Study Finds CAR T-Cell Combinations May Curb Early Spread of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
A preclinical study in Cancer Letters found that pairing targeted treatments with CAR T-cell therapy may help control recurrence in triple-negative breast cancer. In laboratory and mouse models, the approach slowed tumor growth and reduced spread to the lungs and liver.
A new study has revealed a promising new approach to curb the spread of triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of the disease. Published recently in Cancer Letters, the study found pairing targeted treatments with CAR T-cell therapy may help control cancer recurrence when intervention options are otherwise limited. In laboratory and mouse models, the combination slowed tumor growth and reduced the chances of cancer spreading to the lungs and liver.
CAR T-cells are immune cells engineered in the laboratory to recognize and attack cancer. While they have worked well in some blood cancers, success in solid tumors such as breast cancer has been more challenging.
One of the key findings was that CAR T-cells worked best when the remaining cancer burden in distant organs was minimal. This suggests that using CAR T-cell therapy shortly after surgery or radiation may be a promising strategy to prevent cancer recurrence.
The researchers found that radiation therapy may make tumors more vulnerable to CAR T-cells. The study also showed that CAR T-cell therapy was most effective when given after surgical removal of the primary tumor, when only small, hard-to-detect clusters of cancer cells remained.
The researchers also observed that radiation appeared to enhance the effectiveness of CAR T-cell therapy when targeted to metastatic lesions that were unresponsive to immunotherapy. While these findings are from preclinical models, they provide a rationale for carefully designed combination trials in patients with aggressive cancers in the future.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Health grant R03CA256764.