Nanodepots Encapsulating a Latency Reversing Agent and Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Enhance Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Against an in vitro Model of Latent HIV.

Purpose: Current antiretroviral therapies (ART) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are not curative, as the virus persists in latent reservoirs, requiring lifelong adherence to ART and increasing the risk of co-morbidities. "Shock and kill" approaches to reactivate HIV from latent reservoirs followed by administration of anti-HIV drugs represent a promising strategy for eradicating latent HIV. To achieve effective shock and kill, we describe a strategy to eradicate the HIV reservoir that combines latency reversing agents (LRAs), broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), and natural killer (NK) cells. This strategy utilizes a polymer nanodepot (ND) that co-encapsulates the LRA and bnAb to reactivate latent infection and elicit enhanced cytotoxicity from co-administered NK cells. Methods: Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NDs were synthesized using the nanoprecipitation method to co-encapsulate an LRA (TNF-α) and a bnAb (3BNC117) (TNF-α-3BNC117-NDs). ACH-2 cells were used as a cellular model of latent HIV infection. An NK92 subline, genetically modified to constitutively express the Fc receptor CD16, was administered to ACH-2 cells in combination with TNF-α-3BNC117-NDs. ACH-2 cell death and extracellular p24 were measured via flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Results: Stable PLGA NDs co-encapsulated TNF-α and 3BNC117 with high efficiencies and released these agents in physiological conditions. NK92 phenotype remained similar in the presence of TNF-α-3BNC117-NDs. TNF-α released from NDs efficiently reactivated HIV in ACH-2 cells, as measured by a 3.0-fold increase in the frequency of intracellular p24 positive cells. Released 3BNC117 neutralized and bound reactivated virus, targeting 57.5% of total ACH-2 cells. Critically, TNF-α-3BNC117-NDs significantly enhanced NK92 cell-mediated killing of ACH-2 cells (1.9-fold) and reduced extracellular levels of p24 to baseline. Conclusion: These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of our novel ND-based tripartite strategy to reactivate HIV from latently infected cells, generate an HIV-specific site for bnAb binding, and enhance the killing of reactivated HIV-infected target cells by NK92 cells.

Co-transducing B7H3 CAR-NK cells with the DNR preserves their cytolytic function against GBM in the presence of exogenous TGF-ß.

Cord blood (CB)-derived natural killer (NK) cells that are genetically engineered to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) are an attractive off-the-shelf therapy for the treatment of cancer, demonstrating a robust safety profile in vivo. For poor prognosis brain tumors such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), novel therapies are urgently needed. Although CAR-T cells demonstrate efficacy in preclinical GBM models, an off-the-shelf product may exhibit unwanted side effects like graft-versus-host disease. Hence, we developed an off-the-shelf CAR-NK cell approach using a B7H3 CAR and showed that CAR-transduced NK cells have robust cytolytic activity against GBM cells in vitro. However, transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß within the tumor microenvironment has devastating effects on the cytolytic activity of both unmodified and CAR-transduced NK cells. To overcome this potent immune suppression, we demonstrated that co-transducing NK cells with a B7H3 CAR and a TGF-ß dominant negative receptor (DNR) preserves cytolytic function in the presence of exogenous TGF-ß. This study demonstrates that a novel DNR and CAR co-expression strategy may be a promising therapeutic for recalcitrant CNS tumors like GBM.

The HIV Latency Reversal Agent HODHBt Enhances NK Cell Effector and Memory-Like Functions by Increasing Interleukin-15-Mediated STAT Activation.

