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We hypothesized that combining adoptively transferred autologous T cells with a cancer vaccine strategy would enhance therapeutic efficacy by adding antimyeloma idiotype (Id)–keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) vaccine to vaccine-specific costimulated T cells. In this randomized phase 2 trial, patients received either control (KLH only) or Id-KLH vaccine, autologous transplantation, vaccine-specific costimulated T cells expanded ex vivo, and 2 booster doses of assigned vaccine. In 36 patients (KLH, n = 20; Id-KLH, n = 16), no dose-limiting toxicity was seen. At last evaluation, 6 (30%) and 8 patients (50%) had achieved complete remission in KLH-only and Id-KLH arms, respectively (P = .22), and no difference in 3-year progression-free survival was observed (59% and 56%, respectively; P = .32). In a 594 Nanostring nCounter gene panel analyzed for immune reconstitution (IR), compared with patients receiving KLH only, there was a greater change in IR genes in T cells in those receiving Id-KLH relative to baseline. Specifically, upregulation of genes associated with activation, effector function induction, and memory CD8+ T-cell generation after Id-KLH but not after KLH control vaccination was observed. Similarly, in responding patients across both arms, upregulation of genes associated with T-cell activation was seen. At baseline, all patients had greater expression of CD8+ T-cell exhaustion markers. These changes were associated with functional Id-specific immune responses in a subset of patients receiving Id-KLH. In conclusion, in this combination immunotherapy approach, we observed significantly more robust IR in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the Id-KLH arm, supporting further investigation of vaccine and adoptive immunotherapy strategies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01426828.

PURPOSE BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC) is a common complication of allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), particularly in recipients of alternative donor transplants, which are being performed in increasing numbers. BKV-HC typically results in painful hematuria, urinary obstruction, and renal dysfunction, without a definitive therapeutic option. METHODS We performed a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02479698 ) to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of administering most closely HLA-matched third-party BKV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), generated from 26 healthy donors and banked for off-the-shelf use. The cells were infused into 59 patients who developed BKV-HC following AHSCT. Comprehensive clinical assessments and correlative studies were performed. RESULTS Response to BKV-CTL infusion was rapid; the day 14 overall response rate was 67.7% (40 of 59 evaluable patients), which increased to 81.6% among evaluable patients at day 45 (40 of 49 evaluable patients). No patient lost a previously achieved response. There were no cases of de novo grade 3 or 4 graft-versus-host disease, graft failure, or infusion-related toxicities. BKV-CTLs were identified in patient blood samples up to 3 months postinfusion and their in vivo expansion predicted for clinical response. A matched-pair analysis revealed that, compared with standard of care, after accounting for prognostic covariate effects, treatment with BKV-CTLs resulted in higher probabilities of response at all follow-up timepoints as well as significantly lower transfusion requirement. CONCLUSION Off-the-shelf BKV-CTLs are a safe and effective therapy for the management of patients with BKV-HC after AHSCT.

Adoptive cell therapy with virus-specific T cells has been used successfully to treat life-threatening viral infections, supporting application of this approach to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We expand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) T cells from the peripheral blood of COVID-19-recovered donors and non-exposed controls using different culture conditions. We observe that the choice of cytokines modulates the expansion, phenotype, and hierarchy of antigenic recognition by SARS-CoV-2 T cells. Culture with interleukin (IL)-2/4/7, but not under other cytokine-driven conditions, results in more than 1,000-fold expansion in SARS-CoV-2 T cells with a retained phenotype, function, and hierarchy of antigenic recognition compared with baseline (pre-expansion) samples. Expanded cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are directed against structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the receptor-binding domain of Spike. SARS-CoV-2 T cells cannot be expanded efficiently from the peripheral blood of non-exposed controls. Because corticosteroids are used for management of severe COVID-19, we propose an efficient strategy to inactivate the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) in SARS-CoV-2 CTLs using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing., Graphical abstract, Basar et al. demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 T cells can be efficiently generated from COVID19-recovered donors with specificity against multiple structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the Spike protein. Moreover, these cells can be genetically modified to render them resistant to corticosteroids, making their application clinically feasible.

Adoptive cell therapy with viral-specific T cells has been successfully used to treat life-threatening viral infections, supporting the application of this approach against COVID-19. We expanded SARS-CoV-2 T-cells from the peripheral blood of COVID-19-recovered donors and non-exposed controls using different culture conditions. We observed that the choice of cytokines modulates the expansion, phenotype and hierarchy of antigenic recognition by SARS-CoV-2 T-cells. Culture with IL-2/4/7 but not other cytokine-driven conditions resulted in >1000 fold expansion in SARS-CoV-2 T-cells with a retained phenotype, function and hierarchy of antigenic recognition when compared to baseline (pre-expansion) samples. Expanded CTLs were directed against structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the receptor-binding domain of Spike. SARS-CoV-2 T-cells could not be efficiently expanded from the peripheral blood of non-exposed controls. Since corticosteroids are used for the management of severe COVID-19, we developed an efficient strategy to inactivate the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) in SARS-CoV-2 CTLs using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Funding: Supported in part by the generous philanthropic contributions to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center AML Moonshot Program, by the grants from National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute 5R01CA211044-04 and Cancer Center Support (CORE) Grant (CA016672) that support the Flow Cytometry and Cellular Imaging Facility and the RNA sequencing core facility at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval: Buffy coat units were processed from 500mL of whole blood collected from each of the 10 COVID-19 recovered donors (CoV-RD) and 20 mL of peripheral blood from 5 healthy donors were collected under local Institutional Review Board approved protocols (Lab02-0630 and PA13-0647) and following informed consent.

Background: Idiotypic determinants of the surface immunoglobulin (Ig) associated with a given pt's B-cell lymphoma are unique to that tumor, and can thus serve as a tumor-specific marker. This study aims to use an idiotype DNA vaccine to lengthen the smoldering phase of WM without inducing cross-resistance to available therapies. Administered vaccine used recombinant plasmid DNA encoding a fusion protein, consisting of autologous lymphoma scFv (pt-specific idiotype) and human CCL20 (macrophage inflammatory protein-3 alpha - MIP-3α) chemokine. Targeted delivery of this fusion protein to antigen-presenting cells, and subsequent processing and presentation, is hypothesized to break tolerance and generate an immune response against the idiotype, promoting eradication of antigen-expressing B-cell lymphoma cells. Methods: Pts with sWM received 3 intradermal vaccinations of pt-specific DNA vaccine at 4-week (wk) intervals (wks 0, 4 and 8). Two dose levels (500 µg; 2500 µg) were evaluated in a 3+3 design. The primary objective was to evaluate the vaccine's safety and identify the maximum tolerated dose. Secondary objectives were to assess immunogenicity of the vaccine to generate tumor-specific cellular immune responses. Results: Between 1/2016 - 1/2019, 9 pts (7 men) were treated (500 µg: n = 3; 2500 µg: n = 6). Median age at enrollment was 67 yrs (range 56-78); median time from diagnosis to 1st vaccination was 26.5 mos (8.8-120.9). MYD88 L265P + (6 pts). CXCR4 WHIM + (1 pt). With median follow up of 38 months (range: 8.8-51), 8 pts are known alive; 1 has been lost to follow up. Six have maintained stable disease; 3 have progressed to symptomatic WM at 8, 25, and 28 months respectively, from 1st vaccination). All pts completed planned therapy. No DLTs or Grade 4 AEs occurred. Ten mos. after the 3rd vaccination, 1 pt had a grade 3 pleural effusion and leukopenia with an increase in rheumatoid factor (23.1 IU/mL [normal range 0.0-15.9]) and ANA titer of 1:80; all resolved within 2 mos. Grade 1-2 AEs observed in > 3pts include: leukopenia (6), nausea (5), anemia (4), increased creatinine (4), fatigue (4). Immune correlatives have now been completed in all 9 patients. Analysis is ongoing, and complete data will be presented at the meeting. Serial pre- and post- vaccine samples analyzed by single-cell RNA seq from 3 representative patients (LPL 005, LPL 007, LPL 008) treated at the 2500 mg dose are shown in the Figure. DNA vaccine treatment significantly reduced the number of clonal B-cells in the bone marrow compartment of the 2 patients who have maintained SD (LPL 007 and LPL 008). DNA vaccine treatment also induced increases in monocytes in the tumor microenvironment of these 2 patients. In addition, T-cell receptor (TCR) sequence analysis revealed clear increases in TCR clonal expansions, consistent with a vaccine effect. In contrast, LPL 005, who had the earliest progression to symptomatic phase WM, had an increase in tumor B cells on post vaccine samples, and TCR clonotypes showed no changes. Similar changes were observed with serial bone marrow samples from the remaining patients treated on the trial, correlating with clinical outcome. Conclusions: Idiotype (scFv-CCL20) DNA vaccine therapy appears to be safe in pts with sWM. Preliminary results of serial single cell RNAseq analysis suggest that the tumor immune microenvironment is favorably altered after chemokine-tumor antigen DNA vaccine treatment and these vaccine-induced changes may correlate with clinical outcome. The immunologic changes observed suggest response to this vaccine, and warrant further investigation in a Phase II trial, possibly in combination with immune checkpoint blockade. Disclosures Thomas: Ascentage: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Other: Advisory Boards; Xencor: Research Funding; X4 Pharma: Research Funding. Lee:GlaxoSmithKline: Consultancy, Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Sanofi: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy. Manasanch:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Honoraria; Glaxo Smith Kline: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Quest Diagnostics: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; JW Pharma: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding. Patel:Nektar: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Precision Biosciences: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy. Orlowski:Founder of Asylia Therapeutics, Inc., with associated patents and an equity interest, though this technology does not bear on the current submission.: Current equity holder in private company, Patents & Royalties; Laboratory research funding from BioTheryX, and clinical research funding from CARsgen Therapeutics, Celgene, Exelixis, Janssen Biotech, Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.: Research Funding; STATinMED Research: Consultancy; Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen, Inc., AstraZeneca, BMS, Celgene, EcoR1 Capital LLC, Forma Therapeutics, Genzyme, GSK Biologicals, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Janssen Biotech, Juno Therapeutics, Kite Pharma, Legend Biotech USA, Molecular Partners, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Neelapu:Takeda Pharmaceuticals: Patents & Royalties; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Merck: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; N/A: Other; Acerta: Research Funding; Karus Therapeutics: Research Funding; Cellectis: Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Unum Therapeutics: Other, Research Funding; Calibr: Other; Adicet Bio: Other; Legend Biotech: Other; Allogene Therapeutics: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Cell Medica/Kuur: Other: personal fees; Incyte: Other: personal fees; Precision Biosciences: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Celgene: Other: personal fees, Research Funding; Novartis: Other: personal fees; Pfizer: Other: personal fees. Kwak:CJ Healthcare: Consultancy; Sellas Life Sciences Grp: Consultancy; Enzychem Life Sciences: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Antigenics: Other: equity; InnoLifes, Inc: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pepromene Bio: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Xeme Biopharma/Theratest: Other: equity; Celltrion Healthcare: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celltrion, Inc.: Consultancy. OffLabel Disclosure: This study aims to use a novel idiotype DNA vaccine to lengthen the smoldering phase of WM without inducing cross-resistance to available therapies.

