CAR T-Cell Therapy: Promising Results Against Small Cell Lung Cancer Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD - Synopsis below extracted from the video transcript.
CAR-T cell therapy has shown promising results in the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a type of aggressive lung cancer. Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, the director of cellular therapeutics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has led a study that demonstrates the effectiveness of this therapy against SCLC.
CAR-T cell therapy involves extracting immune cells from a patient's blood and modifying them in a laboratory to recognize and attack cancer cells. These modified T cells are then infused back into the patient's bloodstream, where they seek out and destroy cancer cells.
Dr. Brentjens and his team conducted a clinical trial using CAR-T cell therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory SCLC. The study included 12 patients, all of whom had previously undergone chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but had relapsed or their cancer had not responded to treatment. The patients received an infusion of CAR-T cells that targeted a protein called DLL3, which is found on the surface of SCLC cells.
The results of the study were promising, with 4 of the 12 patients showing a partial response to the treatment, meaning their tumors had shrunk by at least 30%. In addition, 6 patients showed stable disease, meaning their tumors did not grow while undergoing treatment. The treatment was generally well-tolerated, with no severe side effects reported.
While these results are preliminary and the study was small, they suggest that CAR-T cell therapy may be a viable treatment option for SCLC patients who have relapsed or have not responded to standard treatments. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal dosage and timing of treatment.
In summary, Dr. Brentjens and his team have shown that CAR-T cell therapy targeting DLL3 is a promising treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory SCLC. This therapy has the potential to provide a new avenue for treating this aggressive form of lung cancer.
