MCPyV TAg-specific polyclonal autologous CD8-positive T cells

MCPyV TAg-specific polyclonal autologous CD8-positive T cells are a form of adoptive cell therapy in which a patient’s own (autologous) cytotoxic (CD8+) T lymphocytes are expanded ex vivo to specifically recognize and target the large and small tumor antigens (TAg) of the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). These viral oncoproteins are persistently expressed in most cases of virus-positive Merkel cell carcinoma (VP-MCC), an aggressive skin cancer. The therapy involves isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the patient, stimulating them with peptide libraries derived from MCPyV tumor antigens using antigen-presenting dendritic cells, and expanding reactive CD8+ clones. The resulting product is infused back into the patient to mediate targeted killing of MCC tumor cells expressing MCPyV antigens. This approach leverages the immunogenicity of viral oncoproteins as non-self targets for immune attack and is being explored as an experimental immunotherapy for VP-MCC[1][6][7][2][8].

Other names

Merkel cell polyomavirus T antigen-specific polyclonal autologous CD8+ T cellsMCPyV-specific CD8+ T cellsMerkel cell carcinoma virus–specific adoptive CD8+ T cell therapy