MET-targeting CAR-T cell therapy

MET-targeting CAR-T cell therapy (notably the construct referred to as MET-CAR or TBI-1301) is an investigational adoptive cell immunotherapy designed to treat solid tumors that overexpress the MET receptor tyrosine kinase (Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor). Developed by **Takara Bio** in collaboration with the **University of Tokyo**, this therapy involves engineering a patient's T cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that specifically recognizes the extracellular domain of MET. A key feature of this specific construct, as highlighted in research (e.g., PMID 37779207), is its ability to target and eliminate MET-expressing cells independently of the receptor's tyrosine kinase signaling activity or phosphorylation state. This distinguishes it from small-molecule MET inhibitors, which often require the receptor to be in an active signaling state to be effective. The therapy is primarily being evaluated for **hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)** and other MET-positive solid tumors, often in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors like PD-1 blockers to enhance efficacy in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Other names

MET-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapyMET-CAR-Tanti-MET CAR-T