Alloantigen-specific regulatory T cells generated with a chimeric antigen receptor

J Clin Invest. 2016 Apr 1;126(4):1413-24. doi: 10.1172/JCI82771. Epub 2016 Mar 21.

Abstract

Adoptive immunotherapy with regulatory T cells (Tregs) is a promising treatment for allograft rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Emerging data indicate that, compared with polyclonal Tregs, disease-relevant antigen-specific Tregs may have numerous advantages, such as a need for fewer cells and reduced risk of nonspecific immune suppression. Current methods to generate alloantigen-specific Tregs rely on expansion with allogeneic antigen-presenting cells, which requires access to donor and recipient cells and multiple MHC mismatches. The successful use of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for the generation of antigen-specific effector T cells suggests that a similar approach could be used to generate alloantigen-specific Tregs. Here, we have described the creation of an HLA-A2-specific CAR (A2-CAR) and its application in the generation of alloantigen-specific human Tregs. In vitro, A2-CAR-expressing Tregs maintained their expected phenotype and suppressive function before, during, and after A2-CAR-mediated stimulation. In mouse models, human A2-CAR-expressing Tregs were superior to Tregs expressing an irrelevant CAR at preventing xenogeneic GVHD caused by HLA-A2+ T cells. Together, our results demonstrate that use of CAR technology to generate potent, functional, and stable alloantigen-specific human Tregs markedly enhances their therapeutic potential in transplantation and sets the stage for using this approach for making antigen-specific Tregs for therapy of multiple diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / genetics
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Isoantigens / genetics
  • Isoantigens / immunology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell* / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell* / immunology
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins* / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*

Substances

  • HLA-A2 Antigen
  • Isoantigens
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins