Cell Therapy Assays

T Cells (Can either kill tumor cells, or can suppress immune activity)

• • Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL):
    Naturally occurring T cells are isolated from patient tumors, expanded and activated in culture, and infused into patients for cancer therapy.
  • Engineered T Cell Receptor (TCR):
    Tumor-specific T cell receptors (TCR) are cloned from patients. T cells are genetically engineered to express the TCR, expanded ex vivo, and infused into patients.
  • Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR T):
    CARs, which target proteins on tumors, are engineered and expressed on T cells, allowing them to specifically bind the target tumor cells and kill them. CAR T cells are genetically engineered ex vivo and infused into patients

CAR-Tregs (Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T-Cells)

• Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are engineered to express CARs. CAR-Tregs act to dampen hyperactive immune responses in autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

Natural Killer (NK) Cells (NK cells can kill tumor cells directly, or indirectly by binding antibodies attached to tumor cells)

• Ex Vivo Conditioned NK Cells:
  Therapeutic infusion of large doses of ex vivo cytokine-stimulated and expanded NK cells.
• Genetically Manipulated NK Cells:
  Genetic engineering to enhance activity and/or overcome suppressive signals followed by expansion and infusion into patients.
• CAR NK:
  Enhanced ability to target NK cells to tumors by engineering them to express tumor-specific CARs that trigger NK cell activation and cytotoxicity.

Macrophages (Depending on how macrophages are stimulated ex vivo, they may have the ability to activate the immune system to kill tumors, or dampen immune activity to treat autoimmune disease)

• Potential Therapeutic Indications:
  Wound healing, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, liver cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease, ischemic heart failure, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.
• Ex Vivo Conditioned Macrophages:
  Peripheral blood monocyte, or bone marrow-derived macrophages treated ex vivo to stimulate or polarize as needed based on therapeutic indication.
• CAR M:
  Macrophages genetically engineered to target tumor-associated antigens, conditioned ex vivo, and infused into cancer patients.

iPSC-Derived Cells

• iPSC-Derived NK Cells:
  Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are differentiated into NK cells, which can be genetically engineered to express CARs or other modifications for enhanced anti-cancer activity.
• iPSC-Derived T-Cells:
  iPSCs are differentiated into T-cells, which can then be engineered to express CARs or TCRs. This approach offers an unlimited source of immune cells for therapy.
• CAR-B Cells (Chimeric Antigen Receptor B-Cells):
  B-cells are genetically modified to express CARs. These CAR-B cells can produce antibodies against specific tumor antigens and potentially enhance the anti-tumor immune response.

CAR-DC (Chimeric Antigen Receptor Dendritic Cells)

• CAR-DCs:
  Dendritic cells are engineered to express CARs targeting specific tumor antigens. These cells can directly present tumor antigens to T-cells, enhancing the anti-tumor immune response.