Adoptive Transfer of CD8+ T Cells Generated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Triggers Regressions of Large Tumors Along with Immunological Memory

H Saito, K Okita, AE Chang, F Ito - Cancer research, 2016 - aacrjournals.org
H Saito, K Okita, AE Chang, F Ito
Cancer research, 2016aacrjournals.org
Current approaches to adoptive T-cell therapy are limited by the difficulty of obtaining
sufficient numbers of T cells against targeted antigens with useful in vivo characteristics.
Theoretically, this limitation could be overcome by using induced pluripotent stem cells
(iPSC) that could provide an unlimited source of autologous T cells. However, the
therapeutic efficacy of iPSC-derived regenerated T cells remains to be demonstrated. Here,
we report the first successful reprogramming of T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic CD8+ T …
Abstract
Current approaches to adoptive T-cell therapy are limited by the difficulty of obtaining sufficient numbers of T cells against targeted antigens with useful in vivo characteristics. Theoretically, this limitation could be overcome by using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) that could provide an unlimited source of autologous T cells. However, the therapeutic efficacy of iPSC-derived regenerated T cells remains to be demonstrated. Here, we report the first successful reprogramming of T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic CD8+ T cells into pluripotency. As part of the work, we established a syngeneic mouse model for evaluating in vitro and in vivo antitumor reactivity of regenerated T cells from iPSCs bearing a rearranged TCR of known antigen specificity. Stably TCR retained T-cell–derived iPSCs differentiated into CD4+CD8+ T cells that expressed CD3 and the desired TCR in vitro. Stimulation of iPSC-derived CD4+CD8+ T cells with the cognate antigen in the presence of IL7 and IL15 followed by expansion with IL2, IL7, and IL15 generated large numbers of less-differentiated CD8+ T cells with antigen-specific potent cytokine production and cytolytic capacity. Furthermore, adoptively transferred iPSC-derived CD8+ T cells escaped immune rejection, mediated effective regression of large tumors, improved survival, and established antigen-specific immunological memory. Our findings illustrate the translational potential of iPSCs to provide an unlimited number of phenotypically defined, functional, and expandable autologous antigen-specific T cells with the characteristics needed to enable in vivo effectiveness. Cancer Res; 76(12); 3473–83. ©2016 AACR.
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