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Gene modified immune cells prevent cancer metastasis in mice

Signaling distant sites to alert & activate cancer killing immune cells in advance

24-Mar-2021

Key points from article :

Myeloid cells to precisely deliver an anticancer signal to organs where cancer may spread.

"Novel approach to immunotherapy...as a potential treatment for metastatic cancer," - Rosandra Kaplan, lead study author.

Preventing cancer from spreading in the first place.

Myeloid cells spur the immune system into action in the pre-metastatic niche.

In mice with rhabdomyosarcoma, genetically engineered myeloid cells (GEMys) produced IL-12 in the primary and in metastatic sites.

Mice treated with GEMys had less metastatic cancer in lungs, smaller tumors in the muscle, and lived substantially longer.

Similar results in mice with pancreatic tumors that spread to the liver.

In combination with chemotherapy, surgery, or T-cell transfer therapy, the effects of GEMy treatment improved.

Combination treatment leaves a long-lasting immune memory of the cancer.

Plans to test the safety of human GEMys in a clinical trial.

Research by National Cancer Institute published in the journal Cell.

Mentioned in this article:

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Cell

Scientific journal publishing research from many disciplines within the life sciences

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Institute for cancer research.

Rosandra Kaplan

Principal Investigator and Pediatric Oncologist at National Cancer Institute, NIH

Topics mentioned on this page:
Cancer, Immunotherapy