Designer Immune Cells Made From Patients’ Own Blood Spurs Cancer Remission

By Elizabeth Lopatto - Aug 10, 2011

Two leukemia patients were cancer- free in three weeks after being treated with genetically engineered versions of their own immune cells, an early finding that could lead to a new approach for treating the blood cancer.

The trial of three patients showed that researchers could reprogram enough infection-fighting T-cells to wipe out malignant cells. The procedure also stimulated cells that defend against the cancer’s return, according to papers published today in Science Translational Medicine and the New England Journal of Medicine.

The results may point researchers to a new way to cure chronic lymphocytic leukemia, researchers said. The only method for achieving remission is a bone marrow transplant, which carries a 20 percent death risk and offers a cure half the time, said Carl June, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a study author.

“In a way, this is like a bone marrow transplant where the patient is the donor,” June said in a telephone interview. “This might make treatment more widely available with less long-term toxicity.”

The third patient was in partial remission and has remained there for seven months, the study showed. All of the patients had previously been treated with cancer drugs such as Biogen Idec Inc.’s and Roche Holding AG’s Rituxan, and Sanofi’s Campath.

About 14,990 new cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia were diagnosed in 2010, and about 4,390 people died from the blood cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Reprogrammed T-Cells
From the blood of the three patients, scientists extracted T-cells, white blood cells that attack and destroy infectious invaders. Using a genetic-engineering technique, the researchers reprogrammed the T-cells to specifically target the leukemia cells. The T-cells were also instructed to divide in the presence of the cancer, a feat that previously had been difficult to achieve in other attempts to modify T-cells, the study said. That allowed the modified T cells to build an army to destroy the cancer.

“This is pretty cool,” said David Steensma, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He wasn’t involved in the study. The army of T-cells “not only has attacked and cleared the field but it’s also set up a patrol to make sure the enemy doesn’t come back.”

Still in Remission
When the white blood cells were returned to the patients, they experienced “the worst flu of their lives,” said June. The patients experienced fevers, chills, nausea and diarrhea -- signs that the new T-cells were working. One patient developed a disorder that makes it difficult for the immune system to make antibodies.

At 28 days after the first infusion, the cancer was undetectable. The patients have remained in remission so far.

“You have to be careful using the word ‘cure’ because we’re looking at a few patients,” said Richard Winnecker, the vice president of research for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He wasn’t involved in the study. “We need to be careful until there’s more data, but this looks really encouraging.”

The results suggest a similar technique could be used in other cancers, such as lung and ovarian cancer, myeloma and melanoma, according to the papers.

The method also stimulates so-called memory T-cells, which may help protect patients against the cancer’s return, the studies said.

Other Cancers
June is testing the same technique in other cancers, targeting proteins in pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma, he said. Other groups are testing in prostate cancer and brain cancer.

The technique isn’t yet commercial, June said. He owns patents on the method.

“I want to make sure it gets FDA-approved, so there has to be a company involved,” June said. “It’s at an early stage so we’ll see what the industry does, whether we’ll work with an existing company or a new start-up, I don’t know yet.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Lopatto in New York at elopatto@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net.

This is fascinating and very encouraging. Saw it on the news tonight. I find it interesting, however, that in this article, they leave out the fact that it is genetically altered HIV virus that they used.

Very interesting.

I lost my mother to cancer August 5 after a short 3 month battle with the disease.

As someone told me at her service yesterday, "With all the strains and types of cancer it will take years to find a cure for them all." I had no choice but to agree with that.

The sad thing is, I had a friend who went through this procedure 4 years ago. It worked great. The "doctor" who performed it knew it would. It has been used for other purposes too that we would like to see done. Amazing, that it takes so long to get to the general public.

This is indeed good news. I hope it can be used for other types of cancer as well and the scourge will eventually be over.
Norm

Good news for sure, hope it works out in the long run. Luke-sorry for your loss, I lost my dad to cancer 2 years ago August 7th, also after a 3 month battle. It's a tough thing to see a loved one go through.

Dr. Danial Denny discovered this back in '09 he was a research DR. at Stanford Medical School and my friend and tenant. Not one penny from the American Cancer Society. Or any other non profit organization. He had to fight the FDA,CDC and every other federal agency to get his process approved.

Finally we are on the brink of a Cancer solution... Lost my Mom to Colin cancer in '95. Trust me it has been an unbelievable fight!

Sorry, I should have said 1999!

Luke -- Please accept my condolences on the loss of your Mother.

I lost my Mom to cancer in 1983 at age 60, and my Dad in 1990 at age 67. I figured that by the time I would need to worry about it, a cure would have been found. It's now 2011 and I'm 66. This news is very encouraging. Thanks for posting it, Ralph; I'm sure it's of great interest to most of us old farts.

I have also heard that the same or similar procedure might be effective against other known prominent diseases. I hope it all works out.