Preclinical evaluation of targeting PRAME with TCR mimic CAR T cells in AML.

Authors

null

Danielle Kirkey

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA

Danielle Kirkey , Leila Robinson , Tiffany Hylkema , Anisha Loeb , Sommer Castro , Thao Tang , Rhonda E Ries , Cyd McKay , Christina Root , Laura Pardo , Keith Loeb , Quy Le , Soheil Meshinchi

Organizations

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, Hematologics, Seattle, WA

Research Funding

Other Foundation
Project StElla

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but has had limited success against AML in part due to overlap of cell surface antigens expressed in AML and normal hematopoietic cells. To identify AML-restricted targets, we interrogated the transcriptome from over 3000 AML patients and found PRAME (Preferentially Expressed Antigen in Melanoma), an intracellular protein, to be a highly expressed AML-restricted target. Using a novel approach to target intracellular antigens, we developed a PRAME CAR T cell using a TCR mimic (mTCR) antibody, which recognizes the PRAME peptide/HLA-A2 complex on the tumor cell surface. To conduct final IND-enabling studies, we generated an in vivo patient derived xenograft (PDX) model to treat with PRAME mTCRCAR T cells. Here we demonstrate the in vivo activity of PRAME mTCRCAR T cells against a PDX AML model. Methods: We used the VL and VH sequences from the PRAME TCR mimic antibody (Pr20) to construct the single chain fragment variable domain into the 41-BB/CD3ζ CAR vector. The PDX model was derived from a PRAME+/HLA-A2+ pediatric patient with AML. PDX cells were transduced with ffluciferase for noninvasive bioluminescent IVIS imaging to monitor leukemic progression. PDX leukemia-bearing mice were treated with unmodified T-cells or PRAME mTCRCAR T cells at 5x106 cells (1:1 CD4:CD8) per mouse 1 week after leukemia injection. Leukemia burden was measured by IVIS imaging and peripheral blood analysis. Results: Treatment with PRAME mTCRCAR T cells led to eradication of leukemia with all mice alive >100 days post-treatment, while control mice (unmodified T cells) had disease progression at Day 50 (p=0.001). Average leukemia burden in the control cohort was 3.5% at week 6 and 41.75% at week 11, while no leukemia was detected following CAR T cell treatment. In addition, the control arm had a marked expansion of leukemia with a 7.75 and 429.6 fold increase in radiance by IVIS at 6 and 11 weeks post-treatment. No significant increase in radiance was seen in the PRAME mTCRCAR T cell treated group. Human T cells (CD45+/CD3+) were detectable in the peripheral blood at Day 7 and 14 post-treatment in both the unmodified and CAR T cell treated groups. Conclusions: We demonstrate the therapeutic potential of targeting PRAME with mTCRCAR T cells in AML. We show potent efficacy with eradication of leukemia in PDX-bearing mice following treatment with PRAME mTCRCAR T cells resulting in prolonged survival. These results provide a novel approach to target PRAME with CAR T cells and provide compelling data to evaluate PRAME mTCRCAR T cells for use in clinical trials against AML.

Treatment
Unmodified T cell (N=5)PRAME mTCRCAR T cell (N=5)
Time to development of leukemia (Days)50.75N/A
Survival at Day 100 post-treatment40%100%
Average Fold Change in radiance post-treatment6 weeks7.755.65
11 weeks429.63.95
% leukemia in peripheral blood6 weeks3.5%undetectable
11 weeks41.75%undetectable

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2023 ASCO Annual Meeting

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Developmental Therapeutics—Immunotherapy

Track

Developmental Therapeutics—Immunotherapy

Sub Track

Cellular Immmunotherapy

Citation

J Clin Oncol 41, 2023 (suppl 16; abstr 2553)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.2553

Abstract #

2553

Poster Bd #

395

Abstract Disclosures