Innovating Works

EpiTune

Financiado
Epigenetic fine tuning of T cells for improved adoptive cell therapy
"Adoptive T cell therapy is a promising approach in various clinical settings, from target-specific immune reconstitution fighting cancer and chronic infections to combating undesired immune reactivity during auto-immunity and aft... "Adoptive T cell therapy is a promising approach in various clinical settings, from target-specific immune reconstitution fighting cancer and chronic infections to combating undesired immune reactivity during auto-immunity and after organ transplantation. However, its clinical application is currently hampered by: 1) the acquisition of senescence during the required in vitro expansion phase of T cells which limits their survival and fitness after infusion into the patient, and 2) the functional plasticity of T cells, which is sensitive to the inflammatory environment they encounter after transfusion and which might result in a functional switch from the desired effect (e.g. immunosuppressive) to the opposite one (pro-inflammatory). I want to tackle these obstacles from a new molecular angle, utilizing the profound impact of epigenetic mechanisms on the senescence process as well as on the functional imprinting of T lymphocytes. Epigenetic players such as DNA methylation essentially contribute to T cell differentiation and harbor the unique prospect to imprint a stable developmental and functional state in the genomic structure of a cell, as we could recently show in our basic immune-epigenetic studies. Therefore, I here propose to equip T lymphocytes with the required properties for their successful and safe therapeutic application, including their functional fine-tuning according to the clinical need by directed modifications of the epigenome ('Epi-tuning'). To reach these goals I want: 1) to reveal strategies for the directed manipulation of the epigenetically-driven mechanism of cellular senescence and 2) to apply state-of-the-art CRISPR/Cas9-mediated epigenetic editing approaches for the imprinting of a desired functional state of therapeutic T cell products. These innovative epigenetic ""one-shot"" manipulations during the in vitro expansion phase should advance T cell therapy towards improved efficiency, stability as well as safety." ver más
31/12/2024
1M€
Duración del proyecto: 73 meses Fecha Inicio: 2018-11-05
Fecha Fin: 2024-12-31

Línea de financiación: concedida

El organismo H2020 notifico la concesión del proyecto el día 2018-11-05
Línea de financiación objetivo El proyecto se financió a través de la siguiente ayuda:
ERC-2018-STG: ERC Starting Grant
Cerrada hace 7 años
Presupuesto El presupuesto total del proyecto asciende a 1M€
Líder del proyecto
CHARITE UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN BERLIN No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Perfil tecnológico TRL 4-5