Elimination of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoirs is a critical endpoint to eradicate HIV. One therapeutic intervention against latent HIV is "shock and kill." This strategy is based on the transcriptional activation of latent HIV with a latency-reversing agent (LRA) with the consequent killing of the reactivated cell by either the cytopathic effect of HIV or the immune system. We have previously found that the small molecule 3-hydroxy-1,2,3-benzotriazin-4(3H)-one (HODHBt) acts as an LRA by increasing signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) factor activation mediated by interleukin-15 (IL-15) in cells isolated from aviremic participants. The IL-15 superagonist N-803 is currently under clinical investigation to eliminate latent reservoirs. IL-15 and N-803 share similar mechanisms of action by promoting the activation of STATs and have shown some promise in preclinical models directed toward HIV eradication. In this work, we evaluated the ability of HODHBt to enhance IL-15 signaling in natural killer (NK) cells and the biological consequences associated with increased STAT activation in NK cell effector and memory-like functions. We showed that HODHBt increased IL-15-mediated STAT phosphorylation in NK cells, resulting in increases in the secretion of CXCL-10 and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and the expression of cytotoxic proteins, including granzyme B, granzyme A, perforin, granulysin, FASL, and TRAIL. This increased cytotoxic profile results in increased cytotoxicity against HIV-infected cells and different tumor cell lines. HODHBt also improved the generation of cytokine-induced memory-like NK cells. Overall, our data demonstrate that enhancing the magnitude of IL-15 signaling with HODHBt favors NK cell cytotoxicity and memory-like generation, and thus, targeting this pathway could be further explored for HIV cure interventions. IMPORTANCE Several clinical trials targeting the HIV latent reservoir with LRAs have been completed. In spite of a lack of clinical benefit, they have been crucial to elucidate hurdles that "shock and kill" strategies have to overcome to promote an effective reduction of the latent reservoir to lead to a cure. These hurdles include low reactivation potential mediated by LRAs, the negative influence of some LRAs on the activity of natural killer and effector CD8 T cells, an increased resistance to apoptosis of latently infected cells, and an exhausted immune system due to chronic inflammation. To that end, finding therapeutic strategies that can overcome some of these challenges could improve the outcome of shock and kill strategies aimed at HIV eradication. Here, we show that the LRA HODHBt also improves IL-15-mediated NK cell effector and memory-like functions. As such, pharmacological enhancement of IL-15-mediated STAT activation can open new therapeutic avenues toward an HIV cure.

Comparable transforming growth factor beta-mediated immune suppression in ex vivo-expanded natural killer cells from cord blood and peripheral blood: implications for adoptive immunotherapy.

T cell-based therapies like genetically modified immune cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors have shown robust anti-cancer activity in vivo, especially in patients with blood cancers. However, extending this approach to an "off-the-shelf" setting can be challenging, as allogeneic T cells carry a significant risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). By contrast, allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells recognize malignant cells without the need for prior antigen exposure and have been used safely in multiple cancer settings without the risk of GVHD. However, similar to T cells, NK cell function is negatively impacted by tumor-induced transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) secretion, which is a ubiquitous and potent immunosuppressive mechanism employed by most malignancies. Allogeneic NK cells for adoptive immunotherapy can be sourced from peripheral blood (PB) or cord blood (CB), and the authors' group and others have previously shown that ex vivo expansion and gene engineering can overcome CB-derived NK cells' functional immaturity and poor cytolytic activity, including in the presence of exogenous TGF-ß.  However, a direct comparison of the effects of TGF-ß-mediated immune suppression on ex vivo-expanded CB- versus PB-derived NK cell therapy products has not previously been performed. Here the authors show that PB- and CB-derived NK cells have distinctive gene signatures that can be overcome by ex vivo expansion. Additionally, exposure to exogenous TGF-ß results in an upregulation of inhibitory receptors on NK cells, a novel immunosuppressive mechanism not previously described. Finally, the authors provide functional and genetic evidence that both PB- and CB-derived NK cells are equivalently susceptible to TGF-ß-mediated immune suppression. The authors believe these results provide important mechanistic insights to consider when using ex vivo-expanded, TGF-ß-resistant PB- or CB-derived NK cells as novel immunotherapy agents for cancer.

A biomarker panel for risk of early respiratory failure following hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Plasma biomarkers associated with respiratory failure (RF) following hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have not been identified. Therefore, we aimed to validate early (7 and 14 days post-HCT) risk biomarkers for RF. Using tandem mass spectrometry, we compared plasma obtained at day 14 post-HCT from 15 patients with RF and 15 patients without RF. Six candidate proteins, from this discovery cohort or identified in the literature, were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in day-7 and day-14 post-HCT samples from the training (n = 213) and validation (n = 119) cohorts. Cox proportional-hazard analyses with biomarkers dichotomized by Youden's index, as well as landmark analyses to determine the association between biomarkers and RF, were performed. Of the 6 markers, Stimulation-2 (ST2), WAP 4-disulfide core domain protein 2 (WFDC2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), measured at day 14 post-HCT, had the most significant association with an increased risk for RF in the training cohort (ST2: hazard ratio [HR], 4.5, P = .004; WFDC2: HR, 4.2, P = .010; IL-6: HR, 6.9, P < .001; and TFNR1: HR, 6.1, P < .001) and in the validation cohort (ST2: HR, 23.2, P = .013; WFDC2: HR, 18.2, P = .019; IL-6: HR, 12.2, P = .014; and TFNR1: HR, 16.1, P = .001) after adjusting for the conditioning regimen. Using cause-specific landmark analyses, including days 7 and 14, high plasma levels of ST2, WFDC2, IL-6, and TNFR1 were associated with an increased HR for RF in the training and validation cohorts. These biomarkers were also predictive of mortality from RF. ST2, WFDC2, IL-6 and TNFR1 levels measured early posttransplantation improve risk stratification for RF and its related mortality.

The generation and application of antigen-specific T cell therapies for cancer and viral-associated disease.

Immunotherapy with antigen-specific T cells is a promising, targeted therapeutic option for patients with cancer as well as for immunocompromised patients with virus infections. In this review, we characterize and compare current manufacturing protocols for the generation of T cells specific to viral and non-viral tumor-associated antigens. Specifically, we discuss: (1) the different methodologies to expand virus-specific T cell and non-viral tumor-associated antigen-specific T cell products, (2) an overview of the immunological principles involved when developing such manufacturing protocols, and (3) proposed standardized methodologies for the generation of polyclonal, polyfunctional antigen-specific T cells irrespective of donor source. Ex vivo expanded cells have been safely administered to treat numerous patients with virus-associated malignancies, hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors. Hence, we have performed a comprehensive review of the clinical trial results evaluating the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of these products in the clinic. In summary, this review seeks to provide new insights regarding antigen-specific T cell technology to benefit a rapidly expanding T cell therapy field.

Spike-directed vaccination elicits robust spike-specific T-cell response, including to mutant strains.

Although most studies describing coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine responses have focused on antibodies, there is increasing evidence that T cells play a critical role. Here the authors evaluated T-cell responses in seronegative donors before and after vaccination to define responses to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reference strain as well as to mutations in the variant strains Alpha/B.1.1.7 and Beta/B.1.351. The authors observed enhanced T-cell responses to reference and variant spike strains post-vaccination.

NK Cell Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cancer: Evaluating Recognition Strategies and Overcoming Limitations.

Natural killer (NK) cells, the primary effector cells of the innate immune system, utilize multiple strategies to recognize tumor cells by (1) detecting the presence of activating receptor ligands, which are often upregulated in cancer; (2) targeting cells that have a loss of major histocompatibility complex (MHC); and (3) binding to antibodies that bind to tumor-specific antigens on the tumor cell surface. All these strategies have been successfully harnessed in adoptive NK cell immunotherapies targeting cancer. In this review, we review the applications of NK cell therapies across different tumor types. Similar to other forms of immunotherapy, tumor-induced immune escape and immune suppression can limit NK cell therapies' efficacy. Therefore, we also discuss how these limitations can be overcome by conferring NK cells with the ability to redirect their tumor-targeting capabilities and survive the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, we also discuss how future iterations can benefit from combination therapies with other immunotherapeutic agents.

Engineered Antigen-Specific T Cells Secreting Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies: Combining Innate and Adaptive Immune Response against HIV.

