immunotherapy

immunotherapy

immunotherapy

Questions and Answers about CAR-T Cell Treatments and the Risk of Secondary Tumors

The regulatory agencies for medicines in the United States and Europe have issued statements informing about a possible risk of developing certain types of tumors following CAR-T cell immunotherapy treatment. What do we know so far? What is the real risk? Does the benefit-risk balance still hold? Has anything changed after these alerts? We answer these questions with expert opinions and the data currently available. 

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Two clinical trials test immunomodulator to improve cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy, and in particular the so-called checkpoint inhibitors, have improved the prognosis of several types of tumours. However, they are not effective in everyone. Two early-stage clinical trials have tested the addition of a type of immunomodulator to this therapy in patients with lung cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma, with apparent good results. The results are published in the journal Science.  

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Secondary tumours caused by CAR-T cell therapy very rare, study finds

CAR-T cell therapies may, in some cases, produce tumours secondary to treatment. A few months ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was assessing this risk. Now, a study conducted at Stanford University Medical Center (USA) has tracked 724 patients who received this type of treatment since 2016. Of these, 14 developed another blood tumour, but only one was a T-cell lymphoma that could be a direct consequence of the therapy. Further analysis ruled out this link. The results are published in the journal NEJM

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Reactions: New generation of T-cells against myeloma more effective in the lab than traditional CAR-Ts

A multidisciplinary study involving several Spanish research groups has preclinically tested a new type of immunotherapy for multiple myeloma. Instead of modifying T cells to attack the tumour directly, as CAR-T cells do, they have managed to make them secrete bispecific antibodies, which bind to the tumour on one side and to other T cells on the other, attracting them to the tumour. According to the authors, this cell therapy was more effective than traditional CAR-Ts and could generate less resistance. The results are published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. 

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Reaction: FDA launches investigation into possible increased risk of developing certain tumours with CAR-T therapies

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement reporting that it has received reports of T-cell tumours in patients who received various CAR-T cell treatments. As quoted in the statement, "although the overall benefits of these products continue to outweigh their potential risks for their approved uses, FDA is investigating the identified risk of T cell malignancy with serious outcomes, including hospitalization and death, and is evaluating the need for regulatory action".

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Cancer vaccines: what they are, what they aren't and where we are now

News of cancer vaccines proliferate in the media, yet only one such vaccine has been approved - against metastatic prostate cancer - and is no longer in use. However, only one as such has been approved - against metastatic prostate cancer - and it is no longer in use. Are the attention and hopes justified? What do they consist of and how are they similar to traditional ones? Are they preventive or therapeutic? Can they be universal or will they be extremely personalised? How much will they cost? This is what we know today.

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Reactions to trial using CAR-T cells prepared from donors to treat multiple myeloma

Approved therapies to treat various tumours using CAR-T cells are based on the modification of the patient's own lymphocytes in the laboratory, which delays their administration. A phase 1 clinical trial has used ready-made donor cells to treat patients with multiple myeloma. The results are published in the journal Nature Medicine.

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Reactions: two studies add circuitry to CAR-T cells to improve immunotherapy

Two preclinical studies published in the journal Science have introduced new bioengineered modifications to CAR-T cells in an attempt to make them more potent and safer in their anti-tumour action. These variations allow their activity to be enhanced only in the vicinity of the tumour or their actions to be regulated on demand.

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