UCART-19

UCART-19 (Universal Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells targeting CD19) is an allogeneic, "off-the-shelf" CAR-T cell therapy designed for the treatment of CD19-positive hematologic malignancies, including refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Unlike traditional autologous CAR-T therapies, which require the extraction and modification of a patient's own T-cells, UCART-19 is manufactured from healthy donor T-cells. To ensure safety and efficacy in an allogeneic setting, the cells are genetically engineered—often using TALEN or CRISPR/Cas9 technology—to knock out the T-cell receptor (TCR) to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and the CD52 gene to allow for the use of anti-CD52 antibodies (like alemtuzumab) during lymphodepletion, which promotes donor cell persistence. This approach allows for rapid treatment availability and potentially lower manufacturing costs compared to patient-specific therapies. While originally developed by Cellectis and licensed to Servier and Allogene Therapeutics, the name is also used in academic settings, such as by the Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, to describe similar universal CD19 CAR-T constructs.

Other names

Universal CD19 CAR-TAllogeneic CD19 CAR-T