Project description:Due to the low-throughput process of systematically designing and functionally testing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), only a small set of immune signaling domains have been thoroughly explored, despite their major role in T cell activation, effector function and persistence. SpeedingCARs presents an integrated method for engineering CAR T cells by signaling domain shuffling and functional screening by single-cell sequencing. Leveraging the inherent modularity of natural signaling domains, we generated a diverse library of 180 unique CAR variants, which were genomically integrated into primary human T cells by CRISPR-Cas9. Functional and pooled screening of the CAR T cell library was performed by co-culture with tumor cells, followed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell CAR sequencing (scCAR-seq), thus enabling high-throughput profiling of multi-dimensional cellular responses.
Project description:CD19-targeted CAR therapies have successfully treated B cell leukemias, but many responders later relapse or experience toxicities. CAR ICDs are key to converting antigen recognition into anti-tumor effector functions. Despite the many possible immune signaling domain combinations that could be included in CARs, almost all CARs currently rely upon CD3, CD28, and/or 4-1BB signaling. To explore the signaling potential of CAR ICDs, we generated a library of 700,000 CD19 CAR molecules with diverse signaling domains and developed a high throughput screening platform to enable optimization of CAR signaling for anti-tumor functions. Our strategy identifies CARs with novel signaling domains that elicit distinct T cell behaviors from a clinically available CAR, including enhanced proliferation and persistence, lower exhaustion, potent cytotoxicity in an in vitro tumor rechallenge condition, and comparable tumor control in vivo. This approach is readily adaptable to numerous disease models, cell types, and selection conditions, making it a promising tool for rapidly improving adoptive cell therapies and expanding their utility to new disease indications.
Project description:Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. CRISPR screens have nominated gene targets for engineered T cells, but improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed Modular Pooled Knockin Screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA knockin libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors. Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR and CAR T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically-stimulated CAR T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI’s modularity allowed us to generate a ~10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral knockin of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct further enhanced function. ModPoKI facilitates discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
Project description:Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. CRISPR screens have nominated gene targets for engineered T cells, but improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed Modular Pooled Knockin Screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA knockin libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors. Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR and CAR T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically-stimulated CAR T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI’s modularity allowed us to generate a ~10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral knockin of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct further enhanced function. ModPoKI facilitates discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
Project description:Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. CRISPR screens have nominated gene targets for engineered T cells, but improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed Modular Pooled Knockin Screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA knockin libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors. Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR and CAR T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically-stimulated CAR T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI’s modularity allowed us to generate a ~10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral knockin of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct further enhanced function. ModPoKI facilitates discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
Project description:Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. CRISPR screens have nominated gene targets for engineered T cells, but improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed Modular Pooled Knockin Screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA knockin libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors. Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR and CAR T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically-stimulated CAR T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI’s modularity allowed us to generate a ~10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral knockin of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct further enhanced function. ModPoKI facilitates discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
Project description:Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. CRISPR screens have nominated gene targets for engineered T cells, but improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed Modular Pooled Knockin Screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA knockin libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors. Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR and CAR T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically-stimulated CAR T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI’s modularity allowed us to generate a ~10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral knockin of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct further enhanced function. ModPoKI facilitates discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.
Project description:Chronic stimulation can cause T cell dysfunction and limit efficacy of cellular immunotherapies. CRISPR screens have nominated gene targets for engineered T cells, but improved methods are required to compare large numbers of synthetic knockin sequences to reprogram cell functions. Here, we developed Modular Pooled Knockin Screening (ModPoKI), an adaptable platform for modular construction of DNA knockin libraries using barcoded multicistronic adaptors. We built two ModPoKI libraries of 100 transcription factors (TFs) and 129 natural and synthetic surface receptors. Over 30 ModPoKI screens across human TCR and CAR T cells in diverse conditions identified a transcription factor AP4 (TFAP4) construct that enhanced fitness of chronically-stimulated CAR T cells and anti-cancer function in vitro and in vivo. ModPoKI’s modularity allowed us to generate a ~10,000-member library of TF combinations. Non-viral knockin of a combined BATF-TFAP4 polycistronic construct further enhanced function. ModPoKI facilitates discovery of complex gene constructs to program cellular functions.