Pavlovic Kristina, Carmona-Luque MDolores, Corsi Giulia I, Maldonado-Pérez Noelia, Molina-Estevez Francisco J, Peralbo-Santaella Esther, Cortijo-Gutiérrez Marina, Justicia-Lirio Pedro, Tristán-Manzano María, Ronco-Díaz Víctor, Ballesteros-Ribelles Antonio, Millán-López Alejandro, Heredia-Velázquez Paula, Fuster-García Carla, Cathomen Toni, Seemann Stefan E, Gorodkin Jan, Martin Francisco, Herrera Concha, Benabdellah Karim
Department of Genomic Medicine, Pfizer-University of Granada-Andalusian Regional Government Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research (GENYO), Granada, Spain.
Cell Therapy Group, Maimonides Institute of Biomedical Research in Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Spain.
Front Immunol. 2024 May 29;15:1401683. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1401683. eCollection 2024.
INTRODUCTION: Chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T cells (CAR T cells) have revolutionized cancer treatment, particularly in B cell malignancies. However, the use of autologous T cells for CAR T therapy presents several limitations, including high costs, variable efficacy, and adverse effects linked to cell phenotype. METHODS: To overcome these challenges, we developed a strategy to generate universal and safe anti-CD19 CAR T cells with a defined memory phenotype. Our approach utilizes CRISPR/Cas9 technology to target and eliminate the and genes, reducing graft-versus-host and host-versus-graft responses. Additionally, we selected less differentiated T cells to improve the stability and persistence of the universal CAR T cells. The safety of this method was assessed using our CRISPRroots transcriptome analysis pipeline, which ensures successful gene knockout and the absence of unintended off-target effects on gene expression or transcriptome sequence. RESULTS: experiments demonstrated the successful generation of functional universal CAR T cells. These cells exhibited potent lytic activity against tumor cells and a reduced cytokine secretion profile. The CRISPRroots analysis confirmed effective gene knockout and no unintended off-target effects, validating it as a pioneering tool for on/off-target and transcriptome analysis in genome editing experiments. DISCUSSION: Our findings establish a robust pipeline for manufacturing safe, universal CAR T cells with a favorable memory phenotype. This approach has the potential to address the current limitations of autologous CAR T cell therapy, offering a more stable and persistent treatment option with reduced adverse effects. The use of CRISPRroots enhances the reliability and safety of gene editing in the development of CAR T cell therapies. CONCLUSION: We have developed a potent and reliable method for producing universal CAR T cells with a defined memory phenotype, demonstrating both efficacy and safety . This innovative approach could significantly improve the therapeutic landscape for patients with B cell malignancies.
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