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New immunotherapy holds promise for ovarian cancer

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have developed a new type of CAR T-cell therapy that effectively attacks and destroys ovarian cancer cells, significantly prolonging the lives of mice with the disease. The treatment has shown promising results in reducing tumor size and curing several mice.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalJournal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateFeb 6, 2023

St. Jude scientists create more efficient CAR immunotherapies using a molecular anchor

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital developed a new design for chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) by adding a molecular anchor, increasing the anti-cancer activity of cellular immunotherapies in cancer models. The anchored CARs improved cancer killing and survival rates in animal models of multiple tumor types.

SourceSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital·JournalNature Biotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 2, 2023

Enhanced cancer immunotherapies through cytokine-labeled T cells

A new method utilizes an unnatural sugar to anchor cytokines to T cells, enhancing their functions without systemic side-effects. The approach has shown promise in stimulating the host immune system against tumor cells and inhibiting tumor growth in mice with melanoma.

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 10, 2023

Researchers find treatment options for patients whose blood cancer relapses after CAR-T

Researchers have found therapies that can help patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who tried CAR-T therapy, including bispecific antibodies and other types of CAR-T cell therapy. The study analyzed 79 patients and found that stem cell transplants and other drug combinations showed some efficacy in these patients.

Oncotarget | Glypican-3 (GPC3) is associated with MCPyV-negative status and impaired outcome in Merkel cell carcinoma

Researchers found that Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) Glypican-3 (GPC3) is expressed in nearly 70% of MCC tumors and up to 90% of MCPyV-negative cases. GPC3 expression is associated with worse prognosis, including increased risk of death from MCC. This makes GPC3 a promising target for chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy.

SourceImpact Journals LLC·JournalOncotarget·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 11, 2022

Penn-Developed CAR T Cells Suppress GI Solid Tumor Cells, Without Toxicity to Healthy Tissue, in Preclinical Research

Researchers at Penn Medicine have discovered a new approach to treat solid cancers using CDH17CAR T cells, which selectively target and eliminate gastrointestinal (GI) solid tumors like gastric, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers in preclinical models. Unlike other immunotherapies, CDH17CAR T cells do not show toxicity to healthy tissues.

Study of Penn patients with decade-long leukemia remissions after Car T cell therapy reveals new details about persistence of personalized “living drug” cells

Researchers discovered two patients with CAR T cell therapy achieved the longest-known remission to date, providing new details about treatment effects and outcomes. The study shows that the infused CAR T cells remained detectable for at least a decade, with sustained remission in both patients.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalNature·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 2, 2022

Team led by University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center researcher develops and validates three-in-one CAR T therapy

A team led by Reshmi Parameswaran at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center has developed a novel approach to chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for B-cell cancers, which triples the targeted antigens on cancer cells. The new BAFF CART product is effective in killing multiple B-cell cancers with minimal side effects.

SourceUniversity Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 2, 2022

Sloan Kettering Institute Scientists retool CAR T cells to serve as ‘micropharmacies’ for cancer drugs

Researchers have developed SEAKER cells, which combine target-seeking power with the ability to locally generate potent anticancer drug for double effect. The cells use an enzyme to release active prodrug at tumor site, killing both cancer cells and those nearby that do not contain the marker.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center·JournalNature Chemical Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 30, 2021

Penn Medicine awarded $14 million NIH grant to apply CAR T immunotherapies to match more patients in need of kidney transplants

A clinical trial will harness synthetic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to deplete immune B cells and plasma cells producing donor-specific antibodies, aiming to achieve a compatible kidney match for patients with pre-existing antibodies. The NIH-funded study, led by Penn Medicine, intends to begin enrolling patients in 2022.

Research published in AACR journal and presented at ASH identifies potential approach to mitigate CAR T-cell therapy toxicity

A novel approach may reduce the serious adverse effect of cytokine release syndrome associated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Supressing interferon gamma (IFNγ) appears to prevent activation of macrophages and other immune cells that drive the syndrome without impacting CAR T-cell efficacy.

SourceAmerican Association for Cancer Research·JournalBlood Cancer Discovery·DateDec 15, 2021

Moffitt study shows lymphoma patients can benefit from receiving CAR T sooner

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that using CAR T therapy as a second-line treatment provided better outcomes compared to standard care in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The two-year follow-up data showed a median event-free survival of 8.3 months in the CAR T arm versus 2 months in the s...

SourceH. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateDec 11, 2021

Axi-cel CAR T cell therapy shows enhanced responses and continued benefit for high-risk lymphoma patients

Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center demonstrated axi-cel's efficacy in treating high-risk lymphoma patients with enhanced responses and prolonged survival benefits. The study showed improved outcomes for patients with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with an estimated 81% overall survival rate at 24 months.

SourceUniversity of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateDec 11, 2021

A T-cell power-up for tumor treatments

Researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering have discovered a way to boost the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy for treating solid tumors, including breast and melanoma. By engineering CAR T-cells to produce an enzyme called adenosine deaminase, they break down an immune-suppressive microenvironment, allowing cancer-killing cel...

SourceUniversity of Southern California·JournalHuman Gene Therapy·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 8, 2021

Existing drug may help improve responses to cellular therapies in advanced leukemias

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a new mechanism of resistance in advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients to CAR T cell therapy. They found that inhibiting the BET protein with the small molecule inhibitor JQ1 can reinvigorate exhausted T cells and increase their production.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 16, 2021

Modular photoswitch cpLOV2 developed for optogenetic engineering

Researchers designed cpLOV2 using circular permutation to simplify optogenetic device design. The new photoswitch maintained structural integrity and function, providing more choices for optogenetic application developments. It was successfully used to gate ORAI1 Ca2+ channel and control cell activities in a mouse model.