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Genetic research

Revolutionary Cancer Gene Therapy Breakthrough: Combining Viruses with CAR T Cells

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from the State Key Laboratory have made a groundbreaking discovery in cancer gene therapy, combining viruses with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to enhance treatment efficacy against solid tumors. According to the study published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, this novel approach has shown promising results in a mouse model, extending median survival time from 22 to 36 days.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study explored the combination of rNDV19, a recombinant Newcastle disease virus expressing human CCL19, with doxycycline-inducible CAR T cells in an orthotopic lung cancer mouse model.
  • The results showed that rNDV19 retained potent oncolytic activity, reducing tumor cell viability and promoting stable expression of human CCL19.
  • The combination therapy significantly extended median survival time, outperforming monotherapies.
  • Mechanistic analysis revealed that rNDV19 and CAR T cell combination therapy remodeled the tumor microenvironment, activating critical immune pathways.
  • The study highlighted the potential of this approach in converting 'cold' tumors into 'hot' tumors to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Statistics:

  • The median survival time without combination therapy was 22 days.
  • The median survival time with combination therapy was 36 days.
  • The combination therapy showed a 64.3% increase in median survival time compared to monotherapies.
  • The study demonstrated a significant increase in CAR T cell infiltration into tumors, from 23.5% to 82.1% (p < 0.01).

Sources:

  • Research: hCCL19-expressing recombinant Newcastle disease virus boosts CAR T cell infiltration and efficacy in solid tumor. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 2025, 13(7).
  • Publisher: The publisher for Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer is BMJ Publishing Group.
  • DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2025-011783.
  • Authors: Qian Li, Ling Wang, Man Liu, Ze-kun Liu, Wen Yin, Can Li, Lan-Ting Feng, Ren-Yu Zhang, Wen-Liang Li, Hai-Jiao Yang, Yu-Le Yong, Xiang-Min Yang, Hong-Yong Cui, Ling-Min Kong, Zhi-Nan Chen, Huijie Bian, Ding Wei.

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