Activating Metabolic Pathways to Increase the Persistence of Leukemia Targeting T Cells
Institution:
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Researcher(s):
Erica Braverman, MD
Grant Type:
Young Investigator Grants
Type of Childhood Cancer:
Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
Project Description:
The treatment of pediatric cancer requires the use of chemotherapy drugs, which carry a variety of long-term health consequences and are not always successful. New and exciting cancer treatments, known as immunotherapy, are looking to change this by using a patient’s own immune system to fight their cancer. These treatments have the potential to not only be more effective at curing cancer than traditional chemotherapy, but can also achieve a cure without the long-term consequences of chemotherapy. This is especially important in pediatric cancer treatment, where patients have a long life to lead after they are cured. One type of immunotherapy treatment, known as CAR-T cell therapy, has been used in pediatric leukemia with success, although over 1/3 of patients who initially respond to the therapy eventually relapse. CAR-T cell therapy has not been successful in other pediatric cancers, including sarcomas and lymphomas. In studying CAR-T cells, it has become clear that their metabolism, meaning the way in which they use nutrients as fuel to generate energy, significantly impacts their ability to kill cancer cells and remain long-term to prevent relapses. Therefore, uncovering ways to control the metabolic decisions of T cells would go a long way towards improving immunotherapy treatments in pediatric cancers.
Co-funded by:
Northwestern Mutual Foundation