Therapeutic Targeting of Follicular T Cells with Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells

Cell Rep Med. 2020 Apr 21;1(1):100003. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100003. Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Abstract

Follicular helper T cells (TFH) are critical for vaccine and infection elicitation of long-lived humoral immunity, but exaggerated TFH responses can promote autoimmunity and other pathologies. It is unfortunate that no clinical interventions exist for the selective depletion of follicular T cells to alleviate these diseases. We engineered a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) facilitating the specific targeting of cells with high expression levels of human programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), a cardinal feature of follicular T cells. CAR-expressing human natural killer (NK) cells robustly and discriminately eliminated PD-1high follicular human T cells in vitro and in a humanized mouse model of lupus-like disease while sparing B cells and other PD-1low T cell subsets, including regulatory T cells. These results establish a strategy for specific targeting of PD-1high T cells that can be advanced as a clinical tool for the selective depletion of pathogenic follicular T cells or other PD-1high target cells in certain disease states.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Autoimmune Diseases / immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases / therapy
  • Autoimmunity / genetics
  • Autoimmunity / immunology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Drosophila melanogaster
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism
  • Killer Cells, Natural / physiology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / transplantation*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / genetics
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen