Articles tagged with Cancer Immunotherapy
A phase 2 clinical trial found that the combination of vidutolimod and nivolumab led to tumor control in 55% of patients, with higher levels of immune-related proteins detected in responders. The study also uncovered unique signatures of TLR9 activation and a link between gut microbiome and response to therapy.
Researchers from Texas A&M University synthesized research findings to improve medical devices and therapy success rates. The review emphasizes the need to understand macrophage cell behavior to develop targeted immunotherapy treatments.
Researchers developed a method to assess which patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer can benefit from immunotherapy. The tool uses predictive biomarkers and machine learning-based approaches to identify patients who are likely to respond to treatment.
Researchers identified a previously unknown form of lymph node-like structures in liver tumors that are associated with greater treatment response and lower recurrence rates. The structures, found in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, contain infection-fighting immune B cells and tumor-killing immune T cells.
Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute have identified a novel type of immune cell that plays a pivotal role in anti-tumor immunity. The stem-like CD4 T cells can be activated to fight tumors more effectively, offering new hope for broader treatment success.
Researchers discovered a mechanism used by ovarian tumors to cripple immune cells by blocking the energy supply T cells depend on. The discovery points toward a promising new immunotherapy approach for treating ovarian cancer.
The Colorectal Cancer Alliance's Project Cure CRC has awarded nearly $5 million in research grants to advance urgent science in colorectal cancer. Recent awardees are working on topics such as radioimmunotherapy, CRISPR technology, and the protein drug ProAgio to better understand and treat this disease.
Ludwig Cancer Research scientists have devised new types of chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cells that can be switched on and off with existing drugs, improving safety and efficacy in solid tumors. The design and preclinical evaluation of the CAR-T cells addresses the challenges of traditional therapy.
Researchers at Penn State College of Medicine have re-engineered natural killer immune cells with blue light-activated protein function, allowing them to infiltrate and kill solid tumor spheroids. The technology has shown promising results in killing breast cancer and melanoma cells within seven days.
Immunotherapy holds promise for treating breast cancer, but its effectiveness varies. Researchers Karin de Visser, Sandra Demaria, and María Casanova-Acebes discuss advances and challenges in applying immunotherapy to this common tumor. They highlight the importance of factors like diet, biorhythms, and personalized approaches to impro...
Researchers reported a complete and long-lasting response to immunotherapy in a stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patient with brain metastases. The patient achieved overall survival of 87 months and progression-free survival of 73 months after treatment sequencing.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered a biomarker that can predict which patients with liver cancer are likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The study found that high levels of the immune-suppressing protein NBR1 may identify patients who will not respond to treatment, while lowering NBR1 levels may help shrink tumors.
A new treatment approach using immunotherapy has shown promising results in treating advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, with a remarkable 92% survival rate. The innovative clinical trial, led by Wilmot Director Jonathan Friedberg, also minimizes long-term side effects and toxicities.
The developed pipeline, NeoDisc, integrates molecular and genetic analyses of tumors and utilizes artificial intelligence algorithms to identify personalized neoantigens for vaccine design. Researchers also show that NeoDisc provides a more accurate selection of effective cancer antigens than current computational tools.
Researchers found that disrupting the Asxl1 gene in T cells improved sensitivity to immune checkpoint blockade and enabled long-term tumor control. This discovery is a critical advancement for the field, allowing for further engineering of T cells with durable anti-tumor responses.
A UCLA team has unveiled a powerful tool to overcome limitations in CAR-T cell therapy by mimicking natural interactions between immune cells. The new platform facilitates a high capacity for stimulating T cells to reproduce while preserving their versatility and potency.
Scientists engineered E. coli bacteria to express immune-activating cytokines, which induced potent immune responses in tumors. The bacteria acted as a 'tumor GPS' for mesothelin targeting CAR NK cells, enhancing treatment efficacy. Multiple hard-to-treat tumors responded well to this approach.
Researchers created the largest atlas of how tumor architecture changes in response to immune checkpoint therapy. The study found that multiple T cells recognize different neoantigens, altering the tumor ecosystem, and challenged prevailing theories on immunotherapy.
A new trial suggests that adding immunotherapy to chemoradiation can extend survival in patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer. However, the findings also indicate that delivering the treatments at different times yields varying results, with concurrent treatment not offering improved survival benefits.
A new study published in Nature has found that the type 2 immune response is positively correlated with long-term cancer remission, contradicting previous theories that it promotes tumor growth. The research used samples from pioneering clinical trials and revealed a statistically significant correlation between type 2 immune factors a...
