Part of the reason for CAR T cells’ astonishing success in B-cell cancers is that B cells are astonishingly easy to replace. CAR T cells are specific, yes. But they are not specific to tumor cells. They are specific to their target antigens. In the case of Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel, Gilead Sciences Inc.) and Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel, Novartis AG), the first two clinically approved T cells, that target is CD19, which is expressed on B-cell precursors. And when it is successful, the treatment leaves patients without any B cells at all.
Researchers from Eutilex Co. Ltd. have presented preclinical data for the novel V-set and immunoglobulin domain-containing 4 (VSIG4)-specific humanized monoclonal antibody, EU-103, being developed as a potential cancer immunotherapy candidate.
A group of scientists from the Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy, Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School have developed an antitumor immunotherapy that uses oncolytic viruses and stem cells for the treatment of metastatic brain melanoma.
Lantern Pharma Inc. has entered into a research collaboration with Bielefeld University to develop antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with therapeutic and antitumor potential. Using Lantern’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) platform, RADR, the collaboration will leverage insights from the recently developed RADR AI ADC module in combination with research from Bielefeld.
Enochian Biosciences Inc. is on track to file an IND application for its innovative cancer platform around the early part or middle of next year. If successful, that would allow clinical trials to begin in the first half of next year.
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an almost universally fatal brain pediatric tumor and the only tumor indication where palliative radiotherapy is the current standard of care. Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy may hold promise for treating DIPG, the elevated tumor heterogeneity and the prospect of antigen escape make the identification of additional targets crucial. Therefore, multiple targets need to be validated to facilitate a multipronged approach.
Tscan Therapeutics Inc. has received IND clearance by the FDA for TSC-200-A0201, a T-cell receptor (TCR) T-cell therapy targeting human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16), an oncogenic virus responsible for some cervical cancers and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
Researchers from Beijing Corregene Biotechnology Co. Ltd. presented preclinical data for CRTE7A2-01, a cell therapy candidate consisting of human T cells expressing T-cell receptors (TCRs) specific for HLA-A*02:01-restricted HPV16 E7 antigen.
Defence Therapeutics Inc. has contracted Transbiotech Biotechnology Research and Transfer Center to test the potency of the company’s cellular anticancer ARM vaccine in animals with pre-established pancreatic tumors.
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