There is now a renewed interest in cancer vaccines. Patients responding to immune checkpoint blockade usually bear tumors that are heavily infiltrated by T cells and express a high load of neoantigens, indicating that the immune system is involved in the therapeutic effect of these agents; this finding strongly supports the use of cancer vaccine strategies. Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is a low grade, incurable disease featuring an abnormal proliferation of Immunoglobulin (Ig)-producing malignant cells. Asymptomatic patients are currently managed by a “watchful waiting” approach, as available therapies provide no survival advantage if started before symptoms develop. Idiotypic determinants of a lymphoma surface Ig, formed by the interaction of the variable regions of heavy and light chains, can be used as a tumor-specific marker and effective vaccination using idiotypes was demonstrated in a positive controlled phase III trial. These variable region genes can be cloned and used as a DNA vaccine, a delivery system holding tremendous potential for streamlining vaccine production. To increase vaccination potency, we are targeting antigen-presenting cells (APCs) by fusing the antigen with a sequence encoding a chemokine (MIP-3α), which binds an endocytic surface receptor on APCs. Asymptomatic phase LPL is an excellent model to test our vaccine since patients have not received chemotherapeutics that interfere with innate immune function and have low tumor burden. We are evaluating the safety of this next-generation DNA vaccine in a first-in-human clinical trial currently enrolling asymptomatic LPL patients. To elucidate the mode of action of this vaccine, we will assess its ability to generate tumor-specific immune responses and examine changes in the immune profile of both the peripheral blood and bone marrow. This vaccine could shift the current paradigm of clinical management for patients with asymptomatic LPL and inform development of other personalized approaches. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01209871; registered on September 24, 2010.

