Characterizing and enhancing the efficacy of therapeutic CD8+ T cells

This technology is a set of methodologies for the characterization and enhancement of the efficacy of CD8+ T cells for therapeutic use.

Unmet Need: Reliable prediction of the therapeutic benefit of immune cells

The preparation of immune cells, such as CD8+ T cells, outside of the body for subsequent implantation is a promising technique for the treatment of cancer, viral infections, and bacterial infections. However, there is currently a lack of accurate methods that can reliably predict the efficacy of these cells prior to administering them into patients, limiting their overall use and effectiveness. As such, a substantial need exists to develop methods for predicting the potential therapeutic benefit of ex-vivo expanded immune cells prior to implantation in patients.

The Technology: Assay to determine CD8+ T cell activity and efficacy against various disease states

This technology comprises methods for the characterization and the enhancement of the efficacy of CD8+ T cells for therapeutic use. Using collagen-fibrin gels in combination with clonogenic assays, reliable determination of active CD8+ T cell quantity and quality can be used to predict efficacy in treating neoplastic, viral, and bacterial infections. By supporting the growth of both the cytotoxic T cell and various diseased cells, this assay enables researchers to determine the efficacy of select immune cells and effectively assess their therapeutic potential. As such, this technology has the potential to greatly enhance the capabilities of CD8+ T cells as a potential therapeutic agent.

Applications:

• Treating neoplastic diseases such as cancers
• Treating infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens
• Improving the specific cytolytic activity of an immune cell
• Treating viral infections
• Treatment of autoimmune diseases
• Research and development in immunotherapeutics

Advantages:

• Enables more efficient immunotherapy drug design
• Increased drug efficacy
• Can be used to assess a variety of immune cells
• Simple and cost-effective

Lead Inventor:

Samuel Silverstein, MD

Patent Information:

Patent Status

Related Publications:

• Budhu S, Loike JD, Pandolfi A, Han S, Catalano G, Constantinescu A, Clynes R, Silverstein SC. “CD8+ T cell concentration determines their efficiency in killing cognate antigen–expressing syngeneic mammalian cells in vitro and in mouse tissues” Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2010 Jan 18; 207(1): 223–35.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR 2856, 2860

• Licensing Contact: Sara Gusik