A small Phase 1 study of a new type of T-cell immunotherapy has delivered remarkable results for four mesothelioma patients, leading its creators to move forward to Phase 2 testing. The new technology, called TC-210, uses TRuC-T cells instead of CAR-T or other types of immunotherapy.
TCR² Therapeutics Reports Tumor Regression in Mesothelioma Patients
According to researchers from TCR² Therapeutics, their initial patient study of TC-210 yielded tumor regression in all five cancer patients receiving TC-210, four of whom have malignant mesothelioma. The drug fights cancer by restarting the body’s natural killer T-cell response after mesothelin, an antigen linked to mesothelioma tumor spread and growth, has shut it down.
The scientists explain their process as a combination of mesothelioma patients’ blood and TC-210, extracting patient T-cells and combining them with the immunotherapy. The result is a drug that responds to the mesothelin on the surface of patients’ cancer cells in a way that both works better than other immunotherapy approaches and leads to fewer complications.
Phase I Trial Included Four Previously-Treated Mesothelioma Patients
One of the most encouraging aspects of the Phase I clinical trial is the fact that the four mesothelioma patients and one ovarian cancer patient who participated had all been previously – and unsuccessfully – treated for their cancers. The positive response that all five experienced gives significant hope to patients whose cancers had previously seemed intractable.
With the Phase I trial successfully showing either decreases in tumor size or six-month stabilization of tumors with good levels of safety, the scientists from TCR² Therapeutics are ready to move on to Phase II so that they can determine the optimal dose. Speaking of their results, Garry Menzel, PhD, President and CEO of TCR² Therapeutics said, “We are delighted that our very first dose of TC-210 induced consistent tumor regression and clinical benefit in heavily pre-treated cancer patients. There are very few options for patients with solid tumors and those expressing mesothelin represent a significant frontier of unmet medical need.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and would like information on this or any other new therapy, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
