Expanded NK cells used for adoptive cell therapy maintain diverse clonality and contain long-lived memory-like NK cell populations.

Multiple clinical trials exploring the potential of adoptive natural killer (NK) cell therapy for cancer have employed ex vivo expansion using feeder cells to obtain large numbers of NK cells. We have previously utilized the rhesus macaque model to clonally track the NK cell progeny of barcode-transduced CD34+ stem and progenitor cells after transplant. In this study, NK cells from barcoded rhesus macaques were used to study the changes in NK cell clonal patterns that occurred during ex vivo expansion using culture protocols similar to those employed in clinical preparation of human NK cells including irradiated lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) feeder cells or K562 cells expressing 4-1BBL and membrane-bound interleukin-21 (IL-21). NK expansion cultures resulted in the proliferation of clonally diverse NK cells, which, at day 14 harvest, contained greater than 50% of the starting barcode repertoire. Diversity as measured by Shannon index was maintained after culture. With both LCL and K562 feeders, proliferation of long-lived putative memory-like NK cell clones was observed, with these clones continuing to constitute a mean of 31% of the total repertoire of expanded cells. These experiments provide insight into the clonal makeup of expanded NK cell clinical products.

Efficacy of Flotetuzumab in Combination with Cytarabine in Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a poor prognosis despite the intensification of chemotherapy. Future efforts to improve outcomes should focus on more precise targeting of leukemia cells. CD123, or IL3RA, is expressed on the surface of nearly all pediatric AML samples and is a high-priority target for immunotherapy. The efficacy of an investigational dual-affinity retargeting antibody (DART) molecule (CD123 × CD3; MGD006 or flotetuzumab) was assessed in two distinct patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of pediatric AML. MGD006 simultaneously binds to CD123 on target cells and CD3 on effector T cells, thereby activating T cells and redirecting them to induce cytotoxicity in target cells. The concurrent treatment of cytarabine and MGD006 was performed to determine the effect of cytarabine on T-cell counts and MGD006 activity. Treatment with MGD006 along with an allogeneic human T-cell infusion to act as effector cells induced durable responses in both PDX models, with CD123 positivity. This effect was sustained in mice treated with a combination of MGD006 and cytarabine in the presence of T cells. MGD006 enhanced T-cell proliferation and decreased the burden of AML blasts in the peripheral blood with or without cytarabine treatment. These data demonstrate the efficacy of MGD006 in prolonging survival in pediatric AML PDX models in the presence of effector T cells and show that the inclusion of cytarabine in the treatment regimen does not interfere with MGD006 activity.

Flotetuzumab as salvage immunotherapy for refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

Approximately 50% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients do not respond to induction therapy (primary induction failure [PIF]) or relapse after <6 months (early relapse [ER]). We have recently shown an association between an immune-infiltrated tumor microenvironment (TME) and resistance to cytarabine-based chemotherapy but responsiveness to flotetuzumab, a bispecific DART antibody-based molecule to CD3ε and CD123. This paper reports the results of a multicenter, open-label, phase 1/2 study of flotetuzumab in 88 adults with relapsed/refractory AML: 42 in a dose-finding segment and 46 at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 500 ng/kg per day. The most frequent adverse events were infusion-related reactions (IRRs)/cytokine release syndrome (CRS), largely grade 1-2. Stepwise dosing during week 1, pretreatment dexamethasone, prompt use of tocilizumab, and temporary dose reductions/interruptions successfully prevented severe IRR/CRS. Clinical benefit accrued to PIF/ER patients showing an immune-infiltrated TME. Among 30 PIF/ER patients treated at the RP2D, the complete remission (CR)/CR with partial hematological recovery (CRh) rate was 26.7%, with an overall response rate (CR/CRh/CR with incomplete hematological recovery) of 30.0%. In PIF/ER patients who achieved CR/CRh, median overall survival was 10.2 months (range, 1.87-27.27), with 6- and 12-month survival rates of 75% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.450-1.05) and 50% (95% CI, 0.154-0.846). Bone marrow transcriptomic analysis showed that a parsimonious 10-gene signature predicted CRs to flotetuzumab (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.904 vs 0.672 for the European LeukemiaNet classifier). Flotetuzumab represents an innovative experimental approach associated with acceptable safety and encouraging evidence of activity in PIF/ER patients. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02152956.

