A groundbreaking immunotherapy developed by researchers at University College London (UCL) is showing promising results in the treatment of bone cancer. Published in Science Translational Medicine, the OPS-gdT treatment platform has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to traditional immunotherapy in controlling the growth of osteosarcoma, a challenging form of bone cancer.
Osteosarcoma, which affects over 150,000 individuals in the UK, poses significant treatment challenges as it often resists chemotherapy and ranks as a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The OPS-gdT approach utilizes a specialized subset of immune cells called gamma-delta T (gdT) cells, derived from healthy donor immune cells, offering a potentially efficient and cost-effective solution for combating this condition.
These gdT cells are adept at targeting and eliminating antibody-labelled cancer cells across individuals without triggering harmful graft-versus-host disease. By engineering gdT cells from healthy donor blood samples to release tumor-targeting antibodies and immune-boosting cytokines, researchers have developed a potent therapeutic strategy.
In preclinical trials using mouse models of bone cancer, OPS-gdT therapy exhibited remarkable efficacy, surpassing conventional immunotherapy in controlling osteosarcoma growth. Moreover, combining OPS-gdT cells with a bone-sensitizing drug yielded even more promising results, effectively halting tumor progression in mice and leaving them healthy months later.
Encouraged by these findings, researchers are now exploring the potential of OPS-gdT therapy in secondary bone cancer and are poised to advance to early-phase clinical trials within the next few years, focusing on patients with secondary cancers. Dr. Jonathan Fisher, lead author from UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, expresses optimism about this breakthrough, envisioning its potential not only in treating osteosarcoma but also in addressing other adult cancers. This development marks a significant step forward in the quest for innovative cancer treatments, offering hope for improved outcomes and quality of life for patients battling this devastating disease.
