Scientists uncover how cells surrounding primary liver tumors may help fuel cancer

Scientists have developed a new method for producing T cells that can effectively fight solid tumors without the risks associated with currently available therapies. Currently, T cell receptor (TCR) therapy, which reprograms immune cells to target cancer, is only effective against cancer cells that display certain proteins on their surface.

However, a significant number of solid tumors hide these proteins inside themselves, making TCR therapy less effective. The new approach, called AlloESO-T cells, overcomes this limitation by using stem cells from donated cord blood to produce T cells that recognize proteins found inside many solid tumors. This early-stage engineering prevents the development of the cells' natural receptors, ensuring they all target the same tumor protein.

To further improve the therapy, the engineered T cells also carry natural killer cell receptors, which can detect stress signals on tumor cells, providing an additional way to target cancer cells. In preclinical studies, AlloESO-T cells showed significant promise in mice with ovarian and melanoma cancers. A single dose of these engineered cells led to durable tumor control, extended survival, and minimal side effects, unlike conventional therapies that caused dangerous graft-versus-host disease.

Moreover, the AlloESO-T cells were able to multiply rapidly and remain active for weeks, while the other cells spread to healthy organs and triggered toxicity. The researchers estimate that this platform could make T-cell therapies more accessible and affordable, generating trillions of cells from a small number of cord blood stem cells within six weeks for an estimated $5,000 per dose.

This new approach could bring TCR therapy closer to becoming a standard treatment for many more patients with solid tumors.