Nanocages engineered from Bacillus Calmette-Guerin facilitate protective Vγ2Vδ2 T cell immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Tuberculosis (TB), induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, remains a top killer among infectious diseases. While Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the sole TB vaccine, the clumped-clustered features of BCG in intradermal immunization appear to limit both the BCG protection efficacy and the BCG vaccination safety. We hypothesize that engineering of clumped-clustered BCG into nanoscale particles would improve safety and also facilitate the antigen-presenting-cell (APC)’s uptake and the following processing/presentation for better anti-TB protective immunity. Here, we engineered BCG protoplasts into nanoscale membraned BCG particles, termed as “BCG-Nanocage” to enhance the anti-TB vaccination efficiency and safety. BCG-Nanocage could readily be ingested/taken by APC macrophages selectively; BCG-Nanocage-ingested macrophages exhibited better viability and developed similar antimicrobial responses with BCG-infected macrophages. BCG-Nanocage, like live BCG bacilli, exhibited the robust capability to activate and expand innate-like T effector cell populations of Vγ2+ T, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells of rhesus macaques in the ex vivo PBMC culture. BCG-Nanocage immunization of rhesus macaques elicited similar or stronger memory-like immune responses of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells, as well as Vγ2Vδ2 T and CD4+/CD8+ T effectors compared to live BCG vaccination. BCG-Nanocage- immunized macaques developed rapidly-sustained pulmonary responses of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells upon Mtb challenge. Furthermore, BCG- and BCG-Nanocage- immunized macaques, but not saline controls, exhibited undetectable Mtb infection loads or TB lesions in the Mtb-challenged lung lobe and hilar lymph node at endpoint after challenge. Thus, the current study well justifies a large pre-clinical investigation to assess BCG-Nanocage for safe and efficacious anti-TB vaccination, which is expected to further develop novel vaccines or adjuvants. Graphical Abstract

Bispecific Antibody PD-L1 x CD3 Boosts the Anti-Tumor Potency of the Expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T Cells

Vγ2Vδ2 T cell-based immunotherapy has benefited some patients in clinical trials, but the overall efficacy is low for solid tumor patients. In this study, a bispecific antibody against both PD-L1 and CD3 (PD-L1 x CD3), Y111, could efficiently bridge T cells and PD-L1 expressing tumor cells. The Y111 prompted fresh CD8+ T cell-mediated lysis of H358 cells, but spared this effect on the fresh Vδ2+ T cells enriched from the same donors, which suggested that Y111 could bypass the anti-tumor capacity of the fresh Vγ2Vδ2 T cells. As the adoptive transfer of the expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells was approved to be safe and well-tolerated in clinical trials, we hypothesized that the combination of the expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells with the Y111 would provide an alternative approach of immunotherapy. Y111 induced the activation of the expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in a dose-dependent fashion in the presence of PD-L1 positive tumor cells. Moreover, Y111 increased the cytotoxicity of the expanded Vγ2Vδ2 T cells against various NSCLC-derived tumor cell lines with the releases of granzyme B, IFNγ, and TNFα in vitro. Meanwhile, the adoptive transferred Vγ2Vδ2 T cells together with the Y111 inhibited the growth of the established xenografts in NPG mice. Taken together, our data suggested a clinical potential for the adoptive transferring the Vγ2Vδ2 T cells with the Y111 to treat PD-L1 positive solid tumors.

Bi-specific Antibody Y111, Targeting PD-L1 and CD3 Considerably Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Adoptive Transferred Vγ2Vδ2 T Cells

Background: Anti-cancer immunotherapy based on the adoptive transfer of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells has benefited to some patients in clinical trials, but the overall responses are inconsistent. Therefore, new strategies are urgently needed to improve the current therapy.Methods: In this study, a designed bispecific antibody Y111, which binds to both CD3 and PD-L1, is applied to optimally potentiate Vγ2Vδ2 T cell-based killing of cancer cells. The binding activities of Y111 was determined by Flow cytometry. CFSE/PI-based flow cytometry was applied to check the re-directed killing ability induced by Y111 in the condition of using T cell subsets, or expanded- and purified- Vγ2Vδ2 T cells as effector cells. Moreover, expanded- and purified- Vγ2Vδ2 T cells were co-cultured with tumor cells in the presence/absence of Y111 to assess the activation, degranulation, and cytokine production by intracellular cytokine staining, and CBA method. Finally, NPG-based subcutaneous tumor mouse models were used to check the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of the combination of transfused Vγ2Vδ2 T cells and Y111.Results: Due to its binding activities, Y111 apparently prompts fresh αβ-mediated lysis of tumor cell line H358 cells, but spare the effect on the fresh enriched Vγ2Vδ2 T cells from the same donors. However, Y111 increases cytotoxicity of expanded and purified Vγ2Vδ2 T cells against various NSCLC-derived tumor cell lines in a tumor cell dependent fashion. Y111 also prompted the releases of granzyme B, IFNγ and TNFα. Supporting to these observations in vitro, a combination of adoptive transferring Vγ2Vδ2 T cell and Y111 into the tumor-bearing NPG mice inhibited the growth of the established tumors in the mice.Conclusions: Taken together, our data suggest clinical potential for adoptive transferring the bispecific antibody-armored Vγ2Vδ2 T cells to treat solid tumors, such as NSCLC.

