Adoptive Cell Therapy – VJRegenMed

Novel approaches in lymphocyte engineering

Simon Ng — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 14:40:57 +0000

Elvira D’Ippolito, PhD, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany, introduces a poster session that she is chairing at the International Conference on Lymphocyte Engineering (ICLE) 2022 on novel approaches in lymphocyte engineering. In this session, a novel avidity-controlled chimeric antigen receptor (AvidCAR) platform and a nanoparticle-sensitized photoporation approach for the safe engineering of therapeutic cells will be presented. In addition, Dr D’Ippolito describes a novel tumor model in humanized mice for the study of immunotherapy, as well as a study integrating CRISPR-cas9 screening and single-cell RNA sequencing to better understand transcriptional regulators and downstream gene networks in human regulatory T (Treg) cells. This interview took place at ICLE 2022.

Genome editing to address challenges with adoptive T-cell therapy

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 16:24:58 +0000

Chiara Bonini, MD, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University & IRCCS San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy, describes the major hurdles associated with adoptive T-cell therapy for cancer, including challenges around determining appropriate molecular targets and type of T-cell product to use, as well as overcoming the tumor microenvironment. Dr Bonini highlights that genome editing can be used to address such challenges through the introduction or disruption of genes in the T-cell receptor (TCR) to impact specificity. In addition, tools such as CRISPR genome editing allow multiplexed strategies in which multiple genome modifications can be made in a single T-cell product, allowing modification of TCR specificity and sensitivity to the suppressive tumor microenvironment. This interview took place at the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT) Virtual Congress 2021.

TCR gene editing in cancer therapy

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 16:24:56 +0000

Chiara Bonini, MD, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University & IRCCS San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy, describes the rationale behind the use of T-cell receptor (TCR) gene editing to improve adoptive T cell therapy for cancer. While chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) T-cell therapy can be a useful approach when targeting antigens present on the cancer cell surface, TCR therapy is often employed when targeting intracellular tumor antigens. Dr Bonini explains how TCR gene editing can allow better control of the level of expression, efficacy and safety profile of TCR therapy. This interview took place at the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT) Virtual Congress 2021.

Developing novel TCR-based T cell products for cancer therapy

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 16:24:54 +0000

Chiara Bonini, MD, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University & IRCCS San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy, provides an overview of ongoing research presented at the 2021 European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ESGCT) Congress focusing on optimizing protocols and generating new T-cell receptor (TCR)-based T cell products. She describes a T cell hunting project that identified TCRs with high affinity to specific molecular targets such as PD-1, the development of efficient protocols to express leading TCR candidates into T cells using CRISPR TCR gene editing and the exploitation of the multiplex capacity of CRISR technology to tackle tumor immunosuppressive pathways by disrupting T cell inhibitory receptor genes. This interview took place at the ESGCT Virtual Congress 2021.