IP Library Granted Patent US 12,331,097
Granted Patent B2
US 12,331,097 · App. 17/268,915 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

T cell receptor constructs and uses thereof

Inventors: Vikram Juneja (Waltham, MA); Jaewon Choi (Jamaica Plain, MA)
Assignee: BIONTECH US INC.
C07K14/70539A61K40/10A61K40/32A61K40/4201C12N5/0636A61K38/00A61K2239/50C07K2319/30
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,331,097
App. No.
17/268,915
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides T cell receptors (TCRs) against peptide-MHC complexes, isolated nucleic acid molecules encoding TCRs against peptide-MHC complexes, T cells expressing TCRs against peptide-MHC complexes, and pharmaceutical compositions for use in the treatment of diseases.

Claims (24)

1. A recombinant nucleic acid encoding a T cell receptor (TCR) comprising a TCR beta chain construct comprising a beta chain complementarity determining region 1 (CDR1), a beta chain complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2), and a beta chain complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3); and a TCR alpha chain construct comprising an alpha chain CDR1, an alpha chain CDR2, and an alpha chain CDR3, wherein the beta chain CDR1 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 50; the beta chain CDR2 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 51; the beta chain CDR3 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 52; the alpha chain CDR1 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 47; the alpha chain CDR2 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 48; and the alpha chain CDR3 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 49, wherein the TCR specifically binds to a mutated RAS epitope in complex with a human MHC encoded by an HLA-A11:01 allele, wherein the mutated RAS epitope has a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 45 or 46, and wherein the recombinant nucleic acid is comprised in a vector.

2. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 , wherein the TCR beta chain construct comprises a variable region having an amino acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58.

3. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 2 , wherein the TCR beta chain construct comprises a variable region having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 58.

4. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 , wherein the TCR alpha chain construct comprises a variable region having an amino acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55.

5. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 4 , wherein, the TCR alpha chain construct comprises a variable region having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 55.

6. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 , wherein the TCR beta chain construct comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 60.

7. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 , wherein the TCR alpha chain construct comprises an amino acid sequence with at least 80% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59.

8. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 , wherein the TCR comprises a TCR beta chain construct having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 60 and a TCR alpha chain construct having an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 59.

9. A cell comprising the recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 .

10. The recombinant nucleic acid of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant nucleic acid is operably linked to a promoter.

11. A recombinant nucleic acid encoding a TCR construct comprising:

a TCR beta chain construct comprising a beta chain complementarity determining region 1 (CDR1), a beta chain complementarity determining region 2 (CDR2), and a beta chain complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3), and

a TCR alpha chain construct comprising an alpha chain CDR1, an alpha chain CDR2, and an alpha chain CDR3, wherein:

(a) the beta chain CDR1 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 66, the beta chain CDR2 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 67, the beta chain CDR3 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 68, the alpha chain CDR1 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 63, the alpha chain CDR2 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 64, and the alpha chain CDR3 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 65; or

(b) the beta chain CDR1 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 82, the beta chain CDR2 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 83, the beta chain CDR3 has an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 84, the alpha chain CDR1 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 79, the alpha chain CDR2 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 80, and the alpha chain CDR3 has an amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO: 81;

wherein the TCR construct recognizes and binds to an epitope from human RAS comprising a point mutation G12V, the epitope being in a human MHC-protein complex, wherein a human MHC-protein of the human MHC-protein complex is an HLA antigen encoded by an HLA A03:01 allele, and wherein the epitope comprises a sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 45 or 46.

12. The cell of claim 9 , wherein the cell is a T cell.

13. The cell of claim 9 , wherein the cell is from a human subject having cancer cells having a RAS G12V mutation.

14. A pharmaceutical composition comprising:

(a) the cell of claim 9 ; and

(b) a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or diluent.

15. A method of treating cancer in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject the pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 .

16. A method of identifying a subject with cancer as a candidate for a therapeutic, the method comprising (a) identifying the subject as a subject that expresses a protein encoded by an HLA-A11:01 allele, and (b) administering the therapeutic, wherein the therapeutic is the pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 .

