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INTRODUCTION: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is the fourth-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths around the world. Liver transplantation, surgery, and local ablation are curative therapies for early-stage HCC. However, post-treatment outcomes can vary based on histopathologic stage. Poorly-differentiated HCC are associated with higher rates of tumor progression and lower overall survival compared to well-differentiated HCC after therapy. In this study, we aimed to characterize the cancer stem cell (CSC) profile of histopathologically-proven well and poorly-differentiated HCCs in an in-vitro environment. We characterized the stem-like profile of each type of HCC based on their surface markers and susceptibility to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. METHODS: Flow cytometry was used to quantify differential expression of MHC-class I, CD54, and CD44 between well- and poorly-differentiated HCCs. Primary untreated NK cells, IL-2 stimulated primary NK cells, and supercharged (sNK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed against well- and poorly-differentiated HCCs. IFN-γ supernatant from each respective NK cell experimental arm was also used to induce differentiation of HCCs. Finally, we characterized the temporal NK effector cell cytotoxicity using real-time quantitative analysis of imaging and impedance (eSight study). RESULTS: Poorly-differentiated HCCs demonstrated low surface expression of MHC-class I and CD54, and high expression of CD44. Treatment of NK cells secreted IFN-γ or IFN-γ cytokine induced differentiation in HCCs. Poorly-differentiated HCCs in comparison to well-differentiated HCC were more susceptible to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in primary NK cells, IL-2 stimulated primary NK cells, and sNK cells. sNK cells induced significantly higher cytotoxicity against well-differentiated HCCs in comparison to untreated or IL-2-stimulated primary NK cells. These findings were recapitulated with real-time quantitative imaging analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Poorly-differentiated HCCs were found to have surface marker patterns of CSCs, making them highly susceptible to NK cell-based immunotherapy. NK-cell based therapy can potentially be leveraged as a neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy in poorly-differentiated HCCs. Supercharged NK cells, which can be rapidly expanded to therapeutic levels, are uniquely capable of lysing both poorly- and well-differentiated HCCs. This finding suggests that sNK cells not only exhibit enhanced features against NK cells targets but also are capable of activating T cells to induce cytotoxicity against well-differentiated HCCs with high expression of MHC class I.

Introduction: The clinical efficacy of CAR-NK cells against CD19-expressing blood cancers has been demonstrated, and they have shown potential for treating solid tumors as well. However, the efficacy of CAR-NK cells for treating human oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has not been examined. Methods: We assessed MUC1 expression in human OTSCC tissue and a cell line using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. We constructed NK cells that express CAR targeted to MUC1 from pluripotent stem cells (iPSCderived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells) and evaluated their effectiveness against OTSCC in vitro using the xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analysis system and CCK8 assay, and in vivo by measuring xenograft growth daily in BNDG mice treated with MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells. As controls, we used iPSC-derived NK cells and NK-free media, which were CAR-free and blank, respectively. Results: MUC1 expression was detected in 79.5% (66/83) of all OTSCC patients and 72.7% (24/33) of stage III and IV. In stage III and IV MUC1 positive OTSCC, 63.6% (21/33) and 48.5% (16/33) patients had a MUC1-positive cancer cell rate of more than 50% and 80%, respectively. The iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CARNK cells exhibited significant cytotoxicity against MUC1-expressing OTSCC cells in vitro, in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and showed a significant inhibitory effect on xenograft growth compared to both the iPSC-derived NK cells and the blank controls. We observed no weight loss, severe hematological toxicity or NK cell-mediated death in the BNDG mice. Conclusion: The MUC1-targetedCAR-NK cells had significant efficacy against human OTSCC, and their promising therapeutic response warrants further clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is the fourth-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths around the world. Liver transplantation, surgery, and local ablation are curative therapies for early-stage HCC. However, post-treatment outcomes can vary based on histopathologic stage. Poorly-differentiated HCC are associated with higher rates of tumor progression and lower overall survival compared to welldifferentiated HCC after therapy. In this study, we aimed to characterize the cancer stem cell (CSC) profile of histopathologically-proven well and poorlydifferentiated HCCs in an in-vitro environment. We characterized the stem-like profile of each type of HCC based on their surface markers and susceptibility to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Methods: Flow cytometry was used to quantify differential expression of MHCclass I, CD54, and CD44 between well- and poorly-differentiated HCCs. Primary untreated NK cells, IL-2 stimulated primary NK cells, and supercharged (sNK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed against well- and poorly-differentiated HCCs. IFN-γ supernatant from each respective NK cell experimental arm was also used to induce differentiation of HCCs. Finally, we characterized the temporal NK effector cell cytotoxicity using real-time quantitative analysis of imaging and impedance (eSight study). Results: Poorly-differentiated HCCs demonstrated low surface expression of MHC-class I and CD54, and high expression of CD44. Treatment of NK cells secreted IFN-γ or IFN-γ cytokine induced differentiation in HCCs. Poorlydifferentiated HCCs in comparison to well-differentiated HCC were more susceptible to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in primary NK cells, IL-2 stimulated primary NK cells, and sNK cells. sNK cells induced significantly higher cytotoxicity against well-differentiated HCCs in comparison to untreated or IL-2-stimulated primary NK cells. These findings were recapitulated with real-time quantitative imaging analysis. Conclusions: Poorly-differentiated HCCs were found to have surface marker patterns of CSCs, making them highly susceptible to NK cell-based immunotherapy. NK-cell based therapy can potentially be leveraged as a neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy in poorly-differentiated HCCs. Supercharged NK cells, which can be rapidly expanded to therapeutic levels, are uniquely capable of lysing both poorly- and well-differentiated HCCs. This finding suggests that sNK cells not only exhibit enhanced features against NK cells' targets but also are capable of activating T cells to induce cytotoxicity against well-differentiated HCCs with high expression of MHC class I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe clinical efficacy of CAR-NK cells against CD19-expressing blood cancers has been demonstrated, and they have shown potential for treating solid tumors as well. However, the efficacy of CAR-NK cells for treating human oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has not been examined. MethodsWe assessed MUC1 expression in human OTSCC tissue and a cell line using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. We constructed NK cells that express CAR targeted to MUC1 from pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells) and evaluated their effectiveness against OTSCC in vitro using the xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analysis system and CCK8 assay, and in vivo by measuring xenograft growth daily in BNDG mice treated with MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells. As controls, we used iPSC-derived NK cells and NK-free media, which were CAR-free and blank, respectively.ResultsMUC1 expression was detected in 79.5% (66/83) of all OTSCC patients and 72.7% (24/33) of stage III and IV. In stage III and IV MUC1 positive OTSCC, 63.6% (21/33) and 48.5% (16/33) patients had a MUC1-positive cancer cell rate of more than 50% and 80%, respectively. The iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells exhibited significant cytotoxicity against MUC1-expressing OTSCC cells in vitro, in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and showed a significant inhibitory effect on xenograft growth compared to both the iPSC-derived NK cells and the blank controls. We observed no weight loss, severe hematological toxicity or NK cell-mediated death in the BNDG mice. ConclusionThe MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells had significant efficacy against human OTSCC, and their promising therapeutic response warrants further clinical trials.

