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Engineered T cell therapies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2015

Anne-Christine Field*
Affiliation:
Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
Waseem Qasim
Affiliation:
Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Anne-Christine Field, Molecular immunology Unit, Institute of Child Health (ICH), University College London (UCL), 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Alongside advancements in gene therapy for inherited immune disorders, the need for effective alternative therapeutic options for other conditions has resulted in an expansion in the field of research for T cell gene therapy. T cells are easily obtained and can be induced to divide robustly ex vivo, a characteristic that allows them to be highly permissible to viral vector-mediated introduction of transgenes. Pioneering clinical trials targeting cancers and infectious diseases have provided safety and feasibility data and important information about persistence of engineered cells in vivo. Here, we review clinical experiences with γ-retroviral and lentiviral vectors and consider the potential of integrating transposon-based vectors as well as specific genome editing with designer nucleases in engineered T cell therapies.

Type
Review Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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