Research theme 3
Theme Lead: Dr Claire Roddie (formerly: Professor Karl Peggs)
T-cell therapies
The researchers in this theme applied their in-depth knowledge and experience of the use of unmanipulated donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) both to prevent and treat relapse following stem cell transplants. Whilst the anti-tumour activity of DLIs is well established, Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD) is the major toxic side effect that can be fatal. Separation of GvHD from Graft-versus-Tumour Activity is difficult as they largely depend on the same T-cell receptor (TCR)-mediated recognition of different tissue-specific antigens.
The researchers in this unit significantly advanced CAR T-cell therapy treatments for patients with blood cancers, when their cancer comes back (relapse) after a stem cell transplant or does not respond to available treatments (refractory). They raised understanding about this new treatment in the BBC Two documentary 'War in the Blood' and additional funds for progressing CAR T-cell therapies for blood and other cancers, clinical delivery of these therapies in the NHS and research including the Sir Naim Dangoor Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy at University College London Hospitals. Find out more about UCL CAR T programme
- Read a plain English summary of ALLCAR19 results, a CAR T-cell therapy clinical study for adults with relapsed/refractory B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukeamia final_allcar19_lay_summary_27jul2022.pdf
- Link to the publication of result from the ALLCAR19 study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on 31 August 2021:Durable Responses and Low Toxicity After Fast Off-Rate CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Therapy in Adults With Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Roddie C, Dias J, O'Reilly MA, Abbasian M, Cadinanos-Garai A, Vispute K, Bosshard-Carter L, Mitsikakou M, Mehra V, Roddy H, Hartley JA, Spanswick V, Lowe H, Popova B, Clifton-Hadley L, Wheeler G, Olejnik J, Bloor A, Irvine D, Wood L, Marzolini MAV, Domning S, Farzaneh F, Lowdell MW, Linch DC, Pule MA, Peggs KS. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Oct 20;39(30):3352-3363. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.00917. Epub 2021 Aug 31. PMID: 34464155