"Turning the Tables: Using Cancer Mutations to Target and Destroy Tumors"

Scientists from UC San Francisco and Northwestern University have successfully used a mutation found in cancer cells to enhance CAR-T cell therapy, enabling it to effectively target and destroy solid tumors in mice. By inserting this mutation into CAR-T cells, the researchers created a "Judo T-cell therapy" that can thrive in the harsh conditions of tumor microenvironments. While the approach shows promise, concerns about potential risks, such as the development of secondary cancers, remain. The researchers have founded a startup to further develop this supercharged CAR-T cell therapy, with lung cancer as their initial target for clinical trials.