Enhancement of production of NK cells from stem cells

Abstract

A composition and a method for generating clinically safe NK cells derived from non-fully differentiated stem cells are provided. The non-fully differentiated stem cells are co-cultured with endogenous NK cells isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue to generate a high percentage of clinically safe NK cells, where anti-tumor activity of the clinically safe NK cells in vitro is similar to that of endogenous NK cells. Optimized Production of the clinically safe autologous NK cells from stem cells provides platform for treating cancer patients by applying an effective adoptive immunotherapy ranging from the early to terminal stages.

Claims

1. A cultured cell preparation, comprising: a plurality of non-fully differentiated stem cells; a first plurality of NK cells that are endogenous NK cells obtained from adipocyte-containing tissue that comprises said endogenous NK cells; a barrier interposed between the plurality of non-fully differentiated stem cells and the first plurality of NK cells; and a second plurality of NK cells derived from the plurality of non-fully differentiated stem cells.

2. The cultured cell preparation of claim 1, wherein the plurality of non-fully differentiated stem cells are selected from the groups consisting of lymphoid progenitor cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), stem cells derived from the adipocyte-containing tissue (ADSCs), embryonic stem cells, and hematopoietic stem cells.

3. The cultured cell preparation of claim 2, wherein the iPSCs are iPSCs derived patient fibroblasts.

4. The cultured cell preparation of claim 2, wherein the plurality of non-fully differentiated stem cells and the endogenous NK cells are derived from the same individual.

5. The cultured cell preparation of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of NK cells are isolated from a cluster of adipocytes.

6. The cultured cell preparation of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of NK cells are isolated and purified from Stromal Vascular Fraction of ADSCs.

7. A method of culturing NK cells, comprising: obtaining a first population of cells comprising endogenous NK cells collected from a cluster of adipocytes; culturing non-fully differentiated stem cells; and, co-culturing the non-fully differentiated stem cells with the plurality of NK cells with a barrier interposed between the non-fully differentiated stem cells and the first population of NK cells to induce differentiation of the non-fully differentiated stem cells into a second population of cells comprising NK cells derived from the non-fully differentiated stem cells.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the non-fully differentiated stem cells are selected from the group consisting of lymphoid progenitor stem cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), stem cells derived from adipocyte-containing tissue (ADSCs), embryonic stem cells, and hematopoietic stem cells.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the iPSCs are iPSCs derived from patient specific fibroblasts.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-fully differentiated stem cells and the plurality of NK cells are derived from the same individual.

11. The cultured cell preparation of claim 1, wherein the plurality of non-fully differentiated stem cells is a plurality of induced pluripotent stem cell.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said non-fully differentiated stem cells are induced pluripotent stem cells.

13. The cultured cell preparation of claim 1, further comprising a cancer cell.

14. The cultured cell preparation of claim 1, wherein the barrier is permeable.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the first population of cells comprises a cancer cell.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the barrier is permeable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a method according to the inventive subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.

(3) In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

(4) The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.

(5) Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.

(6) Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markush groups used in the appended claims.

(7) The current application provides compositions and methods in which a higher percentage of stem cells are differentiated into NK cells.

Definitions

(8) The term “stem cell” refers to special cells that have the ability to develop into many different cell types, including muscle cells, brain cells, and red and white blood cells. Stem cell-based therapies can be used to treat a variety of ailments including cancer, and many clinical trials based on stem cell therapies are on-going. Stem cells include embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cell, and adipocyte derived stem cells (ADSC), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) including ADSC-derived iPSCs, and ectoderm/mesoderm/endoderm-derived stem cells.

(9) The term “induced pluripotent stem cells” refers to a type of pluripotent stem cells that can be generated directly from somatic cells. One advantage of using iPSCs is that there is no concern for immune rejection. Indeed, iPSC developed from somatic cells obtained from an individual can be applied to the same individual.

(10) The term “lymphoid progenitor cells” or “undifferentiated NK cells” refers to CD34+ hematopoietic precursor cells that are derived from stem cells.

(11) The term “non-fully differentiated stem (NFDS) cells” refers to stem cells and lymphoid progenitor cells.

(12) The term “patient-specific adipocytes/NK cells” refers to the adipocyte/NK cells derived/isolated from the individual.

(13) The term “clinically safe NK cells” refers to NK cells that do not provide a clinically significant risk of introducing medical concerns that are endogenously and/or intrinsically originated from the NK cells. Thus, exogenous effects of the NK cells, for example, immune rejection and medical concerns as a result of environmental effects, are excluded.

(14) The term “endogenous NK cells” refers to the NK cells that naturally develop into NK cells in the individual, including NK cells purified and isolated from the Stromal Vascular Fraction of ADSCs. NK cells in the blood stream are one example.

(15) The term “in vivo” refers to a medical test, experiment, or procedure that is done on/in a living organism, such as a laboratory animal or human.

(16) The term “in vitro” refers to a medial study or experiment, which is done in the laboratory within the confines of a test tube/laboratory dish.

