IL13Rα2-targeting CAR T cells + membrane-tethered engineered cytokine agonists

IL13Rα2-targeting CAR T cells + membrane-tethered engineered cytokine agonists (MECAs) is an advanced chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy being developed for the treatment of solid tumors, particularly glioblastoma. The therapy involves T cells engineered to target the interleukin-13 receptor subunit alpha-2 (IL13Rα2), a tumor-associated antigen frequently overexpressed in gliomas. A key innovation in this construct is the co-expression of membrane-tethered engineered cytokine agonists (MECAs), which are cell-surface constrained proteins designed to provide localized, autocrine cytokine signaling (specifically IL-2 signals) to the T cells. This approach is intended to promote T-cell proliferation, survival, and effector function within the hostile tumor microenvironment while mitigating the systemic toxicities and exhaustion typically associated with exogenous cytokine administration. Developed by researchers at City of Hope, this platform aims to improve the persistence and efficacy of CAR T cells in solid tumor indications.

Other names

MECA-expressing IL13Rα2 CAR T cells