Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering, 2019 / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references. / Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are a promising cancer therapeutic, as they can specifically redirect the cytotoxic function of a T cell to a chosen target of interest. CAR T cells have been successful in clinical trials against hematological cancers, but have experienced low efficacy against solid tumors for a number of reasons, including a paucity of tumor-specific antigens to target and a highly immunosuppressive solid tumor microenvironment. In chapter 2 of this thesis, we develop a strategy to target multiple solid tumor types through markers in their microenvironment. The use of single domain antibody (VHH)-based CAR T cells that recognize these markers circumvents the need for tumor-specific targets. Chapter 3 will describe methods to overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment of solid tumors. Here, we have developed VHH-secreting CAR T cells that can modulate additional aspects of the tumor microenvironment, including the engagement of the innate immune system through secretion of a VHH against an inhibitor of phagocytosis. We show that this strategy of VHH-secretion by CAR T cells can lead to significant benefits in outcome. We also demonstrate that delivery of therapeutics by CAR T cells can improve the safety profile of the therapeutic. Chapter 4 of this thesis explores strategies to increase the targeting capacity of CAR T cells by building logic-gated CARs. Finally, chapter 5 will describe work in imaging CAR T cells specifically, longitudinally, and non-invasively through PET imaging. Our results demonstrate the flexibility of VHHs in CAR T cell engineering and the potential of VHH-based CAR T cells to target the tumor microenvironment, modulate the tumor microenvironment, and treat solid tumors. / by Yushu Joy Xie. / Ph. D. / Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MIT/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/123070 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Xie, Yushu Joy. |
| Contributors | Hidde L. Ploegh., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering |
| Publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Source Sets | M.I.T. Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 154 pages, application/pdf |
| Rights | MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission., http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 |
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