Immunotherapy News and Research

Latest Immunotherapy News and Research

Researchers engineer probiotics to safely deliver immunotherapies to tumors

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have engineered probiotics to safely deliver immunotherapies within tumors.

12 Feb 2020

NETRF announces $3.5 million in research grants to improve neuroendocrine tumor treatment

The Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation, Boston, MA, today announced $3.5 million in neuroendocrine tumor research grants to fund 12 projects around the world in pursuit of more precise treatments for this uncommon cancer affecting an estimated 171,000 Americans.

12 Feb 2020

New technique may yield insights on the immune response to intestinal parasite infections

A new technique may help scientists study the body's immune response to intestinal parasite infections one gut cell at a time, according to a study published today in eLife.

11 Feb 2020

New summary report highlights advances and challenges in small cell lung cancer research

In 2017, a group of lung cancer experts posed the question: "Can recent advances in tumor biology that have led to progress treating non-small cell lung cancer translate into improved outcomes for small cell lung cancer?"

10 Feb 2020

Research reveals novel way to treat cancers using CAR T cell therapy

Too many patients with cancers like multiple myeloma relapse after treatment. This grim reality motivated researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah to try to improve the depth and durability of treatment response in multiple myeloma through a new cancer cell targeting mechanism.

10 Feb 2020

CRISPR-edited immune cells can be safely given to cancer patients

The emergence of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology has spurred hope in both doctors and patients since it shows promise in treating a multitude of diseases, including cancer. For the first time in the United States, a team of scientists has shown that CRISPR-edited immune cells can be safely used to cancer patients.

9 Feb 2020

Powerful vaccine could boost the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy

Supercharging the mutation rate in cancer cells can create a powerful vaccine that is able to boost the effectiveness of immunotherapy, a major new study reports.

9 Feb 2020

Researchers discover new approach to make tumors sensitive to immunotherapy

A cancer tumor's ability to mutate allows it to escape from chemotherapy and other attempts to kill it. So, encouraging mutations would not be a logical path for cancer researchers.

7 Feb 2020

New plant-based drug shown to help patients with head and neck cancers

In a UCLA-led phase I clinical trial, a new plant-based drug called APG-157 showed signs of helping patients fight oral and oropharyngeal cancers. These cancers are located in the head and the neck.

5 Feb 2020

Cancer deaths down by 29 percent over last two decades

The American Cancer Society reports that cancer deaths in the United States have decreased by as much as 29 percent between 1991 and 2017, thanks to early detection and treatment advances.

5 Feb 2020

Research shows new ways to curb the development anti-cancer therapy resistance

Research by Professor Yuval Shaked of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology presents new ways to curb the development anti-cancer therapy resistance, a phenomenon that is detrimental to the efficacy of existing cancer treatments.

5 Feb 2020

FDA-approved OIT product marks major milestone in management of peanut allergies

In February 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Palforzia, the first peanut powder product designed to help reduce the risk of severe peanut-induced allergic reactions through desensitization over time.

4 Feb 2020

Researchers develop an emergency stop switch for CAR T-cell therapies

Immunotherapy, unlike chemotherapy and radiotherapy, arms the body's immune system to attack cancer cells. In recent years, it has proven to be remarkably successful at treating leukemia, lymphoma and other liquid cancers, or cancers present in body fluids.

4 Feb 2020

Liquid biopsy independently associated with melanoma relapse, study shows

A study at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center showed that circulating tumor cells, a form of liquid biopsy, was independently associated with melanoma relapse, suggesting CTC assessment may be useful in identifying patients at risk for relapse who could benefit from more aggressive therapy following primary treatment.

4 Feb 2020

Ludwig Cancer Research study develops a safer CAR-T therapy

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has devised a new type of chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cell - a family of promising immunotherapies for cancer- that can be switched on and off on demand.

3 Feb 2020

Researchers develop novel therapeutic approach to cure chronic hepatitis B

Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the German Center for Infection Research have developed a novel therapeutic approach to cure chronic hepatitis B.

3 Feb 2020

HIV antibody therapy improves immune function

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine in February 2020 reports that the administration of neutralizing antibodies against HIV improve the recipient’s specific T cell responses against the virus.

3 Feb 2020

New, highly potent HIV antibody restricts development of viral resistance

Antiretroviral drugs are the gold standard for the treatment of HIV infection. They are highly effective in suppressing replication of the virus but require lifelong daily application and can be associated with side effects.

31 Jan 2020

New combination treatment could help fight advanced melanoma

A study by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that using an immunotherapy drug called NKTR-214, also known as bempegaldesleukin, in combination with an infusion of anti-tumor immune cells, or T cells, may produce a stronger immune response that could help fight advanced melanoma.

31 Jan 2020

New discovery could enable scientists to fine-tune activity of cancer-killing immune cells

A discovery by University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers could allow scientists to fine-tune genetically engineered immune cells to heighten their killing power against tumors or to decrease their activity level in the case of severe side effects.

31 Jan 2020