| |   | | | An mRNA vaccine could help CAR T-therapies fight solid tumors An mRNA vaccine from BioNTech could help CAR T-cells shrink some solid tumors, a new study presented at the AACR meeting shows. This isn’t, of course, BioNTech’s famous Covid-19 mRNA vaccine. Rather, the company has engineered a vaccine that carries the genetic code for claudin-6, a biomarker commonly found on the surface of testicular, ovarian, and endometrial cancer cells. The mRNA vaccine helps CAR T-cells, which had previously been infused into a patient’s body, see and attack cancer cells. Among the 16 patients treated, 14 were evaluated for efficacy and six saw their tumors shrink or disappear. The work is preliminary but promising; more patients will need to be followed in a larger and longer Phase 2 trial to get a better picture of safety and efficacy. “I was quite skeptical at first because CAR-T therapy hadn’t worked before in solid tumors, so we were very excited to see how the metastases disappeared and the patients improved,” explained the study’s lead author, John Haanen, a cancer immunotherapy researcher at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Read more. | NK cell therapy led to some complete remissions of lymphoma A experimental immunotherapy deploying natural killer cells prompted complete remission in many patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, a study unveiled at the AACR meeting showed. Researchers combined natural killer (NK) cells with an antibody called AFM13 that primed the cells to recognize a protein signature specific to the tumors. The patients in the study had essentially exhausted all other treatment options — “so to see these complete responses and the level of safety is remarkable,” said Yago Nieto, the study’s principal investigator and a professor of medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The NK cells in this study were harvested from banked donor cord blood, and were not genetically manipulated, unlike most other cellular therapies for cancer. Instead, a culture containing these NK cells are infused with the AFM13 antibody, priming them for attack. The study recruited 22 patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and treated them with three different dose levels of the AFM13-NK cell therapy. Overall, 53% showed complete remission, 37% had partial remission, and just 11% had no response. There were no reported immune-related side effects or neurotoxicity. The results are preliminary, of course, but “a great proof of concept,” said a blood cancer physician who reviewed the study at an AACR session. Read more. | “Color Code” Podcast: STAT’s podcast raising the alarm on racial inequities in American health care In this eight-episode podcast, award-winning journalist and host Nicholas St. Fleur weaves together stories and experiences of physicians, patients, historians, and other experts to illuminate the history of racism in the health care system and how it has — and continues to — impact people of color and underserved communities. Add “Color Code” to your STAT podcasts listening list and stream each episode on your preferred platform. Listen now. | pH sensitive micelles may deliver therapy to precise location in tumor Acid levels in the human body are highly regulated. Outside of the gastrointestinal system, the body’s pH is generally quite stable. Cancer, however, can change the acidity of a certain part of the body. Scientists are using this phenomenon to better deliver medications directly to tumors and prevent off-target toxicity. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have developed a nanomaterial to transport payloads to specific cancer sites. These tiny polymer spheres, called micelles, are pH sensitive, and are designed to be activated by the acids produced by tumors. Possible uses include illuminating residual cancer in the operating room and releasing immunotherapy drugs directly into tumors. These nanoparticles are being tested in a Phase 2 trial now. Read more. | The Carlyle Group buys Abingworth One of biotech’s oldest venture firms, Abingworth, is being acquired by private equity giant The Carlyle Group. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Abingworth raised about $1 billion last year for two new funds. It will be merged into Carlyle’s existing health care arm, but day-to-day operations won’t much change, writes STAT’s Kate Sheridan. “We’re not being consumed by a big firm,” managing partner Kurt von Emster told STAT — adding that Abingworth's portfolio companies are generally happy with news of the acquisition. “They view the capabilities that Carlyle brings as a huge advantage to them.” | More reads - The ‘successful failures’ of Apollo 13 and the Covid-19 vaccination effort. (STAT)
- AACR: Amgen fortifies KRAS lung cancer case with 2-year data. (FiercePharma)
| Thanks for reading! Until tomorrow,  | | | |
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