Scientists at the Dana-Farber Research Institute have developed a new therapeutic platform called CAR-E, designed to enhance and extend the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy in cancer treatment.
Traditional CAR-T therapy often faces challenges such as short-lived effects and cancer relapse due to the disappearance of CAR-T cells from the bloodstream after initially combating the cancer. The "E" in CAR-E stands for "Enhancer," and this new approach involves fusing a target antigen with a low-affinity molecule, specifically interleukin-2 (IL-2), to better target and maintain the CAR-T cells.
This innovative method allows CAR-T cells not only to remain active and persistent longer in the body but also to form a memory of cancer cells, enabling a quicker response if the cancer returns. Additionally, CAR-E therapy promotes a diverse range of T cells necessary for a robust immune response, which was demonstrated in lab cultures and animal models, showing complete clearance of tumor cells.
Importantly, this approach could allow for the use of fewer CAR-T cells than currently required, potentially simplifying and speeding up the treatment process while reducing side effects such as cytokine release syndrome, a common and serious complication.
The integration of CAR-E with existing FDA-approved CAR-T cells or newer generations offers a versatile and promising therapeutic strategy that could significantly improve outcomes for patients undergoing CAR-T cell therapy. This breakthrough hints at a more efficient and potentially safer protocol for treating cancers with CAR-T cells, emphasizing the need for further clinical trials to validate the efficacy and safety of CAR-E therapy.
[Source: Dana-Farber Research Institute; Published in Nature Biotechnology]
