αvβ3.28z CAR-T cells

αvβ3.28z CAR-T cells are an experimental second-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy designed to target the integrin αvβ3 complex. This integrin is highly expressed on the surface of high-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), as well as their associated vasculature, while maintaining minimal expression in normal tissues. The CAR construct incorporates a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) specific for αvβ3, a CD28 co-stimulatory domain, and a CD3ζ signaling domain. Developed by researchers at the University of Virginia, these cells have demonstrated potent in vitro cytotoxicity and robust anti-tumor responses in orthotopic mouse models of DIPG and GBM. Compared to 4-1BB-based versions (αvβ3.BBz), the CD28-containing αvβ3.28z variant exhibits faster expansion kinetics but has shown potential toxicity concerns in preclinical models, leading to the prioritization of the BBz variant for initial clinical trials.

Other names

anti-αvβ3.28z CAR-T cellsintegrin αvβ3-targeted CD28-containing CAR-T cells