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UrduThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention.
Tag: Immunotherapy
Real-World Data Suggests Stopping Immunotherapy after Two Years is Reasonable in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer
A new study from Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center suggests that it’s reasonable for patients with advanced lung cancer to stop immunotherapy treatment at two years, as long as their cancer hasn’t progressed.
Cancer Research Institute Hosts 11th Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Month™ Showcasing Lifesaving Breakthroughs in Immuno-Oncology
Global celebration of 11 years of discovery and lifesaving innovation in immuno-oncology
New Bladder Cancer Classification Predicts Treatment Response
Investigators from Cedars-Sinai Cancer, working in collaboration with colleagues in Colorado and the Netherlands, have identified a specific type of bladder cancer most likely to resist first-line treatment.
Skin Patch Shows Promise for Toddlers with Peanut Allergy
A global phase 3 clinical trial that included Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that a year-long immunotherapy through a skin patch safely desensitized toddlers with peanut allergy, lowering the risk of a severe allergic reaction from accidental exposure. Results of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for children 1-3 years of age, funded by DBV Technologies, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Study using novel approach for glioblastoma treatment shows promising results, extending survival
A new international study published in and presented as a late-breaking abstract at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual conference, shows great promise for patients with glioblastoma. Drs. Farshad Nassiri and Gelareh Zadeh, neurosurgeons and scientists at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, published the results of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial investigating the safety and effectiveness of a novel therapy which combines the injection of an oncolytic virus – a virus that targets and kills cancer cells – directly into the tumour, with intravenous immunotherapy.
Reviving exhausted T cells to tackle immunotherapy-resistant cancers
One of the biggest goals of immunotherapy is to reverse T cell exhaustion to boost the immune system’s ability to destroy cancerous cells. Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys studying melanoma have found a new way to make this happen.
Digestive Disease Week 2023: Cedars-Sinai Experts Share Latest Research, Care Innovations
Digestive Disease Week (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers, and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy, and gastrointestinal surgery. DDW2023 will take place May 6-9 in Chicago and showcase 3,100 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, clinical practice and technology.
New CAR T-Cell Strategy Highly Effective Against Small Cell Lung Cancer in Preclinical Study
A new approach to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy has shown great promise against small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in a preclinical study. The findings cover new ground in our understanding of how CAR T can be employed against solid-tumor cancers, and provide support for further studies in cancer patients.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for April 19, 2023
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.
AACR: Lung cancer outcomes significantly improved with immunotherapy-based treatment given before and after surgery
A regimen of pre-surgical immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by post-surgical immunotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates compared to chemotherapy alone for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to Phase III trial results presented today by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2023.
Nobel Prize-winning immuno-oncology expert receives Block Memorial Lectureship
James P. Allison, PhD, is the recipient of the 25th Herbert and Maxine Block Memorial Lectureship Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer. A 2018 Nobel Prize co-recipient in physiology/medicine, Allison serves as the chair of immunology and executive director of the Immunotherapy Platform at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Chula Makes Progress in “CAR T-Cell Therapy” Innovation: New Hope for Thai Lymphoma Cancer Patients
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and Nagoya University, Japan, in their collaboration to develop an immunotherapy method for curing cancer, reported on the progress of CAR T-cell immunotherapy innovation for treating cancer in leukemia and B-cell lymphoma patients, which can increase survival rates and reduce cancer recurrence.
Novel Immunotherapy Agent Safe, Shows Promise Against High-Risk Prostate Cancers
A new drug, a monoclonal antibody known as enoblituzumab, is safe in men with aggressive prostate cancer and may induce clinical activity against cancer throughout the body, according to a phase 2 study led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.
Combination therapy a promising option for advanced kidney cancer patients already treated with immunotherapy
In this study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, interim results of the combination of cabozantinib, a VEGF TKI, plus belzutifan, a HIF-2α inhibitor, show promising anti-tumor activity in this pre-treated patient group. The results suggest that the combination might fill and unmet need and provides a rationale for further study of combining a VEGF TKI and a HIF-2 inhibitor.
