A well-known treatment for some lymphomas or solid tumors is CAR-T therapy, in which T cells are modified and transplanted into the patient to fight the tumor.
However, after T-cell transplantation, it is likely to be recognized by the organism as a foreign body, triggering a rejection reaction and causing a poor therapeutic outcome.
A recent study published in Nature Biotechnology describes a “decoy” receptor.
It can capture antibodies in the body and remove them from the circulating blood to prevent immune rejection from killing the transplanted cells without weakening the patient’s immune system.
Previously, CAR-T therapies were often administered using the patient’s own cells.
In contrast, heterologous cells stimulate the body to produce large amounts of antibodies and kill cells.
To avoid this, the researchers genetically engineered three cells – pancreatic islet cells, thyroid cells and CAR-T cells – to produce a large amount of a protein called CD64 on the surface of the cells.
CD64 can act as a “decoy” to bind antibodies that mediate immune rejection.
It prevents antibody-mediated immune rejection by taking these antibodies out of circulation before they can kill the cells being treated.
The researchers say the results have inspired the use of “allogeneic” cells, which could reduce the high cost of CAR-T therapies.
