Researchers Move Toward Off-the-Shelf CAR T-Cell Therapy for Cancer

CAR T cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment for cancer, but a major hurdle is the time it takes to customize the treatment using a patient’s own immune cells. This process, known as autologous therapy, can delay treatment, leaving patients with limited time. 

A new study from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has made significant progress toward overcoming this issue by developing a method to use off-the-shelf CAR T cells from healthy donors.

The breakthrough involves modifying these donor-derived CAR T cells to prevent rejection by the patient’s immune system, allowing the cells to persist and effectively combat cancer. 

The team, led by Karlo Perica, MD, PhD, found that adding a viral protein called Nef to the CAR T cells enabled them to survive and maintain their cancer-fighting power in a mouse model.

The Nef protein works by reducing a protein called HLA-I, which typically signals the immune system to attack foreign cells. This allows the CAR T cells to evade immune detection and prevents them from self-destructing, a process known as apoptosis. 

This discovery marks a significant step forward in the quest to make allogeneic CAR T cells a viable option for patients, making this treatment more widely available and potentially more affordable.

The research, published in Nature, also lays the foundation for future clinical trials. 

Currently, off-the-shelf CAR T cells are being tested at MSK for treating multiple myeloma, and this new advancement could eliminate the need for immune-suppressing drugs, reducing side effects and improving patient outcomes. 

This new approach promises to make CAR T therapy more accessible and beneficial for a larger pool of cancer patients.

Note: This news summary was generated by AI based on a published press release, followed by a review from human editors.