Novel immunotherapy delivery approach safe and beneficial for some melanoma patients with leptomeningeal disease
A novel approach to administer intrathecal (IT) immunotherapy (directly into the spinal fluid) and intravenous (IV) immunotherapy was safe and improved survival in a subset of patients with leptomeningeal disease (LMD) from metastatic melanoma, according to interim analyses of a Phase I/Ib trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
How a Lowly Immune Cell Helps the Immune System Fight Cancer
New research reveals that long-underestimated neutrophils play key role in determining success of cancer immunotherapy
MD Anderson Research Highlights for March 29, 2023
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention.
Cancer cells with thicker glycocalyx barrier are better at evading immune cells
Researchers examined the material properties of a thin surface barrier called the glycocalyx with unprecedented resolution, revealing information that could help improve current cell-based cancer immunotherapies.
Dual immunotherapy plus chemotherapy before surgery improves patient outcomes in operable lung cancer
In a Phase II trial led by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, adding ipilimumab to a neoadjuvant, or pre-surgical, combination of nivolumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy, resulted in a major pathologic response (MPR) in half of all treated patients with early-stage, resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
A Potential New Target for Head and Neck Cancer Immunotherapy
UC San Diego researchers have identified a strong association between the product of a gene expressed in most cancers and elevated levels of white blood cells that produce antibodies within tumors, suggesting a new therapeutic target.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for March 8, 2023
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.
UChicago Medicine-led team selected for the 2022 Michael & Lori Milken Family Foundation-PCF Challenge Award to develop novel immunotherapy approaches in advanced prostate cancer
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) has awarded a $1 million grant to a renowned specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Neoadjuvant immunotherapy improves outlook in high-risk melanoma
Patients with high-risk melanoma who received the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab both before and after surgery to remove cancerous tissue had a significantly lower risk of their cancer recurring than similar patients who received the drug only after surgery.
Immunotherapy After Surgery Provides Significant, Durable Benefit for High-Risk Bladder Patients
Immunotherapy after surgery increased bladder cancer patients’ chance of staying cancer-free compared to patients who received a placebo, according to clinical trial results shared in a late-breaking oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in February.
Immunaeon Joins the RegenMed Hub
Immunaeon is the latest addition to the RegeneratOR’s Innovation AcceleratOR, located in the Regenerative Medicine Hub (RegenMed Hub), a rapidly growing regenerative medicine ecosystem based in the Innovation Quarter of Winston-Salem.
MD Anderson and Federation Bio announce collaboration to develop novel microbiome treatment for patients with immunotherapy-resistant cancers
MD Anderson and Federation Bio announced a strategic collaboration to design and manufacture a synthetic microbial consortium with the goal of improving responses in immunotherapy-resistant cancers.
Tumor microbiome linked to immunotherapy success in sarcoma patients
A new UC Davis study reveals the interaction between tumor microbiome and the immune system may be the secret to improving outcomes for sarcoma patients.
‘Hard to Lose’ Mutations in Tumors May Predict Response to Immunotherapy
Investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy have found that a subset of mutations within the overall TMB, termed “persistent mutations,” are less likely to be edited out as cancer evolves, rendering tumors continuously visible to the immune system and predisposing them to respond to immunotherapy.
Using A Seaweed Sugar to Trigger Immune Responses That Suppress Melanomas
Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, led by cancer biologist Eric Lau, Ph.D., have identified a relatively natural way to increase the numbers and antitumor activities of TILs. In a new article published in Nature Cancer, Lau’s team demonstrates how L-fucose, a nontoxic dietary plant sugar that is enriched in red and brown seaweeds, can increase TILs, promote antitumor immunity and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy with two novel drugs shows activity in colorectal cancer
A combination of two next-generation immunotherapy drugs has shown promising clinical activity in treating patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer, a disease which has not previously responded well to immunotherapies, according to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researcher.
Certain gene signaling rewires tumors after immunotherapy
Researchers from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have found a mechanism for why a subset of patients’ tumors grow, rather than shrink, when faced with immunotherapy.
Surgery First for Colon Cancer? Not So Fast, According to New Study in JNCCN
New research in JNCCN finds that immunotherapy from immune checkpoint (PD-1) inhibitors prior to surgery was strikingly effective for patients with localized mismatch repair-deficient or microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) colorectal cancer (CRC).
