telomerase-specific T-cells

Telomerase-specific T-cells are genetically engineered or expanded T lymphocytes designed to recognize and kill cancer cells by targeting peptides derived from the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) antigen, which is overexpressed in >85% of cancers, but minimally in normal tissues. These T-cells are either generated by in vitro stimulation with telomerase peptides, or (in clinical applications) by introducing telomerase-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) — such as Radium-4 — via mRNA electroporation or viral vectors into autologous T-cells. Upon administration, these T-cells recognize MHC-presented hTERT peptides on tumor cells, leading to cytotoxic killing and an anti-tumor immune response. This approach is under clinical investigation for several solid cancers, exploiting telomerase's universal tumor expression, and aims for high specificity with limited off-target effects[2][5][1][3].

Other names

hTERT-targeted T-cellstelomerase-directed T-cellstelomerase-specific TCR-engineered T cells