People with untreatable cancers have had their immune system redesigned to attack their own tumours.
The experimental study involved only 16 patients, but has been called a “leap forward” and a “powerful” demonstration of the potential of such technology.
Each person had a treatment developed just for them, which targeted the specific weak spots in their tumour.
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This is how it works:
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- The researchers scoured patient’s blood for rare T-cells that already had receptors which could sniff out their cancer
- They then harvested other T-cells that could not find the cancer and redesigned them
- Their original receptors, which may find other problems or infections, were replaced with those from the cancer-searching T-cells
- Finally, these modified T-cells were then put back into the patient to seek out the tumour
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The study was designed to test the safety and feasibility of the technology, and showed the modified cells were finding their way into the tumour.
The disease continued to get worse in 11 patients, but stabilised in the other five. However, it will take larger studies to work out the correct dose and how effective it really is.