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cancer is a cancer selected from the group consisting of adenocarcinoma of the biliary tract, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, breast carcinoma, cervical adenocarcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, colon adenoma, neuroblastoma (autonomic ganglia), acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, plasma cell myeloma, hepatocellular carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, non-small cell carcinoma, ductal carcinoma, endocrine tumor, prostrate adenocarcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, angiosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, liposarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, myxoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, pleomorphic sarcoma, germinoma, seminoma, anaplastic carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, papillary carcinoma and Hurthle cell carcinoma.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2021
From: JUNEJA, VIKRAM; CHOI, JAEWON
To: NEON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 056095/0468 →
MERGER Recorded Apr 30, 2021
From: NEON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
To: BIONTECH US INC.
Reel/Frame 056095/0540 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62810112 · Feb 25, 2019
Provisional Application 62764817 · Aug 16, 2018
Related Publication 20210340215A1 · Nov 4, 2021
References Cited (88)
US 5391377A · Barnwell · 1995 [cited by applicant]
US 5849589A · Tedder et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6406705B1 · Davis et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 8119772B2 · Yang et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20150104441A1 · Olweus et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
CN 108395479A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
TW 201738378A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO WO9311161A1 · 1993 [cited by applicant]
WO WO9403205A1 · 1994 [cited by applicant]
WO WO9420127A1 · 1994 [cited by applicant]
WO WO03020763A2 · 2003 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2004033685A1 · 2004 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2011044186A1 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2015095811A2 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016085904A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2016154246A1 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2017044661A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2017048593A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2017173321A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2020037239A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
Wong et al., Comparative analysis of the CDR loops of antigen receptors; 2019, Frontiers in Immunology, 10:2454. (Year: 2019). [cited by examiner]
Robbins et al., Single and dual amino acid substitutions in TCR CDRs can enhance antigen-specific T cell functions; 2008, Journal of Immunology, 180(9): 6116-6131. (Year: 2008). [cited by examiner]
Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-507743 Office Action dated Jul. 28, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Taiwan Patent Application No. 108129290 Search Report dated Oct. 13, 2023. [cited by applicant]
“International Search Report and Written Opinion for corresponding PCT Application No. PCT/US2019/046876 issued Jan. 21, 2020”. [cited by applicant]
Busch, R. et al., “Degenerate binding of immunogenic peptides to HLA-DR proteins on B Cell surface,” Int. Immunol., 1990, vol. 2, No. 5, pp. 443-451. [cited by applicant]
Ceppellini, R. et al., “Binding of labelled influenza matrix peptide to HLA DR in living B lymphoid cells,” Nature, 1989, vol. 339, pp. 392-394. [cited by applicant]
Cerundolo, V. et al., “The binding affinity and dissociation rates of peptides for class I major histocompatibility complex molecules,” J. Immunol., 1991, vol. 21, No. 9, pp. 2069-2075. [cited by applicant]
Christinck, E. R. et al., “Peptide binding to class I MHC on living cells and quantitation of complexes required for CTL lysis,” Nature, 1991, vol. 352, No. 6330, pp. 67-70. [cited by applicant]
Del Guercio, M. F. et al., “Binding of peptide antigen to multiple HLA alleles allows definition of an A2-like supertype,” J. Immunol., 1995, vol. 154, No. 2, pp. 685-693. [cited by applicant]
Dupuis, M, et al., “Dendritic Cells Internalize Vaccine Adjuvant after Intramuscular Injection,” Cell Immunol., 1998, vol. 186, No. 1, pp. 18-27. [cited by applicant]
Engels, B. et al., “Retroviral Vectors for High-Level Transgene Expression in T Lymphocytes,” Hum. Gene Ther., 2003, vol. 14, pp. 1155-1168. [cited by applicant]