While antiretroviral therapy (ART) can completely suppress viremia, it is not a cure for HIV. HIV persists as a latent reservoir of infected cells, able to evade host immunity and re-seed infection following cessation of ART. Two promising immunotherapeutic strategies to eliminate both productively infected cells and reactivated cells of the reservoir are the adoptive transfer of potent HIV-specific T cells and the passive administration of HIV-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies also capable of mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). The simultaneous use of both as the basis of a single therapeutic has never been explored. We therefore sought to modify HIV-specific T cells from HIV-naive donors (to allow their use in the context of allotransplant, a promising platform for sterilizing cures) so they are able to secrete a broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) directed against the HIV envelope to elicit ADCC. We designed an antibody construct comprising bNAb 10-1074 heavy and light chains, fused to IgG3 Fc to elicit ADCC, with truncated cluster of differentiation 19 (CD19) as a selectable marker. HIV-specific T cells were expanded from HIV-naive donors by priming with antigen-presenting cells expressing overlapping HIV antigens in the presence of cytokines. T cells retained specificity against Gag, Nef, and Pol peptides (218.55 ± 300.14 interferon γ [IFNγ] spot-forming cells [SFC]/1 × 105) following transduction (38.92 ± 25.30) with the 10-1074 antibody constructs. These cells secreted 10-1074 antibodies (139.04 ± 114.42 ng/mL). The HIV-specific T cells maintained T cell function following transduction, and the secreted 10-1074 antibody bound HIV envelope (28.13% ± 19.42%) and displayed ADCC activity (10.47% ± 4.11%). Most critically, the 10-1074 antibody-secreting HIV-specific T cells displayed superior in vitro suppression of HIV replication. In summary, HIV-specific T cells can be engineered to produce antibodies mediating ADCC against HIV envelope-expressing cells. This combined innate/adaptive approach allows for synergy between the two immune arms, broadens the target range of the immune therapy, and provides further insight into what defines an effective anti-HIV response.

Cancer Moonshot Immuno-Oncology Translational Network (IOTN): accelerating the clinical translation of basic discoveries for improving immunotherapy and immunoprevention of cancer.

Despite regulatory approval of several immune-based treatments for cancer in the past decade, a number of barriers remain to be addressed in order to fully harness the therapeutic potential of the immune system and provide benefits for patients with cancer. As part of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, the Immuno-Oncology Translational Network (IOTN) was established to accelerate the translation of basic discoveries to improve immunotherapy outcomes across the spectrum of adult cancers and to develop immune-based approaches that prevent cancers before they occur. The IOTN currently consists of 32 academic institutions in the USA. By leveraging cutting-edge preclinical research in immunotherapy and immunoprevention, open data and resource sharing, and fostering highly collaborative team science across the immuno-oncology ecosystem, the IOTN is designed to accelerate the generation of novel mechanism-driven immune-based cancer prevention and therapies, and the development of safe and effective personalized immuno-oncology approaches.

Assessment of ST2 for risk of death following graft-versus-host disease in pediatric and adult age groups.

Assessment of prognostic biomarkers of nonrelapse mortality (NRM) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in the pediatric age group is lacking. To address this need, we conducted a prospective cohort study with 415 patients at 6 centers: 170 were children age 10 years or younger and 245 were patients older than age 10 years (both children and adults were accrued from 2013 to 2018). The following 4 plasma biomarkers were assessed pre-HCT and at days +7, +14, and +21 post-HCT: stimulation-2 (ST2), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), regenerating islet-derived protein 3α (REG3α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). We performed landmark analyses for NRM, dichotomizing the cohort at age 10 years or younger and using each biomarker median as a cutoff for high- and low-risk groups. Post-HCT biomarker analysis showed that ST2 (>26 ng/mL), TNFR1 (>3441 pg/mL), and REG3α (>25 ng/mL) are associated with NRM in children age 10 years or younger (ST2: hazard ratio [HR], 9.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.74-30.38; P = .0003; TNFR1: HR, 4.29; 95% CI, 1.48-12.48; P = .0073; REG3α: HR, 7.28; 95% CI, 2.05-25.93; P = .0022); and in children and adults older than age 10 years (ST2: HR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.15-5.86; P = .021; TNFR1: HR, 2.09; 95% CI, 0.96-4.58; P = .06; and REG3α: HR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.19-5.55; P = .016). When pre-HCT biomarkers were included, only ST2 remained significant in both cohorts. After adjustment for significant covariates (race/ethnicity, malignant disease, graft, and graft-versus-host-disease prophylaxis), ST2 remained associated with NRM only in recipients age 10 years or younger (HR, 4.82; 95% CI, 1.89-14.66; P = .0056). Assays of ST2, TNFR1, and REG3α in the first 3 weeks after HCT have prognostic value for NRM in both children and adults. The presence of ST2 before HCT is a prognostic biomarker for NRM in children age 10 years or younger allowing for additional stratification. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02194439.

