T Cell Receptor (TCR) Expression Plasmid Vectors & Construction Services

The T Cell Receptor (TCR) is a critical protein complex found on the surface of T cells, a type of white blood cell. It is the key molecule that allows T cells to recognize foreign or abnormal antigens presented by other cells, initiating a targeted immune response.

At RGBiotech, we provide the essential genetic tools to empower your T cell immunology and therapeutic development research. Our catalog features a growing list of ready-to-use TCR plasmids. The expressed TCRs are designed to recognize a wide spectrum of disease-associated antigens, including those from cancer/tumors, pathogens, viruses etc. We also offer a comprehensive service to clone your TCR of interest (α and β chains) into our optimized expression vectors. We handle the entire process, from sequence optimization to plasmid amplification and quality control. In addition, in order to create a complete research system, we also provide matched pairs of Antigen Expression Plasmid Vectors (Plasmids expressing your target antigen) and HLA Expression Plasmid Vectors (Plasmids for various Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles, essential for presenting your antigen of interest in cellular assays).

Leverage our expertise and high-quality T Cell Receptor (TCR) tools to drive your discoveries forward and advanced immunotherapy research. For pricing, catalog availability, or to initiate a custom TCR cloning project, please contact us at admin@rgbiotech.com.

Highlights

Applications

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the difference between your TCR plasmids and CAR plasmids?
A: TCR plasmids encode the natural T Cell Receptor, which recognizes intracellular antigens presented by HLA molecules. CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) plasmids encode an artificial receptor that typically recognizes surface antigens directly, without needing HLA. The choice depends on your target antigen and research goals.

Q2: What cell lines are ideal for transient TCR expression?
A: Commonly used cell lines include HEK293T cells for protein production and screening, and Jurkat T cells (especially TCR-deficient lines like J.RT3-T3.5) for functional T cell signaling studies.

Q3: Do you provide the TCR sequences for your plasmid vectors?
A: Yes, upon purchase, we provide the full sequence information for the TCR α and β chains cloned into the vector.

Q4: Can you clone a TCR sequence from a published paper or a proprietary source?
A: Absolutely. Our custom TCR construction service is designed for this. Please contact us at admin@rgbiotech.com with the sequence details, and we will provide a project quote.

Q5: What controls do you recommend for TCR functional assays?
A: We recommend using our antigen and HLA expression plasmids as positive controls. A non-functional or irrelevant TCR plasmid should be used as a negative control.

Q6: Can your plasmids be used for in vivo TCR-T cell engineering?
A: Yes. We can provide the TCR expression plasmids using various types of viral vector backbones allowing to be packaged into viral particles such as lentiviral particles, retroviral particles, AAVs etc. We can customize vectors for your specific delivery method.

Q7: Do you provide HLA-matched antigen-TCR plasmid pairs for functional assays?
A: Absolutely. We offer pre-assembled pairs including antigen expression plasmids, HLA expression plasmids and TCR expression plasmids, which can be used in co-culture cell assays to measure TCR activation.

Q8: How long does custom TCR construction take?
A: Standard custom projects (cloning of provided TCR sequences into our optimized backbone) take 2-3 weeks, including sequence verification.

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The T Cell Receptor (TCR) is a lineage-defining membrane-anchored immune receptor that plays a central role in the ligand-dependent activation of T lymphocytes. A typical TCR is a heterodimer composed of an alpha (α) and a beta (β) chain, linked by disulfide bonds. Each chain contains a variable region, which is responsible for antigen recognition, and a constant region. A smaller population of T cells utilizes gamma (γ) and delta (δ) chains. Approximately 95% of T cells express the αβ TCR heterodimer, while the remaining 5% express the γδ variant, with this ratio subject to changes during development or disease. A functional TCR is an octameric complex composed of six protein subunits, assembled in a 1:1:1:1 ratio as TCRαβ:CD3δε:CD3γε:CD3ζ.

TCRs do not recognize antigens directly. Instead, they recognize short peptide fragments (antigens) that are "presented" on the surface of other cells by molecules called the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC or HLA in humans). The peptide-HLA (p/HLA) complexes are derived from the entire cellular proteome-including 88% of intracellular proteins such as cytoplasmic, nuclear, and mitochondrial antigens. This TCR-peptide-MHC interaction is the fundamental event that triggers T cell activation, leading to the destruction of infected or cancerous cells and making TCRs a cornerstone of modern cancer and infectious disease treatments.

TCRs exhibit exceptional sensitivity and specificity, enabling precise immune responses: 1) High Sensitivity: As few as 1-3 p/HLA complexes on target cells can trigger full T cell activation, whereas therapeutic antibodies require thousands of target molecules. 2) Superior Specificity: TCRs distinguish peptides differing by a single amino acid and even isomers of the same amino acid. 3) Immune Activation: Binding to specific p/HLA complexes initiates T cell proliferation, differentiation into effector cells, and secretion of cytokines like TNF-α and IFN-γ to eliminate abnormal cells.

Dysfunctional TCR signaling is at the heart of many diseases. An inability to recognize cancer cells can lead to tumor growth, while misguided recognition of self-antigens can cause autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. Conversely, a robust TCR response is essential for fighting viral and bacterial infections. TCR-based therapy is a groundbreaking pillar of adoptive cell transfer (ACT). Unlike CAR-T cells that target surface proteins, TCR-engineered T cells can target a much broader range of both intracellular and extracellular antigens. Their unique ability to recognize virus-associated antigens and tumor-specific mutations makes them powerful tools in combating refractory diseases such as solid tumors and intracellular pathogens. In 2022, the FDA approved Tebentafusp, the first-ever TCR therapeutic, for the treatment of HLA-A*02:01-positive uveal melanoma. This bispecific protein redirects T cells to target gp100, a melanoma-associated antigen. Dozens of TCR-based therapies are in clinical trials targeting a wide array of solid tumors, including synovial sarcoma, melanoma, and HPV-associated cancers, as well as viral infections like CMV and HBV. Research is increasingly focused on discovering neoantigen-specific TCRs-targeting mutations unique to a patient's tumor-for highly personalized cancer treatments.

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