When CAR Meets Stem Cells

Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Apr 12;20(8):1825. doi: 10.3390/ijms20081825.

Abstract

The generation of immune cells from human pluripotent stem cells (embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells) has been of keen interest to regenerative medicine. Pluripotent stem cell-derived immune cells such as natural killer cells, macrophages, and lymphoid cells, especially T cells, can be used in immune cell therapy to treat incurable cancers. Moreover, since the advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology, the success of CAR-T cells in the clinic has galvanized new efforts to harness the power of CAR technology to generate CAR-engineered immune cells from pluripotent stem cells. This review provides a summary of pluripotent stem cell-derived immune cells and CAR technology, together with perspectives on combining pluripotent stem-cell derived immune cells and CAR engineering to pave a new way for developing next generation immune cell therapy.

Keywords: CAR; CRISPR/Cas9; pluripotent stem cell.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Killer Cells, Natural / immunology
  • Killer Cells, Natural / metabolism
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / genetics
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / genetics
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / metabolism*
  • Stem Cell Transplantation
  • Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*

Substances

  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen