UCLA scientists turn cord blood into powerful cancer-fighting T cells

UCLA researchers developed ready-made cancer-fighting T cells from cord blood stem cells that can attack solid tumors through two separate detection systems. In mice, a single dose controlled cancer and extended survival while avoiding a dangerous complication associated with donor-derived T-cell therapies. UCLA scientists turn cord blood into powerful cancer-fighting T cells.

UCLA scientists turn cord blood into powerful cancer-fighting T cells Science News from research organizations UCLA scientists turn cord blood into powerful cancer-fighting T cells A new off-the-shelf T-cell therapy made from cord blood stem cells controlled solid tumors in mice while promising faster, cheaper, and potentially safer cancer treatment. The approach resembles CAR T-cell therapy, but there is an important difference. CAR T-cell therapy can recognize proteins that naturally sit on the outside of cancer cells.

It can detect small pieces of proteins that originate inside a cancer cell and are then transported to the cell surface, where they act like identifying tags. That expanded reach could be especially important for treating solid tumors. Many of the molecular changes that make these cells cancerous are found inside the cell rather than on its exterior, putting them beyond the reach of many existing immune therapies.

A Major Bottleneck in T Cell Therapy Despite its potential, TCR therapy faces a major practical obstacle.