The researchers from Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida have published results identifying the potential target for Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies in solid tumors. The findings have been published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a publication of the American Association of Cancer Research. They have identified a novel potential target for CAR T cells called OR2H1 that inhibits the growth in lung cancer and ovarian tumors. Also, they found that CAR T cells specific to OR2H1 protein did nothing to the healthy cells.
In this study, the team focused the search on group of proteins called alfactory receptors that are expressed in the nose. They discovered that the protein OR2H1 is expressed in a variety of solid tumpr ranging from 4% of colon cancer samples to 69%. They created CAR T cells specific to OR2H1 protein. These cells were able to kill lung cancer cells that expressed OR2H1 and had no effect on the healthy cells. This tumor inhibition was observed in lung cancer mice models with different levels of OR2H1. Their combined data suggested that OR2H1 could be an effective target for CAR T therapies in solid tumors. The objective is to discover a maker produced on tumor cells but not normal cells, and thus reduce the risk of side effects.
Jose Conejo-Garcia, MD, PhD, Chair, Department of Immunology, Moffitt Cancer Center, said, “Our work demonstrates the applicability of this therapy to a wide variety of patients, given the expression of OR2H1 in a subset of solid tumors across multiple histologies, including high-grade serous ovarian cancers, lung carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, prostate cancer and ovarian cancers of multiple other histologies. Targeting a molecule that is not expressed in vital tissues would allow us to further engineer T cells to overcome immunosuppression at tumor beds, if needed.”
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only. You should always consult your healthcare provider for any medical needs.
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