Cryopreserved leukapheresis material can be transferred from controlled rate freezers to ultracold storage at warmer temperatures without affecting downstream CAR-T cell culture performance and in-vitro functionality.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies are increasingly adopted as a commercially available treatment for hematologic and solid tumor cancers. As CAR-T therapies reach more patients globally, the cryopreservation and banking of patients' leukapheresis materials is becoming imperative to accommodate intra/inter-national shipping logistical delays and provide greater manufacturing flexibility. This study aims to determine the optimal temperature range for transferring cryopreserved leukapheresis materials from two distinct types of controlled rate freezing systems, Liquid Nitrogen (LN2)-based and LN2-free Conduction Cooling-based, to the ultracold LN2 storage freezer (≤-135 °C), and its impact on CAR T-cell production and functionality. Presented findings demonstrate that there is no significant influence on CAR T-cell expansion, differentiation, or downstream in-vitro function when employing a transfer temperature range spanning from -30 °C to -80 °C for the LN2-based controlled rate freezers as well as for conduction cooling controlled rate freezers. Notably, CAR T-cells generated from cryopreserved leukapheresis materials using the conduction cooling controlled rate freezer exhibited suboptimal performance in certain donors at transfer temperatures lower than -60 °C, possibly due to the reduced cooling rate of lower than 1 °C/min and extended dwelling time needed to reach the final temperatures within these systems. This cohort of data suggests that there is a low risk to transfer cryopreserved leukapheresis materials at higher temperatures (between -30 °C and -60 °C) with good functional recovery using either controlled cooling system, and the cryopreserved materials are suitable to use as the starting material for autologous CAR T-cell therapies.

SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are rapidly expanded for therapeutic use and target conserved regions of the membrane protein.

T-cell responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been described in recovered patients, and may be important for immunity following infection and vaccination as well as for the development of an adoptive immunotherapy for the treatment of immunocompromised individuals. In this report, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells can be expanded from convalescent donors and recognize immunodominant viral epitopes in conserved regions of membrane, spike, and nucleocapsid. Following in vitro expansion using a good manufacturing practice-compliant methodology (designed to allow the rapid translation of this novel SARS-CoV-2 T-cell therapy to the clinic), membrane, spike, and nucleocapsid peptides elicited interferon-γ production, in 27 (59%), 12 (26%), and 10 (22%) convalescent donors (respectively), as well as in 2 of 15 unexposed controls. We identified multiple polyfunctional CD4-restricted T-cell epitopes within a highly conserved region of membrane protein, which induced polyfunctional T-cell responses, which may be critical for the development of effective vaccine and T-cell therapies. Hence, our study shows that SARS-CoV-2 directed T-cell immunotherapy targeting structural proteins, most importantly membrane protein, should be feasible for the prevention or early treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients with blood disorders or after bone marrow transplantation to achieve antiviral control while mitigating uncontrolled inflammation.

Identification of novel HLA-restricted preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma peptides to facilitate off-the-shelf tumor-associated antigen-specific T-cell therapies.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) is a cancer/testis antigen that is overexpressed in many human malignancies and poorly expressed or absent in healthy tissues, making it a good target for anti-cancer immunotherapy. Development of an effective off-the-shelf adoptive T-cell therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors and hematological malignancies expressing PRAME antigen requires the identification of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II PRAME antigens recognized by the tumor-associated antigen (TAA) T-cell product. The authors therefore set out to extend the repertoire of HLA-restricted PRAME peptide epitopes beyond the few already characterized. METHODS: Peptide libraries of 125 overlapping 15-mer peptides spanning the entire PRAME protein sequence were used to identify HLA class I- and II-restricted epitopes. The authors also determined the HLA restriction of the identified epitopes. RESULTS: PRAME-specific T-cell products were successfully generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 12 healthy donors. Ex vivo-expanded T cells were polyclonal, consisting of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which elicited anti-tumor activity in vitro. Nine MHC class I-restricted PRAME epitopes were identified (seven novel and two previously described). The authors also characterized 16 individual 15-mer peptide sequences confirmed as CD4-restricted epitopes. CONCLUSIONS: TAA T cells derived from healthy donors recognize a broad range of CD4+ and CD8+ HLA-restricted PRAME epitopes, which could be used to select suitable donors for generating off-the-shelf TAA-specific T cells.

Critical testing and parameters for consideration when manufacturing and evaluating tumor-associated antigen-specific T cells.

The past year has seen remarkable translation of cellular and gene therapies, with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of three chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell products, multiple gene therapy products, and the initiation of countless other pivotal clinical trials. What makes these new drugs most remarkable is their path to commercialization: they have unique requirements compared with traditional pharmaceutical drugs and require different potency assays, critical quality attributes and parameters, pharmacological and toxicological data, and in vivo efficacy testing. What's more, each biologic requires its own unique set of tests and parameters. Here we describe the unique tests associated with ex vivo-expanded tumor-associated antigen T cells (TAA-T). These tests include functional assays to determine potency, specificity, and identity; tests for pathogenic contaminants, such as bacteria and fungus as well as other contaminants such as Mycoplasma and endotoxin; tests for product characterization, tests to evaluate T-cell persistence and product efficacy; and finally, recommendations for critical quality attributes and parameters associated with the expansion of TAA-Ts.

