Inserting a gene encoding this unique mutation into normal human T cells made them more than 100 times more potent at killing cancer cells without any signs of becoming toxic. While current immunotherapies work only against cancers of the blood and bone marrow, the engineered T cells were able to kill tumors derived from skin, lung and stomach in mice. The team has already begun working toward testing this new approach in people.
While current immunotherapies work only against cancers of the blood and bone marrow, the T cells engineered by Northwestern and UCSF were able to kill tumors derived from skin, lung and stomach in mice. The team has already begun working toward testing this new approach in people. Not only does this impair the ability of regular T cells to target cancer cells, it undermines the effectiveness of the engineered T cells that are used in immunotherapies, which quickly tire against the tumor's defenses.
"Our discoveries empower T cells to kill multiple cancer types," said Choi, a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University."This approach performs better than anything we've seen before." Their discoveries can be incorporated into treatments for many types of cancer, the scientists said.
"We see this as the starting point," Roybal said."There's so much to learn from nature about how we can enhance these cells and tailor them to different types of diseases."
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: ForbesTech - 🏆 318. / 59 Read more »
Source: Forbes - 🏆 394. / 53 Read more »