Medulloblastoma rendered susceptible to NK-cell attack by TGFß neutralization.

BACKGROUND: Medulloblastoma (MB), the most common pediatric brain cancer, presents with a poor prognosis in a subset of patients with high risk disease, or at recurrence, where current therapies are ineffective. Cord blood (CB) natural killer (NK) cells may be promising off-the-shelf effector cells for immunotherapy due to their recognition of malignant cells without the need for a known target, ready availability from multiple banks, and their potential to expand exponentially. However, they are currently limited by immune suppressive cytokines secreted in the MB tumor microenvironment including Transforming Growth Factor ß (TGF-ß). Here, we address this challenge in in vitro models of MB. METHODS: CB-derived NK cells were modified to express a dominant negative TGF-ß receptor II (DNRII) using retroviral transduction. The ability of transduced CB cells to maintain function in the presence of medulloblastoma-conditioned media was then assessed. RESULTS: We observed that the cytotoxic ability of nontransduced CB-NK cells was reduced in the presence of TGF-ß-rich, medulloblastoma-conditioned media (21.21 ± 1.19% killing at E:T 5:1 in the absence vs. 14.98 ± 2.11% in the presence of medulloblastoma-conditioned media, n = 8, p = 0.02), but was unaffected in CB-derived DNRII-transduced NK cells (21.11 ± 1.84% killing at E:T 5:1 in the absence vs. 21.81 ± 3.37 in the presence of medulloblastoma-conditioned media, n = 8, p = 0.85. We also observed decreased expression of CCR2 in untransduced NK cells (mean CCR2 MFI 826 ± 117 in untransduced NK + MB supernatant from mean CCR2 MFI 1639.29 ± 215 in no MB supernatant, n = 7, p = 0.0156), but not in the transduced cells. Finally, we observed that CB-derived DNRII-transduced NK cells may protect surrounding immune cells by providing a cytokine sink for TGF-ß (decreased TGF-ß levels of 610 ± 265 pg/mL in CB-derived DNRII-transduced NK cells vs. 1817 ± 342 pg/mL in untransduced cells; p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: CB NK cells expressing a TGF-ß DNRII may have a functional advantage over unmodified NK cells in the presence of TGF-ß-rich MB, warranting further investigation on its potential applications for patients with medulloblastoma.

Mycobacteria-Specific T Cells May Be Expanded From Healthy Donors and Are Near Absent in Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders.

Mycobacterial Infections can be severe in patients with T-cell deficiency or phagocyte disorders, and treatment is frequently complicated by antimicrobial resistance. Restoration of T-cell immunity via stem cell transplantation facilitates control of mycobacterial infections, but presence of active infections during transplantation is associated with a higher risk of mortality. Adoptive T cell immunotherapy has been successful in targeting viruses, but has not been attempted to treat mycobacterial infections. We sought to expand and characterize mycobacterial-specific T-cells derived from healthy donors in order to determine suitability for adoptive immunotherapy. Mycobacteria-specific T-cells (MSTs) were generated from 10 healthy donors using a rapid ex vivo expansion protocol targeting five known mycobacterial target proteins (AG85B, PPE68, ESXA, ESXB, and ADK). MSTs were compared to T-cells expanded from the same donors using lysate from M. tuberculosis or purified protein derivative from M. avium (sensitin). MST expansion from seven patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID) and two patients with IFN-γ autoantibodies and invasive M. avium infections. MSTs expanded from healthy donors recognized a median of 3 of 5 antigens, with production of IFN-γ, TNF, and GM-CSF in CD4+ T cells. Comparison of donors who received BCG vaccine (n = 6) to those who did not (n = 4) showed differential responses to PPE68 (p = 0.028) and ADK (p = 0.015) by IFN-γ ELISpot. MSTs expanded from lysate or sensitin also recognized multiple mycobacterial antigens, with a statistically significant differences noted only in the response to PPE68 (p = 0.016). MSTs expanded from patients with primary immunodeficiency (PID) and invasive mycobacterial infections showed activity against mycobacterial antigens in only two of seven subjects, whereas both patients with IFN-γ autoantibodies recognized mycobacterial antigens. Thus, MSTs can be generated from donors using a rapid expansion protocol regardless of history of BCG immunization. Most tested PID patients had no detectable T-cell immunity to mycobacteria despite history of infection. MSTs may have clinical utility for adoptive immunotherapy in T-cell deficient patients with invasive mycobacterial infections.

Beyond CAR T Cells: Other Cell-Based Immunotherapeutic Strategies Against Cancer.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells have successfully harnessed T cell immunity against malignancies, but they are by no means the only cell therapies in development for cancer. Main Text Summary: Systemic immunity is thought to play a key role in combatting neoplastic disease; in this vein, genetic modifications meant to explore other components of T cell immunity are being evaluated. In addition, other immune cells-from both the innate and adaptive compartments-are in various stages of clinical application. In this review, we focus on these non-CAR T cell immunotherapeutic approaches for malignancy. The first section describes engineering T cells to express non-CAR constructs, and the second section describes other gene-modified cells used to target malignancy. Conclusions: CAR T cell therapies have demonstrated the clinical benefits of harnessing our body's own defenses to combat tumor cells. Similar research is being conducted on lesser known modifications and gene-modified immune cells, which we highlight in this review.

A New Method for Reactivating and Expanding T Cells Specific for Rhizopus oryzae.

Mucormycosis is responsible for an increasing proportion of deaths after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Because this disease is associated with severe immunodeficiency and has shown resistance to even the newest antifungal agents, we determined the feasibility of reactivating and expanding Rhizopus oryzae-specific T cells for use as adoptive immunotherapy in transplant recipients. R. oryzae extract-pulsed monocytes were used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors, in the presence of different cytokine combinations. The generated R. oryzae-specific T cell products were phenotyped after the third stimulation and further characterized by the use of antibodies that block class I/II molecules, as well as pattern recognition receptors. Despite the very low frequency of R. oryzae-specific T cells of healthy donors, we found that stimulation with interleukin-2 (IL-2)/IL-7 cytokine combination could expand these rare cells. The expanded populations included 17%-83% CD4+ T cells that were specific for R. oryzae antigens. Besides interferon-γ (IFN-γ), these cells secreted IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and recognized fungal antigens presented by HLA-II molecules rather than through nonspecific signaling. The method described herein is robust and reproducible, and could be used to generate adequate quantities of activated R. oryzae-specific T cells for clinical testing of safety and antifungal efficacy in patients with mucormycosis.

HIV-Specific T Cells Generated from Naive T Cells Suppress HIV In Vitro and Recognize Wide Epitope Breadths.

