CAR-T cells targeting a nucleophosmin neoepitope exhibit potent specific activity in mouse models of acute myeloid leukaemia

Nat Biomed Eng. 2021 May;5(5):399-413. doi: 10.1038/s41551-020-00625-5. Epub 2020 Oct 12.

Abstract

Therapies employing chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) targeting tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) can lead to on-target-off-tumour toxicity and to resistance, owing to TAA expression in normal tissues and to TAA expression loss in tumour cells. These drawbacks can be circumvented by CAR-T cells targeting tumour-specific driver gene mutations, such as the four-nucleotide duplication in the oncogene nucleophosmin (NPM1c), which creates a neoepitope presented by the human leukocyte antigen with the A2 serotype (HLA-A2) that has been observed in about 35% of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Here, we report a human single-chain variable fragment (scFv), identified via yeast surface display, that specifically binds to the NPM1c epitope-HLA-A2 complex but not to HLA-A2 or to HLA-A2 loaded with control peptides. In vitro and in mice, CAR-T cells with the scFv exhibit potent cytotoxicity against NPM1c+HLA-A2+ leukaemia cells and primary AML blasts, but not NPM1c-HLA-A2+ leukaemia cells or HLA-A2- tumour cells. Therapies using NPM1c CAR-T cells for the treatment of NPM1c+HLA-A2+ AML may limit on-target-off-tumour toxicity and tumour resistance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / chemistry
  • Antigens, Neoplasm / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / transplantation*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Proteins / immunology
  • Nucleophosmin
  • PC-3 Cells
  • Proof of Concept Study
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / metabolism*
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / administration & dosage*
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Epitopes
  • HLA-A2 Antigen
  • NPM1 protein, human
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen
  • Single-Chain Antibodies
  • Nucleophosmin

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.12922520