Study Combines PD-1 and CAR-T Immunotherapy to Treat Mesothelioma

At the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, Dr. Prasad Adusumilli from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center shared exciting new results from his study on combination immunotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Among the 18 mesothelioma patients in the study, 14 received a combination of two different immunotherapy treatments. Eleven of this group experienced a complete response, a partial response or stable disease. The latest results from this phase 1 clinical trial were presented June 4. They demonstrate the promise of using two immunotherapy approaches at one time. Phase 1 studies are designed only to test the safety, side effects, best doses and timing of a new treatment, not cure cancer. They typically include patients not helped by other treatments. Still, the results are encouraging and pave the way for further research on combining two distinct types of immunotherapy to treat aggressive, incurable cancers. Targeting Mesothelin from Two Angles Mesothelin is a protein found on mesothelioma and other cancer cells. Researchers have been searching for ways to help the human immune system better recognize mesothelin and attack the cancer cells displaying it. To leverage the immune system against mesothelioma, the researchers combined CAR T-cell therapy and PD-1 drugs. CAR T-cell therapy begins with collecting a patient’s own immune cells. These T-cells are then engineered in the lab to better recognize a specific feature — in this case, m...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news