IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,551,530
Granted Patent B2
US 12,551,530 · App. 17/400,467 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Immune cell function

Inventors: Peter Emtage (Lafayette, CA); Jun Feng (San Diego, CA); Heba Nowyhed (Los Angeles, CA); Tammy Phung (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: Kite Pharma, Inc.
A61K38/20A61K38/1774A61K38/1793A61K38/208A61K38/2086A61K39/3955A61K40/11A61K40/15A61K40/31A61K40/32A61K40/4211A61K40/4268A61P35/00C07K14/54C07K14/7155C12N5/0636C12N5/0646C12N15/625C12N15/86A61K2239/48C07K2319/00C12N2501/2302C12N2501/2307C12N2501/2312C12N2501/2315C12N2501/2318C12N2501/405C12N2510/00C12N2740/10043C12N2740/15043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,551,530
App. No.
17/400,467
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The methods and compositions disclosed herein relate to the field of cell therapy, and more specifically, to improving CAR and/or TCR function through improvement of the tumor microenvironment via improvement in cytokine signaling. Methods of treating a cancer in a patient are disclosed comprising administering to the patient immune cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor or T-cell receptor and a membrane bound IL-18. Further disclosed are nucleic acids which encode a membrane bound IL-18 and methods for culturing cells expressing such nucleic acids.

Claims (5)

1 . A method of treating a B-cell lymphoma expressing CD19 tumor antigen in a subject comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of T-cells via systemic administration, wherein the T-cells are autologous T-cells and comprise (1) a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or exogenous T cell receptor (TCR) recognizing CD19 and (2) a membrane-bound IL-18.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane-bound IL-18 is obtained by expression of a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide comprising a signal peptide, interleukin-18 (IL-18) and an interleukin-18 receptor (IL-18R) subunit.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the nucleic acid comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the T-cells are further cultured with one or more of IL-2, a Protein kinase B (AKT) inhibitor, IL-7, IL-12, or IL-15.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the T cells express a CAR recognizing CD19.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2021
From: EMTAGE, PETER; FENG, JUN; NOWYHED, HEBA; PHUNG, TAMMY
To: KITE PHARMA, INC.
Reel/Frame 058070/0904 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63066039 · Aug 14, 2020
Related Publication 20220047677A1 · Feb 17, 2022
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