Francisco J. Esteva: Combining cellular therapy with oncolytic virotherapy for stronger anti-tumor response

Francisco J. Esteva, Chief, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Engineering cellular therapies to enhance therapeutic resistance offers a significant boost to cancer treatment. By making cells resistant to small-molecule drugs and antibody-based therapies, it’s possible to combine these therapies more effectively while minimizing off-tumor toxicities. Furthermore, combining cellular immunotherapies with other therapeutic modalities, such as oncolytic virotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade, has shown promise in preclinical studies for enhanced anti-tumor activity.

These advancements underscore the potential of genetically engineering healthy hematopoietic stem cells.

Novel strategies:

**Engineering Healthy Hematopoietic Stem Cells**: Conferring resistance to immunotherapies and targeted therapies to expand the therapeutic index.

**Evasion of Immune Rejection**: Novel techniques to overcome challenges in allogeneic cell therapies and open new therapeutic horizons.

**Combination Therapies**: Combining oncolytic virotherapy, immune checkpoint blockade, bispecific antibodies, and small molecules to bolster antitumor effects.

**Genome Editing Technologies**: Using prime editing and CRISPR/Cas9 (or other methods like TALEN) for precise genetic modifications to enhance therapy safety and efficacy.

What are your thoughts on these advancements?”

Enhancing cellular immunotherapies in cancer by engineering selective therapeutic resistance

Authors: Nils Wellhausen, Joanne Baek, Saar I. Gill and  Carl H. June

Source: Francisco J. Esteva/LinkedIn