Researchers have carried out a study of CAR-T cells in breast cancer. However, this therapy doesn’t always work on tumors, as their environment suppresses the immune response, and it can also be difficult to find specific features of breast cancer cells to target. To circumvent these challenges, the team directed CAR-T cells at cells surrounding the tumor’s blood supply that make the protein endosialin, rather than at actual cancer cells. In experiments with mice, targeting endosialin successfully reduced the growth and spread of breast cancer. The team also tested the treatment on lung cancer tumors in mice and found similar results, suggesting that patients with other types of cancer could benefit from the new treatment too. Moreover, the researchers found that CAR-T therapy does not affect cells without endosialin, indicating that it could work as a cancer-specific treatment with potentially fewer side effects for patients.
