Ep. 1: Combining CAR T Cells with STING Agonists to Fight Solid Tumors

In the kickoff episode of the T Cell Talks Summit 2024, Dr. Ugur Uslu, a postdoctoral research fellow in Dr. Carl June's laboratory at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the University of Pennsylvania, presents a strategy to overcome the limited efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy against solid tumors. His team tested the combinatorial use of CAR T cells with IMSA101, a newly developed stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist, finding improved overall survival in two syngeneic tumor models when mice received intratumoral IMSA101 alongside intravenous CAR T infusion. Dr. Uslu explains how IMSA101 enhances CAR T function through STING agonist-induced IL-18 secretion, laying the groundwork for advancing this combinatorial approach toward clinical testing. Sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.

Key Highlights

• Dr. Ugur Uslu and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cellular Immunotherapies found that combining intratumoral IMSA101 with intravenous CAR T cell infusion improved overall survival in two syngeneic solid tumor models.
• IMSA101, a newly developed STING agonist, enhances CAR T cell function through STING agonist-induced IL-18 secretion, offering a novel mechanism to boost CAR T efficacy against solid tumors.
• These findings, generated in Dr. Carl June's laboratory, lay the foundation for advancing the CAR T and IMSA101 combinatorial approach into clinical testing.

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Ep. 2: Next-Generation Cell Isolation Solutions for T Cell Therapy Research

Dr. Amanda Durkin, Product Manager for Immunology at STEMCELL Technologies, and Dr. Frann Antignano, Principal Scientist in Research and Development at STEMCELL Technologies, introduce next-generation tools designed to help T cell researchers work more efficiently and at greater scale. They present STEMCELL's EasySep technology for fast, column-free T cell isolation, along with new mobilized leukopaks for large-scale research and the Easy 250 EasySep Magnet, a scalable system for manual isolation from large-volume samples. Durkin and Antignano show how these tools can streamline and accelerate translational T cell research workflows. Sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.

Key Highlights

• Dr. Amanda Durkin presents STEMCELL's EasySep technology, designed to increase cell isolation efficiency for fast, column-free T cell isolation.
• The webinar introduces new mobilized leukopaks, enabling researchers to isolate cells from large-volume samples in a single separation and increase overall throughput.
• The Easy 250 EasySep Magnet is featured as a scalable, efficient system for manual T cell isolation, supporting researchers as they scale up translational studies.

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Ep. 3: Advances in Point-of-Care Cell Engineering, What Are You Feeding Your CAR T Cells?

Dr. Julian J. Lum, Distinguished Scientist and Professor at the Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, and the University of Victoria, examines how advances in small, adaptable, closed manufacturing devices have brought point-of-care cell therapy production within reach of academic centers, alongside an expanding range of GMP-grade ancillary reagents now available for large-scale manufacturing. He discusses key considerations for selecting metabolic assays to assess cell function, and presents data comparing the metabolic characteristics of various commercially available GMP-grade cell culture media formulations. Dr. Lum's lab uses CRISPR-Cas-based gene editing to metabolically engineer CAR T cells, aiming to overcome metabolic barriers within the tumor microenvironment.

Key Highlights

• Advances in small, adaptable, closed manufacturing devices combined with a growing range of GMP-grade ancillary reagents have made point-of-care cell therapy production feasible within academic centers.
• Dr. Julian J. Lum outlines key considerations for selecting metabolic assays to assess cell function, along with data comparing the metabolic characteristics of different commercially available GMP-grade media formulations.
• Lum's research at the Deeley Research Centre uses CRISPR-Cas-based gene editing to metabolically engineer CAR T cells, overcoming metabolic barriers imposed by the tumor microenvironment.

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Ep. 4: How to Optimize Your T Cell Therapy Workflow, Without the Use of Serum or Feeder Cells

Dr. Dominika Nackiewicz, PhD, Product Manager for Immunology at STEMCELL Technologies, is joined by Senior Scientist Tim Le Fevre and Dr. Jessie Yu, MD, to demonstrate how standardized, serum-free and feeder-free reagents can help scientists generate high yields of functional T cells for cell therapy applications. The team also discusses efficient gene editing strategies using the new CellPore Transfection System, along with approaches for generating T cells from pluripotent stem cells or hematopoietic progenitors. Sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.

Key Highlights

• Dr. Dominika Nackiewicz outlines methods for generating high yields of functional T cells without relying on serum or feeder cells.
• Tim Le Fevre and Dr. Jessie Yu discuss achieving robust, bead-free T cell activation alongside gene editing using the CellPore Transfection System.
• The presenters cover strategies for generating T cells from pluripotent stem cells or hematopoietic progenitors to support cell therapy workflows.

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Ep. 5: Non-Viral CRISPR Knock-In Anti-B7-H3 CAR-T Cells Are Amenable for Treatment of Subtypes of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Vimal Keerthi, Process Development and Manufacturing Scientist in Dr. Steven Feldman's group at Stanford University's Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, discusses his identification of CD276 (B7-H3) overexpression in primary human small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and his development of a non-viral CRISPR-Cas9 knock-in platform targeting B7-H3 to manufacture CAR T cells. He demonstrates the feasibility of this non-viral manufacturing approach as a blueprint for immediate clinical translation, overcoming the bottleneck of clinical-grade viral vector production. Sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.

Key Highlights

• Vimal Keerthi identifies CD276 (B7-H3) overexpression in primary human SCLC as a target for CAR T cell therapy given SCLC's low MHC class I expression and TCR-independent immune evasion.
• Keerthi's non-viral CRISPR-Cas9 knock-in platform uses homology directed repair (HDR) based strategies to engineer CAR T cells against B7-H3.
• The platform offers a scalable, clinical-grade production method for non-viral CAR T cells, providing an immediate path to clinical translation without reliance on viral vectors.

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Ep. 6: Key Regulatory Considerations for Moving Your Cell Therapy Research to the Clinic

Mike Jones, MSc, Director of Clinical Services and Alliances at STEMCELL Technologies, and Lynn Csontos, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at STEMCELL Technologies, walk through the regulatory considerations that shape the success of clinical candidates in cell and gene therapy development. They cover the latest developments in the regulatory landscape and the key considerations for qualifying ancillary and raw materials used in T cell therapy manufacturing. Jones and Csontos also discuss how partnering closely with suppliers can help developers avoid common obstacles during translational projects. Sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.

Key Highlights

• Mike Jones and Lynn Csontos review the latest developments in the regulatory landscape affecting cell and gene therapy developers.
• The presenters outline key considerations for qualifying ancillary and raw materials used in T cell therapy manufacturing.
• Jones and Csontos explain how partnering with suppliers can help reduce time and costs and help developers avoid common obstacles in translational projects.

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Ep. 7: Panel Discussion, Improving Collaboration Between Industry and Academia

In the closing episode of the 2024 T Cell Talks Summit, a panel featuring Dr. Nooshin Tabatabaei-Zavareh of STEMCELL Technologies, Dr. Patrick Hanley of Children's National Hospital and George Washington University, Dr. Julian J. Lum of the Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Lynn Csontos of STEMCELL Technologies, and Dr. Dominika Nackiewicz of STEMCELL Technologies explores how academic institutions and industry can collaborate more effectively to advance CAR T cell therapy. The panel shares real-world examples of successful partnerships, discusses new research tools available to investigators, and offers insights into navigating regulatory and material qualification requirements. Sponsored by STEMCELL Technologies.

Key Highlights

• The panel discusses existing and emerging collaborations between academic institutions and industry in CAR T cell research.
• Panelists including Dr. Patrick Hanley of Children's National Hospital and Dr. Julian J. Lum of BC Cancer's Deeley Research Centre address key challenges and opportunities facing the CAR T research field.
• The discussion covers navigating regulatory compliance and material qualification, drawing on Lynn Csontos's regulatory affairs background at STEMCELL Technologies.