Articles tagged with Immunotherapy
University of Pittsburgh researchers created a universal receptor system allowing T cells to recognize any cell surface target. This enables highly customizable CAR T cell and other immunotherapies for treating cancer and diseases, with potential applications in solid tumors.
Blinatumomab immunotherapy significantly improves the survival rate of babies with aggressive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), from 66% to 93%, while reducing side effects. The treatment is now standard for babies worldwide.
Tumors with low PD-L1 levels use genetic strategies like MYC activation to avoid immune attack, but this can be predicted by monitoring for MYC status. The study's findings could lead to new clinical trials assessing MYC status as a marker for selecting patients for immunotherapy.
Researchers found that probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri stimulates cancer-killing T cells by secreting indole-3-aldehyde, which activates a receptor in CD8 cells. A diet rich in tryptophan enhances the effect of immunotherapy on shrinking tumors and prolonging survival.
An international panel of experts has developed standardized definitions for immunotherapy side effects, providing a shared vocabulary for clinicians to standardize clinical practice guidelines. This will help support clinicians in offering the best treatment to patients and enable research into biomarkers predicting adverse effects.
Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAACR, is being recognized for her exceptional leadership, scientific discoveries, and contributions to cancer immunotherapy. Her research has significantly broadened understanding of the interaction between the immune system and pancreatic cancer.
Researchers found a strong association between high levels of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression and an elevated immune response in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. This link suggests a potential new target for cancer immunotherapies, which may lead to improved outcomes for patients.
A new study has identified the steps by which immune cells recognize and respond to cancer cell mutations, providing insights into why some treatments work for certain patients but not others. Researchers believe their findings will lead to better, more personalized immunotherapies for patients whose immune systems currently do not app...
Researchers discovered that quiescent ovarian cancer cells secrete follistatin, which induces resistance in neighboring cells and worsens survival rates. Targeting this protein may improve chemotherapy response and boost survival in patients with aggressive ovarian cancer.
Aleksandar Obradovic's work harnesses anti-tumor immune response with tailored cancer immunotherapy, combining drug treatments and immune-response therapeutics. He developed algorithms to predict drug sensitivity and identify groups of cells associated with treatment resistance.
Dr. Carl H. June is recognized for his pioneering work in developing gene-edited cell therapy for cancer and demonstrating its potential to induce remission and cure patients with advanced cancer. His technology has led to the FDA approval of six CAR T-cell therapies for multiple blood cancers.
Researchers at Rice University have developed light-activated nanoscale drills that can kill pathogenic fungi, providing a potential new treatment option for fungal infections. The molecular machines target the mitochondria of fungal cells, disrupting cellular metabolism and leading to cell death.
Researchers developed a translational step forward in treating brain tumors using intraventricular immunovirotherapy, which has shown safety and efficacy in recent clinical trials. This approach uses oncolytic herpes simplex virus type-1 to target high-grade glioma with promising results.
A clinical trial found that boiling peanuts for up to 12 hours can desensitize children with peanut allergies. The therapy involved sequential doses of boiled and roasted peanuts, achieving high success rates in participants. While promising, the study's findings require confirmation in larger trials.
A phase 2 clinical trial using boiled peanuts followed by roasted peanuts showed promising results in desensitizing 80% of children with peanut allergies. Treatment-related adverse events were reported in 61% participants.
Extracellular vesicles from immune cells have been shown to activate the immune system in mice with skin cancer, rendering them sensitive to checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The treatment improved survival rates when used in combination with checkpoint inhibitors.
The E1910 trial found that adding blinatumomab to standard front-line consolidation chemotherapy improved overall survival and kept most patients in remission. The treatment, which targets malignant B cells, demonstrated its effectiveness in patients with a good prognosis after an initial round of chemotherapy.
Researchers have developed a CAR-T therapy approach that effectively targets and eliminates rogue immune cells responsible for autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. The treatment shows promise as a potential cure for debilitating conditions.
The German Research Foundation has approved a new Collaborative Research Center at the University Medical Center Mainz, exploring regulatory T cells in immune-related and tissue-specific diseases. The project aims to develop tailored immunotherapies using Treg cells, which could lead to breakthroughs in patient care.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz has been awarded funding for three Collaborative Research Centers in the life sciences, including CRC 1551 and CRC/Transregio 355. The centers will focus on investigating polymer concepts in cellular function and heterogeneity of regulatory T cells in distinct microenvironments.
The UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic will receive $8 million in funding to launch new clinical trials and improve accessibility of stem cell therapies. The clinic has already launched 59 clinical trials and treated 277 patients with various diseases.
Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine describe findings that could bolster the effectiveness of immune-checkpoint therapy by using natural killer (NK) cells. The research team developed a monoclonal antibody targeting KIR2DL5, which allowed NK cells to vigorously attack and shrink human tumors.
Researchers found histamine releases HMGB1 in vascular endothelial cells, leading to severe symptoms. Administering anti-HMGB1 antibody attenuated hypotension and improved recovery rates.
Researchers report a promising new approach that involves altering sugar molecules on the surface of cancer cells in mice, leading to a significant increase in anti-tumor immune response. The study focuses on sialic acid sugars, which are also present on healthy cells and play a role in cell-to-cell communication.
Researchers analyzed 408 patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and found no increased risk of side effects from receiving both immunotherapy and the vaccine. The study supports NCCN's recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination in people with cancer, citing strong protection against severe COVID-19 for all variants.
A new approach to allergy treatment has shown promise in reducing symptoms of allergic rhinitis by 36% after just one year of treatment. The combination of a monoclonal antibody with cat allergy shots was found to be more effective than allergy shots alone in providing long-lasting symptom relief.
Researchers at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center have found a way to overcome barriers limiting cancer immunotherapies. They discovered that activating the STING protein can increase regulatory B cells, which suppress anti-cancer immunity.
Stowers scientists investigate macrophage activation states in zebrafish sensory organ, discovering three distinct anti-inflammatory pathways that may inform human regenerative immunotherapies. The study provides valuable insights into the timing and genetic programs of macrophages, a type of white blood cell, in repair and regeneration.
Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a new immunotherapy strategy to eliminate fibroblasts in targeted manner, reducing lung and liver fibrosis in mice. The treatment triggers an immune response via cytotoxic T-cells, eliminating activated connective tissue cells while leaving resting cells undamaged.
A new study provides valuable insights into the roles of B cells and plasma cells in early-stage lung cancer biology, highlighting their influence on tumor development and treatment outcomes. The research also reveals environmental factors and molecular features that contribute to the landscape of infiltrating immune cells.
Researchers at MUSC found that extracting and isolating Treg cells and transplanting them back into the same system successfully treats osteogenesis imperfecta for a year. The treatment results in stronger bones, increased osteoblast numbers, and decreased osteoclast numbers.
In an international clinical trial, 63.3% of patients with stage II-IV cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma saw their tumors nearly or completely disappear when treated with immunotherapy before surgery. The anti-PD1 therapy cemiplimab was well-tolerated and met its primary endpoint with a pathologic complete response rate of 50.6%.
A phase 3 study shows that tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) therapy significantly improves progression-free survival compared to standard immunotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma. The treatment reduces disease progression or death by 50% in patients treated with TILs.
Researchers have developed a new safety system for CAR-T cells, called VIPER CAR-T cells, that can be turned on or off. This allows doctors to target cancer more aggressively while minimizing side effects. The new system uses an FDA-approved antiviral drug to control the cell's activity.
The PROSPER RCC trial showed no difference in recurrence-free survival between arms, with higher adverse events reported in the nivolumab arm. The trial's results inform future research on neoadjuvant trials in high-risk renal cell carcinoma.
A targeted kinase inhibitor added to a two-drug immunotherapy combination slowed the progression of advanced kidney cancer in previously untreated patients. The three-drug combination showed a 27% lower risk of progression or death compared to the two-drug control, with a median progression-free survival of 11.3 months.
Researchers conducted a study on administering immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab before surgery for oral cavity cancer and found no increased rates of complications during and after surgery. The findings are encouraging for patients who have not previously received treatment for their oral cavity cancer, suggesting that complication rat...
A phase II study found that treating late-stage, treatment-resistant melanoma patients with a combination of Azacitidine and Carboplatin significantly increases their survival times. The treatment re-sensitized cancer cells to immunotherapy, allowing the body's immune system to fight the cancer.
A combination of immunotherapy and virotherapy using myxoma virus provides new hope for patients with treatment resistant cancers. The approach boosts the immune capacity to effectively target and destroy cancer cells, inducing a form of cell death called autosis.
Researchers at Tufts University have developed a novel mRNA-based approach to generate complex antibodies in muscle cells, which can be used to treat various diseases including botulism and cancer. The technique has shown promising results in neutralizing lethal doses of botulinum neurotoxins in mice.
