TET2 Guards Against Unchecked BATF3-induced CAR T Cell Expansion

Further advances in cell engineering are needed to increase the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and other T cell-based therapies. As T cell differentiation and functional states are associated with distinct epigenetic profiles, we hypothesized that epigenetic programming may provide a means to improve CAR T cell performance. Targeting the gene that encodes the epigenetic regulator ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) presents an interesting opportunity as its loss may enhance T cell memory, albeit not cause malignancy. Here we show that disruption of TET2 enhances T cell-mediated tumour rejection in leukaemia and prostate cancer models. However, loss of TET2 also enables antigen-independent CAR T cell clonal expansions that may eventually result in prominent systemic tissue infiltration. These clonal proliferations require biallelic TET2 disruption and sustained expression of the AP-1 factor BATF3 to drive a MYC-dependent proliferative program. This proliferative state is associated with reduced effector function that differs from both canonical T cell memory and exhaustion states, and is prone to the acquisition of secondary somatic mutations, establishing TET2 as a guardian against BATF3-induced CAR T cell proliferation and ensuing genomic instability. Our findings illustrate the potential of epigenetic programming to enhance T cell immunity but highlight the risk of unleashing unchecked proliferative responses.