A4: Regulatory T cells in Xenotransplantation
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in graft-specific tolerance after solid organ transplantation. During the second funding period we want to test the hypothesis that “Tregs with xenospecificity can induce long-lasting tolerance for the xenograft”. We will work on this question with three aims:
Aim 1: Improving Treg therapy with classical xenospecific nTregs.
Aim 2: Changing specificity of Tregs by chimeric antigen receptors (CARs).
Aim 3: Preclinical testing of xenospecific Tregs in non-lymphopenic humanized mice. Taken together the experiments of the second funding period should enable us to generate large amounts of xenospecific Tregs recognizing the xenograft via T cell receptor or CARs, which will then be tested in clinical meaningful humanized mouse models to enable fast translation into clinics.
