ESMO TAT 2021 | PSMA targeted CAR-T therapy for prostate cancer
Bruce Levine, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, gives an overview of the Phase I trial (NCT03089203) evaluating prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-directed/TGFβ-insensitive CAR-T cells in patients with prostate cancer. Unlike hematologic malignancies, treating solid tumors and immunotherapy has additional challenges such as antigen specificity and a more immunosuppressive microenvironment. Prostate cancer cells secrete TGFβ that suppress T cells, and integration of dominant-negative TGFβ receptor in CAR T-cells can inhibit immunosuppressive activity. In the ongoing clinical trial with a cohort of 18 patients, there was significant clinical activity and a drop in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. This interview took place during the ESMO TAT 2021 conference.
