ISCT 2021 | Characterization of ATA188: an off-the-shelf therapy for MS

Jakob Dupont, MD, MA, Atara Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, CA, describes a recent study demonstrating the comprehensive profiling of drug lots of ATA188, an allogeneic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific T cell therapy being investigated for the treatment of progressive MS. T cell receptor (TCR) analysis demonstrated that the manufacturing process for ATA188 consistently produces TCRs specific for three EBV antigens, EBNA1, LMP1 and LMP2, which are all implicated in MS. To evaluate the functionality of ATA188 following antigen exposure, this analysis also demonstrated the expression of functional activation markers on the T cells, as well as their proliferation potential. This interview took place during the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting 2021.