Exam Report and Translation issued in Russian Patent Application No. 2021106561/10 on Dec. 29, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Exam Report and Translation issued in Russian Patent Application No. 2021106561/10 on May 26, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report issued in European Patent Application No. 19849341.3 on Apr. 8, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Fix, J. A., “Oral controlled release technology for peptides: status and future prospects,” Pharm Res., 1996, vol. 13, No. 12, pp. 1760-1764. [cited by applicant]
Frecha, C. et al., “Advances in the Field of Lentivector-based Transduction of T and B Lymphocytes for Gene Therapy,” Mol. Ther., 2010, vol. 18, No. 10, pp. 1748-1757. [cited by applicant]
Fujii, S. et al., “Clinical significance of KRAS gene mutation and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in Japanese patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx,” Int J Clin Onc… [cited by applicant]
Gamvrellis, A. et al., “Vaccines that facilitate antigen entry into dendritic cells,” Immunol & Cell Biol., 2004, vol. 82, pp. 506-516. [cited by applicant]
Gjertsen, M.K. et al., “Cytotoxic CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, generated by mutant p21-ras (12Val) peptide vaccination of a patient, recognize 12Val-dependent nested epitopes present within the vaccine peptide and kill … [cited by applicant]
Hammer, J. et al., “Precise prediction of major histocompatibility complex class II-peptide interaction based on peptide side chain scanning,” J. Exp. Med., 1994, vol. 180, No. 6, pp. 2353-2358. [cited by applicant]
He, L.Z. et al., “RAS gene mutations in Chinese leukaemia patients and members of a family with high incidence of leukaemia,” Leuk Res., Nov.-Dec. 1996;20(11-12):901-3. [cited by applicant]
Hill, C. M. et al., “Conformational and structural characteristics of peptides binding to HLA-DR molecules,” J. Immunol., 1991, vol. 147, No. 1, pp. 189-197. [cited by applicant]
Hill, C. M. et al., “Exploration of requirements for peptide binding to HLA DRB1*0101 and DRB1*0401,” J. Immunol., 1994, vol. 152, No. 6, pp. 2890-2898. [cited by applicant]
Khilko, S. N. et al., “Direct detection of major histocompatibility complex class I binding to antigenic peptides using surface plasmon resonance. Peptide immobilization and characterization of binding specificity,” J. … [cited by applicant]
Krieg, A.M. et al., “Therapeutic potential of Toll-like receptor 9 activation,” Nature Reviews, Drug Discovery, 2006, vol. 5, pp. 471-484. [cited by applicant]
Krisky, D.M. et al., “Development of herpes simplex virus replication defective multigene vectors for combination gene therapy applications,” Gene Therapy, 1998, vol. 5, pp. 1517-1530. [cited by applicant]
Lefort, C.T. et al., “Human T lymphocyte isolation, culture and analysis of migration in vitro.” J Vis Exp., 2010, vol. 40, 2017. [cited by applicant]
Li, H. et al., “TCRβ repertoire of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells is distinct in richness, distribution, and CDR3 amino acid composition,” J Leukoc Biol., 2016, vol. 99, No. 3, pp. 505-513. [cited by applicant]
Ljunggren, H. G. et al., “Empty MHC class I molecules come out in the cold,” Nature, 1990, vol. 346, pp. 476-480. [cited by applicant]
Marshall, K. W. et al., “Role of the polymorphic residues in HLA-DR molecules in allele-specific binding of peptide ligands,” J. Immunol., 1994, vol. 152, No. 10, pp. 4946-4957. [cited by applicant]
Mosca, P.J. et al., “Dendritic cell vaccines,” Frontiers in Bioscience, 2007, vol. 12, pp. 4050-4060. [cited by applicant]
Muller, S. et al., “Spliceosomal peptide P140 for immunotherapy of systemic lupus erythematosus: results of an early phase II clinical trial,” Arthritis Rheum, Dec. 2008;58(12):3873-83. [cited by applicant]
Obenaus, M. et al., “Identification of human T-cell receptors with optimal affinity to cancer antigens using antigen-negative humanized mice,” Nature Biotechnology, 2015, vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 402-407. [cited by applicant]
Parker, K. C. et al., “The beta 2-microglobulin dissociation rate is an accurate measure of the stability of MHC class I heterotrimers and depends on which peptide is bound,” J. Immunol., 1992, vol. 149, No. 6, pp. 1896… [cited by applicant]
Pfeifer, A. et al., “Gene therapy: promises and problems,” Ann. Rev. Genomics Hum. Genet., 2001, vol. 2, pp. 177-211. [cited by applicant]
Reay, P. A. et al., “pH dependence and exchange of high and low responder peptides binding to a class II MHC molecule,” EMBO J., 1992, vol. 11, No. 8, pp. 2829-2839. [cited by applicant]
Samanen, J. et al., “Chemical Approaches to Improve the Oral Bioavailability of Peptidergic Molecules,” J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 1996, vol. 48, pp. 119 135. [cited by applicant]
Schumacher, T. N. M. et al., “Direct binding of peptide to empty MHC class I molecules on intact cells and in vitro,” Cell, 1990, vol. 62, No. 3, pp. 563-567. [cited by applicant]