(17) Stem Cells

(18) In some embodiments, adipocyte derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be used as stem cells (FIG. 1, 110). As described below, adipocyte residing NK cells can be isolated from human adipocyte-containing tissue obtained from a patient's subcutaneous fat. In some embodiments the same adipocyte-containing tissue can be used to isolate ADSCs. Taking fat tissue from a patient and isolating ADSCs from the tissue is relatively straightforward compared to isolating stem cells from bone marrow. For example, such tissue can be obtained by excision from a readily accessible subcutaneous site, or, alternatively, obtained by a liposuction procedure. It should be appreciated that a large number of ADSCs per volume of tissue, a high rate of proliferation, and anti-apoptotic function in ADSCs relative to other stem cells have been demonstrated in various preclinical studies. Accordingly, the size of an adipose tissue sample for such a process can be relatively small (e.g. from about 1 cm.sup.3 to about 1,0000 cm.sup.3). In addition, as described above, it is already known that ADSCs are capable of differentiating into NK cells. Alternatively, suitable stem cells can be obtained from any patient ectodermal, mesodermal, or endodermal tissue.

(19) In some embodiments, iPSCs can be used as stem cells. As noted above, one advantage of the use of iPSCs is the minimal to no risk of immune rejection, as the iPSCs will be used to treat the individual that they are obtained from. Such iPSCs can be generated from any suitable ectodermal, mesodermal, or endodermal tissue. For example, fibroblasts isolated from a patient's skin can be used to generate suitable iPSCs.

(20) It should be appreciated that the use of embryonic stem cells usually creates immune rejection because embryonic stem cells are not a patient-specific cells. Accordingly, use of iPSCs provides a significant technical advantage, especially for immunotherapy. The lack of rejection permits maintenance of immune function to be maintained to at least to a normal level.

(21) In a preferred embodiment, iPSCs derived from ADSCs can be used. A method of generating such iPSC is taught in “Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Using a Non-Viral Polycistronic Plasmid in Feeder-Free Conditions, PLoS ONE, 7(10), 2012”.

(22) iPSCs Derived from Patient Specific Fibroblasts

(23) In one example of a method of the inventive concept a virus-free polycistronic plasmid method was applied to generate iPSCs from patient specific fibroblasts s. Taking a virus free polycistronic plasmid, pIRES2-EGFP plasmid, as a basic backbone, four “Yamanaka” genes (human OCT4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc TF genes) were inserted into the vector in oskm order within a single open reading frame. The pIRES2-EGFP plasmid vector can be transfected into somatic cells without the need for viral packaging. The iPSCs derived from ADSCs are detected in a feeder cell-free environment with ectopic expression of the “Yamanaka” four factors. The iPSCs were further confirmed by the identification of major ES cell markers such as TRA-1-60, OCT4, Nanog and SSEA4 after 28 days of culturing. The iPSCs formed teratomas that differentiated into all three germ layers (i.e. endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm), indicating that iPSCs derived from ADSCs were successfully generated.

(24) iPSCs can be expanded, for example, using culture in laminin 521 coated vessels, typically doubling in population within 7 days of culturing. Such expanded iPSCs can be banked for later use as described in “Laminin as a potent substrate for large-scale expansion of human induced pluripotent stem cells in a closed cell expansion system, Stem cells international, 2019”.

(25) Some NK cells are found circulating in blood while others are tissue residents. In the current subject matter, NK cells residing in adipocytes can be obtained by isolation of NK cells from a patient-specific adipocyte-containing tissue (“retained NK cell phenotype and functionality in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Frontiers in Immunology, Vol 10, 1255, 2019”). The tissue is mechanically dissociated (e.g. by enzymatic digestion in collagenase II at 37° C.) and filtered through a 100 μm filter, and stained for the presence of NK cell-specific markers (for example, CD56, CD3.sup.−, etc.). Cells with NK cell markers are separated from other cell types, for example by flow cytometry.

(26) Non-Fully Differentiated Stem Cells Co-Cultured with Adipocyte-Isolated NK Cells

(27) It should be appreciated that stem cells utilized in methods of the inventive concept can be totipotent or pluripotent (e.g. partially differentiated but not committed to maturing into a single cell type). Within the context of this application the term “non-fully differentiated stem cells” is considered inclusive of totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, and oligopotent stem cells. Non-fully differentiated stem cells including stem cells and lymphoid progenitor cells (FIG. 1, 110a) can be cultured in DMEM-containing plastic culture dishes. The attached cells are allowed to reach 80% confluence. The isolated NK cells from adipocyte-containing (FIG. 1, 120) can be applied directly onto Non-fully differentiated stem cells in the culture dish, or they can be applied to a barrier (such as a divider or filter) that physically separates the stem cells from isolated NK cells (FIG. 1, 130). In the presence of such a barrier the Non-fully differentiated stem cells can, for example, be cultured on the surface of a bottom dish and NK cells isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue presented on a top culture dish. In such embodiments, molecules released from the NK cells can pass through the barrier and reach to the Non-fully differentiated stem cells. In some embodiments, cancer cells can be applied on the top dish and/or surface of the barrier to activate NK cells isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue.