Intrabone transplantation of CD34+ cells with optimized delivery does not enhance engraftment in a rhesus macaque model.

Intrabone (IB) injection of umbilical cord blood has been proposed as a potential mechanism to improve transplant engraftment and prevent graft failure. However, conventional IB techniques produce low retention of transplanted cells in the marrow. To overcome this barrier, we developed an optimized IB (OIB) injection method using low-volume, computer-controlled slow infusion that promotes cellular retention in the marrow. Here, we compare engraftment of CD34+ cells transplanted in a myeloablative rhesus macaque (RM) model using the OIB method compared with IV delivery. RM CD34+ cells obtained by apheresis were split equally for transduction with lentiviral vectors encoding either green fluorescent protein or yellow fluorescent protein reporters. Following conditioning, one marked autologous population of CD34+ cells was injected directly IB using the OIB method and the other was injected via slow IV push into the same animal (n = 3). Daily flow cytometry of blood quantified the proportion of engrafting cells deriving from each source. Marrow retention was examined using positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of 89Zirconium (89Zr)-oxine-labeled CD34+ cells. CD34+ cells injected via the OIB method were retained in the marrow and engrafted in all 3 animals. However, OIB-transplanted progenitor cells did not engraft any faster than those delivered IV and contributed significantly less to hematopoiesis than IV-delivered cells at all time points. Rigorous testing of our OIB delivery system in a competitive RM myeloablative transplant model showed no engraftment advantage over conventional IV infusion. Given the increased complexity and potential risks of IB vs IV approaches, our data do not support IB transplantation as a strategy to improve hematopoietic engraftment.

TP53 abnormalities correlate with immune infiltration and associate with response to flotetuzumab immunotherapy in AML.

Somatic TP53 mutations and 17p deletions with genomic loss of TP53 occur in 37% to 46% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with adverse-risk cytogenetics and correlate with primary induction failure, high risk of relapse, and dismal prognosis. Herein, we aimed to characterize the immune landscape of TP53-mutated AML and determine whether TP53 abnormalities identify a patient subgroup that may benefit from immunotherapy with flotetuzumab, an investigational CD123 × CD3 bispecific dual-affinity retargeting antibody (DART) molecule. The NanoString PanCancer IO360 assay was used to profile 64 diagnostic bone marrow (BM) samples from patients with TP53-mutated (n = 42) and TP53-wild-type (TP53-WT) AML (n = 22) and 45 BM samples from patients who received flotetuzumab for relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML (15 cases with TP53 mutations and/or 17p deletion). The comparison between TP53-mutated and TP53-WT primary BM samples showed higher expression of IFNG, FOXP3, immune checkpoints, markers of immune senescence, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt and NF-κB signaling intermediates in the former cohort and allowed the discovery of a 34-gene immune classifier prognostic for survival in independent validation series. Finally, 7 out of 15 patients (47%) with R/R AML and TP53 abnormalities showed complete responses to flotetuzumab (<5% BM blasts) on the CP-MGD006-01 clinical trial (NCT #02152956) and had significantly higher tumor inflammation signature, FOXP3, CD8, inflammatory chemokine, and PD1 gene expression scores at baseline compared with nonresponders. Patients with TP53 abnormalities who achieved a complete response experienced prolonged survival (median, 10.3 months; range, 3.3-21.3 months). These results encourage further study of flotetuzumab immunotherapy in patients with TP53-mutated AML.

Margetuximab plus pembrolizumab in patients with previously treated, HER2-positive gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma (CP-MGAH22-05): a single-arm, phase 1b-2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Margetuximab, a novel, investigational, Fc-engineered, anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, is designed to more effectively potentiate innate immunity than trastuzumab. We aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and antitumour activity of margetuximab plus pembrolizumab (an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody) in previously treated patients with HER2-positive gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma. METHODS: CP-MGAH22-05 was a single-arm, open-label, phase 1b-2 dose-escalation and cohort expansion study done at 11 academic centres in the USA and Canada and 15 centres in southeast Asia (Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore) that enrolled men and women aged 18 years or older with histologically proven, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic, HER2-positive, PD-L1-unselected gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, who had progressed after at least one previous line of therapy with trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in the locally advanced unresectable or metastatic setting. In the dose-escalation phase, nine patients were treated: three received margetuximab 10 mg/kg intravenously plus pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks and six received the recommended phase 2 dose of margetuximab 15 mg/kg plus pembrolizumab 200 mg intravenously every 3 weeks. An additional 86 patients were enrolled in the phase 2 cohort expansion and received the recommended phase 2 dose. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, assessed in the safety population (patients who received at least one dose of either margetuximab or pembrolizumab) and the objective response rate as assessed by the investigator according to both Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1, in the response-evaluable population (patients with measurable disease at baseline and who received the recommended phase 2 dose of margetuximab and pembrolizumab). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02689284. Recruitment for the trial has completed and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Feb 11, 2016, and Oct 2, 2018, 95 patients were enrolled. Median follow-up was 19·9 months (IQR 10·7-23·1). The combination therapy showed acceptable safety and tolerability; there were no dose-limiting toxicities in the dose-escalation phase. The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were anaemia (four [4%]) and infusion-related reactions (three [3%]). Serious treatment-related adverse events were reported in nine (9%) patients. No treatment-related deaths were reported. Objective responses were observed in 17 (18·48%; 95% CI 11·15-27·93) of 92 evaluable patients. INTERPRETATION: These findings serve as proof of concept of synergistic antitumour activity with the combination of an Fc-optimised anti-HER2 agent (margetuximab) along with anti-PD-1 checkpoint blockade (pembrolizumab). FUNDING: MacroGenics.

Immune landscapes predict chemotherapy resistance and immunotherapy response in acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a molecularly and clinically heterogeneous hematological malignancy. Although immunotherapy may be an attractive modality to exploit in patients with AML, the ability to predict the groups of patients and the types of cancer that will respond to immune targeting remains limited. This study dissected the complexity of the immune architecture of AML at high resolution and assessed its influence on therapeutic response. Using 442 primary bone marrow samples from three independent cohorts of children and adults with AML, we defined immune-infiltrated and immune-depleted disease classes and revealed critical differences in immune gene expression across age groups and molecular disease subtypes. Interferon (IFN)-γ-related mRNA profiles were predictive for both chemotherapy resistance and response of primary refractory/relapsed AML to flotetuzumab immunotherapy. Our compendium of microenvironmental gene and protein profiles provides insights into the immuno-biology of AML and could inform the delivery of personalized immunotherapies to IFN-γ-dominant AML subtypes.

In Vivo Tracking of Adoptively Transferred Natural Killer Cells in Rhesus Macaques Using 89Zirconium-Oxine Cell Labeling and PET Imaging.

PURPOSE: Trials of adoptive natural killer (NK)-cell immunotherapy for hematologic malignancies have thus far shown only marginal effects, despite the potent in vitro antitumor activity of these cells. Homing of infused cells to tumor microenvironments is critical for efficacy, but has not been well characterized. We established a novel method to track and quantify the distribution of adoptively transferred NK cells using rhesus macaques (RM) as a clinically relevant preclinical model. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: RM NK cells were expanded ex vivo for 14-21 days, labeled with 89Zr-oxine complex, and assessed for phenotype, function, and survival. Trafficking of 89Zr-labeled ex vivo-expanded NK cells infused into RMs was monitored and quantitated by serial positron emission tomography (PET)/CT (n = 3, 2.05 ± 0.72 MBq, 23.5 ± 2.0 × 106 NK cells/kg) and compared with that of 89Zr-labeled nonexpanded NK cells, apoptotic NK cells, and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC). RESULTS: NK cells retained sufficient levels of 89Zr for accurate in vivo tracking for 7 days. 89Zr labeling did not alter cellular phenotype, viability, or function. PET/CT showed NK cells initially localized in the lungs, followed by their migration to the liver, spleen, and, at low levels, bone marrow. One day following transfer, only 3.4% of infused NK cells localized to the BM versus 22.1% of HSPCs. No clinical side effects were observed, and dosimetry analysis indicated low organ radioexposures of 6.24 mSv/MBq (spleen) or lower. CONCLUSIONS: These data support translation of this technique to humans to track the distribution of adoptively infused cells and to develop novel techniques to improve immune cell homing to tumor microenvironments.

