Persistence of adoptively transferred T cells with a kinetically engineered IL-2 receptor agonist

Giulia Parisi, Justin D. Saco, Felix B. Salazar, Jennifer Tsoi, Paige Krystofinski, Cristina Puig-Saus, Ruixue Zhang, Jing Zhou, Gardenia C. Cheung-Lau, Alejandro J. Garcia, Catherine S. Grasso, Richard Tavaré, Siwen Hu-Lieskovan, Sean Mackay, Jonathan Zalevsky, Chantale Bernatchez, Adi Diab, Anna M. Wu, Begoña Comin-Anduix, Deborah CharychAntoni Ribas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

62 Scopus citations

Abstract

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a component of most protocols of adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapy for cancer, but is limited by short exposure and high toxicities. NKTR-214 is a kinetically-engineered IL-2 receptor βγ (IL-2Rβγ)-biased agonist consisting of IL-2 conjugated to multiple releasable polyethylene glycol chains resulting in sustained signaling through IL-2Rβγ. We report that ACT supported by NKTR-214 increases the proliferation, homing and persistence of anti-tumor T cells compared to ACT with IL-2, resulting in superior antitumor activity in a B16-F10 murine melanoma model. The use of NKTR-214 increases the number of polyfunctional T cells in murine spleens and tumors compared to IL-2, and enhances the polyfunctionality of T and NK cells in the peripheral blood of patients receiving NKTR-214 in a phase 1 trial. In conclusion, NKTR-214 may have the potential to improve the antitumor activity of ACT in humans through increased in vivo expansion and polyfunctionality of the adoptively transferred T cells.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number660
JournalNature communications
Volume11
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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