(28) The ratio of lymphoid progenitor cell to a NK cell isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue can range from 1:1 to 10,000:1. In some embodiments, the ratio is 1:1 to 1,000:1. In more preferred embodiments, the ratio is 1:1 to 1:10,000. Such co-culturing of these cells can be maintained for from 8 hours to 2 months, typically at 37° C. and with 5% CO.sub.2.

(29) NK cells isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue can be healthy (with or without activation), or damaged NK cells. In some embodiments, as described above, NK cells can be activated by co-culturing with cancer cells in the presence of a barrier between non-fully differentiated stem cells and NK cells with cancer cells. In some embodiments, NK cells are induced (activated) by introducing cytokines and/or growth factors (such as IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, IL-7, IL-15, IL-18, IFN-γ, and/or TNF-α). In some embodiments, damaged NK cells, for example, having lower cytotoxicity, can be used for co-culturing with stem cells.

(30) The duration of such co-culturing can range from overnight to 10 weeks. In preferred embodiments, the duration is 3 days to 8 weeks. In more preferred embodiments, the duration is 1 week to 6 weeks. In the most preferred embodiments, the duration is 1 week to 4 weeks.

(31) In some embodiments cell culture media used in such methods can include cytokines and/or growth factors. In other embodiments such cell culture media can exclude cytokines and/or growth factors. Suitable cytokines and/or growth factors include IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, IL-7, IL-15, IL-18, stem cell factor, endothelial growth factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IFN-γ, and/or TNF-α.

(32) Stem cells of the inventive concept can differentiate into various NK cells lines, including NK3.3, KHYG-1, NKL, NKYS, and NKT. The markers for NK3.3 lines include CD2, CD11a, CD38, CD45, CD16, and CD56. The markers for KHYG-1 lines include CD2, CD3ε, CD7, CD8αα, CD33, CD56, CD122, and CD132. The markers for NKL lines include CD2, CD3ε, CD7, CD8αα, CD33, CD56, CD122, and CD132. The markers for NKT lines include CD56, CD3. The markers for NKYS lines include CD2, CDS, CD7, and CD56.

(33) Since all NK cell lines express CD56, and CD56 is specific to NK cells, in preferred embodiments cultured cells can be stained with CD 56 and separated by cell sorting in a flow cytometer to separate NK cells (including both stem cell derived NK cells and NK cells isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue) from undifferentiated stem cells.

(34) Evaluation of Anti-Tumor Activity In Vitro

(35) Cancer cells, for example, PC3 (human prostate cancer cell line, B Cell Lymphomas, HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia cell lines, U266 multiple myeloma cell lines, U87 glioblastoma multiforme cell lines, A549 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cancer cell lines, A673 Ewing sarcoma cell line) and non-cancer cells (for example, epithelial cells isolated from an individual) can be fluorescently labeled using, for example, an activated fluorescent dye such as carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE). The cancer and/or non-cancer cells can be mixed with stem cell derived NK cells or NK cells isolated from adipocyte-containing tissue or blood at various ratios. The ratio of a cancer cells (and/or non-cancer cells) to NK cells can range from 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:20: 1:50, and/or 1:100. After overnight incubation at 37° C. and 5% CO.sub.2, cell culture can be stained with a dead cell marker (for example, propidium iodide or PI) and then analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentage of the dead cancer and/or non-cancer cells are calculated by comparing the number of PI stained cells to the number of CFSE stained cells.

(36) Instead of using PI staining, cells can be observed microscopically to determine viability. A phase-contrast and a fluorescent image can be obtained from the same location in such a cell culture and superimposed. Intact and lysed CF SE-labeled can be counted randomly for selected images. The percentage of the dead cancer or non-cancer cells are calculated by comparing the number of stained lysed cells to the number of stained lysed and stained intact cells.

(37) Evaluation of Anti-Tumor Activity In Vivo

(38) Tumor cells, for example, U87 glioblastoma multiforme cell lines, PC3 (human prostate cancer), B Cell Lymphomas, HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia cell lines, U266 multiple myeloma cell lines, A549 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines, Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cancer cell lines, A673 Ewing sarcoma cell line) can be subcutaneously injected into a representative number (e.g. about fifteen) 2-month-old male nude mice at 1×10.sup.6 cells/mouse. One week later, the mice are separated into 3 groups of approximately equal size. The first and second group are intravenously injected with 1×10.sup.7 cells of either stem cell derived clinically safe NK cells or the endogenous NK cells specific to each individual mouse. The third group is a negative control. Tumor size can be measured (e.g. with an electronic caliper, by image analysis, etc.) at regular intervals for up to 8 weeks after PC3 injection. The tumor size can be calculated as length (mm)×width (mm.sup.2)×0.523.

(39) Generated NK cells can be used for immunotherapy including CARNK therapy (FIG. 1, 140) against cancers and applied to a patient to treat their cancer (FIG. 1, 150). In addition, extracellular vesicles derived from such NK cells can be used to produce an anti-tumor effect. The stem cell derived clinical safe NK cells can be used to obtain such extracellular vesicles for application to cancer therapy in humans. Therefore, generated NK cells described in the current subject matter are versatile enough to develop various treatments against cancers.

(40) It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.