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Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney and the California Institute of Biomedicine (CALIBR) have demonstrated that specially engineered immune cells — known as CAR-T cells — can effectively eliminate pancreatic cancer, including cancer that has spread to other organs. The landmark study was published in the top academic journal Gut.
In the study, the team obtained pancreatic cancer cells from patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and transplanted them into mice to create a realistic model of the disease. They then modified the patients' own immune cells to specifically recognize and attack those cancer cells. When injected into the mice, these CAR-T cells were able to locate all cancer cells in the body, bind to them through surface markers, and destroy them completely — including cells that had already spread to the liver and lungs. The results were striking: cancer cells disappeared entirely in the treated mice, offering a powerful proof of concept for this approach in one of the hardest-to-treat cancers.
Beyond proving the therapy's effectiveness, the research team also introduced an important innovation in how CAR-T cell activity is managed. Using a concept called "switchable CAR-T cells," they separated the process of cancer target recognition from the actual killing of cancer cells into two distinct steps. This gives clinicians a much greater degree of control over the therapy — an important safety consideration, since CAR-T cell treatment is highly potent and must be carefully managed to avoid harming healthy tissue.
Dr. Alexandra Aicher, co-corresponding author from UNSW School of Medicine, emphasized that while CAR-T cell therapy is very powerful, it requires precise manipulation. The team is now seeking funding to advance this therapy toward clinical trials. Professor Chris Heeschen, lead author of the study, noted that the next step will focus on combining CAR-T cells with other treatments to help them reach cancer cells more efficiently — a combination approach that could make this therapy even more effective for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
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About Dr. Nishant Mittal
Dr. Nishant Mittal is a highly accomplished researcher with over 13 years of experience in the fields of cardiovascular biology and cancer research. Significant contributions to stem cell biology, developmental biology, and innovative research techniques mark his career. Research Highlights Dr. Mittal's research has focused on several key areas: 1) Cardio…
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