Universal Cells to Grow Cancer-Fighting Immune Cells

This patent describes special 'universal' cells called K562 UAPCs that can help grow large numbers of immune cells to fight diseases like cancer.

What it covers

The patent provides 'universal antigen presenting cells' (UAPCs) derived from K562 cells. These UAPCs are designed to stimulate and expand immune cells, such as T-cells, outside the body. By presenting specific signals, these UAPCs encourage immune cells to multiply rapidly. Once expanded, these larger quantities of immune cells can be used as a treatment, for example, to target and destroy cancer cells in a patient. The 'universal' aspect suggests these cells can be used for many different patients without needing specific genetic matching.

What it doesn't cover

• —Does not cover antigen-presenting cells that require specific HLA matching for each patient, as the patent focuses on 'universal' cells.
• —Does not cover methods of treating disease that do not involve expanding immune cells, as the core mechanism is immune cell proliferation.
• —Does not cover immune cell expansion methods that do not use K562-derived universal antigen presenting cells.
• —Does not cover the K562 cell line itself, but rather its specific modification and use as a universal antigen-presenting cell.

The clever bit

The clever part is creating 'universal' antigen-presenting cells from K562 cells. These modified cells can stimulate a patient's immune cells to grow and activate without needing to be genetically matched to the patient, which is a major hurdle in many current cell therapies.

Why it matters

This technology is important because it offers a way to produce large numbers of potent immune cells for therapies, especially for cancer. Current cell therapies often require complex, patient-specific manufacturing. Universal cells could simplify this process, making these advanced treatments more accessible and potentially more affordable for a wider range of patients.

Real-world examples

• 1.CAR T-cell therapy manufacturing
• 2.Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy development
• 3.Research into off-the-shelf cell therapies
• 4.Ex vivo expansion of T-cells for adoptive cell transfer