Key points from article :
A genetically engineered T cell is able to target and attack pathogenic T cells that cause Type 1 diabetes.
A five-module chimeric antigen receptor, or 5MCAR, T cell was engineered.
"The 5MCAR was an attempt to figure out if we could build something by biomimicry... " - Dr. Kuhns, researcher.
"A killer T cell will actually recognise another T cell. We flipped T cell-mediated immunity on its head."
5MCAR T cells were tested in a non-obese diabetic mouse model with promising results.
This is a type of personalised immunotherapy.
Researchers will be able to more specifically target antigens with greater sensitivity in the future.
"We think these results show that a biomimetic approach holds promise for CAR engineering."
Research by University of Arizona published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
