scholarly journals Nondeletional T-Cell Receptor Transgenic Mice: Model for the CD4+ T-Cell Repertoire in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection

2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (16) ◽  
pp. 7587-7599 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Chen ◽  
M. Sällberg ◽  
S. N. Thung ◽  
J. Hughes ◽  
J. Jones ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Chronicity after infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) can occur for a variety of reasons. However, once established, chronicity may be maintained by high levels of viral proteins circulating in the serum. To examine the characteristics of T cells capable of coexisting with the secreted hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic (Tg) mice were produced. To ensure that HBeAg-specific T cells would not be deleted in the presence of serum HBeAg, the TCR α- and β-chain genes used to produce the TCR-Tg mice were derived from T-cell hybridomas produced from immunizing HBeAg-Tg mice. A TCR-Tg lineage (11/4-12) was produced that possessed a high frequency (∼67%) of CD4+ T cells that expressed a Tg TCR specific for the HBeAg. As predicted, when 11/4-12 TCR-Tg mice were bred with HBeAg-Tg mice no deletion of the HBeAg-specific CD4+ T cells occurred in the thymus or the spleen. Functional analysis of the TCR-Tg T cells revealed that the HBeAg-specific CD4+ T cells escaped deletion in the thymus and periphery by virtue of low avidity. Regardless of their low avidity, HBeAg-specific TCR-Tg T cells could be activated by exogenous HBeAg, as measured by cytokine production in vitro and T-helper-cell function for anti-HBe antibody production in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, activated TCR-Tg HBeAg-specific T cells polarized to the Th1 subset were able to elicit liver injury when transferred into HBeAg or HBcAg-Tg recipients. Therefore, HBeAg-specific CD4+ T cells that can survive deletion or anergy in the presence of circulating HBeAg nonetheless are capable of being activated and of mediating liver injury in vivo. The 11/4-12 TCR-Tg lineage may serve as a monoclonal model for the HBe/HBcAg-specific CD4+ T-cell repertoire present in chronically infected HBV patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e002035
Author(s):  
Kathrin Davari ◽  
Tristan Holland ◽  
Laura Prassmayer ◽  
Giulia Longinotti ◽  
Kenneth P Ganley ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe cancer-testis antigen MAGE-A4 is an attractive target for T-cell-based immunotherapy, especially for indications with unmet clinical need like non-small cell lung or triple-negative breast cancer.MethodsAn unbiased CD137-based sorting approach was first used to identify an immunogenic MAGE-A4-derived epitope (GVYDGREHTV) that was properly processed and presented on human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 molecules encoded by the HLA-A*02:01 allele. To isolate high-avidity T cells via subsequent multimer sorting, an in vitro priming approach using HLA-A2-negative donors was conducted to bypass central tolerance to this self-antigen. Pre-clinical parameters of safety and activity were assessed in a comprehensive set of in vitro and in vivo studies.ResultsA MAGE-A4-reactive, HLA-A2-restricted T-cell receptor (TCR) was isolated from primed T cells of an HLA-A2-negative donor. The respective TCR-T-cell (TCR-T) product bbT485 was demonstrated pre-clinically to have a favorable safety profile and superior in vivo potency compared with TCR-Ts expressing a TCR derived from a tolerized T-cell repertoire to self-antigens. This natural high-avidity TCR was found to be CD8 co-receptor independent, allowing effector functions to be elicited in transgenic CD4+ T helper cells. These CD4+ TCR-Ts supported an anti-tumor response by direct killing of MAGE-A4-positive tumor cells and upregulated hallmarks associated with helper function, such as CD154 expression and release of key cytokines on tumor-specific stimulation.ConclusionThe extensive pre-clinical assessment of safety and in vivo potency of bbT485 provide the basis for its use in TCR-T immunotherapy studies. The ability of this non-mutated high-avidity, co-receptor-independent TCR to activate CD8+ and CD4+ T cells could potentially provide enhanced cellular responses in the clinical setting through the induction of functionally diverse T-cell subsets that goes beyond what is currently tested in the clinic.


2000 ◽  
Vol 192 (12) ◽  
pp. 1719-1730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcella Fassò ◽  
Niroshana Anandasabapathy ◽  
Frances Crawford ◽  
John Kappler ◽  
C. Garrison Fathman ◽  
...  

