Chimeric antigen receptors and methods of use

1. A chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer comprising a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, wherein

a. said first polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex I (MHC class I) alpha chain, wherein said extracellular part of the MHC alpha chain retains the ability to interact with an oligopeptide and with CD8, and said second polypeptide comprises a β2-microglobulin domain, or

b. said first polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) alpha chain and said second polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) beta chain, wherein said extracellular parts of the MHC alpha and beta chain retain the ability to interact with an oligopeptide and CD4; and wherein

one of said first polypeptide of (a) or (b) and said second polypeptide (a) or (b) further comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain or intracellular tail of the T cell receptor alpha chain and the other one of said first polypeptide (a) or (b) and said second polypeptide (a) or (b) comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain of the T cell receptor beta chain.

2. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer according to claim 1 , wherein the extracellular part of the MHC molecule comprises each of a MHC class I alpha1, alpha2, and alpha3 domain forming part of said first polypeptide.

3. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer according to claim 1 , wherein an oligopeptide sequence is inserted after amino acid 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 of the MHC alpha1 domain sequence.

4. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer according to claim 1 , comprising a first polypeptide with an amino acid sequence having at least ≥80%, 85%, 90%, 92%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% identity to SEQ ID NO 008.

5. A nucleic acid molecule encoding a chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer comprising a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, wherein

a. said first polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex I (MHC class I) alpha chain, wherein said extracellular part of the MHC alpha chain retains the ability to interact with an oligopeptide and with CD8, and said second polypeptide comprises a β2-microglobulin domain, or

b. said first polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) alpha chain and said second polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) beta chain, wherein said extracellular parts of the MHC alpha and beta chain retain the ability to interact with an oligopeptide and CD4,

one of said first polypeptide (a) or (b) and said second polypeptide (a) or (b) further comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain or intracellular tail of the T cell receptor alpha chain and the other one of said first polypeptide (a) or (b) and said second polypeptide (a) or (b) comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain of the T cell receptor beta chain.

6. A mammalian cell comprising

i. the chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer according to claim 1 , and

ii. an effector function functionally linked to said chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer.

7. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer of claim 4 , wherein at least one of said first and said second polypeptide chain additionally comprises an oligopeptide that can be recognized by a T cell receptor, said oligopeptide being covalently linked to said extracellular WIC domain.

8. A chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer comprising a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, wherein said first polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) alpha chain and said second polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex II (MHC class II) beta chain;

wherein the extracellular part of the MHC molecule comprises an MHC class II alpha1 and an MHC class II alpha2 domain forming part of said first polypeptide, and an MHC class II beta1 and an MHC class II beta2 domain forming part of said second polypeptide; and

wherein said first polypeptide and said second polypeptide comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain of the T cell receptor beta chain.

9. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer of claim 1 , wherein the extracellular part of the MHC molecule is selected from the members of the human major histocompatibility complex gene family HLA.

10. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) the extracellular part of the MEW molecule comprises each of a MEW class I alpha1, alpha2, and alpha3 domain forming part of said first polypeptide; and

(b) the extracellular part of the MEW molecule is selected from the members of the human major histocompatibility complex gene family HLA.

11. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer of claim 1 , wherein:

(a) wherein the extracellular part of the MHC molecule comprises an MHC class II alpha1 and an MHC class II alpha2 domain forming part of said first polypeptide, and an MHC class II beta1 and an MEW class II beta2 domain forming part of said second polypeptide; and

(b) the extracellular part of the MHC molecule is selected from the members of the human major histocompatibility complex gene family HLA.

12. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer according to claim 3 , wherein said oligopeptide sequence is 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30 or 40 amino acids in length.

13. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer according to claim 3 , wherein said oligopeptide sequence is inserted after amino acid 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 of the MHC alpha1 domain sequence and is 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30 or 40 amino acids in length.

14. The mammalian cell according to claim 6 , wherein the effector function is:

i. a reporter protein, and/or

ii. a protein, or a plurality of proteins, capable of inducing cell death in cells bound to the chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide.

15. The mammalian cell according to claim 14 , wherein the reporter protein is selected from:

iii. a fluorescent protein, or

iv. a luciferase protein, or

v. a protein encoded by an antibiotic resistance gene, or

vi. a Cre recombinase, or

vii. a CAS-9 nuclease, or

viii. a CAS-9 chimeric transcriptional suppressor or activator.

16. The chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer of claim 1 , wherein the extracellular part of the MHC molecule comprises an MHC class II alpha1 and an MHC class II alpha2 domain forming part of said first polypeptide, and an MHC class II beta1 and an MHC class II beta2 domain forming part of said second polypeptide.

17. A chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide heterodimer comprising a first polypeptide and a second polypeptide, wherein said first polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex I (MHC class I) alpha chain and said second polypeptide comprises an extracellular part of the major histocompatibility complex I (WIC class I) β2-microglobulin chain;

wherein the extracellular part of the MHC molecule comprises an MHC class I alpha 1 domain, an MHC class I alpha 2 domain and an MHC class I alpha 3 domain forming part of said first polypeptide; and

wherein said first polypeptide further comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain or intracellular tail of the T cell receptor alpha chain and said second polypeptide comprises a hinge region, a transmembrane domain and an intracellular domain of the T cell receptor beta chain.

18. The mammalian cell according to claim 14 , wherein the effector function is:

i. a reporter protein, and a protein or a plurality of proteins, capable of inducing apoptotic cell death, in cells bound to the chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide, or

ii. a protein or a plurality of proteins, capable of inducing apoptotic cell death, in cells bound to the chimeric antigen-receptor polypeptide.