Engineered CAR T Cells Targeting the Cancer-Associated Tn-Glycoform of the Membrane Mucin MUC1 Control Adenocarcinoma

Avery D Posey, Robert D Schwab, Alina C Boesteanu, Catharina Steentoft, Ulla Mandel, Boris Engels, Jennifer D Stone, Thomas D Madsen, Karin Schreiber, Kathleen M Haines, Alexandria P Cogdill, Taylor J Chen, Decheng Song, John Scholler, David M Kranz, Michael D Feldman, Regina Young, Brian Keith, Hans Schreiber, Henrik ClausenLaura A Johnson, Carl H June

257 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Genetically modified T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) demonstrate robust responses against lineage restricted, non-essential targets in hematologic cancers. However, in solid tumors, the full potential of CAR T cell therapy is limited by the availability of cell surface antigens with sufficient cancer-specific expression. The majority of CAR targets have been normal self-antigens on dispensable hematopoietic tissues or overexpressed shared antigens. Here, we established that abnormal self-antigens can serve as targets for tumor rejection. We developed a CAR that recognized cancer-associated Tn glycoform of MUC1, a neoantigen expressed in a variety of cancers. Anti-Tn-MUC1 CAR T cells demonstrated target-specific cytotoxicity and successfully controlled tumor growth in xenograft models of T cell leukemia and pancreatic cancer. These findings demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of CAR T cells directed against Tn-MUC1 and present aberrantly glycosylated antigens as a novel class of targets for tumor therapy with engineered T cells. Posey and colleagues developed a CAR T cell therapy to break immune tolerance to solid tumors by targeting an aberrantly glycosylated, cancer-specific glycoprotein in multiple cancer histotypes and demonstrated efficacy and safety in tumors as diverse as leukemia and pancreatic cancer.

Original languageEnglish
JournalImmunity
Volume44
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)1444-1454
Number of pages11
ISSN1074-7613
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Jun 2016

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