University of North Carolina scientists have engineered immune cells that can destroy acute myeloid leukemia while sparing healthy blood tissue, overcoming a limitation that has plagued standard treatments, which have struggled to separate cancerous cells from normal cells. Immunologist Gianpietro Dotti and hematologist Paul Armistead directed research teams whose work appears in the journal Blood, offering an approach that may expand options for patients battling this deadly disease.
The new immunotherapy involves modifying T cells to recognize and attack leukemia cells specifically, leaving healthy blood cells unharmed. This precision could reduce the severe side effects often associated with current treatments, such as chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants. According to the researchers, the engineered cells target a protein found on the surface of leukemia cells, which is also present on some normal cells. However, the team designed the therapy to be active only in the presence of the leukemia cells, minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Further research could open the door to more advanced and even side-effect-free cancer therapies. Many companies, like Calidi Biotherapeutics Inc. (NYSE American: CLDI), are focused on developing innovative cancer treatments. Calidi Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that uses stem cell-based platforms to deliver oncolytic viruses for cancer therapy.
The study published in Blood demonstrates the potential of this approach in preclinical models. The researchers plan to conduct additional studies to evaluate the therapy's safety and efficacy in humans. If successful, this immunotherapy could become a new standard of care for acute myeloid leukemia, a disease with a five-year survival rate of less than 30%.
Acute myeloid leukemia is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Standard treatments include intensive chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, but these therapies often cause severe side effects and may not be suitable for older patients or those with other health conditions. The new immunotherapy aims to provide a less toxic alternative that can be used in a broader patient population.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and other organizations. The findings represent a significant step forward in the fight against blood cancers, offering hope for more effective and less harmful treatments.
