hmMSLN CAR T cells

hmMSLN CAR T cells are an experimental chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy designed to target mesothelin (MSLN), a cell-surface protein frequently overexpressed in solid tumors such as mesothelioma, lung, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers. Developed by researchers at the Houston Methodist Research Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine, these CAR T cells utilize a nanobody-based antigen-binding domain derived from an immune alpaca library. The hm designation indicates that the CAR is cross-reactive with both human and mouse mesothelin, a feature intended to facilitate the study of on-target off-tumor toxicities in animal models. Additionally, the construct is engineered to co-express somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2), which serves as a reporter gene for non-invasive PET/CT imaging using radiolabeled octreotide. Research into these cells has focused on affinity-tuning the CAR binder to optimize the balance between anti-tumor efficacy and safety, specifically aiming to reduce the risk of severe off-tumor proliferation in normal tissues.

Other names

human/mouse mesothelin-targeting CAR T cellsaffinity-tuned hmMSLN CAR T cells