Cancer Immunotherapy

Abstract

Methods of providing populations of NKT and/or γδ T cells, and their use, e.g., in therapies such as cancer immunotherapy.

1 . A method of preparing an isolated population of Natural Killer T cells (NKT) and/or γδ T cells, the method comprising:
 obtaining a first isolated population comprising hematopoietic stem cells (HSC); 
 engineering the HSC to overexpress Ten eleven translocation (Tet)1; 
 maintaining the Tet1-overexpressing HSC in culture under conditions and for a time sufficient for at least some of the HSC to differentiate into NKT and/or γδ T cells; and optionally purifying the NKT and/or γδ T cells, 
 thereby providing an isolated population of NKT and/or γδ T cells. 
 
     
     
         2 . An isolated population of NKT and/or γδ T cells prepared by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         3 .- 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . A method of reducing the severity of a cancer in a subject, comprising administering to the subject a population of NKT and/or γδ T cells of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the subject has colorectal cancer. 
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 maintaining the Tet1-overexpressing HSC in culture under conditions and for a time sufficient for at least some of the HSC to differentiate into NKT and/or γδ T cells; optionally purifying the NKT and/or γδ T cells, and   administering the NKT and/or γδ T cells to the subject, thereby reducing the severity of the cancer in the subject.   
     
     
         12 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method of increasing levels of NKT and/or γδ T cells in a subject who has colorectal cancer, the method comprising administering to the subject the isolated population of NKT and/or γδ T cells of  claim 2 , thereby increasing levels of NKT and/or γδ T cells in the subject. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first isolated population of HSC is obtained from the subject. 
     
     
         18 .- 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the subject also has hypercholesterolemia. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the subject has adenoma. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the subject also has hypercholesterolemia. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the subject has adenoma.