IFN-γ-resistant CD28 CAR T cells demonstrate increased survival, efficacy, and durability in multiple murine tumor models

Abstract

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) plays complex and, sometimes, contradictory roles in cancer, which can affect patient responses to treatments such as immunotherapies. We recently demonstrated that IFN-γ production by chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is not required for efficacy in hematologic tumor models, whereas IFN-γ receptor (IFN-γR) signaling in solid tumor cells facilitates CAR T cell adhesion and antigen-specific cytotoxicity. Here, we show that IFN-γ induces apoptosis of CAR T cells bearing a CD28 intracellular signaling domain, which can be reduced through targeting of IFN-γ or IFN-γR. In hematologic malignancies, knockout of IFN-γR (IFN-γRKO) in CAR T cells increased their persistence without compromising efficacy. In xenograft and syngeneic solid tumor models, IFN-γR knockout CAR T cells displayed more potent tumor control, prolonged survival, and improved T cell memory that conferred protection from tumor rechallenge. RNA sequencing of tumor-infiltrating IFN-γRKO CAR T cells derived from tumor-bearing mice revealed increased cell death in tumor cells. Collectively, these data show that inhibition of IFN-γ signaling can increase the expansion and antitumor activity of CD28-based CAR T cells in liquid and solid tumors.