CAR binding efficacy and off-target interactions for common CAR detection reagents

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a highly innovative form of cell-based immunotherapy. To expand CAR-T therapies into additional disease indications, identification of novel tumor antigens and grafting of CARs on other types of immune cells, such as macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells are being pursued. Therefore, as this treatment modality continues to evolve, there is a need for highly specific detection reagents to interrogate CAR surface expression.

This study uses flow cytometry to compare the ability of various commercially available CAR detection reagents' to detect CAR constructs containing distinct hinges, linker sequences, and scFv designs. Furthermore, interrogation off-target interactions were performed within a PBMC matrix.

All antibody-based CAR detection reagents demonstrated specificity and robust signal in stable CAR-Jurkat cell lines and primary human CAR-T cells. Protein L only detected anti-CD20 (Leu16) scFv-based CAR; off-target non-CAR staining was observed in non-transduced human PBMCs. Detection using recombinant protein antigen provides clean results in single-stain samples for CD19 and BMCA proteins, though CD20 did not produce positive staining in anti-CD20 CARs. Additionally, in live human PBMCs, false-positive signals may be observed for antibody conjugates due to the binding of human Fc receptors to IgG.

CAR idiotype antibodies, recombinant antigens, and anti-linker antibodies were able to provide specific and robust detection of CAR-expressing cells. However, the utility of both idiotype antibodies and recombinant antigens is limited to CARs targeting specific antigens. The anti-linker antibodies enable universal and broad detection of CARs independent of target antigens.