[HTML][HTML] CAR-engineered NK cells targeting wild-type EGFR and EGFRvIII enhance killing of glioblastoma and patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells

J Han, J Chu, W Keung Chan, J Zhang, Y Wang… - Scientific reports, 2015 - nature.com
J Han, J Chu, W Keung Chan, J Zhang, Y Wang, JB Cohen, A Victor, WH Meisen, S Kim
Scientific reports, 2015nature.com
Glioblastoma (GB) remains the most aggressive primary brain malignancy. Adoptive transfer
of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified immune cells has emerged as a promising anti-
cancer approach, yet the potential utility of CAR-engineered natural killer (NK) cells to treat
GB has not been explored. Tumors from approximately 50% of GB patients express wild-
type EGFR (wtEGFR) and in fewer cases express both wtEGFR and the mutant form
EGFRvIII; however, previously reported CAR T cell studies only focus on targeting EGFRvIII …
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GB) remains the most aggressive primary brain malignancy. Adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified immune cells has emerged as a promising anti-cancer approach, yet the potential utility of CAR-engineered natural killer (NK) cells to treat GB has not been explored. Tumors from approximately 50% of GB patients express wild-type EGFR (wtEGFR) and in fewer cases express both wtEGFR and the mutant form EGFRvIII; however, previously reported CAR T cell studies only focus on targeting EGFRvIII. Here we explore whether both wtEGFR and EGFRvIII can be effectively targeted by CAR-redirected NK cells to treat GB. We transduced human NK cell lines NK-92 and NKL and primary NK cells with a lentiviral construct harboring a second generation CAR targeting both wtEGFR and EGFRvIII and evaluated the anti-GB efficacy of EGFR-CAR-modified NK cells. EGFR-CAR-engineered NK cells displayed enhanced cytolytic capability and IFN-γ production when co-cultured with GB cells or patient-derived GB stem cells in an EGFR-dependent manner. In two orthotopic GB xenograft mouse models, intracranial administration of NK-92-EGFR-CAR cells resulted in efficient suppression of tumor growth and significantly prolonged the tumor-bearing mice survival. These findings support intracranial administration of NK-92-EGFR-CAR cells represents a promising clinical strategy to treat GB.
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