The Berlin Patient represents the first and only functional HIV cure achieved by hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). In subsequent efforts to replicate this result, HIV rebounded post-HSCT after withdrawal of antiretroviral therapy. Providing HIV-specific immunity through adoptive T cell therapy may prevent HIV rebound post-HSCT by eliminating newly infected cells before they can seed systemic infection. Adoptive T cell therapy has demonstrated success in boosting Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus-specific immunity post-HSCT, controlling viral reactivation. However, T cell immunotherapies to boost HIV-specific immunity have been limited by single-epitope specificity and minimal persistence or efficacy in vivo. To improve this strategy, we sought to generate allogeneic HIV-specific T cells from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A02+ HIV-negative adult or cord blood donors. We focused on HLA-A02+ donors due to well-characterized epitope restrictions observed in HIV+ populations. We show that multi-antigen HIV-specific T cells can be generated from naive T cells of both cord blood and adults using a reproducible good manufacturing practice (GMP)-grade protocol. This product lysed antigen-pulsed targets and suppressed active HIV in vitro. Interestingly, these cells displayed broad epitope recognition despite lacking recognition of the common HLA-A02-restricted HIV epitope Gag SL9. This first demonstration of functional multi-antigen HIV-specific T cells has implications for improving treatment of HIV through allogeneic HSCT.

Tumor-Specific T-Cells Engineered to Overcome Tumor Immune Evasion Induce Clinical Responses in Patients With Relapsed Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Purpose Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) production in the tumor microenvironment is a potent and ubiquitous tumor immune evasion mechanism that inhibits the expansion and function of tumor-directed responses; therefore, we conducted a clinical study to discover the effects of the forced expression of a dominant-negative TGF-ß receptor type 2 (DNRII) on the safety, survival, and activity of infused tumor-directed T cells. Materials and Methods In a dose escalation study, eight patients with Epstein Barr virus-positive Hodgkin lymphoma received two to 12 doses of between 2 × 107 and 1.5 × 108 cells/m2 of DNRII-expressing T cells with specificity for the Epstein Barr virus-derived tumor antigens, latent membrane protein (LMP)-1 and LMP-2 (DNRII-LSTs). Lymphodepleting chemotherapy was not used before infusion. Results DNRII-LSTs were resistant to otherwise inhibitory concentrations of TGF-ß in vitro and retained their tumor antigen-specific activity. After infusion, the signal from transgenic T cells in peripheral blood increased up to 100-fold as measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the transgene, with a corresponding increase in the frequency of functional LMP-specific T cells. Expansion was not associated with any acute or long-term toxicity. DNRII-LSTs persisted for up to ≥ 4 years. Four of the seven evaluable patients with active disease achieved clinical responses that were complete and ongoing in two patients at > 4 years, including in one patient who achieved only a partial response to unmodified tumor-directed T cells. Conclusion TGF-ß-resistant tumor-specific T cells safely expand and persist in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma without lymphodepleting chemotherapy before infusion. DNRII-LSTs can induce complete responses even in patients with resistant disease. Expression of DNRII may be useful for the many other tumors that exploit this potent immune evasion mechanism.

Human papilloma virus-specific T cells can be generated from naïve T cells for use as an immunotherapeutic strategy for immunocompromised patients.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is a known cause of cervical cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and laryngeal cancer. Although treatments exist for HPV-associated malignancies, patients unresponsive to these therapies have a poor prognosis. Recent findings from vaccine studies suggest that T-cell immunity is essential for disease control. Because Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-specific T cells have been highly successful in treating or preventing EBV-associated tumors, we hypothesized that the development of a manufacturing platform for HPV-specific T cells from healthy donors could be used in a third-party setting to treat patients with high-risk/relapsed HPV-associated cancers. Most protocols for generating virus-specific T cells require prior exposure of the donor to the targeted virus and, because the seroprevalence of high-risk HPV types varies greatly by age and ethnicity, manufacturing of donor-derived HPV-specific T cells has proven challenging. We, therefore, made systematic changes to our current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant protocols to improve antigen presentation, priming and expansion for the manufacture of high-efficacy HPV-specific T cells. Like others, we found that current methodologies fail to expand HPV-specific T cells from most healthy donors. By optimizing dendritic cell maturation and function with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon (IFN)γ, adding interleukin (IL)-21 during priming and depleting memory T cells, we achieved reliable expansion of T cells specific for oncoproteins E6 and E7 to clinically relevant amounts (mean, 578-fold expansion; n = 10), which were polyfunctional based on cytokine multiplex analysis. In the third-party setting, such HPV-specific T-cell products might serve as a potent salvage therapy for patients with HPV-associated diseases.