Cellular immunotherapy targeting CLL-1 for juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia

J Juwita Werner A Alex G. Lee C Chujing Zhang S Sydney Abelson S Sherin Xirenayi (Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.) J Jose Rivera K Khadija Yousuf H Hanna Shin B Bonell Patiño-Escobar S Stefanie Bachl K Kamal Mandal A Abhilash Barpanda E Emilio Ramos A Adila Izgutdina S Sibapriya Chaudhuri W William C. Temple S Shubhmita Bhatnagar J Jackson K. Dardis J Julia Meyer C Carolina Morales S Soheil Meshinchi M Mignon L. Loh (Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle) B Benjamin Braun S Sarah K. Tasian A Arun P. Wiita E Elliot Stieglitz

Abstract

Abstract Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a myeloproliferative disorder that predominantly affects infants and young children. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is standard of care, but post-HSCT relapse is common, highlighting the need for innovative therapies. While adoptive immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has improved outcomes for patients with advanced lymphoid malignancies, it has not been comprehensively evaluated in JMML. In the present study, we use bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, mass spectrometry, and flow cytometry to identify overexpression of CLL-1 (encoded by CLEC12A) on the cell surface of cells from patients with JMML. We develop immunotherapy with CLL-1 CAR T cells (CLL1CART) for preclinical testing and report in vitro and in vivo anti-leukemia activity. Notably, CLL1CART reduce the number of leukemic stem cells and serial transplantability in vivo. These preclinical data support the development and clinical investigation of CLL-1-targeting immunotherapy in children with relapsed/refractory JMML.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 16, Issue 1
Published April 23, 2025
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (26)

J

Juwita Werner

A

Alex G. Lee

C

Chujing Zhang

S

Sydney Abelson

S

Sherin Xirenayi

Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.

J

Jose Rivera

K

Khadija Yousuf

H

Hanna Shin

B

Bonell Patiño-Escobar

S

Stefanie Bachl

K

Kamal Mandal

A

Abhilash Barpanda

E

Emilio Ramos

A

Adila Izgutdina

S

Sibapriya Chaudhuri

W

William C. Temple

S

Shubhmita Bhatnagar

J

Jackson K. Dardis

J

Julia Meyer

C

Carolina Morales

S

Soheil Meshinchi

M

Mignon L. Loh

Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle

B

Benjamin Braun

S

Sarah K. Tasian

A

Arun P. Wiita

E

Elliot Stieglitz