CAR T cells

Two studies in mice now show that researchers can control when and where CAR T cells are active, potentially overcoming previous hurdles for CAR T–based treatments.

Researchers found that naturally-occurring CD7-negative T cells avoid self-destruction and are good effectors in CAR T therapy for T cell blood cancers.

Researchers determined the safety and antitumor ability of genetically engineered CAR T cells that circumvent immune suppression in a prostate cancer phase I clinical trial.

First, the genetically engineered cells became CD8⁺ killer T cells that wiped out his leukemia. Then they transformed into a stable population of CD4⁺ helper T cells that continue to circulate in his body.

Specialized immune cells generated in vivo reduce cardiac scar tissue in mice, a new study shows.

A career-altering experience as a cancer patient motivated one researcher to design more potent immunotherapies.

Heated gold nanoparticles unleash the therapeutic activity of engineered CAR T cells.

Transplanted CAR stem cells persisted long term and showed multilineage engraftment in tissues that harbor HIV.

Researchers developed a new CAR T-cell therapy that targets specific growth factor receptors in glioblastoma to eliminate brain tumors.

Pairing CARs with a synthetic receptor makes T cells more lethal tumor killers.

Following on the success of CAR T cells used to treat cancers of the blood, researchers have launched a Phase 1 clinical trial of genetically modified macrophages to target solid tumors.

A trio of papers shows that specialized antibodies can direct T cells to destroy cells that display portions of mutant cancer-related proteins, as well as T cells that have become cancerous themselves.

When tumor cells are infected with an oncolytic virus carrying a modified CD19 gene, they become targets for CAR T cells engineered to recognize this molecular marker.