Artificial antigen presenting cells and uses therefor
View Patent ↗The invention relates to novel artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs). The aAPC comprises at least one stimulatory ligand and at least one co-stimulatory ligand where the ligands each specifically bind with a cognate molecule on a T cell of interest, thereby mediating expansion of the T cell. The aAPC of the invention can further comprise additional molecules useful for expanding a T cell of interest. The aAPC of the invention can be used as an “off the shelf” APC that can be readily designed to expand a T cell of interest. Also, the aAPC of the invention can be used identify the stimulatory, co-stimulatory, and any other factors that mediate growth and expansion of a T cell of interest. Thus, the present invention provides powerful tools for development of novel therapeutics where activation and expansion of a T cell can provide a benefit.
1. A method of expanding a population of CD25+CD4+ Treg cells, the method comprising:
contacting said population with: (i) an artificial antigen presenting cell (aAPC) comprising a K562 cell, wherein said aAPC comprises CD64 on its surface loaded with an anti-CD3 antibody and CD86, wherein said CD64 is expressed from an exogenous expression vector; and (ii) IL-2, wherein binding of said anti-CD3 antibody and said CD86 with said Treg cells induces proliferation of said Treg cells, thereby expanding said population of CD25+CD4+ Treg cells.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said IL-2 is expressed from an exogenous expression vector, wherein said vector is in said aAPC.