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UCSF Scientists Engineer Cells Inside Patients
26 Mar
Summary
- Scientists developed a novel method to create cancer-fighting cells directly within the body.
- This new approach successfully treated leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and solid tumours in mice.
- The innovative technique offers a potentially more accessible and precise alternative to current therapies.
Researchers at UCSF, in collaboration with Gladstone Institutes, Duke University, and the Innovative Genomics Institute, have developed a novel method for creating cancer-fighting cells within the body. This breakthrough aims to simplify the current CAR-T cell therapy, which involves extracting, reprogramming, and reinfusing a patient's immune cells, a process that is both costly and time-consuming.
The new technique successfully integrated a large DNA sequence into a specific site within human T cells, ensuring precise genetic alteration. This method was tested in mice with humanized immune systems, where it effectively treated aggressive leukaemia, multiple myeloma, and even a solid tumour.
This in-vivo approach holds the potential to make CAR-T therapies more accessible and efficient. Scientists envision this as a possible step towards an "off-the-shelf" treatment, similar to a vaccine, that could be broadly administered to patients with specific conditions.
