BZ-4 TCR-engineered CD4+ T cells

BZ-4 TCR-engineered CD4+ T cells are an experimental adoptive cell therapy developed by the NIH National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). These cells consist of CD4+ T cells genetically modified to express the BZ-4 T-cell receptor (TCR), which was originally isolated from a patient who experienced immune-mediated regression of RCC following an allogeneic stem cell transplant. The BZ-4 TCR specifically targets the CT-RCC-1 peptide, a 10-mer derived from human endogenous retrovirus type E (HERV-E), presented by HLA-A11. Because the BZ-4 TCR is naturally CD8-dependent, the CD4+ T cells are further engineered to co-express the CD8 co-receptor (referred to as BZ-4-8) to enable direct cytolytic activity against tumor cells. This strategy aims to leverage the proliferative and helper capacity of CD4+ T cells alongside the cytotoxic potential of CD8+ T cells to enhance the durability and efficacy of the anti-tumor response.

Other names

BZ-4 TCR-transduced CD4+ T cellsBZ-4-8 CD4+ T cells