Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy’s revered Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) held its annual meeting on January 28, 2022. SAC members discussed the past, present and future of cancer cell and gene therapy, including the best ways for the Alliance to leverage its fundraising efforts to advance the very best research in the field. 

The SAC, along with ACGT board members and Fellows, heard presentations on CAR T-cell therapy for pediatric cancers and glioblastoma from Drs. Crystal Mackall (Stanford University) and Christine Brown (City of Hope), an update on ACGT-funded research into targeting macrophages for lung and ovarian cancer from Dr. Brian Brown (Mount Sinai) and held a robust discussion on the pros and cons of autologous and allogeneic product development led by Dr. Carl June (University of Pennsylvania) and Chen Schor (ACGT board member and CEO of Adicet Bio). 

Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy published a more in-depth recap of the meeting. 

Historic news: First cell therapy approved in the US for a solid-tumor cancer. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made history at the end of January with the first approval in the US of a cell therapy for any type of solid tumor cancer. The FDA approved a T-cell receptor therapy (KIMMTRAK®) for uveal melanoma, a rare cancer occurring in the eye.

This is the first therapy approved for uveal melanoma and the first engineered T-cell receptor approved by the FDA for any type of malignancy.

Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy has an explanation of how T-cell receptor therapy works, along with why this type of cell and gene therapy might be more effective than CAR T-cell therapies at treating solid tumors, like glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer. 

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In the news

The latest from around the cancer cell and gene therapy research world

Carl June, MD, ACGT Scientific Advisor reports on 10-year survival data from first CAR T patients, “We can now conclude that CAR T cells can actually cure patients.” 

Barbara Lavery, Chief Program Officer, will join a panel at the BIO CEO Investor conference on February 16 to discuss challenges in bringing gene therapies to patients. 

ImmPACT Bio, a company with technology based on the work of pioneering scientist and ACGT Fellow Yvonne Chen, PhD, raised $111 million in Series B funding.