Engineering a Cancer Specific 3rd Generation CAR Immunotherapy

Authors

Josie Tueller, Brigham Young University
K. Scott Weber, Brigham Young University

Keywords

cancer-specific immunotheraphy, chimeric antigen receptor, CAR

College

Life Sciences

Department

Microbiology and Molecular Biology

Abstract

This project aimed to develop a cancer-specific immunotherapy that will target and destroy cancer cells without killing healthy cells. Current cancer treatments struggle to successfully target cancer cells and commonly target all rapidly dividing cells (both healthy and cancerous). Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapy aims to harness T cells, the body’s natural defense system, to fight cancer by giving T cells via molecular engineering a non-native protein which targets cancer. We successfully produced a T cell that can effectively kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells untouched while minimizing the toxic side effects normally experienced by patients. Future steps involve characterizing the metabolism of CAR T cells in order to understand the potentially life-saving differences. This cancer-targeting immune cell will have important implications for understanding cancer immunology and the development of CAR immunotherapies.

Recommended Citation

Tueller, Josie and Weber, K. Scott (2018) "Engineering a Cancer Specific 3rd Generation CAR Immunotherapy," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2018: Iss. 1, Article 152.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2018/iss1/152