scholarly journals Combinatorial immunotherapy of N-803 (IL-15 superagonist) and dinutuximab with ex vivo expanded natural killer cells significantly enhances in vitro cytotoxicity against GD2+ pediatric solid tumors and in vivo survival of xenografted immunodeficient NSG mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e002267
Author(s):  
Yaya Chu ◽  
Gaurav Nayyar ◽  
Susiyan Jiang ◽  
Jeremy M. Rosenblum ◽  
Patrick Soon-Shiong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solid Tumors ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Event Free Survival ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Nsg Mice ◽  
Ifn Γ

BackgroundChildren with recurrent and/or metastatic osteosarcoma (OS), neuroblastoma (NB) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have a dismal event-free survival (<25%). The majority of these solid tumors highly express GD2. Dinutuximab, an anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody, significantly improved event-free survival in children with GD2+ NB post autologous stem cell transplantation and enhanced natural killer (NK) cell-mediated antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity. Thus, approaches to increase NK cell number and activity, improve persistence and trafficking, and enhance tumor targeting may further improve the clinical benefit of dinutuximab. N-803 is a superagonist of an interleukin-15 (IL-15) variant bound to an IL-15 receptor alpha Su-Fc fusion with enhanced biological activity.MethodsThe anti-tumor combinatorial effects of N-803, dinutuximab and ex vivo expanded peripheral blood NK cells (exPBNK) were performed in vitro using cytoxicity assays against GD2+ OS, NB and GBM cells. Perforin and interferon (IFN)-γ levels were measured by ELISA assays. Multiple cytokines/chemokines/growth factors released were measured by multiplex assays. Human OS, GBM or NB xenografted NOD/SCID/IL2rγnull (NSG) mice were used to investigate the anti-tumor combinatorial effects in vivo.ResultsN-803 increased the viability and proliferation of exPBNK. The increased viability and proliferation are associated with increased phosphorylation of Stat3, Stat5, AKT, p38MAPK and the expression of NK activating receptors. The combination of dinutuximab and N-803 significantly enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity of exPBNK with enhanced perforin and IFN-γ release against OS, GBM and NB. The combination of exPBNK+N-803+dinutuximab significantly reduced the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), and stem cell growth factor beta (SCGF-β) from OS or GBM tumor cells. Furthermore, OS or GBM significantly inhibited the secretion of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES) and stromal cell-derived factor-1 alpha (SDF-1α) from exPBNK cells (p<0.001) but significantly enhanced monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG) secretion from exPBNK cells (p<0.001). N-803 combined with dinutuximab and exPBNK cells significantly extended the survival of OS, GBM or NB xenografted NSG mice.ConclusionsOur results provide the rationale for the development of a clinical trial of N-803 in combination with dinutuximab and ex vivo exPBNK cells in patients with recurrent or metastatic GD2+ solid tumors.

Assessment of antitumor function of NK cells expanded with exosomes from K562.mb21 cells.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 132-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah Oyer ◽  
Sarah B. Gitto ◽  
Sara Khederzadeh ◽  
Kari Shaver ◽  
Dean A. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Cell Expansion ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
K562 Cells ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Feeder Cell ◽  
Nsg Mice

