MMP14 is a safe target of CAR-T therapy against liver cancer and metastasis.

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal tumors, and effective treatments for HCC, especially metastatic HCC, are lacking. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy is considered a promising development in cancer treatment, but to date, CAR-T-cell therapy for solid tumors remains limited. Matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14), the only membrane-bound collagenase, is highly expressed in HCC and other solid tumors and plays critical roles in invasion and metastasis.

METHODS

Here, we aimed to determine whether CAR-T cells targeting MMP14 could effectively treat HCC. CAR-T cells were designed with peptide G (PG) to specifically recognize MMP14. These cells were evaluated for their cancer-killing efficacy in vitro under MMP14-dependent conditions and tested for antitumor activity in a subcutaneous xenograft liver cancer model. Additionally, a spontaneous liver cancer metastasis model was employed to assess the impact of PG-CAR-T cells on metastasis suppression through circulating tumor cells (CTCs) elimination. The safety profile of PG-CAR-T cells was further investigated in both murine and nonhuman primate models.

RESULTS

PG-CAR-T cells demonstrated efficient MMP14-dependent killing of cancer cells in vitro and exhibited antitumor effects in the subcutaneous xenograft liver cancer model. In the metastasis model, PG-CAR-T cells significantly inhibited metastasis by eliminating CTCs. Furthermore, PG-CAR-T cells showed a favorable safety profile in both mice and nonhuman primates.

CONCLUSION

These data support the PG-CAR-T cells for clinical trial of liver cancer.