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Made-to-Order Weapon in the Fight Against Childhood Cancer
The body's defense system includes T-lymphocyte cells. In the past, researchers have attempted to fight cancer by adding receptors to these cells that target the tumor cells. But, the T cells disappeared from the body too quickly to affect the cancer. To combat that problem, the scientists used T cells that have a natural receptor for the Epstein-Barr virus. The body is constantly fighting this virus, and, as a result, is always making these T cells. They added an artificial receptor for a protein that is found in neuroblastoma cells to these cells. This made-to-order T cell worked because it stayed in the body long enough (thanks to the Epstein-Barr receptor) to attack the tumor effectively (thanks to the artificial neuroblastoma receptor). The results on only 11 patients with recurring neuroblastoma were so promising, that they were reported in the online version of the journal Nature Medicine. "For the first time, we started to see tumor responses," said Malcolm Brenner, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at BCM, TCH and The Methodist Hospital, and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at BCM. "We have one complete remission and others who have had stable disease for more than a year." Within the next year, they plan to add receptors for other cancers to the virus-specific T cells and see if they get the same cancer-fighting effect. |
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Volume 4, Issue 3, Winter 2008 |
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| Last modified: December 30, 2008 |
Scientists at BCM and Texas Children's Hospital have created a custom weapon that is proving effective in the fight against neuroblastoma, the most common solid cancer in children after brain tumors.