Your new post is loading...
Bispecific T-cell engagers for cancer immunotherapy Nature.com
Abstract
Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) are a new class of immunotherapeutic molecules intended for the treatment of cancer. These molecules enhance the patient’s immune response to tumors by retargeting T cells to tumor cells. BiTEs are constructed of two single-chain variable fragments (scFv) connected in tandem by a flexible linker. One scFv binds to a T-cell-specific molecule, usually CD3, whereas the second scFv binds to a tumor-associated antigen. This structure and specificity allows a BiTE to physically link a T cell to a tumor cell, ultimately stimulating T-cell activation, tumor killing and cytokine production. BiTEs have been developed, which target several tumor-associated antigens, for a variety of both hematological and solid tumors. Several BiTEs are currently in clinical trials for their therapeutic efficacy and safety. This review examines the salient structural and functional features of BiTEs, as well as the current state of their clinical and preclinical development.
Via Krishan Maggon
Immunology and Cell Biology advance online publication 4 November 2014; doi: 10.1038/icb.2014.93
Bispecific T-cell engagers for cancer immunotherapyAmelia M Huehls1, Tiffany A Coupet1 and Charles L Sentman1
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
Correspondence: Professor CL Sentman, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. E-mail:charles.sentman@dartmouth.edu
Received 17 August 2014; Revised 29 September 2014; Accepted 29 September 2014
Advance online publication 4 November 2014