AF-CAR T-cells

AF-CAR T-cells are an experimental chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy engineered to target and eliminate *Aspergillus fumigatus*, a major cause of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in immunocompromised patients. The CAR construct is derived from the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) of the Aspergillus-specific monoclonal antibody AF-549, which recognizes fungal conidia and hyphae. This scFv is fused to a human Fc domain for enhanced stability and paired with a CD28 co-stimulatory domain and a CD3ζ activation domain. Preclinical studies have shown that these bioengineered T-cells can specifically bind to hyphal tips and filaments, leading to significant inhibition of fungal growth and hyphal damage. The therapy is being developed as a potential off-the-shelf treatment for patients with hematologic malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia, who face high mortality rates from opportunistic fungal pathogens.

Other names

AF-549 CAR T-cellsAF549 CAR T-cellsAF 549 CAR T-cellsAspergillus-specific CAR T-cells