Gene edits boost immune cells' ability to penetrate solid tumors, study finds

A recent study has found that genetic modifications to CAR-T immune cells can enhance their ability to penetrate and attack solid tumors, potentially addressing one of the main challenges associated with this type of immunotherapy.

Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California, San Francisco conducted experiments on mice, discovering that disabling the genes GNAS and P2RY8 in immune cells improved their ability to reach tumors and maintain their anti-cancer activity.

The results showed that disabling the P2RY8 gene increased the accumulation of immune cells within tumors, while disabling GNAS led to higher production of interferon-gamma and reduced the T cells' response to inhibitory signals released by the tumor microenvironment, according to the journal Nature.

The study noted that CAR-T therapy has achieved significant success in certain blood cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, but its effectiveness remains limited against solid tumors such as lung, pancreatic, ovarian, colon, and breast cancers.

The researchers also used a large-scale platform based on CRISPR technology to study the impact of genetic modifications in human immune cells within a living organism.

The researchers believe this platform could help identify new genetic modifications, paving the way for more effective immunotherapies targeting solid tumors.