Cranberry proanthocyanidins have anti-biofilm properties against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

BACKGROUND: Bacteria within a biofilm are phenotypically more resistant to antibiotics, desiccation, and the host immune system, making it an important virulence factor for many microbes. Cranberry juice has long been used to prevent infections of the urinary tract, which are often related to biofilm formation. Recent studies have found that the A-type proanthocyanidins from cranberries have anti-biofilm properties against Escherichia coli. METHODS: Using crystal violet biofilm staining, resazurin metabolism assays, and confocal imaging, we examined the ability of A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs) to disrupt the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We used mass spectrometry to analyze the proteomic effects of PAC treatment. We also performed synergy assays and in vitro and in vivo infections to determine whether PACs, alone and in combination with gentamicin, could contribute to the killing of P. aeruginosa and the survival of cell lines and G. mellonella. RESULTS: Cranberry PACs reduced P. aeruginosa swarming motility. Cranberry PACs significantly disrupted the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa. Proteomics analysis revealed significantly different proteins expressed following PAC treatment. In addition, we found that PACs potentiated the antibiotic activity of gentamicin in an in vivo model of infection using G. mellonella. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that A-type proanthocyanidins may be a useful therapeutic against the biofilm-mediated infections caused by P. aeruginosa and should be further tested.

Changes to culture pH and dissolved oxygen can enhance chimeric antigen receptor T-cell generation and differentiation.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is growing clinically and commercially as a powerful new approach to treat cancer. Understanding how key culture conditions such as pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) affect CAR T-cell generation and function is important in developing better CAR-T manufacturing processes and CAR T-cell therapies for patients. We used the automated mini-bioreactor (AMBR) 15 platform to assess how differences in pH and DO affect CAR T-cell transduction, proliferation, and differentiation. We found that higher pH can significantly improve CAR T-cell transduction and proliferation, and also biases CAR T-cells away from an effector memory and toward a more central memory phenotype. Both high and low DO negatively affect CAR T-cell generation, with both hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions reducing T-cell transduction into CAR T-cells. Collectively, this data underscores how pH and DO can significantly affect CAR T-cell expansion and differentiation, and provides insight into the optimal culture conditions to enhance CAR T-cell yield and phenotype in clinical and commercial processes.

Impact of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Delivery Through Cardiopulmonary Bypass on Postnatal Neurogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental impairment is an important challenge for survivors after neonatal surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The subventricular zone, where most neural stem/progenitors originate, plays a critical role in cortical maturation of the frontal lobe. Promoting neurogenesis in the subventricular zone is therefore a potential therapeutic target for preserving cortical growth. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) promote endogenous regeneration in the rodent brain. We investigated the impact of MSC delivery through CPB on neural stem/progenitor cells and neuroblasts (ie, young neurons) in the piglet subventricular zone. METHODS: Two-week-old piglets (n = 12) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) control, (2) deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, and (3) circulatory arrest, followed by MSC administration. MSCs (10 × 106 per kg) were delivered through CPB during the rewarming period. Neural stem/progenitors, proliferating cells, and neuroblasts were identified with immunohistochemistry at 3 hours after CPB. RESULTS: CPB-induced insults caused an increased proliferation of neural stem/progenitors (P < .05). MSC delivery reduced the acute proliferation. MSC treatment increased the number of neuroblasts in the outer region of the subventricular zone (P < .05) where they form migrating chains toward the frontal lobe. Conversely, the thickness of the neuroblast-dense band along the lateral ventricle was reduced after treatment (P < .05). These findings suggest that MSC treatment changes neuroblast distribution within the subventricular zone. CONCLUSIONS: MSC delivery through CPB has the potential to mitigate effects of CPB on neural stem/progenitor cells and to promote migration of neuroblasts. Further investigation is necessary to determine the long-term effect of MSC treatment during CPB on postnatal neurogenesis.

Immunotherapy of Relapsed and Refractory Solid Tumors With Ex Vivo Expanded Multi-Tumor Associated Antigen Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes: A Phase I Study.

PURPOSE: Tumor-associated antigen cytotoxic T cells (TAA-Ts) represent a new, potentially effective and nontoxic therapeutic approach for patients with relapsed or refractory solid tumors. In this first-in-human trial, we investigated the safety of administering TAA-Ts that target Wilms tumor gene 1, preferentially expressed antigen of melanoma, and survivin to patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TAA-T products were generated from autologous peripheral blood and infused over three dose levels: 1, 2, and 4 × 107 cells/m2. Patients were eligible for up to eight infusions administered 4 to 7 weeks apart. We assessed dose limiting toxicity during the first 45 days after infusion. Disease response was determined within the context of a phase I trial. RESULTS: There were no dose-limiting toxicities. Of 15 evaluable patients, 11 (73%) with stable disease or better at day 45 postinfusion were defined as responders. Six responders remain without progression at a median of 13.9 months (range, 4.1 to 19.9 months) after initial TAA-Ts. Patients who were treated at the highest dose level showed the best clinical outcomes, with a 6-month progression-free survival of 73% after TAA-T infusion compared with a 38% 6-month progression-free survival with prior therapy. Antigen spreading and a reduction in circulating tumor-associated antigens using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction was observed in patients after TAA-T infusion. CONCLUSION: TAA-Ts safely induced disease stabilization, prolonged time to progression, and were associated with antigen spreading and a reduction in circulating tumor-associated antigen DNA levels in patients with relapsed/refractory solid tumors without lymphodepleting chemotherapy before infusion. TAA-Ts are a promising new treatment approach for patients with solid tumors.