SUMMARY Hypoxic and VHL-deficient cells use glutamine to generate citrate and lipids through reductive carboxylation (RC) of α-ketoglutarate. To gain insights into the role of HIF and the molecular mechanisms underlying RC, we took advantage of a panel of disease-associated VHL mutants and showed that HIF expression is necessary and sufficient for the induction of RC in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. HIF expression drastically reduced intracellular citrate levels. Feeding VHL-deficient RCC cells with acetate or citrate or knocking down PDK-1 and ACLY restored citrate levels and suppressed RC. These data suggest that HIF-induced low intracellular citrate levels promote the reductive flux by mass action to maintain lipogenesis. Using [1–13C] glutamine, we demonstrated in vivo RC activity in VHL-deficient tumors growing as xenografts in mice. Lastly, HIF rendered VHL-deficient cells sensitive to glutamine deprivation in vitro, and systemic administration of glutaminase inhibitors suppressed the growth of RCC cells as mice xenografts.

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Attempts have been made for early diagnosis and finding effective drugs to prevent severe consequences and ameliorate the symptoms of this disorder. In this work, the pharmacological properties of VO(dmpp)(2), [bis(1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyridinonato)oxovanadium(IV)], were in vivo evaluated. For 4 weeks fatty Zucker rats were subjected to a daily dose of VO(dmpp)(2) (44 μmol/kg) and their metabolic profile was followed by assessing different biological parameters at established time points: body weight, subcutaneous fat width and hepatic triglyceride content determined by magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, respectively. A glucose tolerance test was performed at the end of the experiment. After treatment, treated obese rats presented a weight significantly lower than the non-treated obese animals (359.0±11.1 vs. 433.5±6.2g, P<0.05), a thinner subcutaneous fat width, and a statistically significant decrease in hepatic triglyceride content (5.41±0.59 vs. 21.03±1.40%, P<0.0005). Additionally, the glucose intolerant profile of fatty Zucker rats was completely reversed in treated animals (102.3±2.1 vs. 172.4±1.3 mg/100 mL; P<0.0005). These results reinforce the therapeutic action of VO(dmpp)(2) which shows particular effects on lipid metabolism.

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Patients with von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) disease harbor a germline mutation in the VHL gene leading to the development of several tumor types including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In addition, the VHL gene is inactivated in over 90% of sporadic ccRCC cases. ‘Clear cell’ tumors contain large, proliferating cells with ‘clear cytoplasm’, and a reduced number of cilia. VHL inactivation leads to the stabilization of hypoxia inducible factors 1a and 2a [HIF1a and HIF2a (HIF2a is also known as EPAS1)] with consequent up-regulation of specific target genes involved in cell proliferation, angiogenesis and erythropoiesis. A zebrafish model with a homozygous inactivation in the VHL gene (vhl−/−) recapitulates several aspects of the human disease, including development of highly vascular lesions in the brain and the retina and erythrocytosis. Here, we characterize for the first time the epithelial abnormalities present in the kidney of the vhl−/− zebrafish larvae as a first step in building a model of ccRCC in zebrafish. Our data show that the vhl−/− zebrafish kidney is characterized by an increased tubule diameter, disorganized cilia, the dramatic formation of cytoplasmic lipid vesicles, glycogen accumulation, aberrant cell proliferation and abnormal apoptosis. This phenotype of the vhl−/− pronephros is reminiscent of clear cell histology, indicating that the vhl−/− mutant zebrafish might serve as a model of early stage RCC. Treatment of vhl−/− zebrafish embryos with a small-molecule HIF2a inhibitor rescued the pronephric abnormalities, underscoring the value of the zebrafish model in drug discovery for treatment of VHL disease and ccRCC.

