T-Cell Therapy Against Patient-Specific Cancer Mutations

Human cancers contain genetic mutations that are unique to each patient. Some of the mutated peptides are immunogenic, can be recognized by T cells, and therefore, may serve as therapeutic targets.Scientists at the National Cancer Institute ' sSurgery Branch developed a method to identify T cells that specifically recognize immunogenic mutations expressed only by cancer cells. The scientists identified cancer-specific mutations from a patient with widely metastatic cholangiocarcinoma by sequencing tumor samples and comparing with normal cells. Using tandem minigene constructs encoding all of the mutations expressed by a patient ' s tumor, the inventors identified T cells that recognized the immunogenic mutations from the same patient. These mutation-reactive T cells have the potential to eliminate the cancer cells while sparing normal tissues since normal tissues do not express the mutations. The mutation-reactive T cells were expandedin vitro, and then infused as a highly pure population back into the same patient. The patient experienced tumor regression when treated with this approach.NCIE-233-2014This patient-specific therapy has the potential application to most epithelial cancers, which account for about 90% of cancer deaths in the United States.Personalized mutation-specific T cells recognize mutations harboring tumor cells only and spare normal tissues. This therapy has no tissue toxicities comparing to traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy.  The infusion of a hi...

Source: NIH OTT Licensing Opportunities - October 22, 2020 Category: Research Authors: ott-admin Source Type: research