The University of British Columbia

Purpose

The NRC has created human amniotic fluid-derived iPSCs (HAF-iPSCs) to produce functional T cells for adoptive therapies. This Project aims to validate and optimize the differentiation of HAF-iPSCs into CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, evaluating their performance against established iPSC lines. To facilitate evaluation of therapeutic potential, an in vitro microcontact printing platform will be developed for high-throughput characterization of iPSC-T cells' ligand binding responses and cytokine release profiles. Additionally, the Project will explore using self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and NRC’s lipid nanoparticle technology to deliver CARs, targeting BCMA for blood cancers and EGFR for solid tumors, ensuring stable expression and functionality across various cell lines. These efforts seek to create offthe-shelf iPSC-derived CAR-T cells with predictable therapeutic response and means to screen their functional profiles.