University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Researchers have identified a target that may improve the response of CAR T-cell therapy, a treatment for patients with recurrent or difficult to treat blood cancers.

In a recent study published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, scientists found increased survival and tumor-fighting activity in lab and animal models when they blocked a specific protein in the modified cells.

Patients with relapsed multiple myeloma lived significantly longer without disease progression and showed early survival gains in a global phase 3 trial of a talquetamab-based immunotherapy combo, offering new hope for improved treatment outcomes.

Prostate-targeted, engineered nanoparticles made of amorphous silica are effective in killing prostate tumors directly while enhancing anti-tumor immunity, according to a preclinical study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering. The particles, derived from silicon dioxide, a common component of healthy foods or fossilized sedimentary structures from single-celled organisms, induced several complete remissions of aggressive tumors in mouse models, supporting the further investigation of their use in clinical trials.

New research in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that small, targeted prompts delivered to cancer patients and providers at the right moment can significantly increase the number of serious illness conversations that take place.