The University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center — one of the most esteemed cancer laboratories and centers in the world — is in the vanguard of advancing and unlocking the amazing abilities of immunotherapy. And recently, MD Anderson Cancer Center’s work earned major plaudits and support: The hospital was awarded $100 million for its groundbreaking research.

At the center of the landmark science that garnered the financial support is Dr. Laurence Cooper, PhD, a Professor of Pediatrics and a Section Chief at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Cooper has been a ballast in the 21st century’s fight against cancer: A marquee name in the oncology world and an Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) Young Investigator, his work has propelled the immunotherapy forward immensely and awarded hope and treatment to those who need it most. Working alongside Dr. Cooper is the esteemed Perry Hackett, PhD, a professor at the College of Biological Sciences at Minnesota. Dr. Cooper and Hackett explore the realm of immunotherapy that pits patients’ CAR T cells against invasive cancer cells. MD Anderson Cancer Center has published the scientific details of the project and partnership in their newsroom. It’s here that the center’s president, Dr. Ron DePinho, lauds immunotherapy as “one of the most exciting approaches with curative potential in oncology today.”

The generous support stems from synthetic biology company Intrexon Corporation and its oncology partner, ZIOPHARM Oncology, in the shape of a licensing agreement. The backing of these two companies augurs a new era for immunotherapy. As brilliant minds like Dr. Cooper and his colleagues further harness the power of immunotherapy, biotech companies are able to connect with laboratories and work to bring the discoveries to patients who need it dearly. Immunotherapy is a beacon in the war on cancer: It promises an effective treatment that can battle cancer cells without the harrowing side effects of chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. And that dovetails completely with ACGT’s mission: Discovering new ways to treat and defeat cancer, while also preserving patients’ quality of life and minimizing painful side effects. 

Dr. Cooper’s pedigree with ACGT dates back over one decade. In 2003, as an Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, Dr. Cooper received a Young Investigator Grant. These ACGT grants support bright oncologists with novel ideas who display admirable promise and dedication. In 2006, Dr. Cooper transitioned to his role at MD Anderson Cancer Center. And ever since connecting with ACGT, Dr. Cooper has regularly assisted our foundation in evangelizing donors by spotlighting the amazing potential of immunotherapy. 

“The war on cancer has evolved… over these years,” Dr. Cooper said at a recent ACGT event in New York City, speaking to the growth and major successes of immunotherapy. The future of fighting cancer is immune-based therapy and gene therapy, he added. Indeed, the science has grown by leaps and bounds in just a few short decades, offering a renewed hope — and saving lives — to cancer patients who believed they had exhausted other treatment options. 

Dr. Cooper also understands the integral and indispensable role that philanthropy plays in the fight against cancer, particularly in the arena of immunotherapy. “It doesn’t fit the typical funding model,” he said at that same event, speaking to a room of donors, scientists and cancer survivors. “Philanthropy, thank goodness, has really stepped in and recognized the power.”

As philanthropists — and now biotech companies like Intrexon Corporation ZIOPHARM Oncology, too — continue to support immunotherapy, we can watch a new era of better, more effective cancer treatment unfold. This deep investment in immunotherapy highlights the field’s bright future, and our ability to one day transform the perils of cancer into a relic.

 

At Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT), our vision is to transform cancer from a harrowing disease into a manageable diagnosis. We believe — along with the brilliant scientists who provide research, treatment and scientific counsel — that this can be unlocked through immunotherapy and cell and gene therapies. And so we are overjoyed that recently, immunotherapy has made another major stride forward in revolutionizing how we treat cancer.

That leap forward comes in the form of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The FDA – which is tasked with taking a close look at new cancer treatment methods and drugs — recently granted accelerated approval to Opdivo (nivolumab), an immunotherapy drug for melanoma patients. Opdivo holds a particular importance: It will be used to treat melanoma patients who are not responding to other drugs, and who are not candidates for surgery. The heartening news came out on December 22, 2014.  

