Published in:
01-12-2016 | Research Article
Imaging of Sleeping Beauty-Modified CD19-Specific T Cells Expressing HSV1-Thymidine Kinase by Positron Emission Tomography
Authors:
Amer M. Najjar, Pallavi R Manuri, Simon Olivares, Leo Flores II, Tiejuan Mi, Helen Huls, Elizabeth J. Shpall, Richard E. Champlin, Nashaat Turkman, Vincenzo Paolillo, Jason Roszik, Brian Rabinovich, Dean A. Lee, Mian Alauddin, Juri Gelovani, Laurence J.N. Cooper
Published in:
Molecular Imaging and Biology
|
Issue 6/2016
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Abstract
Purpose
We have incorporated a positron emission tomography (PET) functionality in T cells expressing a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to non-invasively monitor the adoptively transferred cells.
Procedures
We engineered T cells to express CD19-specific CAR, firefly luciferase (ffLuc), and herpes simplex virus type-1 thymidine kinase (TK) using the non-viral-based Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon/transposase system adapted for human application. Electroporated primary T cells were propagated on CD19+ artificial antigen-presenting cells.
Results
After 4 weeks, 90 % of cultured cells exhibited specific killing of CD19+ targets in vitro, could be ablated by ganciclovir, and were detected in vivo by bioluminescent imaging and PET following injection of 2′-deoxy-2′-[18F]fluoro-5-ethyl-1-β-d-arabinofuranosyl-uracil ([18F]FEAU).
Conclusion
This is the first report demonstrating the use of SB transposition to generate T cells which may be detected using PET laying the foundation for imaging the distribution and trafficking of T cells in patients treated for B cell malignancies.