442 ICT01, an anti-BTN3A mAb that activates Vg9Vd2 T cells, plus interleukin-2: a potent and promising combination for cancer immunotherapy

Background gdT-cells are attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy given their strong cytolytic and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion activities, and the association between tumor infiltration and positive prognosis.1 2 ImCheck Therapeutics is developing ICT01, an anti-human butyrophilin-3A (BTN3A/CD277) mAb specifically activating g9d2 T-cells in a phosphoantigen (pAg)-independent manner. ICT01 is currently in a Phase 1/2a study in solid and hematologic tumors (NCT04243499).IL-2 has been shown to expand g9d2 T-cells in vitro and in non-human primates in presence of pAgs.3 4 5 We wanted to characterize the proliferative effects of combining ICT01 with IL-2 on γ9δ2 T-cells as an approach to potentiate g9d2 T-cell mediated cancer immunotherapy.Methods g9d2 T-cell activation and expansion was assessed in vitro in human PBMCs treated with ICT01±IL-2, and in vivo, in the blood of immunocompromised NCG mice engrafted with 20 × 106 human PBMCs and treated with ICT01 (single IV dose, 5 mg/kg on Day 1) ±IL-2 (0.3MIU/kg IP on Day 1–4). A dose-ranging ICT01 (single IV dose, 1 or 5 mg/kg on Day 1)+IL-2 combination (1 MIU SC QD on Days 1–5) study was conducted in cynomolgus monkeys.ResultsIn PBMCs cultures in vitro, ICT01 selectively activated g9d2 T-cells and IL-2 significantly enhanced ICT01-mediated g9d2 T-cell proliferation, this compartment reaching >50% of T-cells after 8 days of treatment versus ~10% with ICT01 alone. This was confirmed in vivo in mice models. Flow cytometry analysis of mice blood revealed a 5.5-fold increase in human g9d2 T-cell number in the combination groups compared to ICT01 or IL-2 alone treated animals, with g9d2 T-cell frequency reaching ~35% of the CD3+ T-cell compartment. In Cynomolgus, a specific expansion and activation of peripheral g9d2 T-cells from ~1–2% at baseline to up to 30% of T cells 7 days post ICT01 administration was observed. No ICT01 effect was observed on other immune cells. Histopathological examinations revealed a trend towards higher numbers of g9d2 T-cells in several organs in ICT01+IL-2 treated monkeys. There was no evidence for a systemic cytokine release syndrome at any time point. Adverse effects with variable severity were observed, most of them being reversible and commonly associated with IL-2 alone, and not reported in the IND-enabling GLP toxicity study with ICT01 monotherapy at doses up to 100 mg/kg.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate the ability of ICT01+IL-2 combination to trigger profound γ9δ2 T-cell activation and expansion, suggesting that the clinical combination of ICT01 with a lymphoproliferative cytokine (e.g., IL-2) may be a novel therapeutic approach for cancer patients.Ethics ApprovalPseudonymized samples isolated from healthy volunteers: whole blood by ImCheck Therapeutics under the agreement n° 7173 between ImCheck Therapeutic SAS and EFS PACA (Etablissement Français du Sang Provence-Alpes-cote d’Azur)ReferencesGentles AJ, Newman AM, Liu CL, et al. The prognostic landscape of genes and infiltrating immune cells across human cancers. Nature Medicine 2015;21(8):938–945.Tosolini M, Pont F, Poupot M, et al. Assessment of tumor-infiltrating TCRVγ9Vδ2 γδ lymphocyte abundance by deconvolution of human cancers microarrays. OncoImmunology 2017;6(3):e1284723.Nada MH, Wang H, Workalemahu G, Tanaka Y, Morita CT. Enhancing adoptive cancer immunotherapy with Vγ2Vδ2 T cells through pulse zoledronate stimulation. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 2017;5(1):9.Sicard H, Ingoure S, Luciani B, et al. In Vivo Immunomanipulation of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells with a synthetic phosphoantigen in a preclinical nonhuman primate model. The Journal of Immunology 2005;175(8):5471–5480.Ali Z, Shao L, Halliday L, et al. Prolonged (E)-4-Hydroxy-3-Methyl-But-2-Enyl pyrophosphate-driven antimicrobial and cytotoxic responses of pulmonary and systemic Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in macaques. The Journal of Immunology 2007;179(12):8287–8296.

Immunization of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells programs sustained effector memory responses that control tuberculosis in nonhuman primates

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading killer among infectious diseases, and a better TB vaccine is urgently needed. The critical components and mechanisms of vaccine-induced protection againstMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) remain incompletely defined. Our previous studies demonstrate that Vγ2Vδ2 T cells specific for (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP) phosphoantigen are unique in primates as multifunctional effectors of immune protection against TB infection. Here, we selectively immunized Vγ2Vδ2 T cells and assessed the effect on infection in a rhesus TB model. A single respiratory vaccination of macaques with an HMBPP-producing attenuatedListeria monocytogenes(LmΔactA prfA*) caused prolonged expansion of HMBPP-specific Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in circulating and pulmonary compartments. This did not occur in animals similarly immunized with an LmΔgcpEstrain, which did not produce HMBPP. LmΔactA prfA* vaccination elicited increases in Th1-like Vγ2Vδ2 T cells in the airway, and induced containment of TB infection after pulmonary challenge. The selective immunization of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells reduced lung pathology and mycobacterial dissemination to extrapulmonary organs. Vaccine effects coincided with the fast-acting memory-like response of Th1-like Vγ2Vδ2 T cells and tissue-resident Vγ2Vδ2 effector T cells that produced both IFN-γ and perforin and inhibited intracellular Mtb growth. Furthermore, selective immunization of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells enabled CD4+and CD8+T cells to mount earlier pulmonary Th1 responses to TB challenge. Our findings show that selective immunization of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells can elicit fast-acting and durable memory-like responses that amplify responses of other T cell subsets, and provide an approach to creating more effective TB vaccines.