T Cell Receptors Targeting Defective DNA Repair Proteins
University of Pittsburgh researchers have isolated genes encoding two unique T cell receptors (TCRs) capable of recognizing peptide epitopes from mutated proteins found in many cancers. When introduced into a donor T cell, these genes conferred their respective mutation reactivity without conferring reactivity against non-mutated forms of the proteins. Cancer patients with similar mutations in their DNA repair proteins may benefit from genetic engineering of human T cells to express the unique TCRs, making it an attractive new targeted immunotherapy option.
Description
DNA repair is a routine process by which a cell identifies and makes corrections to damaged DNA. Defective DNA repair results in genomic instability and an accumulation of genetic abnormalities and is often a hallmark of cancer. Mutations in DNA repair proteins are commonly found in a large number of cancers, including ovarian, endometrial, kidney, pancreatic, stomach, bladder, lunch, breast, and brain cancer, and are therefore ideal immunological targets for personalized cancer immunotherapy.Applications
• Treating cancer caused by defective DNA repairAdvantages
• Does not affect non-mutated forms of the proteins• Applicable to a wide variety of cancers
• No other targeted therapies for cancer cells harboring these specific mutations