MD Anderson Research Highlights for January 11, 2023
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts.
Novel T cell receptor therapy shows early anti-tumor activity
Afamitresgene autoleucel (afami-cel; formerly ADP-A2M4), an adoptive T cell receptor (TCR) therapy targeting the MAGE-A4 cancer antigen, achieved clinically significant results for patients with multiple solid tumor types in a Phase I clinical trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Study discovers triple immunotherapy combination as possible treatment for pancreatic cancer
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered a novel immunotherapy combination, targeting checkpoints in both T cells and myeloid suppressor cells, that successfully reprogrammed the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and significantly improved anti-tumor responses in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for December 19, 2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include a cell cycle checkpoint inhibitor with potential therapeutic effects in an ovarian cancer subtype, a telementoring program for French-speaking oncology providers in Africa, insights into the relationship between obesity and immunotherapy side effects, updates to the world’s largest cancer drug discovery knowledgebase, improvements to treatment response by blocking the EGFR pathway, and a novel noninvasive diagnostic test for immunotherapy-related kidney injury.
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.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for November 30, 2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts.
Simultaneous radiation and immunotherapy are beneficial for a subset of lung cancer patients
In a recently published Nature Cancer paper, UChicago Medicine researchers have identified the first biomarker – aneuploidy – that predicts response to the radiation therapy and immune checkpoint blockade treatment combination.
Biomarker Predicts Resistance to Immunotherapies in Melanoma
Duke Cancer Institute researchers have identified potential biomarkers that predict the likelihood for checkpoint inhibitor drugs to backfire, driving hyper-progression of melanoma cells instead of unleashing the immune system to fight them.
New study brings personalized immunotherapy prescriptions a step closer
In a step likely to advance personalised cancer treatment, scientists have for the first time shown in patients that levels of biomarkers are not enough to tell which patients are likely to respond best to immunotherapy.
Andrew Sabin Family Foundation doubles down on commitment to end cancer with $10M gift
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced a $10 million gift to the James P. Allison Institute from the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation and Andrew “Andy” Sabin, a senior member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV). The gift is the philanthropist’s second multimillion-dollar commitment to MD Anderson in less than 10 years.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine Researchers Develop Promising New Cancer Therapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytruda and Opdivo work by unleashing the immune system’s T cells to attack tumor cells. Their introduction a decade ago marked a major advance in cancer therapy, but only 10% to 30% of treated patients experience long-term improvement. In a paper published online today in The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine describe findings that could bolster the effectiveness of immune-checkpoint therapy.
MD Anderson Research Highlights: SITC 2022 Special Edition
This special edition features upcoming presentations by MD Anderson researchers at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 37th Annual Meeting, including immunotherapy advances in human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive head and neck cancers, microbiome signatures linked with specialized immune-cell clusters, and promising early activity from novel immunotherapy drugs in advanced melanoma and colorectal cancer.
MD Anderson Research Highlights for November 3, 2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts.
Hormone therapy could lower risk of immunotherapy-associated myocarditis in women
A new preclinical study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has discovered the underlying cause of gender differences in immunotherapy-associated myocarditis after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. Their findings point to possible treatment strategies for this side effect, which disproportionately affects female patients.
CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO HOST ANNUAL VIRTUAL IMMUNOTHERAPY PATIENT SUMMIT ON NOVEMBER 11-12, 2022
Free online event for cancer patients and caregivers featuring immunotherapy experts and patient advocates taking place Nov. 11-12, 2022.
Allison Institute establishes internal advisory council of MD Anderson experts
MD Anderson’s James P. Allison institute today announced the establishment of its internal advisory council to provide scientific input and to align the work of the institute with the broader MD Anderson research enterprise.
Study Offers New Hope for Treatment-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have shown that they can circumvent a key mechanism in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and possibly make immunotherapies more effective. By infusing nitric oxide (NO) into animal models, the team shrank tumors and paved the way for potential combination therapies. The study was published in Nature Cell Death & Disease.