University of Colorado Anschutz receives FDA clearance for CAR T-cell cancer trial

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized a clinical trial at the University of Colorado Anschutz to test a dual-targeted CAR T-cell therapy. The treatment is designed for adults with advanced colorectal cancer and pediatric patients with solid tumors who have exhausted standard treatment options.

Developed by researchers at CU Anschutz, the genetically engineered immune cells target two specific proteins: B7-H3, which is prevalent in most colorectal tumors, and IL-8, a protein that facilitates tumor growth, inflammation, and cancer spread. The therapy will be manufactured at the campus’ Gates Biomanufacturing Facility.

While CAR T-cell therapies have been successful in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, applying them to solid tumors has historically been difficult due to the challenge of finding targets abundant on cancer cells but limited on healthy tissue. If successful, this approach may eventually be applied to other cancers, such as breast, lung, and ovarian cancers.