Abstract 561: CAR-targeted IL-2 drives selective CAR-T cell expansion and improves anti-tumor efficacy
Authors: Mathewson Nathan D. , Moynihan Kelly D. , Sleiman Sara , Chen Wei , Bessette Paul , Kimberlin Christopher , Wigton Eric , Pappas Danielle , Park Terrence , Schumacher Ton N. , Gill Saar I. , Yeung Yik Andy , Djuretic Ivana 
Published: June 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapies have transformed the treatment of some hematological malignancies and are showing promising preliminary results in solid tumors. Recent studies have shown that in vivo expansion and persistence of CAR-Ts are correlated with improved therapeutic outcomes in patients. Administration of IL-2 enhances CAR-T engraftment, persistence, and functionality in preclinical models. However, the clinical potential of IL-2 stimulation with cell therapies is limited using current molecules due to severe toxicity of high-dose IL-2 and the inadequate selectivity of existing engineered IL-2 variants which expand multiple endogenous cells in addition to CAR-T cells. To address this challenge, we have applied our cis-targeting technology to develop CAR-T selective IL-2 fusion molecules that specifically activate CAR-Ts, while exhibiting minimal activity on CAR-negative cells. Cis-targeted IL-2 fusions are comprised of a fusion between a targeting antibody and an IL-2 mutein having attenuated binding to IL2R⍺ and IL2Rβ. The attenuated cytokine selectively binds and activates IL-2 receptors on CAR-Ts via the avidity provided by the targeting arm. We engineered two cis-targeted CAR-T selective IL-2 fusions, CAR-IL2 or EGFRt-IL2. CAR-IL2 targets the FMC63 CAR directly without blocking CD19 antigen recognition, enabling targeting of approved anti-CD19 CAR-T products, and EGFRt-IL2 targets the EGFRt tag co-expressed with the CAR. Molecules were characterized in vitro using primary human CAR-transduced T cells. The in vivo activity was examined using tumor bearing NSG mice infused with human CAR-Ts. The specificity of the CAR-IL2 or EGFRt-IL2 molecules was demonstrated by their ability to selectively induce pSTAT5 signaling resulting in &gt;1000-fold preferential STAT5 activity in CAR-expressing cells compared to CAR-negative cells. The ability of the fusion proteins to selectively expand CAR-Ts in vivo was shown through a substantial and specific expansion of the infused CAR-Ts. The CAR-T fraction increased from approximately 50% of infused T cells, to over 93% of T cells, demonstrating a nearly 40-fold expansion in vivo. Re-expansion of CAR-Ts was demonstrated after allowing the CAR-Ts to rest in vivo &gt;100 days; re-dosing resulted in significant and selective re-expansion of CAR-T cells. Furthermore, treatment with the CAR-IL2 molecule enhanced tumor regression of CD19+ lymphoma-bearing mice infused with suboptimal doses of CAR-Ts. Together, these data demonstrate that our cis-targeted IL-2 molecules selectively activate CAR-Ts in vitro and enhance CAR-T expansion and anti-tumor efficacy in vivo. Cis-targeted IL-2 fusion molecules directed by anti-CAR or anti-tag antibodies represent a promising approach to confer enhanced CAR-T activity in a specific and temporally controlled manner.

Citation Format: Nathan D. Mathewson, Kelly D. Moynihan, Sara Sleiman, Wei Chen, Paul Bessette, Christopher Kimberlin, Eric Wigton, Danielle Pappas, Terrence Park, Ton N. Schumacher, Saar I. Gill, Yik Andy Yeung, Ivana Djuretic. CAR-targeted IL-2 drives selective CAR-T cell expansion and improves anti-tumor efficacy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 561.