CAR T-Cell Therapy for Mesothelioma Proving Effective in Clinical Trial

Dr. Prasad Adusumilli at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center believes novel CAR T-cell therapy will be part of future, standard-of-care treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma. The therapy involves the laboratory reprograming of a patient’s T cells — a type of white blood cell — to attack the cancer by targeting mesothelin, a surface protein. CAR T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy that could extend mesothelioma survival significantly. “That’s my goal. That’s what we’ve been working toward for many years,” Adusumilli told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “And from what we’re seeing now, I’m optimistic.” Research Provides Reason for Optimism Adusumilli, a thoracic surgeon and scientist, is the primary investigator of a phase I clinical trial that started in 2015 and involves genetically engineered T cells and pleural mesothelioma patients. CAR T-cell therapy also is known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. Adusumilli presented a clinical evaluation of his trial March 31 at the American Association for Cancer Research meetings in Atlanta. He is the co-director of the mesothelioma program, deputy chief of thoracic service and head of solid tumors cell therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City. There were 21 patients in the study receiving different combinations of treatment with CAR T-cell therapy. Some also received a drug that can block interaction of PD-1, another cell-surface protein that prevents a patient...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news