PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion

Background Despite the encouraging outcome of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) targeting B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in managing relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients, the therapeutic side effects and dysfunctions of CAR-T cells have limited the efficacy and clinical a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lei Yu, Yan Wang, Jin Wang, Zhiqiang Liu, Feng Liu, Han Zhao, Yi Tao, Jian-Qing Mi, Nan Xu, Wanyan Ouyang, Shi-Wei Jin, Wei-Yang Liu, Liuqingqing Zhang, Liqing Kang, Yuanfang Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-04-01
Series:Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
Online Access:https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/4/e008429.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846168303812214784
author Lei Yu
Yan Wang
Jin Wang
Zhiqiang Liu
Feng Liu
Han Zhao
Yi Tao
Jian-Qing Mi
Nan Xu
Wanyan Ouyang
Shi-Wei Jin
Wei-Yang Liu
Liuqingqing Zhang
Liqing Kang
Yuanfang Liu
author_facet Lei Yu
Yan Wang
Jin Wang
Zhiqiang Liu
Feng Liu
Han Zhao
Yi Tao
Jian-Qing Mi
Nan Xu
Wanyan Ouyang
Shi-Wei Jin
Wei-Yang Liu
Liuqingqing Zhang
Liqing Kang
Yuanfang Liu
author_sort Lei Yu
collection DOAJ
description Background Despite the encouraging outcome of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) targeting B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in managing relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients, the therapeutic side effects and dysfunctions of CAR-T cells have limited the efficacy and clinical application of this promising approach.Methods In this study, we incorporated a short hairpin RNA cassette targeting PD-1 into a BCMA-CAR with an OX-40 costimulatory domain. The transduced PD-1KD BCMA CAR-T cells were evaluated for surface CAR expression, T-cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, cytokine production, and subsets when they were exposed to a single or repetitive antigen stimulation. Safety and efficacy were initially observed in a phase I clinical trial for RRMM patients.Results Compared with parental BCMA CAR-T cells, PD-1KD BCMA CAR-T cell therapy showed reduced T-cell exhaustion and increased percentage of memory T cells in vitro. Better antitumor activity in vivo was also observed in PD-1KD BCMA CAR-T group. In the phase I clinical trial of the CAR-T cell therapy for seven RRMM patients, safety and efficacy were initially observed in all seven patients, including four patients (4/7, 57.1%) with at least one extramedullary site and four patients (4/7, 57.1%) with high-risk cytogenetics. The overall response rate was 85.7% (6/7). Four patients had a stringent complete response (sCR), one patient had a CR, one patient had a partial response, and one patient had stable disease. Safety profile was also observed in these patients, with an incidence of manageable mild to moderate cytokine release syndrome and without the occurrence of neurological toxicity.Conclusions Our study demonstrates a design concept of CAR-T cells independent of antigen specificity and provides an alternative approach for improving the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy.
format Article
id doaj-art-0f43d6200b814c7aabb8dc61b36d74ce
institution Kabale University
issn 2051-1426
language English
publishDate 2024-04-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
spelling doaj-art-0f43d6200b814c7aabb8dc61b36d74ce2024-11-14T01:10:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupJournal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer2051-14262024-04-0112410.1136/jitc-2023-008429PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustionLei Yu0Yan Wang1Jin Wang2Zhiqiang Liu3Feng Liu4Han Zhao5Yi Tao6Jian-Qing Mi7Nan Xu8Wanyan Ouyang9Shi-Wei Jin10Wei-Yang Liu11Liuqingqing Zhang12Liqing Kang13Yuanfang Liu142 Shanghai Unicar-Therapy Bio-medicine Technology Co Ltd, Shanghai, China1 State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Liver Fibrosis, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China1 Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China4 Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaTianjin Institute of Hepatology, Nankai University Second People`s Hospital, Tianjin, ChinaCenter for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shangdong, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China2 Shanghai Unicar-Therapy Bio-medicine Technology Co Ltd, Shanghai, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China2 Shanghai Unicar-Therapy Bio-medicine Technology Co Ltd, Shanghai, China1 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaBackground Despite the encouraging outcome of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) targeting B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in managing relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients, the therapeutic side effects and dysfunctions of CAR-T cells have limited the efficacy and clinical application of this promising approach.Methods In this study, we incorporated a short hairpin RNA cassette targeting PD-1 into a BCMA-CAR with an OX-40 costimulatory domain. The transduced PD-1KD BCMA CAR-T cells were evaluated for surface CAR expression, T-cell proliferation, cytotoxicity, cytokine production, and subsets when they were exposed to a single or repetitive antigen stimulation. Safety and efficacy were initially observed in a phase I clinical trial for RRMM patients.Results Compared with parental BCMA CAR-T cells, PD-1KD BCMA CAR-T cell therapy showed reduced T-cell exhaustion and increased percentage of memory T cells in vitro. Better antitumor activity in vivo was also observed in PD-1KD BCMA CAR-T group. In the phase I clinical trial of the CAR-T cell therapy for seven RRMM patients, safety and efficacy were initially observed in all seven patients, including four patients (4/7, 57.1%) with at least one extramedullary site and four patients (4/7, 57.1%) with high-risk cytogenetics. The overall response rate was 85.7% (6/7). Four patients had a stringent complete response (sCR), one patient had a CR, one patient had a partial response, and one patient had stable disease. Safety profile was also observed in these patients, with an incidence of manageable mild to moderate cytokine release syndrome and without the occurrence of neurological toxicity.Conclusions Our study demonstrates a design concept of CAR-T cells independent of antigen specificity and provides an alternative approach for improving the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy.https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/4/e008429.full
spellingShingle Lei Yu
Yan Wang
Jin Wang
Zhiqiang Liu
Feng Liu
Han Zhao
Yi Tao
Jian-Qing Mi
Nan Xu
Wanyan Ouyang
Shi-Wei Jin
Wei-Yang Liu
Liuqingqing Zhang
Liqing Kang
Yuanfang Liu
PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
title PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
title_full PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
title_fullStr PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
title_full_unstemmed PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
title_short PD-1 downregulation enhances CAR-T cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
title_sort pd 1 downregulation enhances car t cell antitumor efficiency by preserving a cell memory phenotype and reducing exhaustion
url https://jitc.bmj.com/content/12/4/e008429.full
work_keys_str_mv AT leiyu pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT yanwang pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT jinwang pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT zhiqiangliu pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT fengliu pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT hanzhao pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT yitao pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT jianqingmi pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT nanxu pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT wanyanouyang pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT shiweijin pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT weiyangliu pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT liuqingqingzhang pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT liqingkang pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion
AT yuanfangliu pd1downregulationenhancescartcellantitumorefficiencybypreservingacellmemoryphenotypeandreducingexhaustion