Medical Oncologist @nccsingapore | Graduate Student MSc Immunology @UniofOxford | EDD Fellow @PeterMacCC| Interests in Cancer Immunology and Cell Therapy
🧬 #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
⭐️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
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
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
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
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
💥 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
New online! Reconsidering adjuvant and perioperative immune-checkpoint inhibition: de-escalation, expansion and personalization https://t.co/4zO7BuylVi
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?