Training Immune Cells to Fight Specific Cancers
This patent describes a method to treat certain cancers, like esophageal cancer, by training a patient's own immune cells in the lab to recognize and kill cancer cells that have specific protein markers.
Original patent title: “Peptides and combination of peptides for use in immunotherapy against esophageal cancer and other cancers”
This patent describes a method to treat certain cancers, like esophageal cancer, by training a patient's own immune cells in the lab to recognize and kill cancer cells that have specific protein markers. Granted to Immatics Biotechnologies in 2022 with 22 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2041.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → a method for treating patients with specific cancers, including esophageal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, particularly when these cancers produce too much of the KRT14 or KRT16 proteins containing the STYGGGLSV peptide (SEQ ID NO: 1). The treatment involves administering a population of activated T cells to the patient. These T cells are cytotoxic, meaning they kill cancer cells, and are produced by contacting CD8+ T cells with an antigen-presenting cell in a lab setting, where the antigen-presenting cell displays the STYGGGLSV peptide linked to an MHC class I molecule. This process trains the T cells to specifically target and kill the cancer cells.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover treating cancers that do not overexpress, or produce too much of, the KRT14 or KRT16 proteins.
- Does not cover T cells that are activated directly inside the patient's body; the activation must occur in a lab setting (in vitro).
- Does not cover using a different cancer-targeting peptide than the specific STYGGGLSV sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1).
- Does not cover T cells that are not of the CD8+ type, which is a specific kind of immune cell.
- Does not cover methods that use T cells that are not designed to directly kill cancer cells (cytotoxic T cells).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in identifying a specific short protein sequence, STYGGGLSV, derived from KRT14 or KRT16 proteins, as a target for T cells in particular cancers. The patent then describes a precise method to activate a patient's own T cells outside the body to recognize and attack cells displaying this specific target.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Immatics Biotechnologies' adoptive cell therapies
Other T-cell receptor (TCR) based immunotherapies
Personalized cancer vaccine development
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent contributes to the field of cancer immunotherapy, which uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer. By identifying specific peptide targets on cancer cells and a method to train T cells against them, it offers a pathway for highly targeted and potentially more effective treatments for specific cancer types. This approach is part of a broader movement towards personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to the unique characteristics of a patient's tumor.
Filed
December 17, 2021
Granted
August 2, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing T-cell receptor (TCR) based immunotherapies for various cancers. Other companies in the cell therapy space, such as Adaptimmune and Immunocore, are also working on similar approaches to engineer T cells to recognize specific tumor-associated antigens and fight cancer.
Market impact
This patent supports the growing market for targeted cancer immunotherapies, particularly adoptive cell therapies. These therapies represent a significant shift from traditional chemotherapy, offering more precise treatments with potentially fewer side effects. The focus on specific tumor antigens and ex vivo T-cell activation has driven substantial investment and research into developing new cell-based cancer treatments, creating a new category of highly personalized oncology drugs.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent claims a method for treating patients with specific cancers, including esophageal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, particularly when these cancers produce too much of the KRT14 or KRT16 proteins containing the STYGGGLSV peptide (SEQ ID NO: 1). The treatment involves administering a population of activated T cells to the patient. These T cells are cytotoxic, meaning they kill cancer cells, and are produced by contacting CD8+ T cells with an antigen-presenting cell in a lab setting, where the antigen-presenting cell displays the STYGGGLSV peptide linked to an MHC class I molecule. This process trains the T cells to specifically target and kill the cancer cells.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in identifying a specific short protein sequence, STYGGGLSV, derived from KRT14 or KRT16 proteins, as a target for T cells in particular cancers. The patent then describes a precise method to activate a patient's own T cells outside the body to recognize and attack cells displaying this specific target.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover treating cancers that do not overexpress, or produce too much of, the KRT14 or KRT16 proteins.
- Does not cover T cells that are activated directly inside the patient's body; the activation must occur in a lab setting (in vitro).
- Does not cover using a different cancer-targeting peptide than the specific STYGGGLSV sequence (SEQ ID NO: 1).
- Does not cover T cells that are not of the CD8+ type, which is a specific kind of immune cell.
- Does not cover methods that use T cells that are not designed to directly kill cancer cells (cytotoxic T cells).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
15/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$140K – $449K
Midpoint $281K · 15.1 yr remaining · industry ×3.0
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
22 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Schoor, O., SONG, C., Singh, H., MAHR, A., Weinschenk, T., & FRITSCHE, J. (2022). Training Immune Cells to Fight Specific Cancers (U.S. Patent No. 11,401,319). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11401319/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-esophageal-11401319
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Training Immune Cells to Fight Specific Cancers cover?
This patent describes a method to treat certain cancers, like esophageal cancer, by training a patient's own immune cells in the lab to recognize and kill cancer cells that have specific protein markers.
Who owns patent US 11401319?
Immatics Biotechnologies owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on December 17, 2041, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 11401319 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent contributes to the field of cancer immunotherapy, which uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer. By identifying specific peptide targets on cancer cells and a method to train T cells against them, it offers a pathway for highly targeted and potentially more effective treatments for specific cancer types. This approach is part of a broader movement towards personalized medicine, where treatments are tailored to the unique characteristics of a patient's tumor.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover treating cancers that do not overexpress, or produce too much of, the KRT14 or KRT16 proteins.
Same assignee
More from Immatics Biotechnologies
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