Immune evasion is an emerging hallmark of cancer progression. However, functional studies to understand the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment are limited by the lack of available specific cell surface markers. We adapted a competitive peptide phage display platform to identify candidate peptides binding MDSCs specifically and generated peptide-Fc fusion proteins (peptibodies). In multiple tumor models, intravenous peptibody injection completely depleted blood, splenic and intratumoral MDSCs in tumor-bearing mice without affecting proinflammatory immune cell types, such as dendritic cells. Whereas control Gr-1-specific antibody primarily depleted granulocytic MDSCs, peptibodies depleted both granulocytic and monocytic MDSC subsets. Peptibody treatment was associated with inhibition of tumor growth in vivo, which was superior to that achieved with Gr-1-specific antibody. Immunoprecipitation of MDSC membrane proteins identified S100 family proteins as candidate targets. Our strategy may be useful to identify new diagnostic and therapeutic surface targets on rare cell subtypes, including human MDSCs.

Background: Despite major advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) only a minority of patients achieve long-term disease control. Immunotherapy combined with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HCT) may reduce relapse rates. Immunoglobulin idiotype (Id) conjugated with a carrier protein, Keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), is a tumor-specific antigen in MM. Vaccine-primed, anti-CD3/anti-CD28 costimulated adoptive T-cell transfer can augment humoral and cellular immune responses to vaccination despite cytotoxic therapy. We hypothesized that Id-KLH vaccine + the vaccine-primed costimulated T cells will result in a robust Id-specific humoral and cellular response, compared to a control vaccine (KLH only). Methods: In this randomized, phase II trial, the primary objective was to determine if Id-KLH primed, costimulated T cells will induce a more robust Id-specific immunity than KLH-primed T cells. Eligible patients had IgG monoclonal protein. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either Id-KLH vaccine or KLH-only vaccine, followed by auto-HCT, and then vaccine- primed costimulated T cells followed by two booster doses of the vaccine to which they were randomized. This study was supported by The MD Anderson Cancer Center SPORE in Multiple Myeloma. Results: A total of 36 patients were enrolled between 1/2013 and 5/2015. Sixteen (44%) were randomized to Id-KLH and 20 (55%) to KLH-only. The Table below summarizes the patient characteristics. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, risk status or induction therapy. No treatment-related mortality, infusion reactions or dose-limiting toxicity was seen in either arm. Five (31%) and 3 (15%) patients achieved complete remission (CR) by day+180 in the Id-KLH and KLH arms, respectively (p=0.42). Initial analysis of a subgroup of patients revealed a significantly higher mRNA expression of immune activation genes IL-2, CCR6 and CD40 by NanoString nCounter in the Id-KLH group compared with the KLH only group (Figure). Eleven (68%) and 17 (85%) went on to receive maintenance therapy with lenalidomide or lenalidomide + ixazomib in the Id-KLH and KLH arms, respectively (p=0.42). After a median follow up of 26 months, 2-year PFS was 81% and 83% in Id-KLH and KLH arms, respectively (p=0.35). Conclusion: Id-KLH vaccine and vaccine-primed costimulated T cells can be safely administered in the setting of auto-HCT.There was a more robust immune response and a trend towards higher CR rate in the Id-KLH group. Disclosures Stadtmauer: Teva: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Takada: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy. Garfall:Medimmune: Consultancy; Bioinvent: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding. Cohen:Janssen: Consultancy; Bristol-Meyers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding. June:Johnson & Johnson: Research Funding; Immune Design: Consultancy, Equity Ownership; Novartis: Honoraria, Patents & Royalties: Immunology, Research Funding; University of Pennsylvania: Patents & Royalties; Celldex: Consultancy, Equity Ownership; Tmunity: Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, stockholder ; Pfizer: Honoraria.