132 Background: NK cells can kill malignant cells to provide innate immunity against tumors. Due to their low abundance in blood, a focus is to expand NK cells ex vivo having enhanced anti-tumor cytotoxicity to be used as a treatment. Our group has pioneered a cell-free method using plasma membrane (PM) particles derived from K562 cells expressing 41BBL and membrane-bound IL-21 (K562.mb21) which were developed for NK cell expansion. Compared to feeder cell based methods for NK cell expansion, PM21-particles improve safety and allow for potential wide-spread dissemination, and also allows direct in vivo use. Exosomes, vesicles naturally secreted by cells, may yet be another novel feeder cell free way for NK cell expansion and may have further advantageous therapeutic dimensions. Methods: EX21-exosomes and PM21-particles were prepared from K562.mb21 cells and characterized by Nanosight and Western blot analysis. CD3-depleted PBMCs were cultured with EX21 for 14 days, NK cell amounts were monitored and media changed every 2-3 days. In vitro cytotoxicity against K562 cells were comparatively assessed for EX21-NK cells and PM21-NK cells. In vivo anti-tumor efficacy of EX21- and PM21-NK cells was assessed in NSG mice implanted ip with SKOV3_luc ovarian tumor cells (1 x 106 cells seeded for 4 days). SKOV3-bearing mice were treated with vehicle, or two doses of EX21-NK cells or PM21-NK cells (1 x 107, in 5 day intervals), and with or without in vivo administration of EX21 (10 µg, 3x/week) or PM21-particles (600 µg, 3x/week). All groups were injected ip with IL-2 (10 KU, 3x/week). Survival analysis was performed with a Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. Results: NK cells cultured with EX21 expanded 530 fold (344-710) over 14 days compared to 735 fold (667-802) in presence of PM21-particles. Treatment of SKOV3 engrafted NSG mice with NK cells, expanded with either EX21 or with PM21, allowed significant ( < 0.0001) increase in survival compared to untreated animals (41-44 vs 29 days post treatment). Ip delivery of EX21 to SKOV3 bearing mice had no effect on survival in either untreated control or EX21-NK cell treated groups. Conclusions: EX21 efficiently expands NK cells and EX21-NK cells have equal anti-tumor effect as PM21-NK cells, both in vitro and in vivo.

Treatment of Ex Vivo Expanded NK Cells with Daratumumab F(ab')2 Fragments Protects Adoptively Transferred NK Cells from Daratumumab-Mediated Killing and Augments Daratumumab-Induced Antibody Dependent Cellular Toxicity (ADCC) of Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 4244-4244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Cherkasova ◽  
Luis Espinoza ◽  
Ritesh Kotecha ◽  
Robert N. Reger ◽  
Maria Berg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Adoptive Transfer ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Cell Killing ◽  
Cellular Toxicity ◽  
Myeloma Cells ◽  
Nsg Mice

