Abstract
Adoptive transfer of genetically T-cell receptor (TCR)-modified lymphocytes has been recently reported to cause objective cancer regression. However, a major limitation to this approach is the mispairing of the introduced chains with the endogenous TCR subunits, which leads to reduced TCR surface expression and, subsequently, to their lower biological activity. We here show that it is possible to improve TCR gene transfer by adding a single cysteine on each receptor chain to promote the formation of an additional interchain disulfide bond. We show that cysteine-modified receptors were more highly expressed on the surface of human lymphocytes compared with their wild-type counterparts and able to mediate higher levels of cytokine secretion and specific lysis when cocultured with specific tumor cell lines. Furthermore, cysteine-modified receptors retained their enhanced function in CD4(+) lymphocytes. We also show that this approach can be employed to enhance the function of humanized and native murine receptors in human cells. Preferential pairing of cysteine-modified receptor chains accounts for these observations, which could have significant implications for the improvement of TCR gene therapy.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.