title: Redirecting therapeutic T cells against myelin-specific T lymphocytes using a humanized myelin basic protein-HLA-DR2-zeta chimeric receptor.
abstract: Therapies that Ag-specifically target pathologic T lymphocytes responsible for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases would be expected to have improved therapeutic indices compared with Ag-nonspecific therapies. We have developed a cellular immunotherapy that uses chimeric receptors to selectively redirect therapeutic T cells against myelin basic protein (MBP)-specific T lymphocytes implicated in MS. We generated two heterodimeric receptors that genetically link the human MBP84-102 epitope to HLA-DR2 and either incorporate or lack a TCRzeta signaling domain. The Ag-MHC domain serves as a bait, binding the TCR of MBP-specific target cells. The zeta signaling region stimulates the therapeutic cell after cognate T cell engagement. Both receptors were well expressed on primary T cells or T hybridomas using a tricistronic (alpha, beta, green fluorescent protein) retroviral expression system. MBP-DR2-zeta-, but not MBP-DR2, modified CTL were specifically stimulated by cognate MBP-specific T cells, proliferating, producing cytokine, and killing the MBP-specific target cells. The receptor-modified therapeutic cells were active in vivo as well, eliminating Ag-specific T cells in a humanized mouse model system. Finally, the chimeric receptor-modified CTL ameliorated or blocked experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease mediated by MBP84-102/DR2-specific T lymphocytes. These results provide support for the further development of redirected therapeutic T cells able to counteract pathologic, self-specific T lymphocytes, and specifically validate humanized MBP-DR2-zeta chimeric receptors as a potential therapeutic in MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
authors.forename: Ioana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moisini
authors.forename: Phuong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fugger
authors.forename: Terrence L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Geiger
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D018984:Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte; D015802:HLA-DR2 Antigen; D004676:Myelin Basic Protein; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C054979:antigen T cell receptor, zeta chain