Scientists design smart immune cells to target childhood brain tumors

Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco have engineered CAR-T cells that remain dormant until they reach the brain, where they activate to destroy tumor cells, News-Medical reported. In animal trials involving mice, these specialized immune cells cleared diffuse midline glioma, a lethal form of childhood brain cancer. [1]

The modified immune cells demonstrated long term durability during testing. News-Medical reported that when scientists introduced a second round of cancer cells several weeks after the initial treatment, the CAR-T cells remained active and continued to fight the tumor cells. [1]

Diffuse midline glioma is exceptionally difficult to treat because it infiltrates the brainstem, an area that controls vital functions including breathing, heartbeat, and swallowing. News-Medical noted that children diagnosed with this form of cancer almost always die within one year of diagnosis. [1]

Wendell Lim serves as the director of the UCSF Cell Design Institute and is the Byers Distinguished Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco. [2]