Available therapies for lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) provide no survival advantage if started before symptoms of end organ damage develop. Current recommendations are to follow a program of observation while patients are in the asymptomatic phase of disease. In this clinical study we will use idiotypic determinants of B-cell lymphoma surface immunoglobulins as tumor-specific antigens (idiotype) to develop a patient-specific vaccine against LPL. By activating the host immune system through vaccination to eradicate tumor cells, we postulate that disease control of asymptomatic phase lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma can be maintained. This novel 2nd generation idiotype vaccine was initially developed by genetic fusion of idiotype antigen in single-chain format with a pro-inflammatory chemokine. The central hypothesis is that antitumor immunity can be triggered by targeting antigen delivery to antigen-presenting cells in vivo by chemokine receptor-mediated binding, uptake and processing of idiotype antigens for more efficient presentation to T cells. A large body of preclinical data demonstrated that the immunogenecity of the idiotype antigen was considerably enhanced by such a genetic modification by a mechanism of facilitating antigen presentation. As a consequence, vaccine-induced prophylactic and therapeutic antitumor effects were significantly potentiated. To translate our vaccine therapy from bench to bedside, we established a CLP laboratory for vaccine preparation. Furthermore, we developed reliable technology to differentiate lymphoma idiotype antigens from idiotypic cell-surface immunoglobulins on normal B cells. Using this technology, we successfully cloned the cDNA encoding variable regions of heavy and light chains of LPL idiotype, and generated patient-specific plasmid constructs containing LPL idiotype single chain in fusion with macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha (MIP3a). All three engineering rounds of down-stream GMP amplification of clinical-grade plasmid DNA have been accomplished, which eventually paves the way for us to take a lab-grown agent to a first-in-human clinical trial. Citation Format: Hong Qin, Soungchul Cha, Sheetal S. Rao, Kunhwa Kim, Dongho Gwak, Sung-doo Kim, Sapna R. Parshottam, Sheeba K. Thomas, Larry W. Kwak. Bench-to-bedside development of a novel idiotype vaccine against lymphoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2891. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2891

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is an incurable low-grade B-cell lymphoma of the bone marrow. Despite a cumulative risk of progression, there is no approved therapy for patients in the asymptomatic phase. We conducted a first-in-human clinical trial of a novel therapeutic DNA idiotype neoantigen vaccine in nine patients with asymptomatic LPL. Treatment was well tolerated with no dose limiting toxicities. One patient achieved a minor response, and all remaining patients experienced stable disease, with median time to disease progression of 61+ months. Direct interrogation of the tumor microenvironment by single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed an unexpected dichotomous antitumor response, with significantly reduced numbers of clonal tumor mature B-cells, tracked by their unique BCR, and downregulation of genes involved in signaling pathways critical for B-cell survival post-vaccine, but no change in clonal plasma cell subpopulations. Downregulation of HLA class II molecule expression suggested intrinsic resistance by tumor plasma cell subpopulations and cell-cell interaction analyses predicted paradoxical upregulation of IGF signaling post vaccine by plasma cell, but not mature B-cell subpopulations, suggesting a potential mechanism of acquired resistance. Vaccine therapy induced dynamic changes in bone marrow T-cells, including upregulation of signaling pathways involved in T-cell activation, expansion of T-cell clonotypes, increased T-cell clonal diversity, and functional tumor antigen-specific cytokine production, with little change in co-inhibitory pathways or Treg. Vaccine therapy also globally altered cell-cell communication networks across various bone marrow cell types and was associated with reduction of protumoral signaling by myeloid cells, principally non-classical monocytes. These results suggest that this prototype neoantigen vaccine favorably perturbed the tumor immune microenvironment, resulting in reduction of clonal tumor mature B-cell, but not plasma cell subpopulations. Future strategies to improve clinical efficacy may require combinations of neoantigen vaccines with agents which specifically target LPL plasma cell subpopulations, or enable blockade of IGF-1 signaling or myeloid cell checkpoints.

Adoptive cell therapy with viral-specific T cells has been successfully used to treat life-threatening viral infections, supporting the application of this approach against COVID-19. We expanded SARS-CoV-2 T-cells from the peripheral blood of COVID-19-recovered donors and non-exposed controls using different culture conditions. We observed that the choice of cytokines modulates the expansion, phenotype and hierarchy of antigenic recognition by SARS-CoV-2 T-cells. Culture with IL-2/4/7 but not other cytokine-driven conditions resulted in >1000 fold expansion in SARS-CoV-2 T-cells with a retained phenotype, function and hierarchy of antigenic recognition when compared to baseline (pre-expansion) samples. Expanded CTLs were directed against structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the receptor-binding domain of Spike. SARS-CoV-2 T-cells could not be efficiently expanded from the peripheral blood of non-exposed controls. Since corticosteroids are used for the management of severe COVID-19, we developed an efficient strategy to inactivate the glucocorticoid receptor gene ( NR3C1 ) in SARS-CoV-2 CTLs using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.