AI Insight
Researchers at UC San Francisco have developed a method to generate CAR-T cells directly inside patients' bodies, bypassing the need to extract, modify, and reinfuse immune cells externally. The technique uses a two-particle delivery system to transport CRISPR gene-editing machinery and cancer-targeting DNA sequences specifically to T cells, where the genetic material is inserted at a predetermined genomic location. This approach could potentially streamline the current CAR-T cell therapy process, which is time-intensive and costly.
Why it matters
This innovation could make CAR-T cell cancer therapy more accessible and affordable by eliminating the complex ex vivo manufacturing process that currently costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and takes weeks to complete. Patients might receive treatment faster, and the technology could expand access to immunotherapy for more cancer patients worldwide.
Understand the Science
Scientists at UC San Francisco have developed a way to create cancer-fighting CAR-T cells directly inside the body, potentially avoiding the slow and extremely expensive process of removing, engineering, and reinfusing a patient’s immune cells. Using a two-particle delivery system, the researchers sent CRISPR gene-editing tools and new cancer-targeting DNA specifically into T cells, where the DNA was inserted at a precise location in the genome.
Source: Scientists reprogram immune cells inside the body to fight cancer