ROR1 CAR T cells armored with interleukin-18

ROR1 CAR T cells armored with interleukin-18 (IL-18) are an experimental chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy designed to target Receptor tyrosine kinase-like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1), a tumor-associated antigen frequently overexpressed in solid tumors such as pancreatic cancer. Developed by researchers associated with Caring Cross, this therapy utilizes lentiviral vectors to engineer T cells that express a second-generation ROR1-specific CAR alongside the cytokine IL-18. The "armoring" strategy involves either constitutive expression of IL-18 or regulation via an NFAT-based promoter to enhance T-cell expansion, persistence, and metabolic fitness while counteracting the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Preclinical studies in pancreatic cancer xenograft models have demonstrated that IL-18 armoring significantly improves antitumor efficacy, preserves a naïve T-cell phenotype, and reduces the expression of exhaustion markers like LAG3 compared to standard ROR1 CAR T cells.

Other names

IL18-ROR1 CAR T cellsIL-18-ROR1 CAR T cellsIL 18-ROR1 CAR T cellsROR1-IL18 CAR-TROR-1-IL18 CAR-TROR 1-IL18 CAR-TIL18-armored ROR1 CAR T cellsIL-18-armored ROR1 CAR T cellsIL 18-armored ROR1 CAR T cells