Table 4 Comparison of the advantages and limitations of different stimulatory agents for CAR-T cell preparations.
Stimulatory Agent | Signal | Advantages | Limitations | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Recombinant Protein | Restricted antigen | Simple, quantification of antigen number possible | Low stability (3 months) and cost (€350 for 50 µg, approx. €50/test) | Use of an irrelevant protein as a control |
Coated Beads | Restricted antigen | Simple, quantification of antigen number possible | Low stability (3 months after reconstitution and storage at −80 °C) and cost (€1 300 for 2 mg, approx. €7–8 per well, €70–80/test) | Use of irrelevant beads as a control |
Allogeneic Human Cell Line | Antigen-dependent and independent | Immunological synapse, mimics target in indication | Alloreactivity | Need to subtract alloreactivity with antigen-negative cell line |
Murine Cells | Antigen-dependent and independent | Immunological synapse | Potential xenogeneic reactivity (not detected under test conditions) | Use of antigen-negative cell line as control |
