Immunotherapy eliminates disease-causing cells in mice with MS-like disease

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that the cancer therapy known as CAR-T can be applied to multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the nervous system. The findings extend the powerful tool of immunotherapy to autoimmune diseases, a class of diseases that are often debilitating and difficult to treat.

Researchers seek to improve success of chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

A study published by researchers from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center at Mayo Clinic in Florida and Case Western, Cleveland Medical Center, investigates the reasons for decreasing remission rates for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy).

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Selected as an Authorized Treatment Center for BreyanziTM/Liso-Cel CAR T-Cell Treatment

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), the only NCCN-designated cancer center in Washington State, has been selected as an authorized treatment center for the new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy lisocabtagene maraleucel, also known as liso-cel and by the brand name BreyanziTM. Liso-cel was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 5, 2021.

Fred Hutch statement regarding the FDA approval of CD19 immunotherapy, lisocabtagene maraleucel

SEATTLE — Feb. 5, 2021 — Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the chimeric antigen receptor immunotherapy, Breyanzi (lisocabtagene maraleucel or liso-cel), for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma after at least two prior therapies.The approval was granted to Bristol Myers Squibb, and development of the therapy was supported by physician-scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Selected as an Authorized Treatment Center for TecartusTM, a Novel Immunotherapy Treatment

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), the only National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-designated cancer center in Washington state, has been selected as an authorized treatment center to offer brexucabtagene autoleucel, also known by the brand name TecartusTM. It is the first and only chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

John Theurer Cancer Center Investigators Participated in ZUMA-2 Study Leading to FDA Approval of First CAR T-Cell Therapy for Recurrent/Persistent Mantle Cell Lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for brexucabtagene autoleucel (TECARTUS™, formerly KTE-X19) as the first and only CAR T-cell therapy for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) relapsed or refractory to prior treatments. Investigators from Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey participated in the pivotal trial which the approval was based: the ZUMA-2 clinical trial, which assessed the safety and effectiveness of brexucabtagene autoleucel in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL who had received up to five prior regimens of treatment and had exhausted all other therapies. That transformative study showed that 93% of patients responded to treatment, with 67% achieving a complete response (no evidence of disease). The data were published in the April 2, 2020 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

CAR-T immunotherapy for lymphoma studied at UNC Lineberger receives fast-track designation from FDA

Based on proof-of-concept results from clinical trials at University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine, an investigational cellular immunotherapy for Hodgkin lymphoma has received a Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

CAR T Cell Clinical Trial for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Begins at Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System is treating patients in a new Phase 2 clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy at Morristown Medical Center. A select number of sites across the U.S. are involved in this study, which is done on an outpatient basis. The study is sponsored by Juno Therapeutics, Inc. The study’s principal investigator, Mohamad Cherry, MD, medical director of hematology for Atlantic Health System Cancer Care, is a nationally known expert at treating and researching blood-related cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma. Dr. Cherry is triple board-certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology

NUS scientist designs ‘express courier service’ for immune cells

Dr Andy Tay, a researcher with the National University of Singapore (NUS) who is currently doing his post-doctoral training at Stanford University, has successfully invented a novel transfection method to deliver DNA into immune cells with minimal stress on these cells. This new technique is expected to boost DNA-based cancer immunotherapy by significantly improving the process of generating high-quality genetically modified immune cells.