Walison Nunes da Silva1, Pedro Henrique Dias Moura Prazeres1, Marco Tullio Rodrigues Alves1, Vivian Vasconcelos Costa2, Mauro Martins Teixeira3, Pedro Pires Goulart Guimaraes1
1Physiology and Biophysics, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil,2Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil,3Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
摘要 Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematologic malignancies, achieving unprecedented remission rates in patients with refractory leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. However, translating CAR T therapy to solid tumors remains challenging due to intratumoral heterogeneity, an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and limited tumor-specific antigens. In this work, we employed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based mRNA delivery platform to transiently generate CAR T cells targeting Claudin-6 (CLDN6), an oncofetal tight junction protein aberrantly expressed in multiple tumors, including colorectal cancers. To enhance antitumor efficacy, we combined CAR T cell therapy with localized LNP-mediated delivery of TRAIL mRNA (LNP-TRAIL). We evaluated this dual approach in a subcutaneous xenograft model using Colo 205-GFP+Luc+ human colorectal cancer cells in NSG mice. Tumor growth was monitored by quantitative bioluminescence imaging and caliper-based tumor volume measurements. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were profiled for activation markers, proliferation, cytotoxic mediators (IFN-y, Granzyme B), and immune checkpoint expression (PD-1, CTLA-4) to assess T cell exhaustion. To examine translational potential, we performed ex vivo assays using freshly resected human colorectal tumor fragments treated with CAR-T cells. The resulting CAR-T cells generated via LNP-mRNA exhibited robust activation, proliferation, and cytotoxicity against CLDN6+ colorectal cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Combined CAR-T and intratumoral LNP-TRAIL therapy significantly reduced tumor burden, enhanced T cell infiltration and effector function, and reversed markers of T cell exhaustion. Ex vivo co-culture with primary human tumor samples further confirmed the improved cytotoxic and immunostimulatory effects of the dual strategy. These results establish a modular mRNA nanoplatform that integrates transient CAR expression with LNP-TRAIL delivery to overcome major barriers to CAR-T efficacy in solid tumors, highlighting its translational potential for CLDN6+ malignancies.
利益披露 Disclosure
W. Nunes da Silva, None..
P. Henrique Dias Moura Prazeres, None..
M. Rodrigues Alves, None..
V. Vasconcelos Costa, None..
M. Martins Teixeira, None..
P. Pires Goulart Guimaraes, None.