Figure 8.

Evaluation of second generation CAR-T cells activity against infected cells and transcriptomic analysis of CAR-T cells. (A) Graphical representation of cell index data obtained through the RTCA xCELLigence over-time. Cell index data of non-infected (NI) and infected cells in the absence (left) and in the presence (right) of CAR-T cells. (B) Grouped analysis of CAR-T cells cytotoxicity against infected lung epithelial cells (Calu-3) at 48 h. (C) Viral titers in supernatants of Calu-3 infected cells in the absence and in the presence of C8- and C10-derived CAR-T cells. Values are from 6–7 independent experiments. (D) Heatmap representation of upregulated and downregulated genes in UTD, C8- and C10-derived CAR-T cells cultured with either non- infected or SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. Two independent experiments. (E) Venn diagram of upregulated genes in C8- and C10-derived CAR-T cells cultured with SARS-CoV-2 infected cells and not present in UTD cells upon co-culture with infected cells. (F) Number and principal biological pathways of differentially expressed genes in C10-derived CAR-T cells when exposed to infected cells, compared to the exposure to non-infected cells. Significance was assigned as follows: ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01 and ∗∗∗p < 0.001.