Using combination immunotherapy to tackle heterogeneous brain tumours

• Honours

The heterogeneity of brain tumours and antigen escape from single targeted therapies are a significant obstacle to the response and long-term remission of patient malignancies following Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy. Therefore, to improve solid tumour elimination and prevent relapse, CAR T-cell immunotherapy may be improved by the multi-targeting of tumour-associated antigens and used in combination approaches. We have generated several in vitro tools and in vivo models to study multi-targeted immunotherapy for brain tumours. This project will investigate multi-targeted CAR T cell responses in models of brain cancer so that we can identify safe and efficacious therapies to translate into the clinic.

Professor Misty Jenkins AO leads the immunotherapy program at The Brain Cancer Centre. Her team is dedicated to discovering new immunotherapy targets for adults and children with brain cancer. The Jenkins lab focuses on Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR T cell) therapy, a type of adoptive T cell immunotherapy. CAR T cells are engineered from a patient’s own T cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. The lab designs and tests CAR T cells aimed at treating both adult and paediatric brain tumours. Their mission is to eradicate brain cancer as a terminal illness and to enhance the safety and efficacy of cellular therapies.