T-cell receptor gene therapy targeting melanoma-associated antigen-A4 by silencing of endogenous TCR inhibits tumor growth in mice and human

Cell Death Dis. 2019 Jun 17;10(7):475. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1717-8.

Abstract

Genetically engineered T cells expressing a T-cell receptor (TCR) are powerful tools for cancer treatment and have shown significant clinical effects in sarcoma patients. However, mismatch of the introduced TCR α/β chains with endogenous TCR may impair the expression of transduced TCR, resulting in an insufficient antitumor capacity of modified T cells. Here, we report the development of immunotherapy using human lymphocytes transduced with a codon-optimized melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE)-A4 and HLA-A*2402-restricted TCR, which specifically downregulate endogenous TCR by small interfering RNA (si-TCR). We evaluated the efficacy of this immunotherapy in both NOD-SCID mice and uterine leiomyosarcoma patients. Our results revealed that transduced human lymphocytes exhibited high surface expression of the introduced tumor-specific TCR, enhanced cytotoxic activity against antigen-expressing tumor cells, and increased interferon-γ production by specific MAGE-A4 peptide stimulation. Retarded tumor growth was also observed in NOD-SCID mice inoculated with human tumor cell lines expressing both MAGE-A4 and HLA-A*2402. Furthermore, we report the successful management of a case of uterine leiomyosarcoma treated with MAGE-A4 si-TCR/HLA-A*2402 gene-modified T cells. Our results indicate that the TCR-modified T cell therapy is a promising novel strategy for cancer treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Silencing*
  • Genetic Therapy*
  • HLA-A Antigens / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Leiomyosarcoma / genetics
  • Leiomyosarcoma / therapy
  • Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Melanoma / genetics*
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Melanoma / therapy*
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / therapeutic use*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / genetics
  • Uterine Neoplasms / therapy

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • HLA-A Antigens
  • MAGEA4 protein, human
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Interferon-gamma