Development of a Genetically-Engineered Allogeneic Anti-CD38 T Cell Therapy Utilizing a Novel Antigen Receptor Structure
Authors: Ding Bei Bei , Gray John Dixon , Krapf Irina , Zhang Yanliang , Zhang Nan , Deng Qingdong Mark , Wei Angel , Knight Robert D. , Zeldis Jerome B. , Kaufmann Gunnar F. , Ji Henry , Guo Wenzhong 
Published: November 2019

Background: Autologous Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown great promise as a treatment modality for a variety of hematological malignancies. But autologous cell therapies still face several practical hurdles, including reliance on patient immune cells and manufacturing difficulties. Sorrento has pioneered an allogeneic T cell therapy approach utilizing genetic engineering of donor-derived T cells to express a Dimeric Antigen Receptor (DAR). The first DAR-T cell therapy being developed is targeted against CD38, a clinically-validated antigen in multiple myeloma. Preclinical data demonstrate potent anti-tumor activity in both in vitro assays and in vivo studies against CD38-expressing lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines.

Methods: Anti-CD38 DAR-T cells were generated through genetic engineering of T cells derived from healthy donors inserting the anti-CD38 DAR construct into the TRAC gene locus resulting in loss of endogenous TCR expression while expressing the DAR. Three distinct DAR constructs were utilized differing only in the intracellular signaling components, namely CD28/CD3zeta,

4-1BB/CD3zeta and CD28/4-1BB/CD3zeta. The CD38 DAR-T were expanded and purified for subsequent preclinical studies. Using in vitro assays, the 3 different CD38 DAR-T cells were evaluated against multiple myeloma and lymphoma cell lines for specific cytotoxicity as well as stimulus-induced cytokine secretion and cell expansion. The in vivo anti-tumor activity was assessed using luciferase-expressing RPMI8226 cells in NSG mice in a model of disseminated disease. A single dose of anti-CD38 DAR-T cells or relevant control cells was administered and tumor burden was assessed weekly using bioluminescence imaging.

Results: An anti-CD38 DAR gene was efficiently integrated into TRAC locus of T cells from healthy donors by one step knock out/knock in (KOKI) methodology with high efficiency

(~40-80% CD38 DAR expression and ~90% TCR knock out). Following a CD3-depletion step, the TCR-positive T cells were less 1%. When co-cultured with CD38-positive tumor cells, anti-CD38 DAR T cells killed as effectively as retroviral anti-CD38 CAR-T cells with similar cytokine secretion profiles while no cytotoxicity was observed against CD38-negative cancer cells. Moreover, in vivo DAR-T cells showed better killing activity against multiple myeloma cell lines than CAR-T cell with anti-CD38 4-1BB/CD3zeta DAR demonstrating the best anti-tumor activity in an NSG mouse model. The anti-CD38 DAR-T cells with 41BB/CD3 zeta internal signals have been selected for clinical development.

Conclusions: All tested anti-CD38 DAR-T cells exhibited potent in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity. Direct comparison of three different cytoplasmic signaling compositions of the DAR allowed for selection of the most potent construct, namely the anti-CD38 DAR utilizing 4-1BB and CD3zeta signaling domains. Based on these data, further development of CD38 DAR-T therapy for hematological malignancies is warranted. GMP manufacturing of the allogeneic anti-CD38 DAR-T cells has been initiated.

Disclosures

Ding: Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Gray:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Krapf:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Zhang:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Zhang:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Deng:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Wei:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Knight:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Zeldis:Sorrento Therapeutics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Kaufmann:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties. Ji:Sorrento Therapeutics Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties; Celularity, Inc.: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Guo:Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Patents & Royalties.