bims-adocet 2024-08-11 papers

Issue of 2024–08–11
three papers selected by
Shani Kassia Lyskov, Tel Aviv University

J Immunother Cancer. 2024 Aug 07. pii: e009486. [Epub ahead of print]12(8):

EphA3-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells are effective in glioma and generate curative memory T cell responses.

Leesa Lertsumitkul, Melinda Iliopoulos, Stacie S Wang, Sarah J McArthur, Lisa M Ebert, Alexander J Davenport, Raelene Endersby, Jordan R Hansford, Katharine J Drummond, Ryan Cross, Misty R Jenkins.

BACKGROUND: High-grade gliomas including glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) represent the most lethal and aggressive brain cancers where current treatment modalities offer limited efficacy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have emerged as a promising strategy, boasting tumor-specific targeting and the unique ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. However, the effective clinical application hinges on the optimal choice of antigen, with a limited number, currently under investigation.
METHODS: We employed cell surface proteomic analysis of primary human high-grade glioma samples from both adult and pediatric patients. This led to the identification of Ephrin type-A receptor 3 (EphA3) as a prevalently expressed target. We engineered a second-generation EphA3-targeted CAR T cell and assessed function using in vitro and in vivo models of GBM and DMG.
RESULTS: EphA3-targeted CAR T cells demonstrated robust antigen-specific killing of human GBM and DMG cell lines in vitro. In an orthotopic xenograft NSG mouse model, EphA3-targeted CAR T cells not only effectively eradicated tumors but also established a functional T cell population protective on rechallenge. Remarkably, mice rechallenged with a second contralateral orthotopic tumor implantation achieved complete tumor clearance and maintained a sustained complete response 6 months following initial treatment.
CONCLUSION: Building on the proven safety profile of EphA3 antibodies in clinical settings, our study provides compelling preclinical evidence supporting the efficacy of EphA3-targeted CAR T cells against high-grade gliomas. These findings underscore the potential for transitioning this innovative therapy into clinical trials, aiming to revolutionize the treatment landscape for patients afflicted with these formidable brain cancers.

Keywords: Chimeric antigen receptor - CAR; Immunotherapy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2024-009486

Clin Cancer Res. 2024 Aug 05.

Redirecting B7-H3.CAR T cells to Chemokines Expressed in Osteosarcoma Enhances Homing and Antitumor Activity in Preclinical Models.

Lindsay J Talbot, Ashley Chabot, Aaron B Ross, Alexandra Beckett, Phuong Nguyen, Andrew Fleming, Peter J Chockley, Heather Sheppard, Jian Wang, Stephen Gottschalk, Christopher DeRenzo.

PURPOSE: Clinical efficacy of CAR T cells against pediatric osteosarcoma (OS) has been limited. One strategy to improve efficacy may be to drive chemokine-mediated homing of CAR T cells to tumors. We investigated the primary chemokines secreted by OS and evaluated efficacy of B7-H3.CAR T cells expressing the cognate receptors.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We developed a pipeline to identify chemokines secreted by OS by correlating RNA-seq data with chemokines detected in media from fresh surgical specimens. We identified CXCR2 and CXCR6 as promising receptors for enhancing CAR T cell homing against OS. We evaluated the homing kinetics and efficiency of CXCR2- and CXCR6.T cells and homing, cytokine production, and antitumor activity of CXCR2- and CXCR6.B7-H3.CAR T cells in vitro and in vivo.
RESULTS: T cells transgenically expressing CXCR2 or CXCR6 exhibited ligand-specific enhanced migration over T cells modified with nonfunctional receptors. Differential homing kinetics were observed, with CXCR2.T cells homing quickly and plateauing early, while CXCR6.T cells homed more slowly but achieved a similar plateau. When expressed in B7-H3.CAR T cells, CXCR2- and CXCR6 modification conferred enhanced homing towards OS in vitro and in vivo. CXCR2- and CXCR6-B7-H3.CAR treated mice experienced prolonged survival in a metastatic model compared to B7-H3.CAR T cell treated mice.
CONCLUSIONS: Our patient-based pipeline identified targets for chemokine receptor modification of CAR T cells targeting OS. CXCR2 and CXCR6 expression enhanced homing and anti-OS activity of B7-H3.CAR T cells. These findings support clinical evaluation of CXCR-modified CAR T cells to improve adoptive cell therapy for OS patients.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-23-3298

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2024 Aug 06. 73(10): 203

Chimeric antigen receptor dendritic cells targeted delivery of a single tumoricidal factor for cancer immunotherapy.

Rong Duan, Philip Milton, Chutamath Sittplangkoon, Xin Liu, Zhining Sui, Brendan F Boyce, Zhenqiang Yao.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have been used to treat blood cancers by producing a wide variety of cytokines. However, they are not effective in treating solid cancers and can cause severe side-effects, including cytokine release syndrome. TNFα is a tumoricidal cytokine, but it markedly increases the protein levels of cIAP1 and cIAP2, the members of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family of E3 ubiquitin ligase that limits caspase-induced apoptosis. Degradation of IAP proteins by an IAP antagonist does not effectively kill cancer cells but enables TNFα to strongly induce cancer cell apoptosis. It would be a promising approach to treat cancers by targeted delivery of TNFα through an inactive adoptive cell in combination with an IAP antagonist.
METHODS: Human dendritic cells (DCs) were engineered to express a single tumoricidal factor, TNFα, and a membrane-anchored Mucin1 antibody scFv, named Mucin 1 directed DCs expressing TNFα (M-DCsTNF). The efficacy of M-DCsTNF in recognizing and treating breast cancer was tested in vitro and in vivo.
RESULTS: Mucin1 was highly expressed on the surface of a wide range of human breast cancer cell lines. M-DCsTNF directly associated with MDA-MB-231 cells in the bone of NSG mice. M-DCsTNF plus an IAP antagonist, SM-164, but neither alone, markedly induce MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell apoptosis, which was blocked by TNF antibody. Importantly, M-DCsTNF combined with SM-164, but not SM-164 alone, inhibited the growth of patient-derived breast cancer in NSG mice.
CONCLUSION: An adoptive cell targeting delivery of TNFα combined with an IAP antagonist is a novel effective approach to treat breast cancer and could be expanded to treat other solid cancers. Unlike CAR-T cell, this novel adoptive cell is not activated to produce a wide variety of cytokines, except for additional overexpressed TNF, and thus could avoid the severe side effects such as cytokine release syndrome.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapy; Dendritic cell (DC); IAP antagonist; Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs); Mucin1; Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model; Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-024-03788-1