We recently described a novel way to isolate populations of antigen-reactive CD4+ T cells with a wide range of reactivity to a specific antigen, using immunization with a fixed dose of nominal antigen and FACS® sorting by CD4high expression. Phenotypic, FACS®, functional, antibody inhibition, and major histocompatibility complex–peptide tetramer analyses, as well as T cell receptor Vβ sequence analyses, of the antigen-specific CD4high T cell populations demonstrated that a diverse sperm whale myoglobin 110–121–reactive CD4+ T cell repertoire was activated at the beginning (day 3 after immunization) of the immune response. Within 6 d of immunization, lower affinity clones were lost from the responding population, leaving an expanded population of oligoclonal, intermediate affinity (and residual high affinity) T cells. This T cell subset persisted for at least 4 wk after immunization and dominated the secondary immune response. These data provide evidence that CD4+ T cell repertoire selection occurs early in the immune response in vivo and suggest that persistence and expansion of a population of oligoclonal, intermediate affinity T cells is involved in CD4+ T cell memory.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A297-A297
Author(s):  
Fu-Sheng Wang ◽  
Fanping Meng ◽  
Jiehua Jin ◽  
Yuanyuan Li ◽  
Regina Wanju Wong ◽  
...  

BackgroundWe have demonstrated the ability of Hepatitis-B-virus (HBV)-specific T cell receptor (TCR) bioengineered T cells to recognize and lyse Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells expressing HBV antigens derived from HBV-DNA integration in patients with liver transplant.1 LioCyx-M is an immunotherapeutic product composing of autologous T cells transiently modified with in-vitro transcribed mRNA encoding HBV-specific TCR. The transient TCR expression makes LioCyx -M amenable to a dose escalating posology.MethodsThe primary endpoint of this phase 1 trial is to assess the safety and tolerability of LioCyx-M in patients with advanced HBV-HCC without curative treatment options. Eligible patients were diagnosed with Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage B or C HCC (Child-Pugh < 7 points), receiving >1 year antiviral treatment prior to enrollment. These patients had matching HLA class I genotypes which present HBV encoded antigen. Peripheral blood was collected from each patient prior to each dose for LioCyx-M manufacturing. Patients received 4 escalating doses of 1×104 cells/kg, 1×105 cells/kg, 1×106 cells/kg, 5×106 cells/kg bodyweight (BW) in the first treatment cycle, each intravenously administered weekly. Patients underwent 1-month safety assessment post the 4th infusion, according to Common Terminology NCI CTCAE Version 4.0.3. If there were no dose associated toxicities, patients were eligible to continue administration of LioCyx-M at dose of 5 × 106 cells/kg BW weekly. Tumor response per RECIST 1.1 criteria and survival time were assessed.ResultsAt data cutoff (30 April 2020), eight patients were enrolled, with a median age of 53 (range: 49 - 67). These patients received a median number of 6 (range: 4 - 12) infusions of LioCyx-M. 1 patient developed Grade 3 elevations in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and bilirubin after receiving LioCyx-M at dose level of 1×105 cells/kg BW. Another patient had Grade 1 transient fever after receiving LioCyx-M at dose level 5×106 cells/kg BW in the 4th, 5th and 6th infusions. No treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) such as cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity were observed. No fatal trAEs were observed. The median time to progression was 1.9 months (range: 0.2 - 9.5 months). The median overall survival was 34 months (range: 3 - 38.2 months).ConclusionsThe encouraging clinical outcome and tolerable safety highlight the good benefit-risk profile of LioCyx-M. Therefore, further exploration of efficacy of LioCyx-M treatment for advanced HBV-HCC is warranted in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical study.AcknowledgementsFunding: Lion TCR.Trial RegistrationNCT03899415Ethics ApprovalThe study was approved by Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital’s Ethics Board, approval number R2016185DI010.ReferenceTan AT, Yang N, Lee Krishnamoorthy T, et al. Use of Expression Profiles of HBV-DNA Integrated Into Genomes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells to Select T Cells for Immunotherapy. Gastroenterology 2019;156(6):1862–1876.e9.


Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 5186-5186
Author(s):  
Ronald M. Paranal ◽  
Hagop M. Kantarjian ◽  
Alexandre Reuben ◽  
Celine Kerros ◽  
Priya Koppikar ◽  
...  

