Purpose: To achieve eradication of solid tumors, we examined how many neoantigens need to be targeted with how many T-cell receptors (TCR) by which type of T cells.
Experimental design: Unmanipulated, naturally expressed (autochthonous) neoantigens were targeted with adoptively transferred TCR-engineered autologous T cells (TCR-therapy). TCR-therapy used CD8+ T-cell subsets engineered with TCRs isolated from CD8+ T cells (CD8+TCR-therapy), CD4+ T-cell subsets engineered with TCRs isolated from CD4+ T cells (CD4+TCR-therapy), or combinations of both. The targeted tumors were established for at least 3 weeks and derived from primary autochthonous cancer cell cultures, resembling natural solid tumors and their heterogeneity as found in humans.
Results: Relapse was common with CD8+TCR-therapy even when targeting multiple different autochthonous neoantigens on heterogeneous solid tumors. CD8+TCR-therapy was only effective against homogenous tumors artificially derived from a cancer cell clone. In contrast, a combination of CD8+TCR-therapy with CD4+TCR-therapy, each targeting one neoantigen, eradicated large and established solid tumors of natural heterogeneity. CD4+TCR-therapy targeted a mutant neoantigen on tumor stroma while direct cancer cell recognition by CD8+TCR-therapy was essential for cure. In vitro data were consistent with elimination of cancer cells requiring a four-cell cluster composed of TCR-engineered CD4+ and CD8+ T cells together with antigen-presenting cells and cancer cells.
Conclusions: Two cancer-specific TCRs can be essential and sufficient to eradicate heterogeneous solid tumors expressing unmanipulated, autochthonous targets. We demonstrate that simplifications to adoptive TCR-therapy are possible without compromising efficacy.
©2024 American Association for Cancer Research.