A study carried out by a team of researchers at the University of North Carolina has led to a finding in breast cancer research in mice. According to the finding, alerts to activate the immune pathway – known for fighting bacterial and viral infections – can swell the ability of genetically built T cells to eliminate breast cancer in mice.
Furthermore, the study throws lights on expanding the use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. At present, CAR T cells find use to treat certain blood cancers in humans. In addition, these cells can produce desired results against solid tumors when combined with other immunotherapeutic methods, says the study.
In the physiology of several living beings, CAR T cells are a type of white blood cells. With scientific research, these cells have been genetically manipulated to detect and attack cancer cells that express specific proteins on their surface. With trials, the use of CAR T cells has been successful to treat patients with B cells lymphomas. And, furthermore, CAR T cells are undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of several types of blood cancer.
Clinical activity of CAR T cells limited for solid tumors, adds study
“However, the clinical action of CAR T cells in animal models or patients with solid tumors has been limited, said one of the associates of the study.
In fact, CAR T cells may be less effective against solid tumors. This is because they have to migrate into the tumors and then survive long enough to kill all tumor cells. Moreover, the cells and molecules that surround tumors are often immunosuppressive, thereby turning on an immune checkpoint that triggers CAR T cells to lose their activity.
