Redirecting the complete T cell receptor/CD3 signaling machinery towards native antigen via modified T cell receptor

We show that a chimeric T cell receptor (TCR) beta chain consisting of a single-chain Fv portion derived from a monoclonal antibody and the full TCR beta chain is able to assemble functionally with endogenous TCR/CD3 components and transfer the antibody specificity as well as the TCR specificity into TCR beta(-) as well as into TCR beta(+) T cells. This allows the incorporation new non-major histocompatibility complex-restricted ligand specificities into the intact TCR/CD3 complex which can exploit the full range of biological activities of the endogenous TCR signaling machinery. This approach can provide wider opportunities to redirect T cells to virus or tumor antigen-bearing cells.