Tumor-and neoantigen-reactive T-cell receptors can be identified based on their frequency in fresh tumor

A Pasetto, A Gros, PF Robbins, DC Deniger… - Cancer immunology …, 2016 - AACR
A Pasetto, A Gros, PF Robbins, DC Deniger, TD Prickett, R Matus-Nicodemos, DC Douek…
Cancer immunology research, 2016AACR
Adoptive transfer of T cells with engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) genes that target tumor-
specific antigens can mediate cancer regression. Accumulating evidence suggests that the
clinical success of many immunotherapies is mediated by T cells targeting mutated
neoantigens unique to the patient. We hypothesized that the most frequent TCR clonotypes
infiltrating the tumor were reactive against tumor antigens. To test this hypothesis, we
developed a multistep strategy that involved TCRB deep sequencing of the CD8+ PD-1+ T …
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of T cells with engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) genes that target tumor-specific antigens can mediate cancer regression. Accumulating evidence suggests that the clinical success of many immunotherapies is mediated by T cells targeting mutated neoantigens unique to the patient. We hypothesized that the most frequent TCR clonotypes infiltrating the tumor were reactive against tumor antigens. To test this hypothesis, we developed a multistep strategy that involved TCRB deep sequencing of the CD8+PD-1+ T-cell subset, matching of TCRA–TCRB pairs by pairSEQ and single-cell RT-PCR, followed by testing of the TCRs for tumor-antigen specificity. Analysis of 12 fresh metastatic melanomas revealed that in 11 samples, up to 5 tumor-reactive TCRs were present in the 5 most frequently occurring clonotypes, which included reactivity against neoantigens. These data show the feasibility of developing a rapid, personalized TCR-gene therapy approach that targets the unique set of antigens presented by the autologous tumor without the need to identify their immunologic reactivity. Cancer Immunol Res; 4(9); 734–43. ©2016 AACR.
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