Preclinical Evidence of an Allogeneic Dual CD20xCD22 CAR to Target a Broad Spectrum of Patients with B-cell Malignancies.

Despite the remarkable success of autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, some patients relapse due to tumor antigen escape and low or uneven antigen expression, among other mechanisms. Therapeutic options after relapse are limited, emphasizing the need to optimize current approaches. In addition, there is a need to develop allogeneic "off-the-shelf" therapies from healthy donors that are readily available at the time of treatment decision and can overcome limitations of current autologous approaches. To address both challenges simultaneously, we generated a CD20xCD22 dual allogeneic CAR T cell. Herein, we demonstrate that allogeneic CD20x22 CAR T cells display robust, sustained and dose-dependent activity in vitro and in vivo, while efficiently targeting primary B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) samples with heterogeneous levels of CD22 and CD20. Altogether, we provide preclinical proof-of-concept data for an allogeneic dual CAR T cell to overcome current mechanisms of resistance to CAR T-cell therapies in B-NHL, while providing a potential alternative to CD19 targeting.

MLL3 loss drives metastasis by promoting a hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal transition state.

Phenotypic plasticity associated with the hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial to metastatic seeding and outgrowth. However, the mechanisms governing the hybrid EMT state remain poorly defined. Here we showed that deletion of the epigenetic regulator MLL3, a tumour suppressor frequently altered in human cancer, promoted the acquisition of hybrid EMT in breast cancer cells. Distinct from other EMT regulators that mediate only unidirectional changes, MLL3 loss enhanced responses to stimuli inducing EMT and mesenchymal-epithelial transition in epithelial and mesenchymal cells, respectively. Consequently, MLL3 loss greatly increased metastasis by enhancing metastatic colonization. Mechanistically, MLL3 loss led to increased IFNγ signalling, which contributed to the induction of hybrid EMT cells and enhanced metastatic capacity. Furthermore, BET inhibition effectively suppressed the growth of MLL3-mutant primary tumours and metastases. These results uncovered MLL3 mutation as a key driver of hybrid EMT and metastasis in breast cancer that could be targeted therapeutically.

Regulation of Injury-Induced Ovarian Regeneration by Activation of Oogonial Stem Cells.

Some animals have the ability to generate large numbers of oocytes throughout life. This raises the question whether persistent adult germline stem cell populations drive continuous oogenesis and whether they are capable of mounting a regenerative response after injury. Here we demonstrate the presence of adult oogonial stem cells (OSCs) in the adult axolotl salamander ovary and show that ovarian injury induces OSC activation and functional regeneration of the ovaries to reproductive capability. Cells that have morphological similarities to germ cells were identified in the developing and adult ovaries via histological analysis. Genes involved in germ cell maintenance including Vasa, Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, Bmp15, Piwil1, Piwil2, Dazl, and Lhx8 were expressed in the presumptive OSCs. Colocalization of Vasa protein with H3 mitotic marker showed that both oogonial and spermatogonial adult stem cells were mitotically active. Providing evidence of stemness and viability of adult OSCs, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) adult OSCs grafted into white juvenile host gonads gave rise to EGFP OSCs, and oocytes. Last, the axolotl ovaries completely regenerated after partial ovariectomy injury. During regeneration, OSC activation resulted in rapid differentiation into new oocytes, which was demonstrated by Vasa+ /BrdU+ coexpression. Furthermore, follicle cell proliferation promoted follicle maturation during ovarian regeneration. Overall, these results show that adult oogenesis occurs via proliferation of endogenous OSCs in a tetrapod and mediates ovarian regeneration. This study lays the foundations to elucidate mechanisms of ovarian regeneration that will assist regenerative medicine in treating premature ovarian failure and reduced fertility. Stem Cells 2017;35:236-247.

The link between injury-induced stress and regenerative phenomena: A cellular and genetic synopsis.

Injury is an inescapable phenomenon of life that affects animals at every physiological level. Yet, some animals respond to injury by rebuilding the damaged tissues whereas others are limited to scarring. Elucidating how a tissue insult from wounding leads to a regenerative response at the genetic level is essential to make regenerative advantages translational. It has become clear that animals with regenerative abilities recycle developmental programs after injury, reactivating genes that have lied dormant throughout adulthood. The question that is critical to our understanding of regeneration is how a specific set of developmentally important genes can be reactivated only after an acute tissue insult. Here, we review how injury-induced cellular stresses such as hypoxic, oxidative, and mechanical stress may contribute to the genomic and epigenetic changes that promote regeneration in animals. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Stress as a fundamental theme in cell plasticity.

Dicer expression and microRNA dysregulation associate with aggressive features in thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND: Altered miRNA expression and down-regulation of Dicer has been shown in various cancers. We investigated Dicer expression and global miRNA environment in correlation with malignant features of thyroid tumors. METHODS: Dicer gene expression was assessed for 22 normal thyroids, 16 follicular adenomas, 28 papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs), 10 tall-cell variants of PTC, 11 follicular variants of PTC, as well as the four thyroid cell lines BCPAP, TPC1, KTC1, and TAD2 via quantitative polymerase chain reaction. BRAF((V600E)) mutation screening was completed for 31 neoplasms. Next-generation sequencing was performed on a subset of PTC and normal thyroid. Protein levels were assessed via Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Dicer mRNA was down-regulated in malignant thyroid samples and cell lines compared with normal tissues, benign neoplasms, and the fetal cell line TAD2. Decreased Dicer gene expression in malignant tissues was correlated greatly with aggressive features: extrathyroidal extension, angiolymphatic invasion, multifocality, lymph node and distant metastasis, recurrence, and BRAF((V600E)) mutation. Conversely, increased levels of Dicer protein were observed in malignant tissues and cell lines. Sequencing yielded 19 differentially expressed miRNAs. Eight samples had a nonsignificant a global down-regulation in malignant tissues. CONCLUSION: Dysregulation of Dicer and possibly altered expression of miRNAs are associated with aggressive features in thyroid cancers. These findings suggest that disruption in normal miRNA processing involving Dicer may play a role in thyroid cancer progression.