In situ engineering of mRNA-CAR T cells using spleen-targeted ionizable lipid nanoparticles to eliminate cancer cells

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has implemented impressive advances in the treatment of B-cell lymphoma. However, the complex production process of CAR T cells and hindrance of solid tumor penetration remain substantial challenges. Intriguingly, cell-targeting delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) with ionizable lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNPs) is able to efficiently and precisely engineer T cells and other immune cells in vivo to perform their functions. Herein, we harnessed the ionizable LNPs to encapsulate mRNA encoding anti-tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP1) CAR (CAR-LNPs) for in vivo generation of mRNA-CAR T cells to eliminate melanoma cells. Specifically, the anti-CD3 antibody (aCD3) armed mRNA-LNPs (CD3-mRNA-LNPs) selectively targeted T cells, resulting in the production of functional and therapeutic levels of CAR T cells both ex vivo and in vivo. These CD3-CAR-LNPs engineered CAR T cells were capable of infiltrating into the solid tumor and effectively eliminating melanoma cells with high TRP1 expression, significantly hindering tumor progression. Critically, CD3–7CAR-LNPs containing mRNA encoding both CAR and interleukin-7 (IL-7) generated 7CAR T cells that secreted IL-7, thereby enhancing the activity and proliferation of both CAR T cells and other intratumoral cytotoxic T cells. Alternatively, the employment of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibody (aPD-1) protected mRNA-CAR T cells from exhaustion, especially in combination with CD3–7CAR-LNPs, could significantly enhance the antitumor capability of CAR T cells without causing acute cytokine release syndrome (CRS).