title: Chimeric NKG2D receptor-bearing T cells as immunotherapy for ovarian cancer.
abstract: Despite advancements in the treatment of ovarian cancer, this disease continues to be a leading cause of cancer death in women. Adoptive transfer of tumor-reactive T cells is a promising antitumor therapy for many cancers. We designed a chimeric receptor linking NKG2D, a natural killer (NK) cell-activating receptor, to the CD3zeta chain of the T-cell receptor to target ovarian tumor cells. Engagement of chimeric NKG2D receptors (chNKG2D) with ligands for NKG2D, which are commonly expressed on tumor cells, leads to T-cell secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and tumor cytotoxicity. In this study, we show that >80% of primary human ovarian cancer samples expressed ligands for NKG2D on the cell surface. The tumor samples expressed MHC class I-related protein A, MICB, and UL-16 binding proteins 1 and 3. ChNKG2D-expressing T cells lysed ovarian cancer cell lines. We show that T cells from ovarian cancer patients that express chNKG2D secreted proinflammatory cytokines when cultured with autologous tumor cells. In addition, we show that chNKG2D T cells can be used therapeutically in a murine model of ovarian cancer. These data indicate that treatment with chNKG2D-expressing T cells is a potential immunotherapy for ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
authors.forename: Amorette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barber
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Leslie R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: DeMars
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conejo-Garcia
authors.forename: Katherine F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Roby
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sentman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D029543:Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C527085:KLRK1 protein, human; C527086:Klrk1 protein, mouse; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D034521:Nuclear Matrix-Associated Proteins; D029543:Nucleocytoplasmic Transport Proteins; C490522:RAE1 protein, human; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D055607:Receptors, Natural Killer Cell; D007371:Interferon-gamma