A single protein may be holding back CAR T cancer therapy
Key takeaways
- Researchers from Columbia University and University Hospital T bingen have discovered a protein that appears to play a major role in weakening CAR T cells over time.
- CAR T-cell therapy is one of the most advanced forms of personalized cancer treatment.
- The therapy has produced remarkable results for some blood cancers.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Researchers from Columbia University and University Hospital T bingen have discovered a protein that appears to play a major role in weakening CAR T cells over time. By disabling the protein, known as NFIL3, the scientists found that these engineered immune cells remained active longer and were better able to attack tumors. The findings, published in Cancer Discovery, could help improve CAR T-cell therapy, particularly against solid tumors that have proven difficult to treat.
CAR T-cell therapy is one of the most advanced forms of personalized cancer treatment. The approach involves collecting a patient's own immune cells, genetically modifying them to recognize cancer, and then returning them to the body to seek out and destroy tumor cells.
The therapy has produced remarkable results for some blood cancers. However, it has been far less successful against solid tumors. An international team led by Prof. Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, of Columbia University, working with Prof. Judith Feucht, MD, of University Hospital T bingen, set out to better understand why. Sadelain is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of CAR T-cell therapy and has played a key role in its development and clinical use.