Tumor-specific T cells are frequently exhausted by chronic antigenic stimulation. To explore new pathways for reinvigoration of anti-tumor immune functions, we developed a human ex vivo exhaustion model by repetitive antigenic stimulation of primary CD8 T cells. This results in T cells that resemble patient-derived T cells in tumors on a phenotypic and transcriptional level. Four human healhy donor CD8+ T cells were isolated, transduced with an NY-ESO-1 TCR lentivirus construct, stimulated in ... (Show More)

Tumor-specific T cells are frequently exhausted by chronic antigenic stimulation. To explore new pathways for reinvigoration of anti-tumor immune functions, we developed a human ex vivo exhaustion model by repetitive antigenic stimulation of primary CD8 T cells. This results in T cells that resemble patient-derived T cells in tumors on a phenotypic and transcriptional level. Four human healhy donor CD8+ T cells were isolated, transduced with an NY-ESO-1 TCR lentivirus construct, stimulated in four different conditions (Trested, Ttumor, Tex, Teff) with T2 tumor cells and specific peptides over 12 days. Cells were then sorted for TCR Vbeta 13.1+ (NY-ESO-1 TCR) CD8+ CD3+ CD56- CD4- DAPI- cells. RNA-seq TruSeq libraries were generated from ... (Read more)