02 Jul Serendipity reveals new method to fight cancer with T cells

By Laura Red Eagle, UW News

A promising therapy that treats blood cancers by harnessing the power of the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells could now treat solid tumors more efficiently.

Thanks to a recent study from Dan Cappabianca and Krishanu Saha at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery published in Molecular Therapy – Methods & Clinical Development, Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy can be improved by altering the conditions the T cells are grown in. And it was all discovered by chance.

T cells are white blood cells crucial for the immune system’s response to infections and cancer. They can be modified with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to express a specific receptor that redirects their natural “killing instincts” toward targeting cancer cells, specifically those in tumors. T cells can “remember” a pathogen after first exposure, allowing a quicker and stronger response if encountered again, like how vaccines train the immune system to recognize and fight off specific pathogens. Read more…