Devin Golden

In March 2024, the FDA approved the CAR T-cell therapy lisocabtagene maraleucel (Breyanzi) as a treatment for relapsed or resistant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

In February 2024, the FDA approved a tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy called lifileucel for people with advanced melanoma.

Funding from ACGT will help Chiocca perform FDA-required studies on mice to show the oncolytic virus is safe and can be manufactured for humans. It is the second such grant awarded to Chiocca from ACGT.

ACGT is advancing cell and gene therapy research for pancreatic tumors and other types of cancer.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and thus serves as an additional moment to point to the progress made in cell and gene therapy development, as well as the lingering challenges.

The term “immunotherapy” has quite a wide scope in cancer treatment. A lot of different therapies fall within the umbrella of immunotherapy, and two of the most successful are CAR T-cell therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

The barrier is an essential part of keeping the brain safe, but it also prevents the immune system from eliminating brain cancer tumors.

Crystal Mackall, MD, an Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy scientist, is helping create a remote-control technology to personalize CAR T-cell therapy for each cancer patient.