Chimeric growth factor receptors

Adoptive cell therapy involves the transfer of autologous or allogeneic cells to patients in an effort to treat a variety of diseases. In the area of immunotherapy, tumour specific T-cells can be grown ex vivo, or engrafted with tumour specificity via genetic engineering approaches, prior to reinfusion. T-cell infusions require a pre-conditioning treatment, and often a post infusion treatment of IL-2, in an effort to enhance persistence and engraftment. Herein we show that T- cells can be engineered to express a Chimeric recombinant Growth Factor Receptor (CrGFR) which allows the selective survival and/or expansion of T-cells upon administration of a clinically available drug, Eltrombopag.