{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "ee2121d66345441f83257cf2f9b05988", "timestamp": "2026-08-22T06:57:09.349Z", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/ee2121d66345441f83257cf2f9b05988.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/ee2121d66345441f83257cf2f9b05988"}}, "title": "A novel CD34-specific T-cell engager efficiently depletes acute myeloid leukemia and leukemic stem cells in vitro and in vivo.", "authors": [{"family": "Arruda", "given": "Lucas C M", "initials": "LCM"}, {"family": "Stikvoort", "given": "Arwen", "initials": "A"}, {"family": "Lambert", "given": "Melanie", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Jin", "given": "Liqing", "initials": "L"}, {"family": "Rivera", "given": "Laura Sanchez", "initials": "LS"}, {"family": "Alves", "given": "Renato M P", "initials": "RMP"}, {"family": "De Moura", "given": "Tales Rocha", "initials": "TR"}, {"family": "Mim", "given": "Carsten", "initials": "C"}, {"family": "Lehmann", "given": "S\u00f6ren", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Axelsson-Robertson", "given": "Rebecca", "initials": "R"}, {"family": "Dick", "given": "John E", "initials": "JE"}, {"family": "Mattsson", "given": "Jonas", "initials": "J"}, {"family": "\u00d6nfelt", "given": "Bj\u00f6rn", "initials": "B"}, {"family": "Carlsten", "given": "Mattias", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "Uhlin", "given": "Michael", "initials": "M"}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2022-08-01", "journal": {"title": "Haematologica", "issn": "1592-8721", "volume": "107", "issue": "8", "pages": "1786-1795", "issn-l": "0390-6078"}, "abstract": "Less than a third of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are cured by chemotherapy and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, highlighting the need to develop more efficient drugs. The low efficacy of standard treatments is associated with inadequate depletion of CD34+ blasts and leukemic stem cells, the latter a drug-resistant subpopulation of leukemia cells characterized by the CD34+CD38- phenotype. To target these drug-resistant primitive leukemic cells better, we have designed a CD34/CD3 bi-specific T-cell engager (BTE) and characterized its anti-leukemia potential in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo. Our results show that this CD34-specific BTE induces CD34-dependent T-cell activation and subsequent leukemia cell killing in a dose-dependent manner, further corroborated by enhanced T-cell-mediated killing at the singlecell level. Additionally, the BTE triggered efficient T-cell-mediated depletion of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells from peripheral blood stem cell grafts and CD34+ blasts from AML patients. Using a humanized AML xenograft model, we confirmed that the CD34-specific BTE had in vivo efficacy by depleting CD34+ blasts and leukemic stem cells without side effects. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the CD34-specific BTE has robust antitumor effects, supporting development of a novel treatment modality with the aim of improving outcomes of patients with AML and myelodysplastic syndromes.", "doi": "10.3324/haematol.2021.279486", "pmid": "35142149", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC9335119"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-20T13:05:10.608Z", "modified": "2026-08-20T13:05:10.626Z"}