Dissecting the Immune Landscape of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a molecularly heterogeneous hematological malignancy with variable response to treatment. Recurring cytogenetic abnormalities and molecular lesions identify AML patient subgroups with different survival probabilities; however, 50⁻70% of AML cases harbor either normal or risk-indeterminate karyotypes. The discovery of better biomarkers of clinical success and failure is therefore necessary to inform tailored therapeutic decisions. Harnessing the immune system against cancer with programmed death-1 (PD-1)-directed immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and other immunotherapy agents is an effective therapeutic option for several advanced malignancies. However, durable responses have been observed in only a minority of patients, highlighting the need to gain insights into the molecular features that predict response and to also develop more effective and rational combination therapies that address mechanisms of immune evasion and resistance. We will review the state of knowledge of the immune landscape of AML and identify the broad opportunity to further explore this incompletely characterized space. Multiplexed, spatially-resolved immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry/mass cytometry, proteomic and transcriptomic approaches are advancing our understanding of the complexity of AML-immune interactions and are expected to support the design and expedite the delivery of personalized immunotherapy clinical trials.

Clonal expansion and compartmentalized maintenance of rhesus macaque NK cell subsets.

Natural killer (NK) cells recognize and eliminate infected and malignant cells. Their life histories are poorly understood, particularly in humans, due to lack of informative models and endogenous clonal markers. Here, we apply transplantation of barcoded rhesus macaque hematopoietic cells to interrogate the landscape of NK cell production, expansion, and life histories at a clonal level long term and after proliferative challenge. We identify oligoclonal populations of rhesus CD56-CD16+ NK cells that are characterized by marked expansions and contractions over time yet remained long-term clonally uncoupled from other hematopoietic lineages, including CD56+CD16- NK cells. Individual or groups of CD56-CD16+ expanded clones segregated with surface expression of specific killer immunoglobulin-like receptors. These clonally distinct NK cell subpopulation patterns persisted for more than 4 years, including after transient in vivo anti-CD16-mediated depletion and subsequent regeneration. Profound and sustained interleukin-15-mediated depletion was required to generate new oligoclonal CD56-CD16+ NK cells. Together, our results indicate that linear NK cell production from multipotent hematopoietic progenitors or less mature CD56+CD16- cells is negligible during homeostasis and moderate proliferative stress. In such settings, peripheral compartmentalized self-renewal can maintain the composition of distinct, differentiated NK cell subpopulations.

Adaptive NK cells can persist in patients with GATA2 mutation depleted of stem and progenitor cells.

Heterozygous GATA2 mutation is associated with immunodeficiency, lymphedema, and myelodysplastic syndrome. Disease presentation is variable, often coinciding with loss of circulating dendritic cells, monocytes, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Nonetheless, in a proportion of patients carrying GATA2 mutation, NK cells persist. We found that peripheral blood NK cells in symptomatic patients uniformly lacked expression of the transcription factor promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF), as well as expression of intracellular signaling proteins FcεRγ, spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), and EWS/FLI1-Activated Transcript 2 (EAT-2) in a variegated manner. Moreover, consistent with an adaptive identity, NK cells from patients with GATA2 mutation displayed altered expression of cytotoxic granule constituents and produced interferon-γ upon Fc-receptor engagement but not following combined interleukin-12 (IL-12) and IL-18 stimulation. Canonical, PLZF-expressing NK cells were retained in asymptomatic carriers of GATA2 mutation. Developmentally, GATA-binding protein-2 (GATA-2) was expressed in hematopoietic stem cells, but not in NK-cell progenitors, CD3-CD56bright, canonical, or adaptive CD3-CD56dim NK cells. Peripheral blood NK cells from individuals with GATA2 mutation proliferated normally in vitro, whereas lineage-negative progenitors displayed impaired NK-cell differentiation. In summary, adaptive NK cells can persist in patients with GATA2 mutation, even after NK-cell progenitors expire. Moreover, our data suggest that adaptive NK cells are more long-lived than canonical, immunoregulatory NK cells.

