Promising target for CAR T-cell therapy leads to potent antitumor responses against cutaneous and rare melanomas
Source: Eurek Alert!, February 2024
Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have built and demonstrated the potential efficacy of a new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell-based immunotherapy specifically designed to treat patients with cutaneous and rare subtypes of melanoma.
CAR T-cell therapy uses genetically engineered versions of a patient’s immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells. This type of treatment has transformed the field of cancer, especially for people with challenging-to-treat cancers.
The new approach, described in the journal Nature Communications, uses an engineered CAR T-cell that is designed to recognize and attack cells with high levels of TYRP1, a protein found on the surface of melanoma cells. The team found these engineered CAR T-cells can effectively eliminate cancer cells in preclinical tests without causing severe side effects.