Immunotherapy for Sarcoma: Cell Engineering to Improve CAR T-Cell Therapy for Pediatric Sarcomas (*$100,000 funded in 2023)
Sujith Joseph, PhD
Sarcomas are cancers of bones and soft tissues that most commonly affect children and young adults. Once sarcomas spread (metastasize) they are not curable. The immune system keeps us healthy. Unfortunately, sometimes it can become overzealous, attacking healthy cells, like in lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Baylor College of Medicine researcher Sujith Joseph, Ph.D., is using the immune system against pediatric sarcoma. He’s also working to tamp down immune cells’ enthusiasm, preventing them from attacking healthy cells in young bodies while they’re also fighting cancer.
Using engineered immune cells called CAR T cells, Dr. Joseph is designing them to “start and stop” only attacking cancer cells harboring a specific protein on their cell surfaces, leaving healthy cells alone. His work can be a crucial step in developing a new type of immunotherapy that is more effective and less toxic to young patients.