Introduction: The clinical efficacy of CAR-NK cells against CD19-expressing blood cancers has been demonstrated, and they have shown potential for treating solid tumors as well. However, the efficacy of CAR-NK cells for treating human oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) has not been examined., Methods: We assessed MUC1 expression in human OTSCC tissue and a cell line using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. We constructed NK cells that express CAR targeted to MUC1 from pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells) and evaluated their effectiveness against OTSCC in vitro using the xCELLigence Real-Time Cell Analysis system and CCK8 assay, and in vivo by measuring xenograft growth daily in BNDG mice treated with MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells. As controls, we used iPSC-derived NK cells and NK-free media, which were CAR-free and blank, respectively., Results: MUC1 expression was detected in 79.5% (66/83) of all OTSCC patients and 72.7% (24/33) of stage III and IV. In stage III and IV MUC1 positive OTSCC, 63.6% (21/33) and 48.5% (16/33) patients had a MUC1-positive cancer cell rate of more than 50% and 80%, respectively. The iPSC-derived MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells exhibited significant cytotoxicity against MUC1-expressing OTSCC cells in vitro , in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and showed a significant inhibitory effect on xenograft growth compared to both the iPSC-derived NK cells and the blank controls. We observed no weight loss, severe hematological toxicity or NK cell-mediated death in the BNDG mice., Conclusion: The MUC1-targeted CAR-NK cells had significant efficacy against human OTSCC, and their promising therapeutic response warrants further clinical trials., Competing Interests: Author HZ, TG, YuL, YCL were employed by Guangdong Procapzoom Bioscience Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Lin, Guan, Li, Lin, Huang, Lin, Sun, Li, Gu, Zeng and Ma.)

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and is the fourth-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths around the world. Liver transplantation, surgery, and local ablation are curative therapies for early-stage HCC. However, post-treatment outcomes can vary based on histopathologic stage. Poorly-differentiated HCC are associated with higher rates of tumor progression and lower overall survival compared to well-differentiated HCC after therapy. In this study, we aimed to characterize the cancer stem cell (CSC) profile of histopathologically-proven well and poorly-differentiated HCCs in an in-vitro environment. We characterized the stem-like profile of each type of HCC based on their surface markers and susceptibility to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity., Methods: Flow cytometry was used to quantify differential expression of MHC-class I, CD54, and CD44 between well- and poorly-differentiated HCCs. Primary untreated NK cells, IL-2 stimulated primary NK cells, and supercharged (sNK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed against well- and poorly-differentiated HCCs. IFN-γ supernatant from each respective NK cell experimental arm was also used to induce differentiation of HCCs. Finally, we characterized the temporal NK effector cell cytotoxicity using real-time quantitative analysis of imaging and impedance (eSight study)., Results: Poorly-differentiated HCCs demonstrated low surface expression of MHC-class I and CD54, and high expression of CD44. Treatment of NK cells secreted IFN-γ or IFN-γ cytokine induced differentiation in HCCs. Poorly-differentiated HCCs in comparison to well-differentiated HCC were more susceptible to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in primary NK cells, IL-2 stimulated primary NK cells, and sNK cells. sNK cells induced significantly higher cytotoxicity against well-differentiated HCCs in comparison to untreated or IL-2-stimulated primary NK cells. These findings were recapitulated with real-time quantitative imaging analysis., Conclusions: Poorly-differentiated HCCs were found to have surface marker patterns of CSCs, making them highly susceptible to NK cell-based immunotherapy. NK-cell based therapy can potentially be leveraged as a neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy in poorly-differentiated HCCs. Supercharged NK cells, which can be rapidly expanded to therapeutic levels, are uniquely capable of lysing both poorly- and well-differentiated HCCs. This finding suggests that sNK cells not only exhibit enhanced features against NK cells' targets but also are capable of activating T cells to induce cytotoxicity against well-differentiated HCCs with high expression of MHC class I., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chiang, Chen, Pham, Nguyen, Kaur, Raman and Jewett.)