Abstract Daratumumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody (IgG1) that targets CD38 expressed on myeloma cells. Daratumumab kills myeloma cells through antibody dependent cellular toxicity (ADCC), compliment dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), and antibody dependent phagocytosis (ADCP). In early clinical trials, daratumumab has showed significant anti-myeloma activity in patients with treatment refractory disease. In vivo, daratumumab has been found to induce NK cell lymphopenia of unclear etiology. We found that NK cells isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy and cancer patients expressed variable surface levels of CD38 (Fig. 1A). Further, surface expression of CD38 increased substantially when NK cells underwent ex vivo cytokine activation by culturing cells overnight in IL-2 containing media or ex vivo expansion using irradiated EBV-LCL feeder cells (Fig. 1B). Remarkably, daratumumab induced apoptosis of expanded NK cells in a dose dependent manner, with substantial NK cell apoptosis occurring within 2 hours following in vitro exposure to daratumumab at a concentration of 1 and 10 ug/ml (Fig. 1C). Further, adoptive transfer of ex vivo expanded human NK cells into NSG mice that had been pre-treated with daratumumab showed daratumumab induced NK cell killing in vivo: the numbers of NK cells isolated from the lungs, blood, spleen and bone marrow of NSG mice 24 hours after infusion of expanded human NK cells was reduced by 90% in mice that were pretreated with 1 mg/kg of daratumumab i.p. compared to controls that had not received the antibody (Fig. 1D). In vitro experiments showed NK cell killing by daratumumab occurred as a consequence of ADCC and was dependent on NK cell CD16 expression; when CD56+ NK cells were sorted by FACS into CD16 positive and negative populations, only NK cells expressing CD16 were killed by daratumumab, with no effect on NK cell viability occurring in the CD16- NK cell. Further, we observed that NK cells obtained from donors who have high affinity FCgR3 as a consequence of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the FCGR3A gene resulting in an amino acid substitution at position 158 (F158V) in CD16 were more sensitive to daratumumab killing compared to NK cells isolated from donors carrying the low affinity CD16 polymorphism. Although NK cell counts and NK reduction in peripheral blood and bone marrow were not associated with daratumumab clinical response in myeloma studies, NK cells play an important role in mediating antitumor responses through ADCC following mAb therapy. In this regard, combining mAb therapy with adoptive transfer of ex vivo expanded NK cells could be utilized as a strategy to potentiate the antitumor effects of mAbs. To overcome daratumumab-mediated killing of adoptively transferred NK cells in daratumumab-treated patients, we blocked CD38 on the surface of NK cells by pretreating them with daratumumab F(ab')2 fragments. The F(ab')2 fragments that were generated using pepsin cleavage of daratumumab were confirmed to bind and block the CD38 epitope expressed on NK cells. Importantly, these F(ab')2 fragments remained bound to the surface of NK cells for at least 96 hours, did not induce NK cell apoptosis, protected NK cells from daratumumab-mediated NK cell killing, and bolstered their tumor cytotoxicity against daratumumab-treated myeloma targets. In vitro experiments showed NK cell tumor cytotoxicity vs myeloma cells in daratumumab-containing media was significantly higher by NK cells that had CD38 blocked with F(ab')2 fragments compared to unblocked controls (Fig. 1E). Importantly, pretreatment with daratumumab F(ab')2 fragments also protected human NK cells from daratumumab-mediated killing in vivo; expanded NK cells pretreated with F(ab')2 fragments prior to adoptive transfer into NSG mice that had been treated with daratumumab were detectable at significantly higher numbers in the blood compared to untreated NK cell controls (Fig. 1F). Conclusion: Expression of CD38 on activated NK cells makes them susceptible to killing by daratumumab, which could compromise the ability of adoptively transferred NK cells to bolster ADCC following treatment with this mAb. Pretreatment of ex vivo expanded NK cells with daratumumab F(ab')2 fragments protects cells from daratumumab-mediated killing, potentially offering a strategy to augment the anti-tumor effects of adoptively transferred NK cells in myeloma patients that have received daratumumab treatment. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Eomes and T-Bet Expression Are Required By Mature Primary Human NK Cells for Anti-Leukemia Responses In Vivo

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 194-194
Author(s):  
Pamela Wong ◽  
Carly C. Neal ◽  
Lily Chang ◽  
Julia A Wagner ◽  
Melissa M. Berrien-Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
T Box ◽  
Nsg Mice ◽  
Healthy Donors ◽  
And Function

Abstract Natural Killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that respond to hematologic cancers via cytotoxicity (perforin/granzyme and death receptors) and cytokine/chemokine production, yet the molecular determinants underlying their proliferation, function, and persistence are poorly understood. There are promising reports of pre-clinical and clinical NK cell responses to leukemia and lymphoma, which represent a nascent cellular therapy for these blood cancers. The T-box transcription factors (TFs) Eomes and T-bet are expressed by NK cells throughout their lifespan, and are required for development as evidenced by NK cell loss in Eomes and T-bet deficient mice. However, the roles of these TFs in mature human NK cell molecular programs and functions remain unclear. We hypothesized Eomes and T-bet, which are the only T-box TFs expressed in NK cells, are critical regulators of NK cell homeostasis and functionality, and are necessary for proper mature NK cell responses. To address this, we utilized the CRISPR-Cas9 system to genetically delete both Eomes and T-bet in primary human NK cells isolated from healthy donors, and investigated their role beyond guiding NK cell development, specifically in the anti-leukemia response. Gene-editing of primary human NK cells has been technically challenging, thus most reports that modified NK cells were performed with cell lines, in vitro-differentiated, or highly expanded NK cells that likely do not reflect primary human NK cell biology. Here, we introduced Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA targeting T-bet and Eomes by electroporation into unexpanded primary human NK cells isolated from healthy donors using the MaxCyte GT system. We observed highly efficient reductions of Eomes and T-bet protein expression, quantified by flow cytometry (p &lt; 0.0001, Fig A-B) without viability differences between control (sgRNA targeting TRAC, an unexpressed locus in NK cells), and Eomes/T-bet double CRISPR-edited (DKO) cells after one week in vitro. To study Eomes and T-bet in NK cell anti-leukemia response, control or DKO primary human NK cells were engrafted into NSG mice, supported with human IL-15, and challenged with K562 leukemia cells. Utilizing bioluminescent imaging to visualize leukemia burden, we observed that NK cells lacking both TFs were unable to suppress leukemia growth in vivo. To understand the mechanism responsible for impaired leukemia control, we investigated in vivo persistence and proliferation, cytotoxic effector molecule expression, as well as ex vivo degranulation and cytokine production of DKO NK cells compared to control NK cells. DKO or control human NK cells were transferred into NSG mice and supported with human IL-15. After 2-3 weeks, significantly fewer (&lt;30%) DKO NK cells persisted compared to control NK cells: spleen (5-fold decrease, control 240e3±65e3 vs DKO 47e3±15e3 NK cells, p&lt;0.01, Figure C), blood (6-fold decrease, p&lt;0.01), and liver (4-fold decrease, p&lt;0.05). Using intracellular flow cytometry, double T-bet/Eomes CRISPR-edited NK cells that lacked both Eomes and T-bet protein after in vivo transfer were identified. A proliferative defect was evident in flow-gated DKO (62±6% undivided), compared to unedited (WT) NK cells (4±2% undivided) assessed by CellTrace Violet dilution (Figure D). In addition, there were marked reductions in granzyme B and perforin protein (p&lt;0.001) in flow-gated DKO NK cells compared to controls. To assess DKO NK cell functional capacity, we performed an ex vivo functional assay on NK cells from spleens of the NSG mice as effectors, and K562 targets or IL-12/15/18 stimulation for 6 hours. Degranulation to K562 targets was impaired (p&lt;0.05), and IFN-γ production was reduced (p&lt;0.0001) after cytokine stimulation in flow-gated DKO NK cells (Figure E). Thus, CRISPR-editing of unexpanded, primary human NK cells revealed that Eomes and T-bet are required by mature human NK cells for their function and homeostasis, distinct from their role in development. This is translationally relevant, as defects in proliferation and function of human DKO NK cells manifested markedly reduced response against human leukemia cells in vivo in xenografts. These findings expand our understanding of key molecular regulators of mature NK cell homeostasis and function, with the potential to provide new avenues to enhance NK cell therapy. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Berrien-Elliott: Wugen: Consultancy, Patents & Royalties: 017001-PRO1, Research Funding. Foltz-Stringfellow: Kiadis: Patents & Royalties: TGFbeta expanded NK cells; EMD Millipore: Other: canine antibody licensing fees. Fehniger: HCW Biologics: Research Funding; Compass Therapeutics: Research Funding; Affimed: Research Funding; ImmunityBio: Research Funding; Wugen: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Patents & Royalties: related to memory like NK cells, Research Funding; Kiadis: Other; OrcaBio: Other; Indapta: Other.

mRNA Transfection of NK Cells with Gain-of-Function CXCR4 As a Novel Method to Enhance the Homing of Adoptively Transferred NK Cells to the Bone Marrow for the Treatment of Hematological Malignancies

Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 3089-3089
Author(s):  
Emily R. Levy ◽  
Robert N. Reger ◽  
Mattias Carlsten ◽  
Richard W. Childs
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Hematological Malignancies ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Nsg Mice ◽  
Cxcr4 Receptor ◽  
Migration Assays ◽  
Migration Capacity

