Today’s Wall Street Journal highlighted “the world’s biggest cancer breakthrough.” In 2011, a team of researchers led by immunologist Carl June, a Penn Professor, reported stunning results after genetically altering the T-Cells of three patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia. At a fundraiser, Coming Together Against Cancer, which will be held at the Eloise Werlin Park on March 24, we will have professional medical experts who will discuss their immunology efforts.

 

Although the patients had failed to respond to many different traditional therapies, two of the three patients experienced miraculous recoveries after Dr. June gave them infusions of their own-doctored white blood cells. Seven years later they remain cancer-free.

 

The results published in the New England Journal of Medicine in August 2011, opened the field of cancer immunotherapy. Dr. June said it was a “tipping point” because they proved that immunotherapy works.

 

Subsequently, more than 90% of pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, went into remission after being infused with Dr. June’s Car T cells (the acronym stands for “chimeric antigen receptor.”). Last month an advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration unanimously approved the therapy to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The FDA should give final approval within a few weeks.

 

Vice President, Joe Biden, launched the U.S. government’s moon shot initiative in 2016. We are hoping Mr. Biden will attend our fundraiser.

 

Dr. June provided a quick tutorial on the human immune system. WE have B-cells and T-cells. These are offensive weapons that destroy viruses and bacteria. B-cells are more like a shield because they produce antibodies that detect and swat down foreign invaders based on unique molecular characteristics. A CAR T cell combines the “killing machinery” of T-cells with the precise antibody targeting of B-cells.

 

A Car-T cell is designed to bind a particular site on the cancer cell. Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, other cells in the body are not damaged when patients receive CAR T cell infusions. When CAR T cell binds to a target, the immune system responds the same way it does to a virus: T-cells kill the cancerous cells and then proliferate. Once all the cancer is destroyed, CAR T cells remain for seven years.

 

After a patient is cured, patients must receive blood transfusions every few months to prevent their immune systems from killing off their B-cells.

 

Let me give you an example of a cure. Emma was in a coma. Within hours of receiving the drug, Emma awoke from her coma. Eight days after receiving CAR T Cell injection, she went into a remission. Dr. June described this as a Lazarus condition.

 

Immunotherapy is undergoing more research in China than in the United States. Dr. June expects more breakthroughs given the amount of research now going on. Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies are racing for cures. There are now at least 40 companies making CAR T-cell treatment cells.

 

A massive challenge is that each patient requires a team of highly trained, special scientists and technicians to re-engineer his T-Cells.  Moreover, it is expensive.  Nevertheless, Dr. June expects exponential progress over the next few years.