Administration of TAA- Specific CTL Immunotherapy for Pediatric Solid Tumors
Project Title: Administration of TAA- Specific CTL Immunotherapy for Pediatric Solid Tumors
Researcher(s): Ann Leen, MD; Helen Heslop, MD
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
Study Type: Phase 1 Clinical Trial
Project Summary
The proteins that the investigators targeted in this study are called tumor-
associated antigens (TAAs). These are cell proteins specific to the cancer cell, so they either do not show or show up in low quantities on normal human cells. In this study, the investigators targeted five common TAAs called NY-ESO-1, MAGEA4, PRAME, Survivin, and
SSX.
TAA Specific CTLs (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) have the potential for significant clinical efficacy
for high-risk solid tumors because multi-target engineering can overcome the problem of antigen escape variants.
Impact
This was an immunotherapy treatment using TAA Specific CTLs for children with solid tumors for the first time. Significantly, a patient in this study achieved a complete
response.