Anti-mucin 1 chimeric antigen receptor T cells for adoptive T cell therapy of cholangiocarcinoma

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 18;11(1):6276. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85747-9.

Abstract

Current treatments for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are largely unsuccessful due to late diagnosis at advanced stage, leading to high mortality rate. Consequently, improved therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a newly potential therapy that can recognize specific surface antigen without major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction. Mucin 1 (MUC1) is an attractive candidate antigen as it is highly expressed and associated with poor prognosis and survival in CCA. We, therefore, set forth to create the fourth-generation CAR (CAR4) construct containing anti-MUC1-single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and three co-stimulatory domains (CD28, CD137, and CD27) linked to CD3ζ and evaluate anti-MUC1-CAR4 T cells in CCA models. Compared to untransduced T cells, anti-MUC1-CAR4 T cells produced increased levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ and granzyme B when exposed to MUC1-expressing KKU-100 and KKU-213A CCA cells (all p < 0.05). Anti-MUC1-CAR4 T cells demonstrated specific killing activity against KKU-100 (45.88 ± 7.45%, p < 0.05) and KKU-213A cells (66.03 ± 3.14%, p < 0.001) at an effector to target ratio of 5:1, but demonstrated negligible cytolytic activity against immortal cholangiocytes. Furthermore, the anti-MUC1-CAR4 T cells could effectively disrupt KKU-213A spheroids. These activities of anti-MUC1-CAR4 T cells supports the development of this approach as an adoptive T cell therapeutic strategy for CCA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / therapy*
  • CD28 Antigens / immunology
  • CD3 Complex / immunology
  • Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / immunology*
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / pathology
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / therapy*
  • Coculture Techniques
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods*
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mucin-1 / immunology*
  • Mucin-1 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / genetics
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / immunology*
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / immunology
  • Spheroids, Cellular / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Transfection
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7 / immunology
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 9 / immunology

Substances

  • CD28 Antigens
  • CD3 Complex
  • CD3E protein, human
  • Cytokines
  • MUC1 protein, human
  • Mucin-1
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen
  • Single-Chain Antibodies
  • TNFRSF9 protein, human
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 7
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily, Member 9