Cancer cells are known for their ability to hide from the body's immune system, making treatment difficult. But
Despite the ability of cancer cellsTo evade detection by killer T cells, there is a way to improve their “work.” One approach is to use Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, genetically modified cells with a new receptor that allows them to bind to and kill cancer cells.
Different types of cancer have different typesantigens, and each type of CAR T cell immunotherapy is designed to target a specific cancer antigen. CAR T cells have been used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with success rates ranging from 35% to 70%, but have been less successful in treating solid cancers.
Now, researchers from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center in Australia have tested the effectiveness of a new type of CAR T cells in treating solid tumors.
“Although CAR T-cell therapy has been approved inIn some types of blood cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, the effectiveness of CAR T cells in solid tumors is limited, explains Paul Neeson, author of the study. “This is due to factors such as poor expansion of CAR T cells and tumor-fighting exhaustion.”
As an alternative, researchersused a younger T cell, similar to a stem cell. They were called T-stem-like CAR T-cells. They are distinguished by their increased ability to reproduce and remain in the body for a long time. Tests with new cells have yielded promising results.
“Importantly, these CAR T stem cells haveimproved antitumor function in a culture dish and in four preclinical models. In fact, they completely eradicated pre-existing solid tumors when combined with an anti-PD-1 immunologic drug,” the scientists wrote.
PD-1 is a checkpoint proteinon T cells, which acts as a switch, preventing killer cells from attacking other cells in the body. Monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1 can block this binding, enhancing the body's immune response against cancer cells. The researchers generated fully functional CAR T stem cells in six days instead of the standard two weeks, making the procedure cost-effective and scalable.
They hope to test the next generation of CAR T cells in clinical trials on pediatric patients with hard-to-treat blood cancers before treating other cancers.
The study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
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On the cover: a new type of genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell
Credit: Maya Divjak/Peter McCallum Cancer Center