TCR-JANUS engager proteins enable bispecific targeting to overcome tumor heterogeneity in TCR-T cell therapy
T cell receptor (TCR)–based immunotherapy is limited by tumor antigen heterogeneity, which frequently leads to relapse. We developed a bispecific TCR-JANUS engager that functions synergistically with TCR engineered T cells (TCR-T). In contrast to conventional T cell engagers targeting CD3, TCR-JANUS engages both the variable region of a transgenic TCR (TRBV) and a tumor surface antigen. Using a model system targeting a humanized KRAS-G12V–specific TCR and trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2), we show that TCR-JANUS effectively redirects TCR-T cells to lyse Trop2-expressing tumor cells while preserving intrinsic specificity toward the cognate pHLA target, thereby enabling simultaneous dual-antigen recognition. In heterogeneous tumor models, the combination of TCR-JANUS with TCR-T cells, an integrated system termed T Cell Dual Arsenal Recon, potently suppressed tumor growth by clearing antigenically divergent populations. Moreover, TCR-JANUS maintained enhanced T cell functionality with reduced exhaustion compared to anti-CD3–based engagers upon chronic stimulation. Together, this approach offers a targeted and durable strategy to overcome antigenic heterogeneity, expanding the clinical prospects of TCR-T cell therapy for solid tumors.
Authors
- Fuming Qiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5793-1023)
- Ye Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7675-9270)
- Pengju Yao
- Shuguang Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2599-4959)
- Xiaowen Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9776-5680)
- Wenling Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7360-2913)
- Ni Yan
- Chenxi Cheng
- Danli Xie
- Jie Wang
- Huxuan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5433-5539)
- Ting Liang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6227-3394)
Institutions
- Wenzhou Medical University (CN)
- Institute of Microbiology (BY)
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Microbiology (CZ)
- Institute of Microbiology (CN)
- Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-09-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed9825
- Primary Topic
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00