Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell as a New Source for Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

The immune system consists of cells, proteins, and other molecules that beside each other have a protective function for the host against foreign pathogens. One of the most essential features of the immune system is distinguishability between self- and non-self-cells. This function has an important role in limiting development and progression of cancer cells. In this case, the immune system can detect tumor cell as a foreign pathogen; so, it can be effective in elimination of tumors in their early phases of development. This ability of the immune system resulted in the development of a novel therapeutic field for cancer treatment using host immune components which is called cancer immunotherapy. The main purpose of cancer immunotherapy is stimulation of a strong immune response against the tumor cells that can result from expressing either the immune activator cytokines in the tumor area or gene-modified immune cells. Because of the problems of culturing and manipulating immune cells ex vivo, in recent years, embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) have been used as new sources for generation of modified immune stimulatory cells. In this paper, we reviewed some of the progressions in iPSC technology for cancer immunotherapy.

Figure 1

iPSC can differentiate into the immune system cells using some factors. These differentiated immune cells were indicated to have the ability to activate an immune response in different manner. Some of the factors for generating immune cells from iPSC and the function related to these cells are summarized in this schematic figure [–18].

Figure 2

Differentiation of 1928z CAR engineered T-iPSCs into CD19-specific functional T lymphocytes.