BYU Researchers’ MOTO-CAR Cancer Therapy Cuts Tumors in Mice
Brigham Young University researchers say MOTO-CAR, an engineered immune-cell therapy, cut tumor size by up to 46% in mice and wiped out 90% of lung cancer cells in a lab study. Human trials need more funding and work first.
Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah have developed an experimental immune-cell therapy called MOTO-CAR that cut tumor sizes by up to 46% in mice, in what the university describes as a cancer breakthrough. BYU researchers say the work is still preclinical, meaning it has not yet been tested in people.
The technology genetically engineers macrophages, immune cells that can enter solid tumors. The modified cells recognize cancer markers, attack tumor cells and activate other immune cells to join the fight.
According to a university news release, the approach could lead to treatments for "difficult-to-cure cancers," including glioblastoma, triple-negative breast cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Results so far
Lead researcher Kim O'Neill, a BYU professor of microbiology and molecular biology, said one in vitro (lab dish) study showed a 90% reduction in aggressive lung cancer cells within 24 hours. In another study, a single treatment regimen reduced tumor sizes in mice by up to 46%.
The results have not yet been formally published, according to the release, in order to protect the patent process.
If it works, O'Neill said, the treatment would be efficient and far more cost-effective than current options.
How a patient would be treated
Researchers expect the process to begin with a biopsy of the tumor to identify the cancer type and its biomarkers. A treatment team would then select a "pre-engineered MOTO-CAR therapeutic." After approval, a clinician would most likely give it through a simple infusion.
Patients could expect flu-like symptoms around the third and fourth day. By days 14 to 28, the immune system would ideally be in full force against the tumor.
Funding and timeline
The release said further work and funding are needed before human clinical trials can begin. BYU patents have been issued and transferred through a licensing agreement to Thunder Biotech, a partner company O'Neill founded in 2016.
O'Neill said that if all goes to plan and the Food and Drug Administration signs off, MOTO-CAR could become a cancer-treatment option in fewer than five years.
The research is personal for him. Both of his parents died of cancer, he told The Salt Lake Tribune. "A lot of my friends have cancer," O'Neill said. "I know there's a lot of people out there with cancer, and we're doing all we can to get this into the hands of the right people that will get this on the market."
"We've had many roadblocks and got over them, and I feel confident that we're on the right trail," he said. "Whether it's us [who discovers a cure] or somebody else, I believe that immunotherapy is in the future for cancer patients."
