Why is this significant?

CAR-T cell therapy reprograms the bodies immune system to attack tumor cells[2]. CAR-T cell therapy has been more limited in solid tumors than in hematological tumors, because CAR-T cells return to the bloodstream and lymphatic system, so they have more contact with blood tumor cells. Additionally, most of the proteins present on solid tumors that could be used as targets are also found at low levels on normal cells, making it difficult to spare healthy cells.

Why Could this Impact Care?

In a study by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published in Science Advances, researchers applied a special gel containing human CAR T cells to surgical wounds in mice following partial tumor removal. They found that in almost all cases, the CAR T cells apparently eliminated the residual tumor cells—allowing the mice to survive when they otherwise would have succumbed to tumor recurrence. This pre-clinical study demonstrated the potential impact of CAR T cell therapy to enhance the effectiveness of surgery for solid tumors for curative treatment[1].