Antigen-Specific T Cell Expansion via Artificial Antigen-Presenting Platforms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a significant need for effective compositions and methods to treat diseases and conditions associated with pathogenic infections, particularly in addressing the rapid spread of emerging viruses like SARS-CoV-2, where existing treatments were inadequate.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing a population of antigen-specific T cells by isolating T cells and dendritic cells from a subject, culturing them with exogenous peptides, and using an artificial antigen presenting platform to expand these cells, specifically recognizing viral peptides such as those from SARS-CoV-2, thereby enhancing the immune response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional treatments are used for viral infections, then treatment availability is limited, but the rapid spread of emerging viruses requires more effective interventions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares antigen-specific T cells ex vivo before administering them to patients. This preliminary action involves isolating T cells, culturing them with specific antigens to expand their numbers and activate them, and then infusing the expanded T cell population back into the patient. This approach addresses the urgency of emerging viruses by having a pre-prepared, potent immune response mechanism ready for deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs) as intermediaries to stimulate and expand T cells ex vivo. These aAPCs express MHC molecules loaded with specific viral antigens and co-stimulatory molecules, serving as a controlled mediator to generate antigen-specific T cells before administration. This intermediary approach allows for precise control over the immune response generation process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If T cells are expanded ex vivo with multiple exogenous peptides, then the immune response coverage is improved, but the complexity of the culturing process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs artificial antigen-presenting cells that can present multiple different viral antigens simultaneously. These aAPCs are designed to express various MHC molecules loaded with different exogenous peptides, allowing a single cell preparation to stimulate T cells specific for multiple viral targets. This multi-functional approach expands immune response coverage without requiring separate culturing procedures for each antigen.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple exogenous peptides into a single culturing medium for the ex vivo expansion of T cells. Instead of performing separate culturing steps for each antigen, the method merges multiple peptide stimulations into one coordinated culture process, thereby achieving broad immune response coverage while simplifying the overall procedural complexity.
3Quantity of substance
If antigen-specific T cells are produced through ex vivo culturing, then the number of specific T cells is increased, but the time required for treatment preparation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous culturing protocols where T cells are stimulated with antigen-presenting cells and cytokines in a continuous manner over several days. This continuous stimulation, rather than intermittent dosing, maintains high levels of T cell activation and proliferation throughout the expansion period, efficiently generating large numbers of antigen-specific T cells within a compressed timeframe.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes culturing parameters including cytokine concentrations, cell density, and antigen presentation levels to maximize T cell expansion rate. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the method achieves rapid proliferation of antigen-specific T cells, reducing the overall preparation time while still generating sufficient cell numbers for effective therapy.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are compositions and methods for use in generating an immune response against a target peptide antigen. Also included, are methods for stabilizing, treating, and eliminating various diseases and conditions associated with target peptide expression.