A novel method to expand large numbers of CD56(+) natural killer cells from a minute fraction of selectively accessed cryopreserved cord blood for immunotherapy after transplantation.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is increasingly used to treat acute leukemias. UCB units are thawed and infused in their entirety at transplant, precluding later use as immunotherapy to prevent or treat leukemia relapse. METHODS: We developed a device that selectively thaws only 1 mL of the UCB unit, leaving the remaining UCB unit cryopreserved for subsequent transplantation. We also show that large numbers of CD56(+) natural killer (NK) cells can be expanded from these 1-mL fractions of selectively accessed UCB. Immunomagnetic depletion of CD3(+) cells of the 1-mL fraction was performed, and the cells were subsequently stimulated with irradiated Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines (EBV-LCLs) and set to culture in media containing interleukin (IL)-2. RESULTS: When a 1:20 ratio of total nucleated cells to EBV-LCL feeder cells was used, day-21 and day-35 NK cell cultures initiated from 1 mL of UCB contained a median of 430 × 10(6) (range: 44-4321 × 10(6)) and 6092 × 10(6) (range: 165-20947 × 10(6)) CD3(-)CD56(+) NK cells. These cells expressed high levels of CD161, LFA-1, CD69, NKG2D, NKp30, NKp44, NKp80 and NKp46. UCB-derived NK cells were highly cytotoxic against K562 leukemia cells, although cytotoxicity was slightly lower than in expanded PBMC-derived NK cells. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed and optimized a strategy to selectively access a small fraction from cryopreserved UCB and show that large numbers of CD56(+) cells can be expanded from this selectively accessed fraction. This strategy presents a method to explore whether early adoptive transfer of NK cells expanded from the same UCB unit used for transplantation can prevent leukemic relapse and decrease graft-versus-host disease after UCBT.

MicroRNAs of the immune system: roles in inflammation and cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding to complementary target mRNAs and either promoting their decay or inhibiting their translation. Most eukaryotic genomes studied encode miRNAs, which are processed from longer noncoding transcripts through pathways conserved from fungi to plants to animals. miRNAs are now understood to be key mediators of developmental transitions in a number of model organisms. With respect to the immune system, miRNAs affect all facets of immune system development, from hematopoiesis to activation in response to infection during both the innate and the adaptive immune response. At the same time, miRNA dysregulation is a central event in the development and pathophysiology of a number of cancers of the immune system. Here we will discuss our current understanding of this general regulatory mechanism, focusing on its involvement in inflammation and in oncogenesis.

Protein kinase C as an effector of lipid-derived second messengers.

Members of the protein kinase C family are major effectors of lipid second messengers. We describe three protocols to assess protein kinase C activity in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils). These methods are useful to study the activation and function of protein kinase C in these immune cells. Since neutrophils provide a ready source of human primary tissue, these methods are also useful for pharmacological studies on the protein kinase C system and for evaluation of protein kinase C activators and inhibitors in the context of human primary cells. Furthermore, since protein kinase C activity is determined by a number of lipid-generating signaling systems, the methods described here can also be employed to study the pharmacology of these "upstream" signaling systems.

Involvement of protein kinase D in Fc gamma-receptor activation of the NADPH oxidase in neutrophils.

Protein kinases involved in the activation of the NADPH oxidase by Fc gamma receptors in neutrophils were studied. Of three different protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors, Gö 6976 inhibited the NADPH oxidase completely, whereas bisindolylmaleimide I and Ro 31-8220 caused a 70-80% inhibition. Thus a Gö 6976-sensitive, bisindolylmaleimide I/Ro 31-8220-insensitive component contributes to NADPH oxidase activation induced by Fc gamma receptors. Down-regulation of PKC isotypes resulted in inhibition of Fc gamma-receptor-activated NADPH oxidase, but a down-regulation-insensitive component was still present. This component was sensitive to Gö 6976, but insensitive to Ro 31-8220. It has been shown previously that protein kinase D/PKC-mu (PKD) shows this same pharmacology in vitro. We show that PKD is present in neutrophils and that, in contrast with PKC isotypes, PKD is not down-regulated. Therefore PKD may participate in NADPH oxidase activation. To obtain direct evidence for this we adopted an antisense approach. Antisense PKD inhibited NADPH oxidase induced by Fc gamma-receptor stimulation by 50% and the Ro 31-8220-insensitive component in the activation was inhibited by antisense PKD. In vitro kinase assays showed that PKD is activated by presenting IgG-opsonized particles to neutrophils. Furthermore, PKD localizes to the area of particle intake in the cell and phosphorylates two of the three cytosolic components of the NADPH oxidase, p40(phox) and p47(phox). Taken together, these data indicate that Fc gamma receptors engage PKD in the regulation of the NADPH oxidase.