University of Wisconsin-MadisonJul 3 2024 Thanks to a recent study published in Molecular Therapy – Methods & Clinical Development from Dan Cappabianca and Krishanu Saha at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy can be improved by altering the conditions the T cells are grown in. And it was all discovered by chance.
But for the cells to be used as a robust cancer treatment, they must be made in specific conditions in the lab. The result of this "metabolic priming" was that treated cells retained their stem cell-like qualities, thus enhancing their ability to kill cancer cells, transform into durable memory cells, and survive longer in the body.
The two-step process also appeared to help with cell memory. In CAR T-cell therapy, boosting these memory properties helps T cells better recognize and combat cancer over time.