Making CAR T cell therapy safer by 'hiding' DNA code
CAR T cell therapy is ground breaking treatment that uses living immune cells in the bloodstream, that are modified to target cancer cells.
While it is a very successful therapy, it can sometimes cause severe side effects when the CAR T cells release inflammatory chemicals or mistakenly enter organs like the brain. This can lead to distressing symptoms for patients, and is potentially life threatening.
Our mission is to enhance the safety of CAR T cell therapy so patients can benefit from this life-saving therapy with fewer risks.
Our research aims to prevent CAR T cells from producing inflammatory chemicals and the 'keys' that allow them to enter the wrong organ. We are using epigenome editing which essentially 'hides' a short section of DNA from CAR T cells, preventing them from reading the genetic instructions that allow them to enter the brain.
Instead of permanently changing the genetic information (like traditional DNA editing) this innovative approach keeps the DNA intact, but changes how it can be accessed.