Scientists at City of Hope National Medical Center have developed a CAR-T cell therapy to treat ovarian cancer, the malignant tumor of the female reproductive system with the lowest survival rate. Research published in the journal Nature Communication.
CAR T cell therapy involves removing the patient’s immune T cells, white blood cells that help fight tumors, from the bloodstream. They are then reprogrammed to recognize and attack a particular cancer protein. This method has significantly improved the treatment of blood cancer, especially in children, but is not used in the treatment of solid (“hard”) tumors due to inefficiency.
In a new study, scientists adapted this method to treat advanced ovarian cancer. The therapy is currently undergoing Phase I trials in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer who have received platinum-based chemotherapy. The TAG72 protein on the surface of ovarian cancer cells was chosen as a target for T cells.
“Interestingly, TAG72 is also found in other cancer cells, including tumors of the pancreas, colon, breast and brain, so if clinical trials in the ovaries are successful, we may explore the approach in patients with other tumors,” the scientists said.
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