Introduction: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is curative for many patients with advanced hematologic cancers, including adverse-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This is principally through the induction of a graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) immune effect, mediated by donor T-cells. The incredible diversity and specificity of T-cells is due to rearrangement between V, D, and J regions and the random insertion/deletion of nucleotides, taking place in the hypervariable complementarity determining region 3 (CD3) of the T-cell receptor (TCR). Massively parallel sequencing of CDR3 allows for a detailed understanding of the T-cell repertoire, an area relatively unexplored in AML. Therefore, we sought out to characterize the T-cell repertoire in AML before and after HSCT, specifically for those with a durable remission. Methods: We identified 45 bone marrow biopsy samples, paired pre- and post-HSCT, from 14 patients with AML in remission for > 2 years as of last follow-up. We next performed immunosequencing of the TCRβ repertoire (Adaptive Biotechnologies). DNA was amplified in a bias-controlled multiplex PCR, resulting in amplification of rearranged VDJ segments, followed by high-throughput sequencing. Resultant sequences were collapsed and filtered in order to identify and quantitate the absolute abundance of each unique TCRβ CDR3 region. We next employed various metrics to characterize changes in the TCR repertoire: (1) clonality (range: 0-1; values closer to 1 indicate a more oligoclonal repertoire), it accounts for both the number of unique clonotypes and the extent to which a few clonotypes dominate the repertoire; (2) richness with a higher number indicating a more diverse repertoire with more unique rearrangements); (3) overlap (range: 0-1; with 1 being an identical T-cell repertoire). All calculations were done using the ImmunoSeq Analyzer software. Results: The median age of patients included in this cohort was 58 years (range: 31-69). Six patient (43%) had a matched related donor, and 8 (57%) had a matched unrelated donor. Baseline characteristics are summarized in Figure 1A. Six samples were excluded from further analysis due to quality. TCR richness did not differ comparing pre- and post-HSCT, with a median number pre-HSCT of 3566 unique sequences (range: 1282-22509) vs 3720 (range: 1540-12879) post-HSCT (P = 0.7). In order to assess whether there was expansion of certain T-cell clones following HSCT, we employed several metrics and all were indicative of an increase in clonality (Figure 2B). Productive clonality, a measure of reactivity, was significantly higher in post-transplant samples (0.09 vs 0.02, P = 0.003). This is a measure that would predict expansion of sequences likely to produce functional TCRs. The Maximum Productive Frequency Index was higher post-HSCT indicating that the increase in clonality was driven by the top clone (most prevalent per sample). Similarly for the Simpson's Dominance index, another marker of clonality which was higher post-HSCT (0.01 vs 0.0009, P = 0.04). In order to determine whether this clonal expansion was driven by TCR clones shared among patients, we compared the degree of overlap in unique sequences among pre and post-HSCT samples. We found there was very little overlap between samples in the pre and the post-transplant setting and no change in the Morisita and Jaccard Overlap Indices. Conclusions: In conclusion, we show in this analysis an increase in clonality of T-cells following HSCT in patients with AML. This is likely related to the GVL effect after recognition of leukemia antigens by donor T cells and subsequent expansion of these T-cells. These expanded T-cell clonotypes were unlikely to be shared by patients in this cohort, likely reflecting the variety of antigens leading to the GVL effect. This could have direct implications on TCR-mediated immune-therapies given the likely need for a personalized, patient-specific design for these therapies. Figure 1 Disclosures Kantarjian: BMS: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria, Research Funding; Jazz Pharma: Research Funding; Astex: Research Funding; Immunogen: Research Funding; Actinium: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios: Honoraria, Research Funding; Daiichi-Sankyo: Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Cyclacel: Research Funding; Ariad: Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Research Funding. Short:Takeda Oncology: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Amgen: Honoraria. Cortes:Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sun Pharma: Research Funding; BiolineRx: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Astellas Pharma: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Merus: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Immunogen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Biopath Holdings: Consultancy, Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Forma Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Jabbour:Cyclacel LTD: Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive: Consultancy, Research Funding. Molldrem:M. D. Anderson & Astellas Pharma: Other: Royalties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A185-A185
Author(s):  
Michelle Fleury ◽  
Derrick McCarthy ◽  
Holly Horton ◽  
Courtney Anderson ◽  
Amy Watt ◽  
...  

BackgroundAdoptive cell therapies have shown great promise in hematological malignancies but have yielded little progress in the context of solid tumors. We have developed T cell receptor fusion construct (TRuC®) T cells, which are equipped with an engineered T cell receptor that utilizes the full complement of TCR signaling subunits and recognizes tumor-associated antigens independent of HLA. In clinical trials, mesothelin (MSLN)-targeting TRuC-T cells (TC-210 or gavo-cel) have shown unprecedented results in patients suffering from advanced mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. To potentially increase the depth of response, we evaluated strategies that can promote intra-tumoral T cell persistence and function. Among the common ??-chain cytokines, IL-15 uniquely supports the differentiation and maintenance of memory T cell subsets by limiting terminal differentiation and conferring resistance to IL-2 mediated activation-induced cell death (AICD). In the studies described here, we evaluated the potential of IL-15 as an enhancement to TRuC-T cell phenotype, persistence and function against MSLN+ targets.MethodsPrimary human T cells were activated and transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding an anti-MSLN binder fused to CD3ε alone or co-expressed with a membrane-tethered IL-15rα/IL-15 fusion protein (IL-15fu). Transduced T cells were expanded for 9 days and characterized for expression of the TRuC, IL-15rα and memory phenotype before subjecting them to in vitro functional assays to evaluate cytotoxicity, cytokine production, and persistence. In vivo efficacy was evaluated in MHC class I/II deficient NSG mice bearing human mesothelioma xenografts.ResultsIn vitro, co-expression of the IL-15fu led to similar cytotoxicity and cytokine production as TC-210, but notably enhanced T-cell expansion and persistence upon repeated stimulation with MSLN+ cell lines. Furthermore, the IL-15fu-enhanced TRuC-T cells sustained a significantly higher TCF-1+ population and retained a stem-like phenotype following activation. Moreover, the IL-15fu-enhanced TRuCs demonstrated robust in vivo expansion and intra-tumoral accumulation as measured by ex vivo analysis of TRuC+ cells in the tumor and blood, with a preferential expansion of CD8+ T cells. Finally, IL-15fu-enhanced TRuC-T cells could be observed in the blood long after the tumors were cleared.ConclusionsThese pre-clinical studies suggest that the IL-15fu can synergize with TC-210 to increase the potency and durability of response in patients with MSLN+ tumors.Ethics ApprovalAll animal studies were approved by the respective Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees.


Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 631
Author(s):  
Jie Wang ◽  
Katarzyna Urbanska ◽  
Prannda Sharma ◽  
Reza Nejati ◽  
Lauren Shaw ◽  
...  

Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are generally chemotherapy resistant and have a poor prognosis. The lack of targeted immunotherapeutic approaches for T cell malignancies results in part from potential risks associated with targeting broadly expressed T cell markers, namely T cell depletion and clinically significant immune compromise. The knowledge that the T cell receptor (TCR) β chain in human α/β TCRs are grouped into Vβ families that can each be targeted by a monoclonal antibody can therefore be exploited for therapeutic purposes. Here, we develop a flexible approach for targeting TCR Vβ families by engineering T cells to express a chimeric CD64 protein that acts as a high affinity immune receptor (IR). We found that CD64 IR-modified T cells can be redirected with precision to T cell targets expressing selected Vβ families by combining CD64 IR-modified T cells with a monoclonal antibody directed toward a specific TCR Vβ family in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide proof of concept that TCR Vβ-family-specific T cell lysis can be achieved using this novel combination cell–antibody platform and illuminates a path toward high precision targeting of T cell malignancies without substantial immune compromise.


Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
pp. 2965-2972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Kusunoki ◽  
Y Hirai ◽  
S Kyoizumi ◽  
M Akiyama

Abstract Rare T lymphocytes bearing CD3 surface antigen and T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha and beta chains, but lacking both CD4 and CD8 antigens, viz, TCR alpha beta+CD4–8- cells, appear at a frequency of 0.1% to 2% in peripheral blood TCR alpha beta+ cells of normal donors. Here we report two unusual cases, found among 100 healthy individuals studied, who showed an abnormally elevated frequency of these T cells, ie, 5% to 10% and 14% to 19%. Southern blot analyses of the TCR alpha beta+CD4–8- clones all showed the identical rearrangement patterns for each individual, demonstrating that these are derivatives of a single T cell. The same rearrangement patterns were also observed for the freshly isolated lymphocytes of TCR alpha beta+CD4-CD8- fraction, which excludes the possible bias in the processes of in vitro cloning. These TCR alpha beta+CD4–8- T cells were found to express other mature T-cell markers such as CD2, CD3, and CD5 antigens, as well as natural killer (NK) cell markers (CD11b, CD16, CD56, and CD57 antigens) for both individuals. Further, although lectin-dependent or redirected antibody- dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicities were observed for both freshly sorted lymphocytes of TCR alpha beta+CD4–8- fraction and in vitro established clones, NK-like activity was not detected.


2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 5419-5433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne M. A. Lens ◽  
Takao Kataoka ◽  
Karen A. Fortner ◽  
Antoine Tinel ◽  
Isabel Ferrero ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The caspase 8 inhibitor c-FLIPL can act in vitro as a molecular switch between cell death and growth signals transmitted by the death receptor Fas (CD95). To elucidate its function in vivo, transgenic mice were generated that overexpress c-FLIPL in the T-cell compartment (c-FLIPL Tg mice). As anticipated, FasL-induced apoptosis was inhibited in T cells from the c-FLIPL Tg mice. In contrast, activation-induced cell death of T cells in c-FLIPL Tg mice was unaffected, suggesting that this deletion process can proceed in the absence of active caspase 8. Accordingly, c-FLIPL Tg mice differed from Fas-deficient mice by showing no accumulation of B220+ CD4− CD8− T cells. However, stimulation of T lymphocytes with suboptimal doses of anti-CD3 or antigen revealed increased proliferative responses in T cells from c-FLIPL Tg mice. Thus, a major role of c-FLIPL in vivo is the modulation of T-cell proliferation by decreasing the T-cell receptor signaling threshold.


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