A research team from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, in collaboration with City of Hope, has found a promising way to adapt CAR T cell therapy so that it can fight solid tumors. The researchers engineered CAR T cells to produce a fusion of two proteins: interleukin 12 (IL-12) cytokine, which boosts immune activity, and a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocker, an immune checkpoint inhibitor that prevents cancer cells from turning off the immune attack. In mouse models of prostate and ovarian cancer, the modified CAR T cells launched a localized attack, shrinking the tumor without causing toxicity in other parts of the body. The results were just published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. The approach enhanced the ability of T cells to penetrate tumors and made the surrounding environment less hostile. It was also safe, with minimal toxicity elsewhere in the body, making it an attractive therapy to translate to patients.

People may be more likely to resolve a problem if they feel they have more control over it, according to a new study from a team including researchers at Penn State. They also found that the relationship strengthens with age.