Abstract Introduction: Proof of principle that adoptively transferred NK cells can mediate regression of hematological malignancies has recently been established in the clinic. Despite recent advances in the field, the overall efficacy of NK-cell based immunotherapy remains limited. Directing cellular migration to tumor-bearing tissues could be used as a method to improve the efficacy of NK cell-based immunotherapy. As most hematological malignancies arise from bone marrow (BM) compartments, we investigated the potential of genetic modification of NK cells to express high levels of the BM homing chemokine receptor CXCR4 to improve NK cell migration to BM compartments in vivo. Methods: Human NK cells were expanded ex vivo in G-rex flasks for 14 days using irradiated EBV-LCL feeder cells and IL-2 containing media. Electroporation (EP) of NK cells with mRNA coding for the wild-type CXCR4 receptor (WT CXCR4) and the gain-of-function mutation CXCR4 receptor (CXCR4-R334X) was performed using the MaxCyte GT instrument. Cell viability and receptor expression was assessed by flow cytometry using a BD LSR II Fortessa. In vitro transwell migration assays towards the CXCR4 ligand SDF-1α were performed in serum-free media over 2 hours at +37¡C. Pretreatment of NK cells with 100 uM of plerixafor for 30 min at +4¡C prior to migration assays was used for CXCR4 blockade experiments. In vivo homing studies were performed with bioluminescence tracking of luciferase-transfected NK cells in NSG mice. Animals were imaged using an IVIS Bioluminescence imager 1 and 24 hours after adoptive NK cell transfer. Results: EP of ex vivo expanded NK cells with either WT CXCR4 or CXCR4-R334X mRNA both resulted in a substantial increase in CXCR4 surface expression for up to 36 hours compared to non-EP NK cell controls. In vitro assays showed CXCR4-R334X transfected NK cells had superior migration to SDF-1α compared to both WT CXCR4 transfected and control NK cells, with an average 40% increase in their migration capacity towards SDF-1α compared to non-transfected NK cells (n=10 donors). This augmented migration capacity was abrogated when the CXCR4 receptor was selectively blocked with plerixafor. To confirm that CXCR4-R334X modified NK cells had improved BM homing capacity in vivo, we compared the distribution of these cells using bioluminescent imaging (BLI) after transfection with luciferase mRNA and intravenous injection into NSG mice (n=3). Twenty-four hours after adoptive transfer, CXCR4-R334X mRNA EP NK cells had improved homing to BM compartments such as the vertebrae, sternum ribs, and femurs compared to their unmodified NK cells counterparts (figure). Conclusions: The data demonstrate that genetic modification of NK cells with CXCR4-R334X mRNA can be utilized to efficiently direct their homing of infused NK cells to BM compartments in vivo. We hypothesize that CXCR4-modified NK cells can be utilized to improve the efficacy of adoptive NK cell immunotherapy for patients with BM-residing malignancies such as leukemia and multiple myeloma. Emily R. Levy is a predoctoral candidate in the Molecular Medicine program of Institute for Biomedical Sciences at the George Washington University. This work is from a dissertation to be presented to the above program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Sarcoma IL-12 overexpression facilitates NK cell immunomodulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Jo Rademacher ◽  
Anahi Cruz ◽  
Mary Faber ◽  
Robyn A. A. Oldham ◽  
Dandan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Autologous Tumor ◽  
Murine Models ◽  
Lentiviral Transduction ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Human Sarcoma

AbstractInterleukin-12 (IL-12) is an inflammatory cytokine that has demonstrated efficacy for cancer immunotherapy, but systemic administration has detrimental toxicities. Lentiviral transduction eliciting IL-12-producing human sarcoma for autologous reintroduction provides localized delivery for both innate and adaptive immune response augmentation. Sarcoma cell lines and primary human sarcoma samples were transduced with recombinant lentivirus engineering expression of human IL-12 (hu-IL-12). IL-12 expressing sarcomas were assessed in vitro and in vivo following implantation into humanized NSG and transgenic human IL-15 expressing (NSG.Tg(Hu-IL-15)) murine models. Lentiviral transduction (LV/hu-IL-12) of human osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines, as well as low-passage primary human sarcomas, engendered high-level expression of hu-IL-12. Hu-IL-12 demonstrated functional viability, eliciting specific NK cell-mediated interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release and cytotoxic growth restriction of spheroids in vitro. In orthotopic xenograft murine models, the LV/hu-IL-12 transduced human sarcoma produced detectable IL-12 and elicited an IFN-γ inflammatory immune response specific to mature human NK reconstitution in the NSG.Tg(Hu-IL-15) model while restricting tumor growth. We conclude that LV/hu-IL-12 transduction of sarcoma elicits a specific immune reaction and the humanized NSG.Tg(Hu-IL-15) xenograft, with mature human NK cells, can define in vivo anti-tumor effects and systemic toxicities. IL-12 immunomodulation through autologous tumor transduction and reintroduction merits exploration for sarcoma treatment.

