Automated manufacturing and characterization of clinical grade autologous CD20 CAR T cells for the treatment of patients with stage III/IV melanoma

Front Immunol. 2024 Sep 25:15:1328368. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1328368. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Point-of-care (POC) manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cell has expanded rapidly over the last decade. In addition to the use of CD19 CAR T cells for hematological diseases, there is a growing interest in targeting a variety of tumor-associated epitopes.

Methods: Here, we report the manufacturing and characterization of autologous anti-CD20 CAR T cells from melanoma patients within phase I clinical trial (NCT03893019). Using a second-generation lentiviral vector for the production of the CD20 CAR T cells on the CliniMACS Prodigy®.

Results: We demonstrated consistency in cell composition and functionality of the products manufactured at two different production sites. The T cell purity was >98.5%, a CD4/CD8 ratio between 2.5 and 5.5 and transduction rate between 34% and 61% on day 12 (harvest). Median expansion rate was 53-fold (range, 42-65-fold) with 1.7-3.8×109 CAR T cells at harvest, a sufficient number for the planned dose escalation steps (1×105/kg, 1×106/kg, 1×107/kg BW). Complementary research of some of the products pointed out that the CAR+ cells expressed mainly central memory T-cell phenotype. All tested CAR T cell products were capable to translate into T cell activation upon engagement of CAR target cells, indicated by the increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine release and by the increase in CAR T cell amplification. Notably, there were some interindividual, cell-intrinsic differences at the level of cytokine release and amplification. CAR-mediated T cell activation depended on the level of CAR cognate antigen.

Discussion: In conclusion, the CliniMACS Prodigy® platform is well suited for decentralized POC manufacturing of anti-CD20 CAR T cells and may be likewise applicable for the rapid and automated manufacturing of CAR T cells directed against other targets.

Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03893019?cond=Melanoma&term=NCT03893019&rank=1, identifier NCT03893019.

Keywords: CD20 CAR investigational medicinal product; automated manufacturing of engineered T cell products; cell composition of CAR T cell products; clinical CD20 CAR T cell trial; ex vivo expansion.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase I

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD20* / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive* / methods
  • Male
  • Melanoma* / immunology
  • Melanoma* / therapy
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen* / genetics
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen* / immunology
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen* / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen
  • Antigens, CD20

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03893019

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This project is funded by The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) under grant number 01EK1507A-C.