Detection, Prognosis and Treatment Spotlight
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A novel agent to treat breast cancer brain metastases PI: Melanie Hayden Gephart, Stanford University No effective treatments exist for conditions like leptomeningeal disease, a rapidly fatal brain metastasis most common in breast cancer. Could a new drug, QBS72S, target this condition while minimizing harm to normal brain cells? In preclinical studies, QBS72S slowed tumor growth and extended survival in aggressive triple-negative breast cancer models. The Phase 2 clinical trial of patients with breast cancer brain metastases has shown initial efficacy in 3 of 10 patients with breast cancer leptomeningeal disease. Most had exhausted all other treatment options. So far, the drug shows minimal toxicity, but one patient whose cancer responded to the drug, also experienced severe cerebral swelling, which was reported to the FDA. The team is now expanding the trial to include patients with leptomeningeal disease from different primary cancers and plans to move toward multi-center Phase 2 trials. They’re also exploring biomarkers to predict treatment response and resistance. Findings were published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. |
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Viro-immunotherapy for Triple Negative Breast Cancer PI: Shyambabu Chaurasiya, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope This project focused on developing a virus that can both kill cancer and boost the immune system’s ability to fight tumors. The goal was to engineer the virus to produce two immune-stimulating proteins: mLIGHT and IL-15. Initially, researchers struggled to insert the IL-15 gene alongside mLIGHT, so they tested the two singly modified viruses in combination. This approach improved survival in a mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), though tumor shrinkage was only moderate. However, the viruses were more effective in human-derived TNBC tumors in immune-compromised mice. Through continued experiments, the team successfully created the doubly armed virus (CF33-mLIGHT-sIL15). Testing showed that, while the virus alone had limited impact, combining it with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor significantly improved results— leading to complete tumor regression in some cases. Moving forward, the team plans to explore how this virus works with different immune therapies to enhance TNBC treatment. The project generated two publications, including in the journal Molecular Therapy. |
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Immunotherapeutic Exosomes for Triple Negative Breast Cancer PI: Yong Zhang, University of Southern California Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer that lacks three key receptors, making it harder to treat than other forms. This study focused on developing a new kind of therapy that uses the body's immune system to target and destroy TNBC cells. Scientists engineered particles called exosomes—tiny structures that can send signals between cells—to help activate and direct immune cells against TNBC. Over two years, researchers studied these engineered exosomes, testing their properties and effectiveness in both lab and animal models. The results were promising: the exosomes triggered strong, long-lasting immune responses against TNBC, showing potential as a future treatment. These findings lay the groundwork for further studies and possible clinical applications, bringing hope for more effective TNBC therapies. The project generated three publications, including in the journal Molecular Therapy. |
