The Tol2 transposon system mediates the genetic engineering of T-cells with CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptors for B-cell malignancies

Gene Ther. 2015 Feb;22(2):209-15. doi: 10.1038/gt.2014.104. Epub 2014 Nov 27.

Abstract

Engineered T-cell therapy using a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CD19-CAR) is a promising strategy for the treatment of advanced B-cell malignancies. Gene transfer of CARs to T-cells has widely relied on retroviral vectors, but transposon-based gene transfer has recently emerged as a suitable nonviral method to mediate stable transgene expression. The advantages of transposon vectors compared with viral vectors include their simplicity and cost-effectiveness. We used the Tol2 transposon system to stably transfer CD19-CAR into human T-cells. Normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes were co-nucleofected with the Tol2 transposon donor plasmid carrying CD19-CAR and the transposase expression plasmid and were selectively propagated on NIH3T3 cells expressing human CD19. Expanded CD3(+) T-cells with stable and high-level transgene expression (~95%) produced interferon-γ upon stimulation with CD19 and specifically lysed Raji cells, a CD19(+) human B-cell lymphoma cell line. Adoptive transfer of these T-cells suppressed tumor progression in Raji tumor-bearing Rag2(-/-)γc(-/-) immunodeficient mice compared with control mice. These results demonstrate that the Tol2 transposon system could be used to express CD19-CAR in genetically engineered T-cells for the treatment of refractory B-cell malignancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD19 / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Coculture Techniques
  • DNA Transposable Elements*
  • Genetic Engineering
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / biosynthesis
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens, CD19
  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB917147
  • GENBANK/AB917148
  • GENBANK/AB917149
  • GENBANK/AB917150
  • GENBANK/AB917151
  • GENBANK/AB917152
  • GENBANK/LC002285
  • GENBANK/LC002286
  • GENBANK/LC002287
  • GENBANK/LC002288
  • GENBANK/LC002289