AI Summary
Scientists at UC San Francisco and Northwestern Medicine have discovered a way to enhance the effectiveness of engineered T cells in immunotherapy by studying mutations in malignant T cells that cause lymphoma. By inserting a gene for a unique mutation into normal T cells, the engineered T cells became more than 100 times more potent at killing cancer cells and were able to kill solid tumors derived from skin, lung, and stomach tissues in mice. The team plans to test this new approach in humans. This breakthrough utilizes the principle of using an opponent's strength against them, creating a "Judo T-cell therapy" that can survive and thrive in harsh tumor conditions.
Immunotherapies using engineered T cells have ushered in a new era in cancer treatment, but they have their limits. They may cause side effects or stop working, and they do not work at all against 90% of cancers.
Now, scientists at UC San Francisco and Northwestern Medicine may have found a way around these limitations by borrowing a few tricks from cancer itself.
By studying mutations in malignant T cells that cause lymphoma, they zeroed in on one that imparted exceptional potentcy to engineered T cells. The team inserted a gene for this unique mutation into normal human T cells, which made them more than 100 times more potent at killing cancer cells. They kept the tumors at bay for many months, showing no signs of becoming toxic.
While current immunotherapies work only against cancers of the blood and bone marrow, the new approach was able to kill solid tumors derived from skin, lung and stomach tissues in mice. The team has already begun working toward testing this new approach in people.
The breakthrough was inspired by the martial arts principle of using an opponent’s strength against them, said Kole Roybal, PhD, a co-author of the study and associate professor in microbiology and immunology.
We’ve used the mutations that give cancer cells their staying power to engineer what we call a ‘Judo T-cell therapy’ that can survive and thrive in the harsh conditions that tumors create.”
Kole Roybal, PhD, co-author of the study and associate professor in microbiology