DTN 039: Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment with CAR T

Innovative new cell therapies could finally get at tough-to-target cancers

“Over the past few years, the treatment of some hard-to-treat blood cancers has been revolutionized by therapies based on engineered T cells, which leverage the patient’s own immune system to destroy cancerous cells. But until recently researchers haven’t had much luck developing these T-cell therapies—called CAR T—for solid tumors, which make up the vast majority of cancer diagnoses. New trial results, however, suggest that scientists are finally making some headway with next-generation CAR T therapies. Last week, BioNTech presented preliminary results from a clinical study of one called BNT211 at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Madrid. The team treated 44 people with solid tumors, mostly ovarian and germ-cell cancers, with varying doses of CAR T cells and, in some cases, a vaccine to help boost the therapy. Among 38 people for whom there was enough data to assess how well the treatment worked, 45% responded, meaning their tumors shrank or disappeared altogether. The presentation focused on a different group of 27 participants who received a higher dose of the treatment. In that group, the researchers saw an even better response rate: nearly 60%.” (MIT Tech Review)