An efficient method to identify virus-specific TCRs for TCR-T cell immunotherapy against virus-associated malignancies

Adoptive transfer of T cells genetically engineered with a T cell receptor (TCR) is a promising cancer treatment modality that requires the identification of TCRs with good characteristics. Most T cell cloning methods involve a stringent singularization process, which necessitates either tedious hands-on operations or high cost. We present an efficient and nonstringent cloning approach based on existing techniques. We hypothesize that after elimination of most nonspecific T cells, a clonotype with high quality could outcompete other clonotypes and finally form a predominant population. This TCR identification method can be used to clone virus-specific TCRs efficiently from cancer patients and is easily adoptable by any laboratory. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12865-021-00455-3.