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Despite the success of autologous anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy in B-Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) and Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), treatment failures occur. One contributing factor may be the intrinsic T cell fitness of the CAR T cell product that is influenced by the underlying malignancy and prior treatments. With the advent of gene editing, 'off the shelf' non-HLA matched healthy donor (HD) CAR T cells are under investigation for the treatment of patients (pts) in clinical trials. UCART19 (S68587) is a first-in-class allogeneic CAR T cell product expressing a second generation anti-CD19 CAR with TALEN®-mediated gene knockouts of T cell receptor alpha chain (TRAC) and CD52 to prevent graft versus host disease and to render them resistant to anti-CD52 antibody used for lymphodepletion. Preliminary clinical trial data on the use of UCART19 in B-ALL was previously reported at ASH (Benjamin et al, 2018). The phenotypic and functional characteristics of CAR T cell products manufactured from B-ALL, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) and DLBCL pts were compared to young adult healthy donor (HD) CAR T cell products. In addition, potential effects related to knocking out TRAC in HD TCR-CAR T cells were examined. Thawed PBMCs from B-ALL, CLL, DLBCL pts and HDs underwent T cell enrichment, activation with anti-CD3/CD28 beads and IL-2, followed by transduction with anti-CD19 4-1BB CD3ζ lentiviral CAR construct and expansion. HD TCR- CAR T cells were manufactured by electroporation of HD CAR T cells with mRNA coding for TRAC TALEN® and residual TCRαβ+cells were removed by magnetic bead selection. CAR expression levels, T cell subsets, and exhaustion markers were examined by flow cytometry. Expression of activation markers CD25 and CD69 was measured in response to co-culture with the CD19+cell line NALM-6. Cytotoxicity against NALM-6 and Raji was assessed and antigen-mediated proliferation measured over 14 days. HD CAR T cells (n=11) expanded significantly more during manufacture than CAR T cells derived from B-ALL (n=9), CLL (n=8) or DLBCL (n=8) pts. As expected, the electroporation step resulted in a transient decrease in viability which recovered over time in culture (n=10). Median CAR expression level was higher on CLL CAR T cell products compared to those from B-ALL pts and HDs, thought to be due to a higher CD4:CD8 ratio in some CLL products. As a consequence of TCR knockout, CD3 expression was lost on HD TCR- CAR T cells (n=10), apart from a small population of γδ CAR T cells. CLL and DLBCL CD8+CAR+cells expressed higher levels of PD1 than HD CD8+CAR+cells. DLBCL CD4+CAR+cells also expressed significantly higher levels of PD1 than HD or HD TCR-CD4+CAR+T cells. CAR+CD8+CD27+PD1- T cells have been previously described as a functionally important population that correlated with clinical outcome in pts who received CLL CAR T cells (Fraietta et al, 2018). We found HD (n=13) and HD TCR- (n=10) CAR T cells had significantly more CD8+CD27+PD1- CAR T cells compared to those derived from CLL (n=8) and DLBCL (n=6) pts, but similar levels to B-ALL pts (n=10). In the absence of CD19 antigen, DLBCL CAR+CD8+ T cells (n=6) had greater expression of CD25 and CD69. However, in response to stimulation with CD19+ NALM-6 cells, HD (n=12), HD TCR- (n=10) and B-ALL (n=10) CAR T cells had higher fold increase in CD69+ cells compared to DLBCL (n=6) CAR T cells. On paired analysis (n=6), no difference was seen in activation in response to CD19 antigen on HD compared to HD TCR- CAR T cells. All CAR T cell products demonstrated comparable cytotoxicity against NALM-6 and Raji cell lines in short term in vitro assays. However, long-term cytotoxicity will be evaluated in a murine model. We performed a detailed comparison of the phenotypic and functional characteristics of CAR T cells derived from pts with B-cell malignancies and HDs. DLBCL CAR T cells showed lower antigen specific activation but higher baseline activation which could lead to more differentiated exhausted T cells. CAR T cells derived from HDs show a higher proportion of the therapeutically relevant CAR+CD8+CD27+PD1- cells compared to patients with mature B cell malignancies (CLL and DLBCL), which is maintained after TRAC knockout. This suggests allogeneic CAR T cells, such as UCART19, may provide a more effective product for pts with T cell dysfunction. Disclosures Graham: Gillead: Other: Funding to attend educational meeting; Servier: Research Funding. Jozwik:Servier: Research Funding. Metelo:Pfizer: Research Funding; Allogene: Research Funding. Almena-Carrasco:Servier: Employment. Peranzoni:Servier: Employment. Ramsay:Celgene Corporation: Research Funding; Roche Glycart AG: Research Funding. Dupouy:Servier: Employment. Farzaneh:Autolus Ltd: Equity Ownership, Research Funding. Patten:Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding. Benjamin:Amgen: Honoraria; Allogene: Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria; Servier: Research Funding; Eusapharm: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria.