Infectious Disease – VJRegenMed

Adoptive T-cell therapy for immunosuppressed patients with COVID-19

admin_vjr_user — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 16:00:01 +0000

Patients who receive immunosuppressants as a result of organ or hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation are more susceptible to COVID-19 infection and may not benefit from current COVID-19 vaccines. Lena Peter, Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany, describes treating COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients with adoptive T-cell therapy. T-cells derived from donors were isolated and were made resistant to tacrolimus, a common immunosuppressant, via knockout of the gene encoding FKBP12. In vivo studies determined the modified T-cells to effectively target COVID-19 and its variants, and Phase 1 are currently being planned to assess the novel approach. This interview took place at the International Conference on Lymphocyte Engineering (ICLE) 2022.

Studying the gut microbiome with 3D modelling

Simon Ng — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 13:01:28 +0000

Giovanni Vozzi, PhD, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, comments on the relationship between the gut microbiota and the body. An in vitro model consisting of patient samples can observe changes in the microbiota from the stomach to the rectum, as well as changes in the metabolites produced and how it affects different tissues. Knowledge of the microbiota can subsequently optimize treatment strategies and the diets of patients to improve outcomes. This interview took place at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS 2021).

How 4D printing techniques can progress

Simon Ng — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:26:20 +0000

Giovanni Vozzi, PhD, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, provides an overview of what needs to be done to advance the field of 4D printing. Prof. Vozzi highlights the need to realistically mimic tissues, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where detailed lung tissue can be used to study the effects of the virus on the pulmonary system. Techniques in 3D printing also need to be optimized to accurately produce 4D scaffolds. This interview took place at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS 2021).

HSC gene editing: current approaches and remaining challenges

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:17:13 +0000

Valentina Vavassori, PhD, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute & Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy, provides an overview of the current landscape for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene editing and describes key gene editing approaches used including the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology-directed repair (HDR) pathways. Key lines of ongoing research to advance HSC gene editing approaches include the improvement of HDR efficiency in HSCs, as well as the development of new tools, such as CRISPR-associated transposases, to circumvent toxicity associated with double-strand breaks. This interview took place during the American Society for Cell & Gene Therapy 24th Annual Meeting 2021.

AVA-Trap blood filtration for cytokine storm in COVID-19

admin_vjr_user — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 08:11:14 +0000

Shuguang Zhang, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, describes the AVA-Trap blood filtration system which utilizes the QTY code and S-layer technologies. QTY code is a genetic modification tool designed to create water-soluble variants of insoluble transmembrane receptor proteins. These water soluble receptors are then anchored onto an S-layer matrix at a high density which together, allows the filtration of cytokines from blood. This AVA-Trap blood filtration system is currently being investigated for the mitigation of cytokine storm in patients with COVID-19. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).

Developing CAR T-cell therapy for HIV

admin_vjr_user — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 17:10:39 +0000

Marco Alessandrini, PhD, Antion Biosciences SA, Geneva, Switzerland, discusses the development of an allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for HIV. Antion’s novel miCAR platform was used to generate a bimodal gene construct that expressed both an HIV-specific CAR with a truncated CD4 receptor and a microRNA-based gene silencing cassette to silence CCR5, the T-cell receptor and inhibitory receptors, in order to enhance CAR T-cell persistence. This work highlights the potential to develop a scalable, cost-effective platform for creating off-the-shelf, universally accessible CAR-T therapy for HIV. This interview took place during the American Society for Cell & Gene Therapy 24th Annual Meeting 2021.

Exosome-based mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2

admin_vjr_user — Fri, 21 May 2021 17:21:45 +0000

Linda Marban, PhD, Capricor Therapeutics, Beverly Hills, CA, describes ongoing research into a novel exosome-mediated, multivalent mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. While lipid nanoparticles have been used as drug delivery vehicles in other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the use of exosomes could reduce toxicity, enhance the immune response and potentially allow repeat vaccine delivery, which may be necessary in the form of vaccine boosters. The use of a multivalent approach, incorporating both a spike and nucleocapsid protein into the vaccine candidate, could also help protect against more pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 variants in the future. This interview took place during the American Society for Cell & Gene Therapy 24th Annual Meeting 2021.

The impact of COVID-19 on validating cell therapy products

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 13 May 2021 14:20:38 +0000

Bruce Levine, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on validating cell therapy products. Despite mesenchymal stromal cells having been established as a cell-based therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), they have yet to be specifically utilized in viral respiratory infections. Dr. Levine also evaluates the recent influx of research on this topic, urging caution as well as stressing patient safety and scientific rationale when creating new proposals. This interview took place during the ESMO TAT 2021 conference.

Investigating allogeneic iNKT cell therapy

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 19:15:32 +0000

Marc van Dijk, PhD, Agenus, Cambridge, UK, describes INTELLIGENT invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell technology, which are innate T-cells with natural killer (NK) cell properties, thus giving them the capacity to hone to diseased tissue sites and recruit components of the immune system to fight disease. This off-the-shelf, allogeneic cell therapy is currently being investigated in clinical trials for hematological malignancies such as multiple myeloma (NCT04754100), as well as acute respiratory syndrome in COVID-19 (NCT04582201). Preclinical research has also indicated the ability of iNKT cells to penetrate tissues and therefore their potential for targeting solid tumors, which could be combined with immune checkpoint antibodies in clinical studies in the future. This interview took place during the CAR-TCR Summit Europe 2021.

Respiratory pathology of COVID-19 and potential for MSCs

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 16:20:19 +0000

Mauro Krampera, MD, PhD, of the University of Verona, Verona, Italy, discusses the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the potential benefit of administrating mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) based on outcomes of patients with inflammatory disorders treated using this approach. This interview was recorded via an online conference call with The Video Journal of Regenerative Medicine (VJRegenMed).