A new generation of engineered immune cell destroys cancer cells in mice1 as effectively as conventional CAR-T-cell therapies without suppressing the immune system, a serious side effect. The engineered cells could also be used to treat some people with autoimmune conditions, such as lupus. CAR-T-cell therapy involves tweaking a person's immune cells known as T cells to produce proteins called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). These receptors target antigens on B cells, another type of immune cell, in tumours. Conventionally, this antigen of choice has been the CD19 molecule. Researchers have developed a CAR-T-cell therapy called CART4-34 that targets B cell receptors carrying the gene IGHV4-34 ' thought to be involved in immune responses ' which is found in high levels in cancer cells. The scientists found that CART4-34 therapy was as effective as CD19 CAR-T therapy at destroying cancer cells in genetically modified mice with a cancer called diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The...
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