RESUMO
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive brain cancer, recurs because glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) are resistant to all standard therapies. We showed that GSCs, but not normal astrocytes, are sensitive to lysis by healthy allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells in vitro. Mass cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing of primary tumor samples revealed that GBM tumor-infiltrating NK cells acquired an altered phenotype associated with impaired lytic function relative to matched peripheral blood NK cells from patients with GBM or healthy donors. We attributed this immune evasion tactic to direct cell-to-cell contact between GSCs and NK cells via αv integrin-mediated TGF-ß activation. Treatment of GSC-engrafted mice with allogeneic NK cells in combination with inhibitors of integrin or TGF-ß signaling or with TGFBR2 gene-edited allogeneic NK cells prevented GSC-induced NK cell dysfunction and tumor growth. These findings reveal an important mechanism of NK cell immune evasion by GSCs and suggest the αv integrin/TGF-ß axis as a potentially useful therapeutic target in GBM.
Assuntos
Glioblastoma/imunologia , Integrinas/imunologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Proteínas de Neoplasias/imunologia , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/imunologia , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/imunologia , Animais , Feminino , Glioblastoma/genética , Glioblastoma/patologia , Glioblastoma/terapia , Xenoenxertos , Humanos , Integrinas/genética , Células Matadoras Naturais/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Proteínas de Neoplasias/genética , Transplante de Neoplasias , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Receptor do Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta Tipo II/genética , Receptor do Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta Tipo II/imunologia , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/genéticaRESUMO
PURPOSE: Natural killer (NK)-cell recognition and function against NK-resistant cancers remain substantial barriers to the broad application of NK-cell immunotherapy. Potential solutions include bispecific engagers that target NK-cell activity via an NK-activating receptor when simultaneously targeting a tumor-specific antigen, as well as enhancing functionality using IL12/15/18 cytokine pre-activation. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We assessed single-cell NK-cell responses stimulated by the tetravalent bispecific antibody AFM13 that binds CD30 on leukemia/lymphoma targets and CD16A on various types of NK cells using mass cytometry and cytotoxicity assays. The combination of AFM13 and IL12/15/18 pre-activation of blood and cord blood-derived NK cells was investigated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: We found heterogeneity within AFM13-directed conventional blood NK cell (cNK) responses, as well as consistent AFM13-directed polyfunctional activation of mature NK cells across donors. NK-cell source also impacted the AFM13 response, with cNK cells from healthy donors exhibiting superior responses to those from patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. IL12/15/18-induced memory-like NK cells from peripheral blood exhibited enhanced killing of CD30+ lymphoma targets directed by AFM13, compared with cNK cells. Cord-blood NK cells preactivated with IL12/15/18 and ex vivo expanded with K562-based feeders also exhibited enhanced killing with AFM13 stimulation via upregulation of signaling pathways related to NK-cell effector function. AFM13-NK complex cells exhibited enhanced responses to CD30+ lymphomas in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: We identify AFM13 as a promising combination with cytokine-activated adult blood or cord-blood NK cells to treat CD30+ hematologic malignancies, warranting clinical trials with these novel combinations.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Biespecíficos , Imunoterapia , Células Matadoras Naturais , Leucemia , Linfoma , Humanos , Anticorpos Biespecíficos/uso terapêutico , Sangue/efeitos dos fármacos , Sangue/imunologia , Células Cultivadas , Terapia Combinada , Citocinas/farmacologia , Sangue Fetal/efeitos dos fármacos , Sangue Fetal/imunologia , Imunoterapia/métodos , Antígeno Ki-1/imunologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Leucemia/terapia , Linfoma/terapia , Receptores de IgG/imunologiaRESUMO
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes recognized for their important role against tumor cells. NK cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have enhanced effector function against various type of cancer and are attractive contenders for the next generation of cancer immunotherapies. However, a number of factors have hindered the application of NK cells for cellular therapy, including their poor in vitro growth kinetics and relatively low starting percentages within the mononuclear cell fraction of peripheral blood or cord blood (CB). To overcome these limitations, we genetically-engineered human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A- and HLA-B- K562 cells to enforce the expression of CD48, 4-1BBL, and membrane-bound IL-21 (mbIL21), creating a universal antigen presenting cell (uAPC) capable of stimulating their cognate receptors on NK cells. We have shown that uAPC can drive the expansion of both non-transduced (NT) and CAR-transduced CB derived NK cells by >900-fold in 2 weeks of co-culture with excellent purity (>99.9%) and without indications of senescence/exhaustion. We confirmed that uAPC-expanded research- and clinical-grade NT and CAR-transduced NK cells have higher metabolic fitness and display enhanced effector function against tumor targets compared to the corresponding cell fractions cultured without uAPCs. This novel approach allowed the expansion of highly pure GMP-grade CAR NK cells at optimal cell numbers to be used for adoptive CAR NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy.