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Researchers develop new immunotherapy methods to target solid tumors
Researchers are developing several new approaches to improve cancer immunotherapy, particularly for treating solid tumors that often resist standard treatments.
At Stanford Medicine, scientists have found a way to reprogram natural killer (NK) cells to penetrate the dense environments of solid tumors. By using specific levels of TGF-b signaling, they can transform circulating NK cells into tissue-resident cells capable of infiltrating and attacking melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Researchers at UC San Francisco have engineered a technique using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to create dendritic cells. These cells are “dressed” with membrane bubbles from a patient’s own tumor to teach T cells how to identify and eradicate specific malignancies, such as leukemia or ovarian cancer.
In a study from Cornell University, researchers demonstrated that the timing of immunotherapy is critical. By using a compound to activate macrophages after targeted drugs caused tumors to become resistant, they were able to eliminate more residual melanoma cells in mice.
Additionally, a new microfluidic platform called ATTACH has been developed to provide an unbiased method for isolating antigen-specific T cells. This platform leverages tumor cells as a natural source of antigens to enrich rare tumor-reactive T-cell populations by up to 10-fold.
Entities
Cornell University · National Institutes of Health · Purdue University · Stanford Medicine · The University of Texas at Austin · UC San Francisco
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] demonstrated that supercharged NK cells slowed the growth of melanoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in mice www.world-today-news.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] increased median survival in mice from five weeks to over four months by blocking EREG www.ddw-online.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] identified that dormant pancreatic cancer cells survive by releasing the protein EREG to activate macrophages that suppress CAR T-cells www.ddw-online.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] reprogrammed circulating natural killer cells into tissue-resident cells using specific levels of TGF-b www.world-today-news.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] used a Purdue University compound to activate macrophages to eliminate residual melanoma cells in mice www.fingerlakes1.com