Two studies out of Rutgers Cancer Institute and RWJBarnabas Health, both based in New Brunswick, N.J., show the potential for novel T-cell therapies to successfully achieve remission and tumor regression among patients with HPV-related cancers.
Both studies were led by Christian Hinrichs, MD, co-director of the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute and chief of the section of cancer immunotherapy, according to a Nov. 7 news release from Rutgers Cancer Institute.
One study found “encouraging interim results” from a phase 2 clinical trial using genetically engineered T cells to target a specific oncoprotein in patients with metastatic HPV-associated cancers. Six out of 10 patients in the trial achieved “substantial tumor shrinkage.” Two of those six experienced complete tumor regression that has remained ongoing at 11 and 12 months, the release said.
The other study reported that two patients with metastatic cervical cancer have remained in complete remission for 10 years following a single infusion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy.
The study “represents the strongest evidence-to-date that cellular therapy can produce long-term, potentially curative responses in epithelial cancers, the most common type of malignancy,” the release said.
Read more about each study’s findings here.
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