SOLIDET


Identifying and developing TCR transgenics for adoptive cell therapy in solid tumours

 

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SABER MÁS DEL PROYECTO

The SOLIDET project was led by FIMA in collaboration with the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN) and it was coordinated by ADItech. It had financing from the regional government executive. The project is framed by the development of an adoptive cellular therapy for treating solid tumours using a new kind of specific tumour receptor called TCR. TCR-T therapy involves extracting T lymphocytes from patients to which a new gene is later inserted, so the white globules can express the TCR and, through the mediation of the receptor, recognise and destroy tumours. This new kind of receptor overcomes the deficiencies of other kinds of T cell based therapies, like CAR-T, that, unlike TCR, lacks good target antigens in solid tumours.

The first goal of this project was to develop a TCR identified by CIMA in a previous TRACTOR project, also financed by the government of Navarre. The receptor identified is a TCR that recognises an antigen present in several kinds of tumours, among which are hepatocellular carcinoma and ovarian cancer. In the SOLIDET project, T cells were created that express the aforementioned receptor (TCR-T cells), and their effectiveness in animals that human tumours had been transplanted in was shown, and the TCR-T cells were capable of eradicating the tumours. Starting with the TCR prototypes and basic protocols provided by CIMA, the cellular therapy area of the CUN adapted the production procedure for TCR-T cells to clinical scale, following the manufacturing standards required for manufacturing advanced therapy medicines. The TCR-T cells were also produced with T lymphocytes from cancer patients, and they were shown to be effective in animals by eradicating tumours similar to the ones the patients had. As an outcome of the first goal a therapeutic product was created that is currently in the patent phase, and which will be tested in clinical trials. Financing will be sought in specific tenders for clinical trials.

The second goal of the project was to create a new method that, in a simple and precise way, makes it possible to identify specific TCRs from other antigens present in tumours, and thus extend TCR-T therapy to more patients and kinds of cancer. The results obtained are very interesting. A signature was identified that makes it possible to identify specific tumour TCRs using the sequencing data from the T lymphocytes in a tumour and based on the expression of genes in the cells. The results of the second goal will be developed in a future project, and financing will be applied for in upcoming calls for projects by the Navarre government.


  • Año: 2020
  • Sector estratégico: Medicina personalizada
  • Líder del proyecto: CIMA Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada
  • Socios del proyecto: Universidad de Navarra
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