Ya Hwee Tan

Medical Oncologist @nccsingapore | Graduate Student MSc Immunology @UniofOxford | EDD Fellow @PeterMacCC| Interests in Cancer Immunology and Cell Therapy

[Nature Rev Immunol @NatRevImmunol]

The immune engram: a spatial model of immunological memory https://t.co/b51nJMbBBU

[Nature Rev Immunol @NatRevImmunol]

Hallmarks and correlates of effective adoptive cell immunotherapy for cancer https://t.co/kQUOnL3uwt

[Ya Hwee Tan @yahwee_t]

@herbloong The Sg equivalent was CTSP Handbook in Tan Tock Seng Hospital haha

[Dr. Patrick Hwu @PatrickHwuMD]

🧬 #ScienceSaturday

❓ What if we could program cancer-fighting immune cells directly inside the body instead of making them in a lab?

➡️ A new study in @NatureComms shows a way to generate CAR T cells in vivo using engineered lentiviral vectors that deliver genetic instructions directly to T cells after being injected into the bloodstream.

➡️ To improve precision, the researchers redesigned the viral surface proteins so they more selectively bind to T cells. They also used camelid-derived nanobodies (VHHs), which act like highly specific molecular “guides,” to help the virus target the right cells.

➡️ They further modified the viral coat using a dolphin morbillivirus–based chimera to help it evade preexisting immunity to measles, which can otherwise block viral delivery in some people.

➡️ In preclinical models, a single systemic dose led to the body producing its own CAR T cells, which expanded and showed strong anti-tumor effects, including durable tumor control.

🌟 This approach moves CAR T therapy closer to an “in-the-body” manufacturing model, potentially removing the need for complex cell collection and lab-based engineering.

🔗 Read the study: https://t.co/6jprsxZ2Hf

@MangusoLab @KeplerMears @broadinstitute @MIT @MassGenBrigham

[Ya Hwee Tan @yahwee_t]

@NatRevDrugDisc @ShutingHan2

[Nature Cancer @NatureCancer]

⭐️Don't miss this Review published @NatureCancer
as part of our Series on Tumor Heterogeneity and Plasticity

'Heterogeneity and plasticity of cancer-associated fibroblasts'
✒️By Ruth Scherz-Shouval, Mara Sherman and co-authors

🔗https://t.co/Qo6oplbnVx

[Cell Therapy News @celltherapynews]

Scientists from Zhejiang University review different CAR-engineered immune cells for therapeutic applications by highlighting how unique immune attributes address challenges faced by conventional CAR-T cell therapy. 💊

📖 Learn more: https://t.co/HXgG9ZBDxr

[Cancer Discovery @CD_AACR]

Now online: Cellular neighborhoods govern antitumor T-cell infiltration following anti-CTLA-4 in melanoma with primary resistance to anti-PD-1 https://t.co/aAu2YQXXiR

[Nature Reviews Drug Discovery @NatRevDrugDisc]

Target identification and assessment in the era of AI
https://t.co/F1asFfYYxr
https://t.co/Ltliv6JJCw

This new Review analyses advances in applying AI-driven approaches for therapeutic target exploration, and discusses how to address challenges and limitations in the field

[Nature Rev Immunol @NatRevImmunol]

Pathophysiological roles of monocytes and macrophages in cancer https://t.co/hYkOBE8l1P

[Cancer Cell @Cancer_Cell]

Overcoming functional and translational challenges of cellular immunotherapies for solid tumors https://t.co/pB0V4Z0l2E

[Yan Leyfman, MD @YLeyfman]

In vivo CAR-T generation—no manufacturing required?
Engineered T cells have transformed oncology—but ex vivo manufacturing remains a major bottleneck (time, cost, access).

A new study takes a major step toward making CAR-T directly inside the patient 👇

🔧 The innovation:
• Two-vector system delivering CRISPR–Cas9 + DNA template
• Site-specific integration of CAR into a T cell–specific locus
• Combines precision editing + targeted delivery

🧪 What they achieved:
• Stable, durable CAR expression in vivo
• Therapeutic levels of CAR-T cells generated without ex vivo expansion
• Efficacy across B-cell aplasia, hematologic + solid tumor models

⚠️ Why this matters:
Current in vivo approaches →
❌ transient expression OR ❌ random integration

This approach →
✅ precise
✅ durable
✅ cell-specific

💡 Big picture:
A potential path to scalable, off-the-shelf CAR-T therapies—dramatically expanding access beyond specialized centers.

🧠 Takeaway:
If validated in humans, this could redefine how we deliver cellular immunotherapy—from bespoke manufacturing → programmable in vivo engineering.

https://t.co/t052GdIiLH

#CARTcells #GeneEditing #CRISPR #Immunotherapy #CellTherapy #TranslationalScience #Oncology

[Waggoner Lab @LabWaggoner]

Review @NatureMedicine @HaanenJohn
Clinical development of cancer vaccines
https://t.co/cNnrGV9h0j

[Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer @jitcancer]

New #JITC review: TCR sequencing in cancer immunology and immunotherapy: what, when, where, why, and how https://t.co/RkfUGobJhT

[Cancer Cell @Cancer_Cell]

Macrophages: Targets for next-generation cancer immunotherapy https://t.co/rpjkAACLda

[Ya Hwee Tan @yahwee_t]

Fibroblasts have become my hobby lately 🙃

[Cancer Cell @Cancer_Cell]

Online Now: Tumor-restraining fibroblasts emerge after chemotherapy specifically in responders https://t.co/amFnZoLZAr

[Nature Rev Immunol @NatRevImmunol]

Progress in the development of cytokine armoured CAR T cells https://t.co/b6uIYIKGgN

[Mario Balsa @MarioBalsaMD]

💥 Current state of CAR-T cell therapies for solid tumors - Review @MedCellPress
https://t.co/EeJIWPGqjG

🧮 Tumor antigen heterogeneity limits targeting
🔬 Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment blunts CAR-T activity
🎯 Emerging strategies: multi-target CARs, armored CAR-T cells, combination therapies

CAR-T isn’t just about the “CAR”…it’s about finding the right T-road 🚗

@OncoAlert @OncoReporte @myESMO @_SEOM @CellPressNews

[NatureRevClinOncol @NatRevClinOncol]

New online! Reconsidering adjuvant and perioperative immune-checkpoint inhibition: de-escalation, expansion and personalization https://t.co/4zO7BuylVi

[Nature Reviews Drug Discovery @NatRevDrugDisc]

TIGIT’s immuno-oncology teachings
https://t.co/lgGz6Ipcwj

Drug developers spent billions of dollars on clinical trials of TIGIT-blocking cancer immunotherapies, but have little to show for it. What went wrong?