Studies of human T cell development require robust model systems that recapitulate the full span of thymopoiesis, from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) through to mature T cells. Existing in vitro models induce T cell commitment from human HSPCs; however, differentiation into mature CD3+TCRab+ single positive (SP) CD8+ or CD4+ cells is limited. We describe here a serum-free, artificial thymic organoid (ATO) system that supports highly efficient and reproducible in vitro differentiation and positive selection of conventional human T cells from all sources of HSPCs. ATO-derived T cells exhibited mature naïve phenotypes, a diverse TCR repertoire, and TCR-dependent function. ATOs initiated with TCR-engineered HSPCs produced T cells with antigen specific cytotoxicity and near complete lack of endogenous TCR Vβ expression, consistent with allelic exclusion of Vβ loci. ATOs provide a robust tool for studying human T cell development and stem cell based approaches to engineered T cell therapies.
Summary The ability to generate T cells from self-renewing pluripotent stem cells (PSC) has the potential to transform the current practice of autologous T cell immunotherapy into universal off-the-shelf products. However, differentiation of human PSCs into mature, conventional T cells has been challenging with existing methods. We report that a 3D artificial thymic organoid (PSC-ATO) system induced efficient differentiation of human embryonic stem cell and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesoderm progenitors to mature, functional T cells with a diverse T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. This continuous culture system supported both hematopoietic specification and terminal differentiation to naïve CD3+CD8αβ+ and CD3+CD4+ conventional T cells. Introduction of an MHC class I-restricted TCR in PSCs produced naïve, antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8αβ+ T cells which lacked endogenous TCR Vβ expression. Functional assays and RNA sequencing aligned PSC-derived T cells with primary naïve CD8+ T cells. The PSC-ATO system presented here is an efficient platform for generating functional, mature T cells from human PSCs.
Highlights d M-ATOs mimic the different stages of normal murine thymopoiesis in multiple strains d M-ATOs support the key transcriptional transitions during T cell development d M-ATOs generate mature T cells with a diverse TCR repertoire d M-ATOs generate the complete trajectory of thymopoiesis from a single HSC
Undergraduate students participating in the UCLA Undergraduate Research Consortium for Functional Genomics (URCFG) have conducted a two-phased screen using RNA interference (RNAi) in combination with fluorescent reporter proteins to identify genes important for hematopoiesis in Drosophila. This screen disrupted the function of approximately 3500 genes and identified 137 candidate genes for which loss of function leads to observable changes in the hematopoietic development. Targeting RNAi to maturing, progenitor, and regulatory cell types identified key subsets that either limit or promote blood cell maturation. Bioinformatic analysis reveals gene enrichment in several previously uncharacterized areas, including RNA processing and export and vesicular trafficking. Lastly, the participation of students in this course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) correlated with increased learning gains across several areas, as well as increased STEM retention, indicating that authentic, student-driven research in the form of a CURE represents an impactful and enriching pedagogical approach.
Adoptive cell therapy using T cells engineered to express antigen-specific T cell receptors (TCR-T) or chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T) offer targeted and potentially curative treatments for malignancy. Current approaches rely on the genetic modification and expansion of mature circulating T-cells. Such processes are limited to autologous T cells due to the risk of graft-versus-host (GvHD) disease from allogeneic T cells through endogenous TCR expression as well as rejection through MHC incompatibility. Furthermore, prolonged ex-vivo expansion of T cells may reduce in vivo efficacy and harvesting sufficient T cells from lymphopenic patients is challenging. Direct in vitro differentiation of engineered T cells from human pluripotent stem cells (HSPCs) may overcome these problems by providing an unlimited source of cells that can be genetically edited, permitting the suppression of endogenous TCR expression through allelic exclusion, and the de novo generation of naïve antigen-specific T cells. We have developed an in vitro Artificial Thymic Organoid (ATO) system that induces highly efficient and reproducible production of mature naïve T cells from human hematopoietic stem cells and progenitor cells (HSPC). Here, we report the preclinical development of a modified ATO system that supports highly efficient in vitro differentiation and positive selection of naive human T cells from at least 5 different lines of human pluripotent stem cells (PSC), including Embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC). T cell differentiation from PSC was very similar phenotypically to that from HSPC. As in normal human thymopoiesis, the first evidence for T cell commitment was expression of CD7 and CD5, followed by the CD3-CD8lo "ISP8" stage, then CD4+CD8+ "DP" stage and finally production of CD3+CD8+CD4- "CD8SP" and Cd3+CD4+CD8- "CD4SP". As is typical with both monolayer cultures and ATOs (and opposite to normal thymus), CD8SP predominated over CD4SP. Surprisingly, differentiation occurred more rapidly from PSC than with HSPC. As with HSPC-ATOs, CD8SP from PSC ATOs showed a mature naïve conventional T cell phenotype i.e. CD3+TCRab+CD4- CD45RA+CD62L+CD27+ and exhibited a diverse, thymic-like TCR repertoire, and robust TCR-dependent cytokine release and proliferation. The differentiation in ATOs of an ESC line that expresses an HLA-A*02:01-restricted αβ TCR specific for NY-ESO-1 resulted in a markedly increased cell yield with an enhanced generation of naïve CD3+TCRαβ+CD8αβ+ conventional T cells, the majority of which were antigen-specific by tetramer staining. TCR-engineered T cells produced from PSC in ATOs displayed a near complete lack of endogenous TCR Vβ expression, consistent with induction of allelic exclusion by the exogenous TCR during T cell development. The TCR engineered T cells underwent polyfunctional cytokine release, and proliferation in response to artificial APCs. Moreover, the differentiation in ATOs of an ESC line that expresses a CD19-specific 2nd generation (CD28/CD3zeta) CAR construct resulted in the production of CD5+CD7+ CD45RA+ CAR T cells. As reported previously, the ESC-derived CAR T cells did not express CD4, CD8 or CD3; however, they responded to PMA/ionomycin and underwent specific cytokine release and degranulation in response to target cells expressing CD19. PSC-derivedATOs thus present a highly efficient platform for the generation of clinically relevant mature naïve and potentially non-alloreactive TCR and CAR engineered T cells for adoptive immunotherapy. Disclosures Montel-Hagen: Kite Pharma: Research Funding. Seet: Kite Pharma: Research Funding. Crooks: Kite Pharma: Research Funding.
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