Researchers discovered that activating the pentose phosphate pathway makes antitumor CD8 T cells more likely to stay in an immature state, leading to better results in animal models and human organoids. This metabolic reprogramming strategy may enhance checkpoint inhibitor therapy by boosting a long-term supply of active cytotoxic T ce...
Researchers have tested a combination of treatments in mice with lung cancer and shown that these allow immunotherapies to target non-responsive tumours. The combination therapy allows 'immune cold' tumours to respond to the body's own defences.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that innate-like T cells mature differently in humans than in mice, with age playing a critical role in their development. This finding has significant implications for the development of immunotherapeutics, highlighting the need to consider human-specific differences when te...
A recent study found that Black patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) received immunotherapy at significantly lower rates than white patients. However, when they did receive immunotherapy, their overall survival rate was similar to that of white patients. The study suggests that socioeconomic factors may be the main barrie...
Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine investigated T-cell responses between male and female patients with lung cancer. They found that a protein called CXCL13 is more highly expressed in females than males, indicating a better marker of immunotherapy response in females.
A phase 1b/2 clinical trial found a combination of immunotherapy and FGFR inhibitor to be safe and tolerable in patients with locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer. The treatment showed increased response rates, including 54% for patients with high FGFR mRNA expression.
The integration of artificial intelligence in intratumoral immunotherapy can refine diagnoses, guide interventions, predict treatment responses, and adapt therapeutic strategies. This enables the enhancement of patient outcomes, including improved survival rates and quality of life.
A recent study found a correlation between higher anti-PD-1 autoantibody levels and lower survival rates in patients with advanced liver cancer, suggesting these autoantibodies as potential biomarkers for predicting treatment response. The discovery aims to improve treatment regimens for patients with liver cancer.
A new study found that immunotherapy can effectively treat prostate cancer in men with a specific genetic type, slowing disease progression by four to 33 months. This treatment approach may be beneficial for approximately 4-5% of patients, who experience significant cancer control.
Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital have created a strategy to boost mitochondrial activity in T cells, improving their ability to penetrate and kill tumor cells. The new approach helps to overcome a major barrier in immunotherapy by increasing the energy capacity of T cells.
A study by IRB Barcelona researchers has identified five independent factors that determine patients' response and survival after receiving checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy. These findings provide a framework for current and future biomarkers of immunotherapy response and could lead to more accurate patient classification.
A study published in JAMA Network Open found that body mass index (BMI) has a more complex relationship with mortality risk during cancer therapy than previously thought. For patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, higher BMI was associated with lower mortality when undergoing immunotherapy or conventional chemotherapy. Howe...
Researchers highlight key phagocytosis checkpoints and 'do not eat me' signals as potential therapeutic targets for novel immunotherapies. The editorial summarizes challenges in targeting CD47 and potential solutions to overcome these obstacles.
Researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center discover targeting an immunosuppressive protein on two fronts reduces metastasis and restores sensitivity to immunotherapy in a preclinical model. TNBC cells become resistant to immunotherapy due to membrane instability, enabling PD-L1 protein to drop inside the cell.
A University of Leicester study has found that certain gut bacteria may influence whether a patient's immune system is successful in fighting mesothelioma, an aggressive form of cancer. Researchers suggest that dietary changes, such as increased fibre intake, could improve the benefits of immunotherapy for these patients.
A Mass General Brigham-led study found that a large language model improves the accuracy of immune-related adverse event detection, identifying additional cases not picked up by manual adjudication. The model demonstrated excellent specificity and sensitivity, opening up opportunities for collaboration among institutions.
Researchers at WEHI have identified a promising new two-in-one treatment that targets and destroys glioma cells while strengthening the immune system to prevent future tumour growth. CAR T cell therapy, using a specific immunotherapy targeting EphA3, has shown effective elimination of glioma cells and long-lasting immunity.
Researchers developed a new tool to track immune health patterns over time, revealing how checkpoint inhibitor therapies work together to recruit new T cells. The study found that the combination therapy produces waves of new T cells with each dose, rather than continually strengthening existing ones.
Recent years have seen therapeutic advances in kidney cancer due to deeper understanding of the disease's biology, with improved treatments and early detection contributing to decreased deaths. Cigarette smoking and being overweight remain major risk factors for kidney cancer.
Researchers have discovered a new approach to treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a rare type of pancreatic cancer. Folinic acid has been found to weaken the cancer's defenses by elevating levels of anti-cancer immune molecules, enabling a more effective immune response and slower tumor growth.
Researchers have developed a highly sensitive mass spectrometry-based method to detect mutation-derived tumor neoepitopes, which are recognized by the immune system. The new protocol enables the detection of low-abundance peptides in minimal tissue samples, paving the way for personalized cancer immunotherapies.
Researchers from Osaka University have developed a humanized antibody that blocks the DKK1–CKAP4 pathway, stimulating cancer cell growth. The new anti-CKAP4 antibody suppressed tumor formation in mice with both human and mouse tumors, as well as modulating anti-tumor immune reactions.
Patients with high-risk liver cancer who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery had comparable outcomes to those who received surgery upfront. Successful resection rates were higher among those treated with immunotherapy, leading to improved median recurrence-free survival.
Researchers uncovered how combining immunotherapies targeting PD1 and LAG3 enhances CD8+ T cell responses, leading to improved cancer-killing prowess and enhanced survival rates. The studies also revealed that relatlimab is not inert and can be combined with other immunotherapies to improve responses.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara discovered that macrophages can be programmed to respond to light, triggering an increase in their appetite and improving the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. The findings offer a new way to enhance trained immunity, a type of memory exhibited in the innate immune system.
EZH2 plays a multifaceted role in cancer biology, influencing both tumor and immune cells. Its inhibition has shown synergistic effects with various immunotherapies, offering new avenues for treating resistant cancers. Ongoing research aims to elucidate the mechanisms of EZH2 modulation and develop targeted inhibitors.
Researchers found that a specific pattern of gene activity can predict which melanoma patients are likely to experience severe side effects from immunotherapy. The study identified a heightened gene signature, known as the spleen tyrosine kinase pathway, as the key indicator of increased risk.
Researchers have discovered the potential of progenitor exhausted CD8+ T cells (Tpex) in overcoming immune resistance in tumors. Tpex cells, identified by their robust self-renewal and proliferative capacities, can transform into more functional exhausted CD8+ T cells, maintaining robust anti-tumor activity.
Researchers found that macrophages induce cancer cell apoptosis and then eat away dead cells after BCG vaccine injection in a new animal model. This breakthrough could lead to more effective bladder cancer treatments.
Researchers developed a drug that enhances killer T cells' fighting power while reducing the toxicity of unmodified IL-2 treatments, overcoming inhibitory Tr1 cells and increasing immunotherapy's effectiveness. The study aims to personalize cancer immunotherapy for more patients.
A recent study published in CANCER found that patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer treated with immunotherapy had improved overall and cancer-specific survival rates compared to those without it. The median overall survival was eight months, while cancer-specific survival was 10 months.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield have developed a new form of immunotherapy using nanoparticles that delays the onset of resistance to hormone therapy in prostate cancer. This innovative approach stimulates immune cells called T cells to attack cancer cells, marking a significant breakthrough in treating prostate cancer.
The study found that 29% of patients experienced progression-free survival at five years and 40% achieved overall survival. However, important survivorship issues were identified, including nonrelapse mortality rates of 16.2%, with over half occurring beyond two years post-treatment.
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital identified two chemokines, CXCL8 and CXCL16, expressed by osteosarcoma that improved CAR T-cell homing. Modified cells expressing these chemokine receptors showed enhanced infiltration into tumors, leading to prolonged survival in a model of metastatic disease.
Researchers are exploring the use of CRISPR Prime Editing to optimize CAR-T cells for treating multiple myeloma and other cancers. The goal is to improve effectiveness, duration, and cost-effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapies.
Researchers identified tissue-resident CD8 T cells and γδ T cells as key drivers of immunotherapy response in Merkel cell carcinoma patients. Patients with tumors containing these immune cells are more likely to respond to treatment, suggesting potential for enhanced outcomes.
A clinical trial found that fecal microbiota transplants can boost the effectiveness of immunotherapy in a range of gastrointestinal cancers. The study identified specific bacterial strains associated with better or worse responses, and showed promise for improving treatment outcomes.
Scientists discovered that Tumour Treating Fields (TTFs) improve Natural Killer cell killing by increasing degranulation, a sign of better cell function. The findings offer promising implications for treating glioblastoma and other cancers.
A blood test measures lymphocyte count to predict treatment response in relapsed multiple myeloma. Patients with higher lymphocyte counts experience better cancer control for longer periods.
A study comprehensively evaluated occurrence patterns of immune-related adverse events, including those affecting single organs and multiple organs. Researchers found that most events tend to co-occur and identified seven patient clusters with different development patterns, which were associated with improved or worsened survival outc...