Efficient Generation of Functional TCRαβ+ Cytotoxic T Cells from hiPSCs via Small-Molecule Modulation

Genetically engineered human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represent a promising platform for regenerative medicine and next-generation immunotherapies. While recent advances enable stroma-free differentiation of hiPSCs into mature CD3⁺TCRαβ⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), overall efficiency remains limited. Here, we identify small-molecule modulators that enhance T cell output, particularly at the ProT cell stage. Targeted and stage-specific inhibition of AHR, DOT1L, or GSK3 drives robust maturation from ProT to CD4⁺ immature single-positive (ISP) cells, markedly increasing CD4⁺CD8⁺ populations and augmenting CTL production of up to 2000 fold. hiPSC-derived T (iT) cells matured under these conditions display superior activity in cytotoxicity assays using AMG-701 (BCMAxCD3) or Blinatumomab (CD19xCD3). These effects were reproducible across independent hiPSC lines, diverse hematopoietic progenitor generation methods, and multiple stroma-free differentiation platforms, and were further validated in cord blood CD34⁺ cells. Notably, AHR inhibition enhanced T cell development and promoted B lymphopoiesis, revealing shared regulatory pathways in lymphoid lineage specification. We also demonstrate that the Oct4-activating compound OAC1 functions as a weak AHR inhibitor, partially recapitulating the effects of canonical AHR blockers in both cellular and zebrafish AHR reporter systems. Collectively, our findings define key molecular circuits governing human lymphoid differentiation and establish practical strategies to optimize the yield and function of hiPSC-derived cytotoxic T cells. This work advances the development of both universal and autologous hiPSC-derived T cell therapies, offering a path forward even for patient-specific hiPSC lines with suboptimal T cell differentiation potential.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR); CAR-T cells; DOT1L; GSK; T cell differentiation; WNT; autoimmune disease; cancer immunotherapy; chemical screen; cytotoxic T cells; hematopoiesis; lymphoid development; pluripotent stem cells.