Novel approach may prevent antibodies from triggering immune rejection of transplant cells
Until recently, most CAR-T therapies were made from the patient’s own cells, but the long-term commercial viability of cell therapies of all types will rely on “allogeneic” cells, therapeutic cells mass-produced and grown from a source outside the patient. However, the recipient’s immune system is likely to treat all outside cells as foreign and reject […]
Cancer treatments boosted by immune-cell hacking – Nature
Researchers have bolstered the power of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cancer therapies, which use genetically altered T cells to seek out tumours and mark them for destruction. Now scientists have further engineered the cells to contain switches that allow control over when and where the cells are active. This helps them to infiltrate tumours and […]
Using synthetic gene circuits to better control the timing of immunotherapy
CAR T cell therapies are generally optimized for short-term cellular responses and may not allow for long-term systemic eradication of the tumor. To enable precise control of CAR T cell function over time, a first solution has been developed. Researchers have exploited recently developed synthetic Notch receptors to design enhanced CAR T cells with a […]
Cancer treatments boosted by immune-cell hacking – Nature
Researchers have bolstered the power of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cancer therapies, which use genetically altered T cells to seek out tumours and mark them for destruction. Now scientists have further engineered the cells to contain switches that allow control over when and where the cells are active. This helps them to infiltrate tumours and […]
Researchers develop 3D organoid model to advance understanding of gastroesophageal junction cancer
Researchers have created a laboratory-developed, three-dimensional organoid model derived from human tissue and designed to understand the early stages of cancer in the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), the point where the food pipe of the digestive system meets the stomach. Using CRISPR-Cas9, the researchers also eliminated two key tumor suppressor genes, TP53 and CDKN2A,c in the […]
CRISPR-based therapy shows promise for reducing hereditary angioedema attacks
Hereditary angioedema, a C1 inhibitor deficiency that is caused by an excess of plasma kallikrein. The genetic absence of prekallikrein (Fletcher syndrome) appears to be associated with normal health and life expectancy. Researchers therefore sought to assess safety and efficacy by evaluating NTLA-2002 (Intellia Therapeutics), an experimental CRISPR/Cas9-based therapy that targets KLKB1 – the gene […]
Off-the-shelf CAR-T produces complete remission in patient with advanced kidney cancer
Kidney cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, with approximately 50,000 patients diagnosed in the United States each year. That’s why researchers developed CTX130 (CRISPR Therapeutics), which is an allogeneic, CRISPR/Cas9-modified CAR-T therapy that targets CD70, an antigen known to be expressed by certain solid tumors and hematological malignancies. This treatment controlled […]
Researchers use CRISPR-edited T cells to treat seriously ill children with resistant leukaemia
Researchers have used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to engineer donor T cells to treat critically ill children with resistant leukemia who had otherwise exhausted all available therapies. The Phase I trial, published in Science Translational Medicine , is the first use of CRISPR-edited “universal” cells in humans and represents a significant advance in the use of genetically […]
New approach to immunotherapy provokes a robust anti-tumor immune response in preclinical models for solid tumors
CAR T cells currently in clinical use are designed to recognize cancer cells directly and have successfully treated several blood cancers. But there have been challenges that prevent their effective use in many solid tumors. Most solid tumors are heavily infiltrated by a type of immune cell called macrophages. Macrophages help tumors grow by blocking […]
New approach to immunotherapy provokes a robust anti-tumor immune response in preclinical models for solid tumors
CAR T cells currently in clinical use are designed to recognize cancer cells directly and have successfully treated several blood cancers. But there have been challenges that prevent their effective use in many solid tumors. Most solid tumors are heavily infiltrated by a type of immune cell called macrophages. Macrophages help tumors grow by blocking […]