Cell Therapy News | Science News

Dual Epitope Anti-LILRB4 Synthetic T Cell Receptor and Antigen Receptor (STAR)-T Cell Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

June 8, 2026

[Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy] Researchers developed a synthetic T cell receptor and antigen receptor-T (STAR-T) cell therapy targeting leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B4 (LILRB4), an immunosuppressive receptor highly expressed on monocytic acute myeloid leukemia blasts but not on hematopoietic stem cells.

Hallmarks and Correlates of Effective Adoptive Cell Immunotherapy for Cancer

June 8, 2026

[Nature Reviews Immunology] Scientists highlight emerging correlates of response to adoptive cell transfer and novel strategies that integrate tumor immunology, cancer genomics, computational biology, and T cell engineering for the development of next-generation cellular immunotherapies.

Antigen-Boosted CD4CAR T Cells Fail to Expand or Control Viremia in Multiple Nonhuman Primate Models of HIV

June 8, 2026

[Blood] Investigators tested a broad array of strategies to enhance CD4CAR T-cell efficacy, including CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing of immune checkpoint and HIV-associated genes, single and pooled competitive infusions of engineered CAR T cells, distinct CAR constructs incorporating either CD28 or 4-1BB costimulatory domains, and exogenous antigen boosting.

FOXM1-Specific TCR-Engineered T Cells Target Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

June 8, 2026

[Cancer Immunology Research] Researchers evaluated the immunogenicity of Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) and investigated the feasibility of targeting this transcription factor using T-cell receptor (TCR) engineering.

UM Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center Is First in Region to Offer Innovative Cell Therapy for Synovial Sarcoma

June 8, 2026

[UMGCCC] The University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) is the first in the Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington D.C. region to offer a cell therapy treatment for patients with synovial sarcoma.

CCL19-Armed Oncolytic Adenovirus Synergizes with CCR7-Expressing CAR-T Cells to Suppress Ovarian Tumor Growth

June 8, 2026

[International Immunopharmacology] Scientists engineered a CCL19-armed oncolytic adenovirus to enhance the recruitment of CAR-T cells to tumor sites. In vitro, activated CAR-T cells exhibited elevated CCR7 expression, which began to decline after day nine under continuous culture conditions.

OriCell’s GPC3 CAR-T Receives NMPA Clearance for Confirmatory Phase II Trial in Late-Line Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

June 8, 2026

[OriCell Therapeutics ] OriCell Therapeutics Holdings Limited announced that its proprietary GPC3-targeted autologous CAR-T therapy, Ori-C101, has received clearance from China's National Medical Products Administration to proceed into a confirmatory Phase II clinical trial in patients with GPC3-positive advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Engagement of the TCR against an Oncolytic Virus Generates a Population of Effector CAR T Cells with Potent Antitumor Activity

June 8, 2026

[Science Advances] Researchers showed that engaging the CAR T cell endogenous T cell receptor (TCR) using an oncolytic virus enhances CAR T cell functionality, durability, and therapy. Upon combination therapy of solid tumors with CAR T cells and vesicular stomatitis virus, a subpopulation of antiviral, TCR-primed CAR T cells is generated with enhanced effector functions when compared to non–TCR-primed CAR T cells.

Designing T-Cell Engagers: Trade-Offs Between Activity and Safety

June 5, 2026

[Protein & Cell] Scientists analyze principal T cell engager design strategies, examining their respective strengths, limitations, and interdependencies.

Exploring CAR Cell Therapies Beyond CAR-T for Myeloid Malignancies

June 5, 2026

[Journal of Biomedical Science] The authors highlight the challenges of applying conventional CAR-T cells to myeloid malignancies, examine emerging alternative CAR-cell platforms, and discuss how their unique biology and engineering strategies may provide safer, more effective, and more accessible therapeutic options for patients with these difficult-to-treat cancers.

Coexpression of IL15 Promotes Effector Differentiation and Sustained Proliferative Capacity in ALPPL2-Specific Human CAR T Cells

June 5, 2026

[Cancer Immunology Research] Scientists reported a CAR construct (ABBz) assembled from human sequences including a single-chain variable fragment specific to alkaline phosphatase, placental-like 2 (ALPPL2). ABBz CAR T cells had robust antitumor activity, which was further enhanced through IL15 coexpression, resulting in NK-like effector differentiation with increased cytotoxicity.

Hallmarks and Correlates of Effective Adoptive Cell Immunotherapy for Cancer

June 3, 2026

[Nature Reviews Immunology] Scientists highlight emerging correlates of response to adoptive cell transfer and novel strategies that integrate tumor immunology, cancer genomics, computational biology, and T cell engineering for the development of next-generation cellular immunotherapies.