A vector-encoded bispecific killer engager to harness virus-activated NK cells as anti-tumor effectors

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Alessia Floerchinger - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Jessica E Klein - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Maximiliane S C Finkbeiner - , Witten/Herdecke University (Author)
  • Theresa E Schäfer - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Gwendolin Fuchs - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Johannes Doerner - , Helios University Hospital Wuppertal (Author)
  • Hubert Zirngibl - , Helios University Hospital Wuppertal (Author)
  • Maximilian Ackermann - , Witten/Herdecke University (Author)
  • Hans M Kvasnicka - , Witten/Herdecke University (Author)
  • Kerry A Chester - , University College London (Author)
  • Dirk Jäger - , University Hospital Heidelberg (Author)
  • Claudia R Ball - , National Center for Tumor Diseases Dresden, German Cancer Consortium (Partner: DKTK, DKFZ), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Guy Ungerechts - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)
  • Christine E Engeland - , German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) (Author)

Abstract

Treatment with oncolytic measles vaccines (MV) elicits activation of immune cells, including natural killer (NK) cells. However, we found that MV-activated NK cells show only modest direct cytotoxic activity against tumor cells. To specifically direct NK cells towards tumor cells, we developed oncolytic measles vaccines encoding bispecific killer engagers (MV-BiKE) targeting CD16A on NK cells and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a model tumor antigen. MV-BiKE are only slightly attenuated compared to parental MV and mediate secretion of functional BiKE from infected tumor cells. We tested MV-BiKE activity in cocultures of colorectal or pancreatic cancer cells with primary human NK cells. MV-BiKE mediate expression of effector cytokines, degranulation and specific anti-tumor cytotoxicity by NK cells. Experiments with patient-derived pancreatic cancer cultures indicate that efficacy of MV-BiKE may vary between individual tumors with differential virus permissiveness. Remarkably, we confirmed MV-BiKE activity in primaryhuman colorectal carcinoma specimens with autochthonous tumor and NK cells.This study provides proof-of-concept for MV-BiKE as a novel immunovirotherapy to harness virus-activated NK cells as anti-tumor effectors.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number104
Number of pages15
JournalCell Death and Disease
Volume14 (2023)
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - 10 Feb 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC9918448
Scopus 85147895609

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

Keywords

  • Humans, Killer Cells, Natural, Antigens, Neoplasm/metabolism, Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy, Vaccines/metabolism, Measles/metabolism, Cell Line, Tumor

Library keywords