What are CAR-T cells?

CAR T cells, or chimeric antigen receptor T cells, are a type of genetically engineered immune cell that targets cancer cells in a patient's body. They are modified T cells extracted from a patient's blood and reprogrammed with CAR molecules that allow them to recognize and attack cancer cells. Once infused back into the patient, the CAR-T cells multiply and actively seek out and destroy cancer cells.

What is a chimeric antigen receptor?

A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is a receptor protein artificially engineered to attach to the surface of immune cells . It consists of an extracellular domain that binds to specific antigens on cancer cells, and an intracellular domain that activates the immune cell to kill the targeted cancer cell. CARs are engineered in the laboratory and can be used in immunotherapy to treat cancer by enhancing the immune system's ability to destroy cancer cells.

How are CAR-T cells made?

CAR T cells are made by collecting T cells from a patient's blood and genetically engineering them to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that recognizes and binds to a specific antigen on the cancer cell's surface. The engineered CAR-T cells are expanded in the lab and then infused back into the patient. Once inside, the CAR-T cells locate and bind to cancer cells, triggering an immune response that destroys the cancer cells.

Platforms

Online Inquiry

T-Scan Platform for High-throughput T Cell-Specific Epitope Identification

Online Inquiry

All products and services are For Research Use Only and CANNOT be used in the treatment or diagnosis of disease.

Background T-Scan Platform Applications Highlights Related Sections

With unrivaled expertise and extensive experiences in immunology, Creative Biolabs has developed an advanced T-Scan platform to help our clients accelerate their T cell research by providing end-to-end excellent services. We are dedicated to assisting our clients with the identification and characterization of functional antigens or targets recognized by T cells, systematic discovery of T cell epitopes.

Background

As a critical role in adaptive immunity, T cells can recognize the specific antigens presented on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and play helper or cytotoxicity functions to mediate protection from pathogens and cancers. Antigen is proteolyzed by the proteasome and loaded to the MHC molecule, then presented on the cell surface of APC. T cells are activated once TCR recognizes the peptide-MHC complex. CD8 positive T cells proliferate to cytotoxic T cells and kill the target cells with the same antigen. CD4 positive T cells proliferate to helper T cells and activate B cells with the same antigen. The activated B cells can proliferate to be plasma cells to produce antibodies (see Fig.1). When T cells recognize autoantigens, autoimmunity happens. Hence, understanding the T cell antigens or epitopes is necessary to help scientists explore the relationship between T cell antigens and human health. In addition, the identification of T cell epitopes provides strategic insights for immunotherapies.

Fig.1 The activation of T cells. (From Wikipedia: public domain) Fig.1 T cell activation.¹

T-Scan Platform for High-throughput Identification of T Cell-specific Epitopes

To discover novel antigens of TCRs from viral or human genome-wide libraries, our scientists developed an advanced T-Scan platform, a T cell-based, high-throughput screening approach to identify functional T cell-specific epitopes for studying T cell responses. The T-Scan platform consists of T cells of interest and target cells expressed with a library of candidate antigens. The antigens are endogenously processed and presented on MHC molecules. Upon recognition by T cells, target cells are activated and the T-Scan reporter (granzyme B) will be used for FACS sorting to isolate the activated target cells. The recognized antigens displayed on target cells are identified by PCR and sequenced with Next Generation Sequencing technology (see Fig.2).

Applications

Our T-Scan platform can be widely applied in various areas such as infectious disease, autoimmune disease, and cancer immunology. In an infectious disease, T-Scan can be used to profile the T cell epitopes which provide insights for vaccine design. In the autoimmune area, T-Scan can be used to study the features of auto-reactive T cell antigens. In cancer immunology, T-Scan can be used to identify and characterize the neoantigens in cancer patients which can guide personalized vaccine design. Also, T-Scan can identify the genome-wide antigens recognized by the TCRs that are responsive to tumors. Furthermore, T-Scan can be used to screen the therapeutic TCRs with off-target toxicities in patients.

Genetic detection of T cell epitopes
High-throughput identification of the functional targets of CD8 positive T cells
Discovery of viral antigens from bulk memory T cells
Discovery of tumor-reactive TCR specificity
Comprehensive mapping of the TCR-Peptide interface
Identification of cognate antigen and off-targets of a self-reactive TCR involved in autoimmune diseases

In addition, Creative Biolabs has also developed a high-throughput, personalized tumor-reactive TCR discovery platform through parallel library synthesis and screening techniques, which is designed to address the scarcity of tumor-specific T cells within patient repertoires and the patient-specific nature of tumor epitopes.

Highlights

Cutting-Edge Technology
Incorporates advanced techniques such as FACS sorting, PCR, and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for precise identification and sequencing of recognized antigens.
High-Throughput Screening
Utilizes a high-throughput screening approach to identify functional T cell-specific epitopes from viral or human genome-wide libraries.
Comprehensive TCR-Peptide Mapping
Enables comprehensive mapping of the TCR-Peptide interface, aiding in the understanding of T cell recognition and response.
Efficient Epitope Identification
Facilitates the discovery of novel antigens and epitopes recognized by T cells, essential for understanding T cell responses and developing targeted immunotherapies.
Comprehensive Applications
Applicable in various fields including infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer immunology, offering strategic insights for vaccine design and immunotherapies.
Rapid and Accurate Results
Commitment to delivering fast, reliable, and cost-effective results, ensuring high accuracy and efficiency in T cell research.
Dedicated Support
Provides dedicated support throughout the research process, helping clients explore the functionality of T cells and develop novel therapeutics.

With this powerful platform, Creative Biolabs is dedicated to the high-throughput discovery of the functional targets/antigens of T cells. We are committed to helping our clients explore the functionality of T cells in various areas and develop novel therapeutics. If you have any requirements, please feel free to contact us to learn more.

Related Sections

Reference

From Wikipedia: public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T_cell_activation.svg