In vitro all-trans retinoic acid sensitivity of acute promyelocytic leukemia blasts: a novel indicator of poor patient outcome

Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 98 (9) ◽  
pp. 2862-2864 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Cassinat ◽  
Sylvie Chevret ◽  
Fabien Zassadowski ◽  
Nicole Balitrand ◽  
Isabelle Guillemot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia ◽  
Promyelocytic Leukemia ◽  
Leukemic Cells ◽  
Event Free Survival ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Acid Sensitivity ◽  
Trans Retinoic Acid ◽  
All Trans Retinoic Acid

Abstract Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) blasts possess a unique sensitivity to the differentiating effects of all-transretinoic acid (ATRA). Multicenter trials confirm that the combination of differentiation and cytotoxic therapy prolongs survival in APL patients. However relapses still occur, and exquisite adaptation of therapy to prognostic factors is essential to aim at a possible cure of the disease. A heterogeneity was previously reported in the differentiation rate of patients' APL blasts, and it was postulated that this may reflect the in vivo heterogeneous outcome. In this study, it is demonstrated that patients of the APL93 trial whose leukemic cells achieved optimal differentiation with ATRA in vitro at diagnosis had a significantly improved event-free survival (P = .01) and lower relapse rate (P = .04). This analysis highlights the importance of the differentiation step in APL therapy and justifies ongoing studies aimed at identifying novel RA-differentiation enhancers.

scholarly journals Combining Immunocytokine and Ex Vivo Activated NK Cells as a Platform for Enhancing Graft-Versus-Tumor Effects Against GD2+ Murine Neuroblastoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul D. Bates ◽  
Alexander L. Rakhmilevich ◽  
Monica M. Cho ◽  
Myriam N. Bouchlaka ◽  
Seema L. Rao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Cell Transplant ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Allogeneic Hsct ◽  
Tnf Α

Management for high-risk neuroblastoma (NBL) has included autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and anti-GD2 immunotherapy, but survival remains around 50%. The aim of this study was to determine if allogeneic HSCT could serve as a platform for inducing a graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect against NBL with combination immunocytokine and NK cells in a murine model. Lethally irradiated C57BL/6 (B6) x A/J recipients were transplanted with B6 bone marrow on Day +0. On day +10, allogeneic HSCT recipients were challenged with NXS2, a GD2+ NBL. On days +14-16, mice were treated with the anti-GD2 immunocytokine hu14.18-IL2. In select groups, hu14.18-IL2 was combined with infusions of B6 NK cells activated with IL-15/IL-15Rα and CD137L ex vivo. Allogeneic HSCT alone was insufficient to control NXS2 tumor growth, but the addition of hu14.18-IL2 controlled tumor growth and improved survival. Adoptive transfer of ex vivo CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells with or without hu14.18-IL2 exacerbated lethality. CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells showed enhanced cytotoxicity and produced high levels of TNF-α in vitro, but induced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in vivo. Infusing Perforin-/- CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells had no impact on GVT, whereas TNF-α-/- CD137L/IL-15/IL-15Rα activated NK cells improved GVT by decreasing peripheral effector cell subsets while preserving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Depletion of Ly49H+ NK cells also improved GVT. Using allogeneic HSCT for NBL is a viable platform for immunocytokines and ex vivo activated NK cell infusions, but must be balanced with induction of CRS. Regulation of TNFα or activating NK subsets may be needed to improve GVT effects.

scholarly journals 852 Trifunctional NKp46/CD16a-NK cell engager targeting CD123 overcomes acute myeloid leukemia resistance to ADCC

