Jo Brewer, PhD, Adaptimmune, Philadelphia, PA, describes the ongoing Phase I SURPASS trial (NCT04044859), which is assessing the safety and efficacy of ADP-A2M4CD8 in HLA-A2+ subjects with MAGE-A4 positive tumors. ADP-A2M4CD8 is a next-generation therapy and is differentiated from ADP-A2M4 therapy by the expression of a CD8-alpha co-receptor alongside the engineered TCR that targets MAGE-A4. This increases anti-tumor activity by leveraging CD4 cells into CD8+ killer or cytotoxic T-cells that target the tumor cells. In addition, the CD4 cells recruit other immune cells such as dendritic cells, which results in broader immune response to tackle the tumor. This interview took place during the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mediterranean 2021 virtual conference.
