CRISPR mediated base conversion allows discriminatory depletion of endogenous T cell receptors for enhanced synthetic immunity

White blood cells called T cells mediate powerful antiviral effects that can be used to target liver cancers linked to Hepatitis B virus infection. We report new techniques that change the DNA code in T cells and reprogram them to only recognise cells that show a particular Hepatitis-B flag on their surface. Ultimately such approaches could allow banks of healthy donor T cells to be created and used in multiple patients against viruses and certain cancers.