Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, on Supporting Translational Cell Therapy Research

This is the fourth part of an interview with Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD. For the first part, click here. For the second part, click here. For the third part, click here.

“...[W]e kept publishing more ways of curing mice, and it looked better, the doses were lower, and all of this—and of all that technology that was described, much of it remarkably elegant, very little of it has seeped into the realm of translational research, into clinical trials, and for better outcomes. That was actually a significant source of frustration for me, because we were doing all of this, and none of it was actually doing what it was intended to do, which was to translate. Translating cell therapy, unlike drugs that can be manufactured en mass, translating cell therapies is an expensive endeavor.”

The chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy products currently approved by the FDA are based on rather dated technology, with the chimeric receptors themselves having been detailed in papers published in 2002 and 2004. Since then, numerous papers have been published describing new innovations and improvements that showed promise in preclinical research. Unfortunately, however, because of the high costs of translational research in cell therapy, comparatively few of these innovations have made their way to the clinic.

In an interview with CGTLive®, Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, the chair of the department of medicine and the deputy director at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, shared his thoughts on the importance of supporting translation research in cell therapy. Brentjens pointed out that clinical trial costs are often in the millions and that there is a lack of sufficient grant support from academic institutions. He noted that when he arrived at Roswell Park in Buffalo, he was drawn by the institution's commitment to advancing cell therapy through philanthropy and infrastructure. Roswell now has the largest academic GMP facility for producing CAR T-cells in the United States.

Brentjens emphasized that progress isn’t about more publications, but about improving real patient outcomes, and that Roswell’s model supports practical, cost-effective clinical translation, turning lab research into treatments. He expressed hope that this approach can help bridge the divide between bench science and bedside care.