Scientists at UC San Francisco and Gladstone Institutes use CRISPR-based edit to render therapeutic T cells more resilient, overcoming a major factor limiting cancer immunotherapies' success. The discovery may help improve treatment of both solid and liquid tumors.
A University of Houston engineer has developed technology to determine which patients are likely to respond to CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma, saving time and increasing success rates. The TIMING method analyzes interactions between T cells and tumor cells, identifying a key ligand molecule that predicts patient response.
Rice University researchers have developed a treatment combining drug factory implants producing interleukin-2 with checkpoint inhibitors to eradicate advanced-stage mesothelioma tumors in mice. The treatment resulted in complete tumor destruction in all seven treated mice, offering a promising approach to this aggressive lung cancer.
Researchers developed a small molecule that effectively controls tumor growth by inhibiting PD-1/PD-L1 binding, overcoming accessibility and cost issues of existing antibody treatments. The new molecule has advantages in terms of affordability and oral administration, making immunotherapy more accessible to all cancer patients.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have discovered that even terminally exhausted T cells retain some capacity to function again. They identified approaches to overcome exhaustion by targeting co-stimulation pathways and reprogramming T cells to be resistant to hypoxia, a common tumor microenvironmental signal.
The University of Cincinnati is conducting a study on a potential new treatment for pancreatic cancer using SapC-DOPG, a nanotechnology drug delivery system. The treatment has shown promise in reducing tumor growth by 50-80% in animal models and aims to develop an effective immunotherapy treatment.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Cancer identified genetic signatures linked to patient response to immunotherapy in bladder and other cancers. High DDR1 expression is associated with 'cold' tumors, while high DDR2 is linked to 'hot' tumors.
A study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory discovered a new list of friendly proteins generated by the human thymus that protects healthy tissue from T cell attacks. This finding may lead to improved treatments for autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes.
Researchers used a new 3D imaging technique to analyze the interaction between T-cell therapies and solid mini-tumors, revealing a wide variety of behaviors in engineered T cells. The study identified specific gene signatures of highly potent T cells that can target multiple tumor cells.
Researchers have developed a new quantitative approach to predict and customize site-specific recombination, enabling more efficient genetic and cell therapies. The tool combines high-throughput experiments with machine learning models to control the rate of DNA editing, paving the way for personalized treatment.
Researchers have found a promising new combination therapy that uses immunotherapy alongside a drug blocking a common gene mutation in lung cancer. The study suggests this combination may be effective in 'immune hot' tumours, which are more likely to respond.
A new study uses machine learning models to predict cancer patients' responses to immunotherapy based on their gut microbiome features. The research identifies common gut bacterial taxa associated with responders versus non-responders, providing a potential tool for distinguishing and predicting immunotherapy responders.
Researchers at the University of South Australia have discovered that combining anti-rejection medication with immune checkpoint inhibitors can significantly reduce the risk of organ rejection and eliminate cancer cells in a quarter of patients. The study involved 22 patients with renal transplants and incurable locally advanced or met...
Researchers at Edith Cowan University have found a genetic link between human leukocyte antigens and immunotherapy side effects in non-small cell lung cancer patients. The discovery enables doctors to tailor treatment to individual patients, reducing the risk of toxicities and improving overall outcomes.
Researchers at Cleveland Clinic discovered that pathogenic POLE/POLD1 genetic mutations in tumors lead to a high level of immune cell infiltration and improved response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. The study's findings contribute to the growing list of discoveries that prove certain classes of drugs are more effective based o...
Researchers found specific T-cell populations expanded after immune therapy treatment, predicting which patients would respond best to the treatment. These biomarkers could help select patients for future trials to improve outcomes.
Researchers developed a two-step approach using whole exome sequencing to predict which patients respond to cancer immunotherapy. The study identified six genes, including KRAS and BRAF, that are enriched in patients who responded to treatment.
This volume of Oncotarget features groundbreaking research on various cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, and neuroblastoma, as well as novel drug targets for bladder cancer. The studies also delve into the role of BRCA in breast and colorectal cancers.
Researchers have developed a way to fine-tune CAR T cell therapy to strike a balance between safety and efficacy, reducing the risk of severe side-effects. The new approach enables customisation of potency levels for individual patients, broadening its potential as a first-line treatment.
Researchers discovered that the TCF-1 protein enables plasticity in cells across neighborhoods during T cell development, weakening insulation and increasing interactions between adjacent neighborhoods. This finding sheds new light on immunotherapy approaches and could lead to more efficient cancer treatments.