Chimeric T-cell receptor (Eshhar's CAR concept)
Receptor quimérico de linfocitos T (concepto CAR de Eshhar)
- Date
- 1989 · confidence high
- Place
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Credited to
- Zelig Eshhar, Gideon Gross and Tova Waks
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
Eshhar and his group fused the variable domain of an antibody to the signalling chain of a T-cell receptor and expressed it in T cells, which then recognised the antigen without MHC presentation. It was the first chimaeric antigen receptor (T-body).
Gross, Waks and Eshhar (PNAS 1989) described the T-body; the CAR term and the first second-generation designs came in the 1990s (Finney, Sadelain, Brentjens). Eshhar received the Israel Prize and the Wolf Prize.
What it led to
- second- and third-generation CARs with costimulatory domains (CD28, 4-1BB)
- CAR-T cell therapy against B-cell leukaemias and lymphomas
- CAR-T trials in autoimmunity and solid tumours