A conformation-specific ON-switch for controlling CAR T cells with an orally available drug.

Molecular ON-switches in which a chemical compound induces protein-protein interactions can allow cellular function to be controlled with small molecules. ON-switches based on clinically applicable compounds and human proteins would greatly facilitate their therapeutic use. Here, we developed an ON-switch system in which the human retinol binding protein 4 (hRBP4) of the lipocalin family interacts with engineered hRBP4 binders in a small molecule-dependent manner. Two different protein scaffolds were engineered to bind to hRBP4 when loaded with the orally available small molecule A1120. The crystal structure of an assembled ON-switch shows that the engineered binder specifically recognizes the conformational changes induced by A1120 in two loop regions of hRBP4. We demonstrate that this conformation-specific ON-switch is highly dependent on the presence of A1120, as demonstrated by an ∼500-fold increase in affinity upon addition of the small molecule drug. Furthermore, the ON-switch successfully regulated the activity of primary human CAR T cells in vitro. We anticipate that lipocalin-based ON-switches have the potential to be broadly applied for the safe pharmacological control of cellular therapeutics.

Platelet concentrate as an additive to bone allografts: a laboratory study using an uniaxial compression test.

Chemical cleaning procedures of allografts are destroying viable bone cells and denaturing osteoconductive and osteoinductive proteins present in the graft. The aim of the study was to investigate the mechanical differences of chemical cleaned allografts by adding blood, clotted blood; platelet concentrate and platelet gel using a uniaxial compression test. The allografts were chemically cleaned, dried and standardized according to their grain size distribution. Uniaxial compression test was carried out for the four groups before and after compacting the allografts. No statistically significant difference was found between native allografts, allografts mixed with blood, clotted blood, platelet concentrate and platelet concentrate gel regarding their yield limit after compaction. The authors recommend to chemical clean allografts for large defects, optimize their grain size distribution and add platelet concentrate or platelet rich plasma for enhancing as well primary stability as well bone ingrowth.

An engineering strategy to target activated EGFR with CAR T cells.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown remarkable response rates in hematological malignancies. In contrast, CAR T cell treatment of solid tumors is associated with several challenges, in particular the expression of most tumor-associated antigens at lower levels in vital organs, resulting in on-target/off-tumor toxicities. Thus, innovative approaches to improve the tumor specificity of CAR T cells are urgently needed. Based on the observation that many human solid tumors activate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on their surface through secretion of EGFR ligands, we developed an engineering strategy for CAR-binding domains specifically directed against the ligand-activated conformation of EGFR. We show, in several experimental systems, that the generated binding domains indeed enable CAR T cells to distinguish between active and inactive EGFR. We anticipate that this engineering concept will be an important step forward to improve the tumor specificity of CAR T cells directed against EGFR-positive solid cancers.