Latest news with #solidtumours
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Cancer treatment turbocharges patients' own blood cells to kill solid tumours for first time
A LIVING cancer drug has been proven to work against solid tumours for the first time. Immune-boosting CAR-T therapy removes a patient's white blood cells and engineers them into highly specialised cancer killers in a lab. 1 They are then injected back into the patient and let loose against the disease. It is currently only used for blood cell cancers like leukaemia but research by Peking University in China has found it can also work against tumours that form as lumps. In a study of 266 people with stomach cancer, patients who received the treatment survived an average of 7.9 months compared to 5.5 months without it. It took 3.3 months for their cancer to worsen, compared to 1.8 months without. Study author Dr Changsong Qi said the results showed a 'significant increase in progression-free survival and clinically meaningful increase in overall survival'. More than 90 per cent of cancers are solid tumours that grow as a physical mass, including the big four of bowel, breast, lung and prostate. The findings raise the hope that tens or even hundreds of thousands more patients will one day benefit from the pioneering approach using their own immune systems instead of harsh drugs. 'Groundbreaking milestone' Dr Carl June, of the University of Pennsylvania, is credited with inventing the therapy and commented: 'This is a groundbreaking milestone for the field of CAR-T therapies against solid tumours.' CAR-T therapy, full name chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, is an advanced type of immunotherapy that turbocharges the body's own defences to fight off cancer. It is intended to be more accurate and cause less collateral damage and side effects by only attacking cancerous cells and not healthy ones. Sun Health Explainer: What is cancer? Young Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery took part in a major clinical trial of it in 2017 before dying from neuroblastoma aged six. It is currently available on the NHS in England for certain types of leukaemia and lymphoma. More than 650 forms of the treatment are now in development for solid cancers. Dr John Haanen, from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, said: 'There is clearly now evidence that this treatment can benefit patients with solid cancers. It is an important development.' The study was published in The Lancet and presented at the conference of the American Society for Clinical Oncology. Dr Catherine Elliott, of Cancer Research UK, said: 'This is an encouraging early sign and further trials will now be needed.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Leucid Bio Announces Treatment of First Patient in AERIAL Trial of NKG2D CAR-T Therapy LEU011 for Solid Tumours
Initiation of AERIAL trial accelerated by successful first close of Series A1 financing LEU011 is first CAR-T candidate for the treatment of solid tumours to be manufactured at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Enrolment continues in AERIAL trial with initial data for LEU011 expected in the second half of 2025 LONDON, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leucid Bio ("Leucid" or "The Company"), a privately-held biotechnology company pursuing the development of innovative Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies using the Company's proprietary lateral CAR platform, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 1 AERIAL trial evaluating the safety and clinical activity of LEU011 in patients with refractory solid tumours. Initiation of the AERIAL trial follows the successful first close of the Series A1 financing of £7.2 million in February 2025, co-led by Epidarex Capital and 2invest AG, bringing the Series A to £18.7 million to date. AERIAL is a multi-centre, dose-escalation trial designed to investigate a single intravenous dose of LEU011 following preconditioning chemotherapy in patients with refractory solid tumours. Initial proof-of-concept data for LEU011 is expected in the second half of 2025. LEU011 is an autologous lateral CAR-T cell therapy targeting NKG2D stress ligands, which are overexpressed on more than 80% of human tumour cells and the surrounding tumour microenvironment. LEU011 has been engineered to co-express the chemokine receptor, CXCR2, to enhance cell trafficking and tumour infiltration, thereby adding an extra mechanism to overcome significant limitations of CAR-T therapies currently in development for the treatment of solid tumours. LEU011 also represents the first CAR-T candidate for the treatment of solid tumours to be manufactured at the Zayed Centre for Research at GOSH. Leucid gained access to the state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production facilities at GOSH through an agreement announced in March 2023. Filippo Petti, Chief Executive Officer, Leucid Bio, stated, "The initiation of the AERIAL trial is a significant milestone for Leucid. LEU011 has demonstrated striking anti-tumour activity preclinically, while illustrating the potential to overcome challenges in treating refractory solid tumours. It's been fantastic to work with the team at GOSH to accelerate the development of LEU011 in the pursuit of bringing effective cell therapies to patients in need." Stephen Mathew, Head of Innovation at the Great Ormond Street Hospital Cell and Gene Therapy Service, added, "We're proud to have supported the manufacturing of LEU011 through our partnership with Leucid Bio, using our specialised facilities and quality assurance. This exciting milestone reflects our mission to accelerate innovation in cell and gene therapies and bring hope for better and potentially curative treatments for rare and complex conditions." Additional information on the Phase 1 AERIAL trial can be found on under the identifier NCT06193902. About Leucid Bio Leucid Bio is a privately-held biotechnology company dedicated to the development of cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumours using the Company's proprietary lateral CAR platform. The Company's lead asset, LEU011, is an autologous CAR-T cell therapy targeting NKG2D ligands, which are expressed on more than 80% of human tumours. In addition, LEU011 co-expresses the chemokine receptor CXCR2 which is engineered to enhance cell trafficking and tumour infiltration. For more information, please visit the Leucid Bio website at About Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world's leading children's hospitals with the broadest range of dedicated, children's healthcare specialists under one roof in the UK. The hospital's pioneering research, innovation and treatment gives hope to children from across the UK and the world with the rarest, most complex and often life-threatening conditions. GOSH is home to the Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, which brings together pioneering research and world-leading clinical care to drive new tests, treatments and cures for rare and complex diseases from lab bench to bedside. The Cell and Gene Therapy Facility within the Zayed Centre for Research is comprised of seven bespoke laboratories and provides comprehensive facilities for all stages of manufacture. View original content: SOURCE Leucid Bio Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
