In Vitro Expansion of Human Tumor-Reactive CD8⁺ T Cell Lines Using Superparamagnetic CD3/CD28/CD137 Beads.

Efficient methods for the reliable in vitro expansion of tumor-reactive T cells will surely broaden the applicability of adoptive T cell therapy in cancer. In this study we investigated the antigen-independent stimulation and expansion of human T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and in long-term cultured tumor-reactive CD8⁺ T cell lines using superparamagnetic beads coated with antibodies to CD3 and the costimulatory molecules CD28 and CD137.

T cell numbers were measured in healthy donor PBMC after in vitro stimulation with Dynabeads^® coated with CD3/CD28/CD137 versus Dynabeads^® coated with CD3/CD28 (all beads +/- 100 U/mL IL-2) versus IL-2 alone at different bead/cell ratios (3:1, 1:1). Expansion was also analyzed in human renal cell carcinoma-reactive CD8⁺ T cell lines after restimulation with tumor cells (weekly), CD3/CD28 beads and CD3/CD28/CD137 beads, respectively (bead/cell ratio of 1:5, 100 U/mL IL-2 added). Expanded T cell lines were phenotyped for expression of activation, differentiation and homing molecules (i.e. CD27, CD28, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD57, CD62L, CD137, CCR7) and were also tested for function.

T cells in PBMC showed an increased expansion rate of up to 17-fold during a 2-week culture period using beads with IL-2 added versus IL-2 alone (p<0.0001 for CD3/CD28/CD137; p<0.0001 for CD3/CD28). The difference between CD3/CD28/CD137 beads and CD3/CD28 beads was not significant (p=0.4). Bead/cell ratios of 1:1 and 3:1 expanded T cells in PBMC with similar efficiency. In addition, IL-2 was essential to obtain maximum T cell proliferation. Peripheral blood CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells showed a strong increase of CD137 surface expression starting 12-24 hours upon stimulation, regardless which beads were used. In contrast to PBMC, tumor-reactive CD8⁺ T cell lines expanded more rapidly using CD3/CD28/CD137 beads versus CD3/CD28 beads (p=0.03). Stimulation with CD3/CD28/CD137 beads was comparably efficient versus the control arm using weekly addition of tumor cells and IL-2. Simultaneous addition of beads and tumor cells did not have a synergistic effect. CD8⁺ T cell lines analyzed 12 days after bead-induced in vitro expansion versus weekly tumor stimulation showed a comparable level of tumor reactivity in IFN-g ELISPOT assay. Phenotypically, expression of CD137 on CD8⁺ T cell lines showed maximum up-regulation 24 hours after beads stimulation and persisted for at least 72 hours. In contrast, cultures stimulated solely with tumor cells showed a much shorter and transient CD137 expression with an earlier peak level after 12 hours. Other phenotypic markers were similar on tumor-reactive T cell cultures, except for increased CD62L expression after bead-induced stimulation.

Antigen-independent in vitro expansion of T cells in PBMC was equally efficient using CD3/CD28 beads or CD3/CD28/CD137 beads, respectively. In contrast, we observed an increased growth rate for tumor-reactive CD8⁺ T cell lines when activated with CD3/CD28/CD137 beads compared to CD3/CD28 beads. Antitumor reactivity of T cell lines was maintained during the antigen-independent stimulation step. Bead activation was associated with increased expression of the lymph node homing receptor CD62L on antitumor CD8⁺ T cell lines, which indicates a central memory phenotype. Our data suggest that the conjugation of anti-CD137 antibodies to the traditionally used CD3/CD28 beads improves their expansion capacity for antitumor CD8⁺ T cell lines.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.