Solid tumors are generally unbothered by the immune system, but the lab-brewed virus can infiltrate their cancer cells and force them to mass-produce a protein called CD19 that draws the attention of hunter-killer T cells, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. With this new one-two punch, the City of Hope Hospital scientists behind the work hope to be able to treat vastly more types of cancer than the limited number that CD19 T cells already respond to.
The team tested out the new therapy in petri dishes as well as lab mice, and are currently designing a clinical trial for human cancer patients.