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A893-A893
Author(s):  
Laurent Gauthier ◽  
Angela Virone-Oddos ◽  
Angela Virone-Oddos ◽  
Jochen Beninga ◽  
Benjamin Rossi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Antitumor Activity ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Activating Receptors ◽  
Acute Myeloid

BackgroundThere is a clear need for targeted therapies to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common acute leukemia in adults. CD123 (IL-3 receptor alpha chain) is an attractive target for AML treatment.1 However, cytotoxic antibody targeting CD123 proved insufficiently effective in a combination setting in phase II/III clinical trials.2 T-cell engagers targeting CD123 displayed some clinical efficacy but were often associated with cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity.3 Interest in the use of NK cells for therapeutic interventions has increased in recent years, as a potential safer alternative to T cells. Several NK-cell activating receptors, such as CD16a, NKG2D, and the natural cytotoxicity receptors NKp30 and NKp46, can be targeted to induce antitumor immunity. We previously reported the development of trifunctional NK-cell engagers (NKCEs) targeting a tumor antigen on cancer cells and co-engaging NKp46 and CD16a on NK cells.4MethodsWe report here the design, characterization and preclinical development of a novel trifunctional NK cell engager (NKCE) targeting CD123 on AML cells and engaging the activating receptors NKp46 and CD16a on NK cells. The CD123 NKCE therapeutic molecule was engineered with humanized antibodies targeting NKp464 and CD123.5 We compared CD123-NKCE and a cytotoxic ADCC-enhanced antibody (Ab) targeting CD123, in terms of antitumor activity in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and safety profile of CD123-NKCE were evaluated in non-human primate (NHP) studies.ResultsThe expression of the high affinity Fc gamma receptor CD64 on patient-derived AML cells inhibited the ADCC of the Ab targeting CD123 in vitro and ex vivo, but not the antitumor activity of CD123-NKCE. CD123-NKCE had potent antitumor activity against primary AML blasts and AML cell lines, promoted strong NK-cell activation and induced cytokine secretion only in the presence of AML target cells. Its antitumor activity in mouse model was greater than that of the comparator antibody. Moreover, CD123-NKCE had strong and prolonged pharmacodynamic effects in NHP when used at very low doses, was well-tolerated up to high 3 mg/kg dose and triggered only minor cytokine release.ConclusionsThe data for activity, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics provided here demonstrate the superiority of CD123-NKCE over comparator cytotoxic antibody, in terms of antitumor activity in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo, and its favorable safety profile, as compared to T-cell therapies. These results constitute proof-of-principle for the efficacy of CD123-NKCE for controlling AML tumors in vivo, and provide consistent support for their clinical development.ReferencesEhninger A, Kramer M, Rollig C, et al. Distribution and levels of cell surface expression of CD33 and CD123 in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Cancer J 2014;4:e218.Montesinos P, Gail J Roboz GJ, et al. Safety and efficacy of talacotuzumab plus decitabine or decitabine alone in patients with acute myeloid leukemia not eligible for chemotherapy: results from a multicenter, randomized, phase 2/3 study. Leukemia 2021;35(1):62–74.Uy GL, Aldoss I, Foster MC, et al. Flotetuzumab as salvage immunotherapy for refractory acute myeloid leukemia. Blood 2021;137(6):751–762.Gauthier L, Morel A, Anceriz N, et al. Multifunctional natural killer cell engagers targeting NKp46 trigger protective tumor immunity. Cell 2019;177(7):1701–13.Jin L, Lee EM, Ramshaw HS, et al. Monoclonal antibody-mediated targeting of CD123, IL-3 receptor alpha chain, eliminates human acute myeloid leukemic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2009;5:31–42.

scholarly journals RTID-07. HUMAN PLACENTAL HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL DERIVED NATURAL KILLER CELLS (CYNK-001) FOR TREATMENT OF RECURRENT GLIOBLASTOMA

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii194-ii195
Author(s):  
Nazanin Majd ◽  
Maha Rizk ◽  
Solveig Ericson ◽  
Kris Grzegorzewski ◽  
Sharmila Koppisetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Therapy ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Orthotopic Mouse Model ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Dismal Prognosis