Sette, A. et al., “Peptide binding to the most frequent HLA-A class I alleles measured by quantitative molecular binding assays,” Mol. Immunol, 1994, vol. 31, No. 11, pp. 813-822. [cited by applicant]
Sidney, J. et al., “Measurement of MHC/Peptide interactions by Gel Filtration or Monoclonal Antibody Capture,” Current Protocols in Immunology, 1998, 18.3.1. [cited by applicant]
Singapore Patent Application No. 11202101524R Search Report issued on Oct. 30, 2022. [cited by applicant]
Townsend, A. et al., “Assembly of MHC class I molecules analyzed in vitro,” Cell, 1990, vol. 62, No. 2, pp. 285-295. [cited by applicant]
Verhoef, J.C. et al., “Des-enkephalin-γ-endorphin (DEγE): Biotransformation in rat, dog and human plasma,” Eur. J. Drug Metab. Pharmacokinetics, 1986, vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 291-302. [cited by applicant]
Verhoeyen, E. et al., “Lentiviral Vector Gene Transfer into Human T Cells,” Methods Mol. Biol., 2009, vol. 506, pp. 97-114. [cited by applicant]
Walchli, S. et al., “A Practical Approach to T-Cell Receptor Cloning and Expression,” PLoS One, 2011,vol. 6, No. 11, 327930. [cited by applicant]
Wang, Q.J. et al., “Identification of T-cell Receptors Targeting KRAS-Mutated Human Tumors,” Cancer Immunol Res., Mar. 2016;4(3):204-14. [cited by applicant]
Ward, E. S. et al., “Binding activities of a repertoire of single immunoglobulin variable domains secreted from [cited by applicant]
Zhao, Y. et al., “Primary Human Lymphocytes Transduced with NY-ESO-1 Antigen-Specific TCR Genes Recognize and Kill Diverse Human Tumor Cell Lines,” J. Immunol., 2005, vol. 174, No. 7, pp. 4415-4423. [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability issued in PCT/US2019/046876, dated Feb. 16, 2021. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion issued in PCT/US2019/046876, mailed Jan. 21, 2020. [cited by applicant]
Choi, J. et al., “Systematic discovery and validation of T Cell targeting directed against oncogenic KRAS mutations,” Cell Reports Methods, 2021, vol. 1, No. 5. [cited by applicant]
Leidner, R. et al., “Neoantigen T-cell receptor Gene Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer,” The New England Journal of Medicine, 2022, vol. 386, No. 22, pp. 2112-2119. [cited by applicant]
Levin, N. et al., “Identification and Validation of T-cell Receptors Targeting RAS Hotspot Mutations in Human Cancer for Use in Cell-based Immunotherapy,” Clinical Cancer Research, 2021, vol. 27, pp. 5084-5095. [cited by applicant]
Lowery, F.J. et al., “Molecular signatures of antitumor neoantigen-reactive T cells from metastatic human cancers,” Science, 2022, vol. 375, No. 6583, pp. 877-884. [cited by applicant]
Restifo, N.P. et al., “Adoptive immunotherapy for cancer: harnessing the T cell response,” Nat Rev Immunol, 2018, vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 269-281. [cited by applicant]
Rosenberg, S.A. et al., “Adoptive cell transfer as personalized immunotherapy for human cancer,” Science, 2015, vol. 348, No. 6230, pp. 62-68. [cited by applicant]
Tran, E. et al., “T-Cell Transfer Therapy Targeting Mutant KRAS in Cancer,” N Engl J Med., 2017, vol. 375, No. 23, pp. 2255-2262. [cited by applicant]
Yossef, R. et al., “Enhanced detection of neoantigen-reactive T cells targeting unique and shared oncogenes for personalized cancer immunotherapy,” JCI Insight, 2018, vol. 3, No. 19. [cited by applicant]
Choi, J. et al., “Systematic discovery and validation of T Cell targeting directed against oncogenic KRAS mutations,” Cell Reports Methods 1:5 (2021). [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability issued in PCT/US2019/040592, dated Feb. 16, 2021. [cited by applicant]
Leidner, R. et al., “Neoantigen T-cell receptor Gene Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer,” The New England Journal of Medicine 386(22): 2112-2119 (2022). [cited by applicant]
Levin, N. et al., “Identification and Validation of T-cell Receptors Targeting RAS Hotspot Mutations in Human Cancer for Use in Cell-based Immunotherapy,” Clinical Cancer Research, 27:5084-5095 (2021). [cited by applicant]
Lowery, F.J. et al., “Molecular signatures of antitumor neoantigen-reactive T cells from metastatic human cancers,” Science 375(6583):877-884 (2022). [cited by applicant]
Restifo, N.P. et al., “Adoptive immunotherapy for cancer: harnessing the T cell response,” Nat Rev Immunol 12(4):269-281 (2018). [cited by applicant]
Rosenberg, S.A. et al., “Adoptive cell transfer as personalized immunotherapy for human cancer,” Science 348(6230):62-68 (2015). [cited by applicant]
Tran, E. et al., “T-Cell Transfer Therapy Targeting Mutant KRAS in Cancer,” N. Engl. J. Med. 375(23):2255-2262 (2017). [cited by applicant]
Yossef, R. et al., “Enhanced detection of neoantigen-reactive T cells targeting unique and shared oncogenes for personalized cancer immunotherapy,” JCI Insight 3:19 (2018). [cited by applicant]