Chimeric antigen receptors targeting CD19 and use thereof
The presently disclosed subject matter provides chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that specifically target CD19 and cells comprising such CD19-targeted CARs. The presently disclosed subject matter further provides uses of the CD19-targeted CARs for treatment, e.g., for treating blood cancer.
1 . A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), comprising an extracellular antigen-binding domain that specifically binds to CD19, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular signaling domain, wherein the extracellular antigen-binding domain comprises:
a) a heavy chain variable region comprising a CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 7, a CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 8, and a CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9; and
b) a light chain variable region comprising:
i) a CDR1 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11, a CDR2 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 12, and a CDR3 comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 13.
2 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the extracellular antigen-binding domain comprises a single-chain variable fragment (scFv), a Fab, or a F(ab)2.
3 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the heavy chain variable region comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least about 80% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.
4 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the heavy chain variable region comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10.
5 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the light chain variable region comprises an amino acid sequence that is at least about 80% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
6 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the light chain variable region comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
7 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the heavy chain variable region comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 10; and the light chain variable region comprises the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14.
8 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the extracellular antigen-binding domain comprises a linker between the heavy chain variable region and the light chain variable region.
9 . The CAR of claim 8 , wherein the linker consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, or SEQ ID NO: 4.
10 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the extracellular antigen-binding domain comprises or is a scFv, which comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15.
11 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the transmembrane domain comprises a CD8 polypeptide, a CD28 polypeptide, a CD3ζ polypeptide, a CD4 polypeptide, a 4-1BB polypeptide, an OX40 polypeptide, an ICOS polypeptide, a CTLA-4 polypeptide, a PD-1 polypeptide, a LAG-3 polypeptide, a 2B4 polypeptide, or a BTLA polypeptide.
12 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the intracellular signaling domain comprises a CD3ζ polypeptide or a modified CD3ζ polypeptide.
13 . The CAR of claim 12 , wherein the modified CD3ζ polypeptide comprises a native ITAM1, an ITAM2 variant consisting of two loss-of-function mutations, and an ITAM3 consisting of two loss-of-function mutations.
14 . The CAR of claim 13 , wherein
a) the native ITAM1 consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 31;
b) the ITAM2 variant consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 37;
c) the ITAM3 variant consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 41.
15 . The CAR of claim 12 , wherein the modified CD3ζ polypeptide comprises or consists of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 43.
16 . The CAR of claim 1 , wherein the intracellular signaling domain further comprises at least one co-stimulatory signaling region.
17 . The CAR of claim 16 , wherein the at least one co-stimulatory signaling region comprises a CD28 polypeptide, a 4-1BB polypeptide, an OX40 polypeptide, an ICOS polypeptide, a DAP-10 polypeptide, or a combination thereof.
18 . A cell comprising the CAR of claim 1 .
19 . The cell of claim 18 , wherein the cell is transduced with the CAR.
20 . The cell of claim 18 , wherein the CAR is constitutively expressed on the surface of the cell.
21 . The cell of claim 18 , wherein the cell is an immunoresponsive cell.
22 . The cell of claim 18 , wherein the cell is a cell of the lymphoid lineage or a cell of the myeloid lineage.
23 . The cell of claim 18 , wherein the cell is selected from the group consisting of a T cell, a Natural Killer (NK) cell, a stem cell from which lymphoid cells may be differentiated, and a stem cell from which myeloid cells may be differentiated.
24 . The cell of claim 23 , wherein the NK cell is derived from a stem cell.
25 . The cell of claim 24 , wherein the stem cell is an embryoid stem cell or an induced pluripotent stem cell.
26 . The cell of claim 18 , wherein the cell is a T cell.
27 . The cell of claim 26 , wherein the T cell is selected from the group consisting of helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, memory T cells, regulatory T cells, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL), Natural Killer T cells, mucosal associated invariant T cells, and yδ T cells.
28 . A composition comprising the cell of claim 18 .
29 . The composition of claim 28 , which is a pharmaceutical composition further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
30 . The composition of claim 28 , comprising
a) between about 1×10 6 and about 5×10 8 cells;
b) between about 1×10 6 and about 1×10 8 cells;
c) between about 1×10 6 and about 5×10 7 cells; or
d) about 2.5×10 7 cells.
31 . A kit for reducing tumor burden in a subject, treating a neoplasm in a subject, and/or increasing or lengthening survival of a subject having a neoplasm, comprising the cell of claim 18 .
32 . A nucleic acid molecule encoding the CAR of claim 1 .
33 . The nucleic acid molecule of claim 32 , further comprising a promoter that is operably linked to the CAR.
34 . The nucleic acid molecule of claim 33 , wherein the promoter is an endogenous promoter, an exogenous promoter, or an inducible promoter.
35 . The nucleic acid molecule of claim 34 , wherein
a) the exogenous promoter is selected from the group consisting of an elongation factor (EF)-1 promoter, a cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter (CMV) promoter, a simian virus 40 early promoter (SV40) promoter, a phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter, a metallothionein promoter, and Ubiquitin C promoter;
b) the inducible promoter is selected from the group consisting of a NFAT transcriptional response element (TRE) promoter, a CD69 promoter, a CD25 promoter, an IL-2 promoter, a 4-1BB promoter, a PD1 promoter, and a LAG3 promoter; and/or
c) the endogenous promoter is selected from a TCR alpha promoter, a TCR beta promoter, and a beta 2-microglobulin promoter.
36 . A vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule of claim 32 .
37 . A cell expressing the nucleic acid molecule of claim 32 .
38 . The cell of claim 37 , wherein the cell is a T cell or a Natural Killer (NK) cell.
39 . A method of reducing tumor burden in a subject, increasing or lengthening survival of a subject having a neoplasm, and/or treating a neoplasm in a subject, wherein the tumor and/or neoplasm is associated with CD19, the method comprising administering to the subject the cell of claim 18 .
40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the tumor and/or neoplasm is a blood cancer, a B cell malignancy, or a B cell lymphoma.
41 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the blood cancer is selected from the group consisting of multiple myeloma, leukemia, and lymphomas.
42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein
a) the leukemia is selected from the group consisting of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MLL), hairy cell leukemia, and B cell prolymphocytic leukemia; or
b) the lymphoma is Hodgkin's lymphoma or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
43 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the B cell malignancy is selected from the group consisting of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), B cell Hodgkin's lymphomas, B cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), multiple myeloma (MM), CLL with Richter's transformation, and CNS lymphoma.
44 . The method of claim 40 , wherein the B cell lymphoma is relapsed or refractory (R/R) B cell lymphoma.
45 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the subject is a human subject.
46 . A method for producing a cell comprising the CAR of claim 1 , comprising introducing into the cell a nucleic acid molecule that encodes the CAR of claim 1 .