CRISPR-engineered, trackable CAR T-cells for longitudinal imaging in preclinical cancer models

This publication review highlights a study from researchers at the University of Western Ontario on the development of tRACE-CAR (Trackable Reporter Adaptable CRISPR-Edited CAR), a novel CRISPR-based platform designed to noninvasively monitor engineered CAR T-cells in vivo after infusion.

• Using site-specific genomic integration at the TRAC locus, CAR constructs were co-expressed with bioluminescent imaging reporters, enabling real-time, longitudinal tracking of T-cell trafficking and biodistribution in preclinical mouse models of leukemia and ovarian cancer
• A key finding revealed unexpected lung accumulation in HER2-targeted models, correlating with histological evidence of pulmonary tissue remodeling, a safety signal unlikely to be detected by conventional monitoring methods
• The IVIS™ Lumina XRMS was central to the study, enabling the dual bioluminescence imaging strategy that allowed simultaneous, independent tracking of both tumor burden and CAR T-cell localization within the same animal

For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.