Immune determinants of CAR-T cell expansion in solid tumor patients receiving GD2 CAR-T cell therapy

Sabina Kaczanowska, Tara Murty, Ahmad Alimadadi, Cristina F. Contreras, Caroline Duault, Priyanka B. Subrahmanyam, Warren Reynolds, Norma A. Gutierrez, Reema Baskar, Catherine J. Wu, Franziska Michor, Jennifer Altreuter, Yang Liu, Aashna Jhaveri, Vandon Duong, Hima Anbunathan, Claire Ong, Hua Zhang, Radim Moravec, Joyce YuRoshni Biswas, Stephen Van Nostrand, James Lindsay, Mina Pichavant, Elena Sotillo, Donna Bernstein, Amanda Carbonell, Joanne Derdak, Jacquelyn Klicka-Skeels, Julia E. Segal, Eva Dombi, Stephanie A. Harmon, Baris Turkbey, Bita Sahaf, Sean Bendall, Holden Maecker, Steven L. Highfill, David Stroncek, John Glod, Melinda Merchant, Catherine C. Hedrick, Crystal L. Mackall, Sneha Ramakrishna, Rosandra N. Kaplan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-Ts) have remarkable efficacy in liquid tumors, but limited responses in solid tumors. We conducted a Phase I trial (NCT02107963) of GD2 CAR-Ts (GD2-CAR.OX40.28.z.iC9), demonstrating feasibility and safety of administration in children and young adults with osteosarcoma and neuroblastoma. Since CAR-T efficacy requires adequate CAR-T expansion, patients were grouped into good or poor expanders across dose levels. Patient samples were evaluated by multi-dimensional proteomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic analyses. T cell assessments identified naive T cells in pre-treatment apheresis associated with good expansion, and exhausted T cells in CAR-T products with poor expansion. Myeloid cell assessment identified CXCR3+ monocytes in pre-treatment apheresis associated with good expansion. Longitudinal analysis of post-treatment samples identified increased CXCR3 classical monocytes in all groups as CAR-T numbers waned. Together, our data uncover mediators of CAR-T biology and correlates of expansion that could be utilized to advance immunotherapies for solid tumor patients.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)35-51.e8
JournalCancer Cell
Volume42
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 8 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • CAR-T cells
  • cancer
  • chimeric antigen receptor
  • correlative studies
  • immune suppression
  • immunotherapy
  • monocytes
  • myeloid cells
  • osteosarcoma
  • pediatric oncology
  • solid tumor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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