T cell receptor (TCR)-based immunotherapeutic approaches have so far had limited success because of a lack of specific immune recognition and activation by the TCR. Here Nathaniel Liddy and his colleagues describe the generation, optimization and characterization of a new set of reagents—immune-mobilizing monoclonal TCRs against cancer (or ImmTACs)—designed to overcome some of these limitations. The ImmTACs were used to redirect and activate T cells to lyse tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo, even those expressing very low epitope numbers on the cell surface.
- Nathaniel Liddy
- Giovanna Bossi
- Bent K Jakobsen