Novel Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment: Chimeric Antigen Receptors Targeting CD70 Antigen

Scientists at the NCI's Surgery Branch have developed anti-CD70 chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to treat cancers. CD70 is an antigen that is expressed on a variety of human cancers such as renal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The anti-CD70 CARs are hybrid proteins consisting of a receptor portion that recognizes CD70 antigen, and intracellular T cell signaling domains selected to optimally activate the CAR expressing T cells.

PARP Inhibitor and NO-Donor Dual Prodrugs as Anticancer Agents

Poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a critical enzyme involved in DNA repair.  The inhibition of PARP has emerged as a promising strategy in cancer therapy.  Numerous PARP inhibitors have been developed and advanced into clinical trials, both for use as single agents in specific patient populations and as combination therapies with various chemotherapeutics.  The induction of strand break damage to DNA, as has been demonstrated in cancer cells treated with O2-arylated diazeniumdiolates, coupled with inhibition of DNA repair by PARP inhibitors, represents a novel rational

Nanoparticles for the targeted treatment of infected cells

Current treatments for cancer and viral infection are limited remedies that often suppress cell or viral replication rather than eliminate diseased cells entirely from the body. A further limitation is that these therapies often compromise healthy cells as well, leaving problems of recurrence and side effects.

Researchers at developed a novel therapeutic nanoparticle (NP) system harboring therapeutic small siRNA that can significantly enhance effectiveness and specificity of treatments by killing diseased cells.

Novel Regulatory B cells for Treatment of Cancer and Autoimmune Disease

The manner by which cancers evade the immune response is not well-understood. What is known is that the manner is an active process that regulates immune responses employing at least two types of suppressive cells, myeloid-derived suppressive cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), a key subset of CD4+ T cells that controls peripheral tolerance to self- and allo-antigens. Tregs are considered to play a key role in the escape of cancer cells from anti-tumor effector T cells.

Assays for Measuring and Quantifying DNA Damage

Exposure to ionizing radiation or agents that induce DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs), which is one of the most damaging types of lesions in DNA, can result in damage to cells and/or tissues.  Thiscan lead to illness (i.e., Acute Radiation Syndrome, Cancer) or death.  Identifying the amount of exposure to a DNA DSB-causing agent can be useful in determining the need for further testing, avoidance or modification of certain medical procedures, and/or types of medical treatments.

Method for Targeted Therapeutic Delivery of Proteins into Cells

Current methods to deliver proteins into cells (e.g., using retrovirus, DNA transfection, protein transduction, microinjection, complexing the protein with lipids, etc.) have many shortcomings, such as lack of target specificity toxicity, or unwanted random integration into the host chromosome.  Protein transduction is an emerging technology for delivering proteins into cells by exploiting the ability of certain proteins to penetrate the cell membrane.  However, the majority of the proteins delivered by this means are usually trapped and subsequently degraded in the endosomes-lyso

Methods of preventing tissue ischemia

The National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Pathology is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize therapeutics targeting vasodialation.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role as a major intrinsic vasodilator, and increases blood flow to tissues and organs. Disruption of this process leads to peripheral vascular disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, vascular insufficiency associated with diabetes, and many more diseases that are significant.