PROTEASE BASED SWITCH CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTORS FOR SAFER CELL IMMUNOTHERAPY

摘要

The present invention relates to the field of cell immunotherapy and more particularly to a new generation of chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). These new CARs are primarily expressed into cells under the form of chimeric polypeptide precursors that can be made active by a protease and switched-off upon addition of a protease inhibitor. Once activated by the protease, such CARs reach the surface of the immune cells and bind specific antigens. More specifically, the presentation of these CARs at the cells' surface is made controllable by inclusion in their polypeptide structure of a protease domain and/or a degradation domain (e.g. degron).