Generation of tumor antigen-specific murine CD8+ T cells with enhanced anti-tumor activity via highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing

Int Immunol. 2018 Apr 3;30(4):141-154. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxy006.

Abstract

Immunotherapies have led to the successful development of novel therapies for cancer. However, there is increasing concern regarding the adverse effects caused by non-tumor-specific immune responses. Here, we report an effective strategy to generate high-avidity tumor-antigen-specific CTLs, using Cas9/single-guide RNA (sgRNA) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we selected the gp100 melanoma-associated tumor antigen, and cloned the gp100-specific high-avidity TCR from gp100-immunized mice. To enable rapid structural dissection of the TCR, we developed a 3D protein structure modeling system for the TCR/antigen-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) interaction. Combining these technologies, we efficiently generated gp100-specific PD-1(-) CD8+ T cells, and demonstrated that the genetically engineered CD8+ T cells have high avidity against melanoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our methodology offers computational prediction of the TCR response, and enables efficient generation of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells that can neutralize tumor-induced immune suppression leading to a potentially powerful cancer therapeutic.

Publication types

  • 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 / metabolism*
  • CRISPR-Cas Systems*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Gene Editing*
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Melanoma, Experimental
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / immunology
  • Peptides / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Multimerization
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / chemistry
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism
  • T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity / immunology*
  • gp100 Melanoma Antigen / chemistry
  • gp100 Melanoma Antigen / immunology
  • gp100 Melanoma Antigen / metabolism

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Peptides
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • gp100 Melanoma Antigen