Evaluation of transferred engineered cell persistence in vivo
Mentor Name: Challice Bonifant
In the Bonifant Laboratory, an overarching goal is to study and improve immune cell-based therapies targeted to cancer. We have expertise in T and natural killer (NK) cell engineering and are using these processes to introduce expression of cancer-targeted synthetic receptors on the cell surface. These receptors include chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and chimeric cytokine receptors (CCRs). CAR-T and CAR-NK cells are being tested as treatments for refractory malignancies, and our plan is to improve upon the promising clinical responses seen in early trials. One significant problem that we are attempting to address is that to achieve durable, long-lasting control of disease, the transferred immune cells need to survive for weeks to months after infusion. We have invented and are testing genetic modifications that are designed to support T and NK cell survival. In order to test our modifications, we use animal models of human cancer. In a typical experiment, mice are first injected with human leukemia cells before being treated with intravenous infusions of modified human T or NK cells. The mouse blood will be sampled at regular intervals, and flow cytometry will be used to detect and quantify the human cells that are present.
