title: Cytolysis of tumor cells expressing the Neu/erbB-2, erbB-3, and erbB-4 receptors by genetically targeted naive T lymphocytes.
abstract: We are developing strategies to use naive T lymphocytes in cancer therapy. For this purpose, we are deriving T cells with specificity of recognition for defined tumor cells. To direct effector lymphocytes toward tumor cells, we have manipulated the recognition specificity of naive rat and mouse T lymphocytes and a mouse T-cell line. The cells were stably transduced with a chimeric T-cell receptor (TCR) component. The zeta chain of the TCR consists of a single transmembrane protein with a short extracellular domain and an intracellular domain for TCR signaling. We provided an extracellular tumor cell recognition domain to the zeta chain. Human heregulin beta1 (ligand to the erbB-3 and erbB-4 receptors) and three different single-chain antibodies specific for the human and rat Neu/erbB-2 receptors were used. One single-chain antibody (C11) is directed against the rat Neu protein, and one single-chain antibody (FRP5) is directed against the human erbB-2 receptor. The single-chain antibody (R-AK) directed against the Mr 14,000 fusion protein of orthopox viruses served as a control. An efficient procedure was devised to introduce the chimeric genes into primary rat and mouse T lymphocytes. Retrovirus-producing packaging cell lines were cocultured with the T cells activated by phytohemagglutinin and interleukin 2. T-cell lines were transduced by exposure to retrovirus-containing supernatants from helper cell lines. Expression of the fusion genes was determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. More than 80% of the naive rat and mouse T cells and 85-100% of the cells from the established T-cell lines expressed the fusion genes within 48 h after infection. The expression of the fusion genes was maintained for at least 10 days after infection. Target cells expressing Neu/erbB-2, erbB-3, or erbB-4 were lysed in vitro with high specificity by T cells expressing the corresponding recognition proteins. No selection of a marker gene is necessary to confer a predetermined recognition specificity. The described experiments are important for a gene therapy approach to cancer treatment with autologous T cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Tumor Biology Center, Breisacher Strasse 177, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Altenschmidt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moritz
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Schnierle
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerstmayer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wels
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Groner
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; C054979:antigen T cell receptor, zeta chain