Chimeric Allergen Receptor Treg Cells Suppress Allergic Asthma in Mice

Genetically engineered CAR T cells expressing artificial receptor proteins are increasingly used in the clinic to boost the immune system’s response against leukemias and other cancers. Researchers at Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, and at Center for Human Immunology Lausanne, have now adapted this approach to suppress the immune system’s response to a common birch pollen allergen. The investigators developed regulatory T cells (Tregs) armed with chimeric allergen receptors (CAlleR Tregs), which in tests reduced or preventing asthma symptoms in mice sensitized to the allergen. The team suggests that their technique could eventually be used to treat a wide variety of allergies in humans.