Posted on Dec 13, 2022
CRISPR gene-editing may boost cancer immunotherapy, new study finds
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https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/12/13/ [login to see] /crispr-improves-cancer-immunotherapy-car-t-cell
Katie Pope Kopp went through round after round of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to treat her non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But nothing could beat it.
"I went back to get a PET scan in May of 2020, and that's when they found that my non-Hodgkin's had blown back up, which was very disappointing," says Kopp, 64, of Parkville, Mo. She was originally diagnosed five years ago.
Victor Bartolome suffered through decades of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, too, to keep his blood cancer at bay. Eventually, his doctors told him he had run out of options.
"That was devastating. Imagine having what you think is your last hope pulled out from under you," says Bartolome, 74, of Santa Barbara, Calif.
But then Kopp and Bartolome heard about something new: In the last few years, some doctors have started using the gene-editing technique CRISPR to try to modify cells of the immune system to treat cancers like theirs.
Kopp jumped at the chance to volunteer for a study testing the approach, even though she says she's a tarot card reader who long relied on homeopathy instead of mainstream medicine.
Katie Pope Kopp went through round after round of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to treat her non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But nothing could beat it.
"I went back to get a PET scan in May of 2020, and that's when they found that my non-Hodgkin's had blown back up, which was very disappointing," says Kopp, 64, of Parkville, Mo. She was originally diagnosed five years ago.
Victor Bartolome suffered through decades of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, too, to keep his blood cancer at bay. Eventually, his doctors told him he had run out of options.
"That was devastating. Imagine having what you think is your last hope pulled out from under you," says Bartolome, 74, of Santa Barbara, Calif.
But then Kopp and Bartolome heard about something new: In the last few years, some doctors have started using the gene-editing technique CRISPR to try to modify cells of the immune system to treat cancers like theirs.
Kopp jumped at the chance to volunteer for a study testing the approach, even though she says she's a tarot card reader who long relied on homeopathy instead of mainstream medicine.
CRISPR gene-editing may boost cancer immunotherapy, new study finds
Posted from npr.org
Cancer
Medical
Health
Technology
Science
Posted >1 y ago
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Good! We need all help in the world to find somethings that's validated to cure cancer!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Drawbacks to 'off-the-shelf' CAR T-cell treatments remain
But not all researchers are as enthusiastic about the promise of off-the-shelf CAR T-cell treatments. Some point out that this version of the more generic therapy doesn't appear to last as long, and may not be as effective, as the original versions, which rely on a patient's own cells.
"That's kind of like the main problem we have here. It is faster. It is more convenient logistically. Perhaps less expensive. But then you have a fundamental issue of persistence," says Dr. James Kochenderfer, who is doing similar research at the National Cancer Institute. "That's a fundamental problem that you cannot completely overcome, no matter what you do."
Dr. Michel Sadelain at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York agrees with Kochenderfer that there's room for improvement.
"The results so far are encouraging," Sadelain says. "However, the rate of responses is not as good as you obtain with a patient's own cells. So we need further investigation."
McGuirk and others acknowledge that more research is needed involving more patients to figure out just how well the off-the-shelf approach works, how long it lasts, and how to make the cells last longer and work better.
"When you consider the overwhelming number of these patients would have died, that's a big advance," McGuirk says. "None of us are satisfied with that. We need to do better, better better."
For example, he says, some of the shortcomings might be overcome by giving patients more than one infusion.
For their part, Kopp and Bartolome are thrilled.
Kopp's been in remission for more than two years.
"You know, I've been a homeopathic all my life, pretty much, and now I joke ... 'I'm genetically modified,' " Kopp says. "But this little vial of cells can change my life? Wow. Just, truly, medical miracle."
Victor and Barbara Bartolome in Santa Barbara on Thanksgiving Day. A former pro basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, Victor volunteered for a study testing CRISPR's capacity to help fight cancer. He says he'll never forget the day, more than a year ago, when doctors told him they could no longer find any trace of the malignancy in his body.
Victor and Barbara Bartolome in Santa Barbara on Thanksgiving Day. A former pro basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, Victor volunteered for a study testing CRISPR's capacity to help fight cancer. He says he'll never forget the day, more than a year ago, when doctors told him they could no longer find any trace of the malignancy in his body.
Bartolome say he'll never forget the day the doctors told him they couldn't find a trace of cancer in his body. That was more than a year ago.
"It was a life-changing event. And I was bubbling up inside, that's for sure," he says. "That was a great day. And every day since then I just thank my lucky stars."
..."Drawbacks to 'off-the-shelf' CAR T-cell treatments remain
But not all researchers are as enthusiastic about the promise of off-the-shelf CAR T-cell treatments. Some point out that this version of the more generic therapy doesn't appear to last as long, and may not be as effective, as the original versions, which rely on a patient's own cells.
"That's kind of like the main problem we have here. It is faster. It is more convenient logistically. Perhaps less expensive. But then you have a fundamental issue of persistence," says Dr. James Kochenderfer, who is doing similar research at the National Cancer Institute. "That's a fundamental problem that you cannot completely overcome, no matter what you do."
Dr. Michel Sadelain at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York agrees with Kochenderfer that there's room for improvement.
"The results so far are encouraging," Sadelain says. "However, the rate of responses is not as good as you obtain with a patient's own cells. So we need further investigation."
McGuirk and others acknowledge that more research is needed involving more patients to figure out just how well the off-the-shelf approach works, how long it lasts, and how to make the cells last longer and work better.
"When you consider the overwhelming number of these patients would have died, that's a big advance," McGuirk says. "None of us are satisfied with that. We need to do better, better better."
For example, he says, some of the shortcomings might be overcome by giving patients more than one infusion.
For their part, Kopp and Bartolome are thrilled.
Kopp's been in remission for more than two years.
"You know, I've been a homeopathic all my life, pretty much, and now I joke ... 'I'm genetically modified,' " Kopp says. "But this little vial of cells can change my life? Wow. Just, truly, medical miracle."
Victor and Barbara Bartolome in Santa Barbara on Thanksgiving Day. A former pro basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, Victor volunteered for a study testing CRISPR's capacity to help fight cancer. He says he'll never forget the day, more than a year ago, when doctors told him they could no longer find any trace of the malignancy in his body.
Victor and Barbara Bartolome in Santa Barbara on Thanksgiving Day. A former pro basketball player for the Golden State Warriors, Victor volunteered for a study testing CRISPR's capacity to help fight cancer. He says he'll never forget the day, more than a year ago, when doctors told him they could no longer find any trace of the malignancy in his body.
Bartolome say he'll never forget the day the doctors told him they couldn't find a trace of cancer in his body. That was more than a year ago.
"It was a life-changing event. And I was bubbling up inside, that's for sure," he says. "That was a great day. And every day since then I just thank my lucky stars."
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