of these mutant tRNA genes was assayed after their integration into the S. cerevisiae genome. Mutant analysis showed that the totally intact precursor tRNA, rather than any specific sequence or structure of the intron, was necessary for efficient nonsense suppression by tRNASUP53. Less efficient suppressor activity correlated with the absence of the 5-methylcytosine modification. Most of the intron-altered precursor tRNAs were successfully spliced in vitro, indicating that modifications are not critical for recognition by the tRNA endonuclease and ligase.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A121-A121
Author(s):  
Nina Chu ◽  
Michael Overstreet ◽  
Ryan Gilbreth ◽  
Lori Clarke ◽  
Christina Gesse ◽  
...  

BackgroundChimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are engineered synthetic receptors that reprogram T cell specificity and function against a given antigen. Autologous CAR-T cell therapy has demonstrated potent efficacy against various hematological malignancies, but has yielded limited success against solid cancers. MEDI7028 is a CAR that targets oncofetal antigen glypican-3 (GPC3), which is expressed in 70–90% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but not in normal liver tissue. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) secretion is increased in advanced HCC, which creates an immunosuppressive milieu and facilitates cancer progression and poor prognosis. We tested whether the anti-tumor efficacy of a GPC3 CAR-T can be enhanced with the co-expression of dominant-negative TGFβRII (TGFβRIIDN).MethodsPrimary human T cells were lentivirally transduced to express GPC3 CAR both with and without TGFβRIIDN. Western blot and flow cytometry were performed on purified CAR-T cells to assess modulation of pathways and immune phenotypes driven by TGFβ in vitro. A xenograft model of human HCC cell line overexpressing TGFβ in immunodeficient mice was used to investigate the in vivo efficacy of TGFβRIIDN armored and unarmored CAR-T. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte populations were analyzed by flow cytometry while serum cytokine levels were quantified with ELISA.ResultsArmoring GPC3 CAR-T with TGFβRIIDN nearly abolished phospho-SMAD2/3 expression upon exposure to recombinant human TGFβ in vitro, indicating that the TGFβ signaling axis was successfully blocked by expression of the dominant-negative receptor. Additionally, expression of TGFβRIIDN suppressed TGFβ-driven CD103 upregulation, further demonstrating attenuation of the pathway by this armoring strategy. In vivo, the TGFβRIIDN armored CAR-T achieved superior tumor regression and delayed tumor regrowth compared to the unarmored CAR-T. The armored CAR-T cells infiltrated HCC tumors more abundantly than their unarmored counterparts, and were phenotypically less exhausted and less differentiated. In line with these observations, we detected significantly more interferon gamma (IFNγ) at peak response and decreased alpha-fetoprotein in the serum of mice treated with armored cells compared to mice receiving unarmored CAR-T, demonstrating in vivo functional superiority of TGFβRIIDN armored CAR-T therapy.ConclusionsArmoring GPC3 CAR-T with TGFβRIIDN abrogates the signaling of TGFβ in vitro and enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of GPC3 CAR-T against TGFβ-expressing HCC tumors in vivo, proving TGFβRIIDN to be an effective armoring strategy against TGFβ-expressing solid malignancies in preclinical models.Ethics ApprovalThe study was approved by AstraZeneca’s Ethics Board and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).


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