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor with dismal prognosis. Recent advances of immunotherapy in cancer have sparked interest in the use of cell therapy for treatment of GBM. Active transfer of Natural Killer (NK) cells is of particular interest in GBM because NK cells are capable of exerting anti-tumor cytotoxicity without the need for antigen presentation and sensitization, processes that are impaired in GBM. CYNK-001 is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf product enriched for CD56+/CD3- NK cells expanded from placental CD34+ cells manufactured by Celularity. Here, we demonstrate in vitro cytotoxicity of CYNK-001 against several GBM lines and its in vivo anti-tumor activity in a U87MG orthotopic mouse model via intracranial administration resulting in 94.5% maximum reduction in tumor volume. We have developed a phase I window-of-opportunity trial of CYNK-001 in recurrent GBM via intravenous (IV) and intratumoral (IT) routes. In the IV cohort, subjects receive cyclophosphamide for lymphodepletion followed by 3-doses of IV CYNK-001 weekly. In the IT cohort, subjects undergo placement of an IT catheter with an ommaya reservoir followed by 3-doses of IT CYNK-001 weekly. Patients are monitored for 28-days after last infusion for toxicity. Once maximum safe dose (MSD) is determined, patients undergo IV or IT treatments at MSD followed by surgical resection and the tumor tissue will be analyzed for NK cell engraftment and persistence. We will utilize a 3 + 3 dose de-escalation design (maximum n=36). Primary endpoint is safety and feasibility. Secondary endpoints are overall response rate, duration of response, time to progression, progression free survival and overall survival. Main eligibility criteria include age ≥18, KPS ≥60, GBM at first or second relapse with a measurable lesion on ≤2mg dexamethasone. This is the first clinical trial to investigate CYNK-001 in GBM and will lay the foundation for future NK cell therapy in solid tumors.

scholarly journals Extracellular vesicles from human cardiovascular progenitors trigger a reparative immune response in infarcted hearts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruna Lima Correa ◽  
Nadia El Harane ◽  
Ingrid Gomez ◽  
Hocine Rachid Hocine ◽  
José Vilar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Extracellular Vesicles ◽  
Inflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Inflammatory Monocytes ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
Pro Inflammatory Cytokines

Abstract Aims The cardioprotective effects of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPC) are largely mediated by the paracrine release of extracellular vesicles (EV). We aimed to assess the immunological behaviour of EV-CPC, which is a prerequisite for their clinical translation. Methods and results Flow cytometry demonstrated that EV-CPC expressed very low levels of immune relevant molecules including HLA Class I, CD80, CD274 (PD-L1), and CD275 (ICOS-L); and moderate levels of ligands of the natural killer (NK) cell activating receptor, NKG2D. In mixed lymphocyte reactions, EV-CPC neither induced nor modulated adaptive allogeneic T cell immune responses. They also failed to induce NK cell degranulation, even at high concentrations. These in vitro effects were confirmed in vivo as repeated injections of EV-CPC did not stimulate production of immunoglobulins or affect the interferon (IFN)-γ responses from primed splenocytes. In a mouse model of chronic heart failure, intra-myocardial injections of EV-CPC, 3 weeks after myocardial infarction, decreased both the number of cardiac pro-inflammatory Ly6Chigh monocytes and circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1α, TNF-α, and IFN-γ). In a model of acute infarction, direct cardiac injection of EV-CPC 2 days after infarction reduced pro-inflammatory macrophages, Ly6Chigh monocytes, and neutrophils in heart tissue as compared to controls. EV-CPC also reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-2, and IL-6, and increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. These effects on human macrophages and monocytes were reproduced in vitro; EV-CPC reduced the number of pro-inflammatory monocytes and M1 macrophages, while increasing the number of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. Conclusions EV-CPC do not trigger an immune response either in in vitro human allogeneic models or in immunocompetent animal models. The capacity for orienting the response of monocyte/macrophages towards resolution of inflammation strengthens the clinical attractiveness of EV-CPC as an acellular therapy for cardiac repair.

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