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A ‘universal’ cancer vaccine moves closer
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A ‘universal’ cancer vaccine moves closer

January 22, 2020
via Cardiff University

via Cardiff University

Article Highlights

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQnzhSsnnDU[/embedyt]

  • Researchers at Cardiff University have discovered a new type of killer T-cell that offers hope of a “one-size-fits-all” cancer therapy
  • T-cell therapies for cancer - where immune cells are removed, modified and returned to the patient’s blood to seek and destroy cancer cells - are the latest paradigm in cancer treatments
  • The most widely-used therapy, known as CAR-T, is personalised to each patient but targets only a few types of cancers and has not been successful for solid tumours, which make up the vast majority of cancers
  • Cardiff researchers have now discovered T-cells equipped with a new type of T-cell receptor (TCR) which recognises and kills most human cancer types, while ignoring healthy cells
  • This TCR recognises a molecule present on the surface of a wide range of cancer cells as well as in many of the body’s normal cells but, remarkably, is able to distinguish between healthy cells and cancerous ones, killing only the latter
  • The researchers said this meant it offered “exciting opportunities for pan-cancer, pan-population” immunotherapies not previously thought possible
  • T-cells equipped with the new TCR were shown, in the lab, to kill lung, skin, blood, colon, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney and cervical cancer cells, while ignoring healthy cells
  • To test the therapeutic potential of these cells in vivo, the researchers injected T-cells able to recognise MR1 into mice bearing human cancer and with a human immune system
  • This showed “encouraging” cancer-clearing results which the researchers said was comparable to the now NHS-approved CAR-T therapy in a similar animal model
  • The Cardiff group were further able to show that T-cells of melanoma patients modified to express this new TCR could destroy not only the patient’s own cancer cells, but also other patients’ cancer cells in the laboratory, regardless of the patient’s HLA type
  • Professor Andrew Sewell, lead author on the study and an expert in T-cells from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, said it was “highly unusual” to find a TCR with such broad cancer specificity and this raised the prospect of “universal” cancer therapy
  • “We hope this new TCR may provide us with a different route to target and destroy a wide range of cancers in all individuals,” he said
  • “Current TCR-based therapies can only be used in a minority of patients with a minority of cancers
  • “Cancer-targeting via MR1-restricted T-cells is an exciting new frontier - it raises the prospect of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ cancer treatment; a single type of T-cell that could be capable of destroying many different types of cancers across the population
  • “There are plenty of hurdles to overcome however if this testing is successful, then I would hope this new treatment could be in use in patients in a few years’ time,” he said
  • “This is truly exciting and potentially a great step forward for the accessibility of cancer immunotherapy.”
The Complete Story: Discovery of new T-cell raises prospect of ‘universal’ cancer therapy

Cardiff University

The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News

Go deeper with Bing News on:
Universal cancer vaccine
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Universal cancer vaccine

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Go deeper with Bing News on:
Cancer vaccine
  • Man receives world’s first melanoma vaccine — trial underway

    A trial for the world’s first-ever mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma is underway in the UK. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Around 100,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma in 2024, according to the American Cancer Society.

  • New cancer vaccine: Doctor explains all you need to know

    A doctor has explained more about the world's first personalised mRNA cancer jab for melanoma, which is currently being tested in British patients. Doctor Amir Khan described the vaccine as “positive news” as he discussed how it works when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Friday (26 April).

Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Cancer vaccine

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