Project description:Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment. However, current immunotherapy modalities face many limitations. Here, we developed a new form of immunotherapy that elicits anti-tumor immunity through multiplexed activation of endogenous genes. We leveraged the CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) system to directly augment the in situ expression of endogenous genes, and thereby the presentation of tumor antigens, leading to dramatic anti-tumor immune responses. Deploying this as a cell-based vaccination strategy showed efficacy in both prophylactic and therapeutic settings. Intratumoral adeno-associated virus delivery of CRISPRa libraries elicited strong anti-tumor immunity across multiple cancer types. Precision targeting of mutated gene sets eradicated a large fraction of established tumors at both local and distant sites. This treatment modality led to alterations of the tumor microenvironment, marked by enhanced T cell infiltration and anti-tumor immune signatures. Multiplexed endogenous gene activation may serve as a versatile and highly scalable strategy to elicit potent immune responses against cancer.
Project description:Anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, a prominent immunomodulatory agent, elicits robust anti-tumor immunity in various cancers by increasing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and promoting CD8+ T cell reactivity against tumor cell-derived antigens. We conducted TCR repertoire analysis of anti-CD4-exposed endogenous CD8+ T cells to investigate the expansion pattern of the cell population.
Project description:Chromatin regulators play a broad role in regulating gene expression, and when gone awry, can lead to cancer. Here we demonstrate that ablation of the histone demethylase LSD1 in cancer cells increases repetitive element expression, including ERVs, and decreases expression of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) components. Significantly, this leads to dsRNA stress and activation of type 1 interferon, which stimulates anti-tumor T cell immunity and restrains tumor growth. Furthermore, LSD1 depletion enhances tumor immunogenicity and T cell infiltration in poorly immunogenic tumors, and elicits significant responses of checkpoint blockade-refractory mouse melanoma to anti-PD-1 therapy. Consistently, TCGA data analysis shows an inverse correlation between LSD1 expression and CD8+ T cell infiltration in various human cancers. Our study identifies LSD1 as a potent inhibitor of anti-tumor immunity and responsiveness to immunotherapy, and suggests LSD1 inhibition combined with PD-(L)1 blockade as a novel cancer treatment strategy.
Project description:Anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, a prominent immunomodulatory agent, elicits robust anti-tumor immunity in various cancers by increasing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and promoting CD8+ T cell reactivity against tumor cell-derived antigens. We used microarrays to investigate anti-CD4-induced gene-expression change of CD8+ T cells.
Project description:Anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody, a prominent immunomodulatory agent, elicits robust anti-tumor immunity in various cancers by increasing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and promoting CD8+ T cell reactivity against tumor cell-derived antigens. We conducted single-cell transcriptome analysis of anti-CD4-exposed lymphoid cells to investigate the detailed mechanism.
Project description:CRISPR-mediated gene activation (CRISPRa) is a promising therapeutic gene editing strategy without inducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, in vivo implementation of these CRISPRa systems remains a challenge. Here, we report a compact and robust miniCas9 activator (termed miniCAFE) for in vivo activation of endogenous target genes. The system relies on recruitment of an engineered minimal nuclease-null Cas9 from Campylobacter jejuni and potent transcriptional activators to a target locus by a single guide RNA. It enables robust gene activation in human cells even with a single DNA copy and is able to promote lifespan of C. elegans through activation of longevity-regulating genes. As proof-of-concept, delivered within an all-in-one adeno-associated virus (AAV), miniCAFE can activate Fgf21 expression in the liver and regulate energy metabolism in adult mice. Thus, miniCAFE holds great therapeutic potential against human diseases.
Project description:Several cancer drugs activate innate immune pathways in tumor cells but unfortunately compromise anti-tumor immune function. We discovered that inhibition of Carm1, an epigenetic enzyme, elicited beneficial effects in both cytotoxic T cells and tumor cells. Carm1 inactivation in cytotoxic T cells enhanced their activation state and anti-tumor function. In contrast, Carm1 inhibition in tumor cells resulted in genomic damage and activation of the cGAS-STING pathway. Inactivation of Med12, a regulatory component of the Mediator complex, elicited the same tumor cell phenotype, thereby connecting Carm1 to regulation of transcription. Inhibition of Carm1 induced potent T cell mediated tumor immunity and sensitized resistant, highly aggressive tumor cells to checkpoint blockade. The Carm1 – Med12 pathway thus offers an opportunity to enhance anti-tumor immunity while simultaneously sensitizing resistant tumor cells to immune attack.
Project description:Cas12a CRISPR technology, unlike Cas9, allows for multiplexing guide RNAs from a single transcript, simplifying combinatorial perturbations. While Cas12a has been implemented for multiplexed knockout genetic screens, it has yet to be optimized for CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) screens in human cells. Here we develop a new Cas12a-based transactivation domain (TAD) recruitment system using the ALFA nanobody and demonstrate simultaneous activation of up to four genes. We screen a genome-wide library to identify modulators of growth and MEK inhibition, and we compare these results to those obtained with open reading frame (ORF) overexpression and Cas9-based CRISPRa. We find that the activity of multiplexed arrays is largely predictable from the best-performing guide and we provide criteria for selecting active guides. We anticipate that these results will greatly accelerate the exploration of gene function and combinatorial phenotypes at scale.