Paramount to Opdivo’s development and success is Dr. Lieping Chen, a brilliant oncologist who serves on the ACGT Scientific Advisory Council. Dr. Chen helps ACGT to bestow grants upon the world’s most talented and visionary oncologists — oncologists who have, in turn, developed breakthrough drugs, research and clinical trials, and saved lives. Dr. Chen is also the Director of Yale Cancer Center’s Immunology Program, and a Professor in Cancer Research and of Immunobiology. Dr. Chen’s work on Opdivo was carried out alongside scientists Arlene Sharpe and Gordon Freeman. Opdivo is made by biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb. 

Opdivo functions in that same, amazing way that other immunotherapy drugs do: It harnesses the patient’s immune system, allowing the body to fight off the invading cancer cells. This approach is often less harrowing than the other options, like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Opdivo’s ability to target melanoma specifically is also tremendous news. Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, behind breast cancer, colon and rectal cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Further, estimates from the National Cancer Institute posit that over 75,000 Americans were diagnosed with melanoma in 2014 — and that nearly 10,000 Americans perished from the cancer.

For us at ACGT — and all others following the saga of Opdivo — it is incredibly heartening to see the tremendous power of immunotherapy translate from the laboratory into the drug phase. It represents the future of how we understand cancer, and cancer’s transformation into a disease that we can manage while still maintain quality of life.

This fantastic Opdivo development comes on the heels of another great announcement: The FDA’s accelerated approval of Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the Merck drug that also employs immunotherapy to battle cancer, specifically melanoma. Keytruda’s potential and positive implications have been reported on by The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and FiercePharma. Indeed, media reports note Merck soon intends to expand Keytruda’s abilities to treat other cancer diagnoses, as well. 

These two drugs receiving the green light from the FDA designated 2014 as a watershed year for immunotherapy. The news also prepares us for an even bigger year: 2015 promises to hold so much spectacular news for the future of battling cancer. At ACGT, we look into the future eagerly and with a great deal of optimism. So many powerful factions — from scientists and donors to biotech and pharmaceutical companies — are uniting to eradicate cancer as we know it. 

We also wish to stress the importance individual charity can have. So many breakthroughs, like Dr. Chen’s and those of Opdivo and Keytruda, and financed by generous philanthropists and private contributors. These visionaries are making up for the dearth of financing from public entities. We invite you to learn more about donating, and how your gift can play a paramount role in stamping out cancer. 

Lymphyblastic leukemia is a destructive, painful blood cancer that progresses quickly and can be fatal within months if left untreated. And while treatments such as chemotherapy are currently commonly used, many patients suffer relapse, lowering the disease’s overall cure rate to between 30 and 40 percent.

But the genetic modification of T-lymphocytes is now emerging as a powerful approach to investigate T cell function. Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) funded research grants for two investigators work in the area: that of Dr. Michel Sadelain, director of the Center for Cell Engineering & Gene Transfer and Gene Expression Laboratory at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Dr. Carl June, professor in Immunotherapy, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center.

Dr. Sadelain’s research on T cell engineering and artificial antigen was bolstered by a 2004-2007 ACGT research grant for a program that investigated the therapeutic potential of genetically-targeted T cells in leukemia and lymphoma treatments. This Phase 1 of clinical trials research followed Sadelain’s demonstration that blood T cells can be genetically redirected to vanquish B-cell tumors – a discovery that demonstrated for the first time that genetically modified human T cells can induce enduring remission.

Following his ACGT-funded research, Sadelain’s treatment went through the subsequent phases of clinical trials and the JCAR015 drug – which came out of that research and was developed by Sadelain and his Sloan-Kettering colleague Renier Brentjens – was granted Breakthrough drug status by the FDA earlier this year.  This “breakthrough” status, reserved for treatments for serious or life-threatening conditions, expedites the four phases of clinical trials and final FDA approval.

Sadelain is also a scientific founder of Juno Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on cell-based cancer immunotherapies. The company recently released its IPO at the very end of 2014 and closed up more than 45% on its first day of trading, the Wall Street Journal  reported.

Sadelain’s fellow ACGT-funded investigator Dr. Carl June  has made similarly groundbreaking strides in cell therapy treatment for lymphyblastic leukemia.

ACGT funded Dr. June’s early work in 2004, which studied whether the immune system’s T cells can be altered genetically so that they become “guided missiles” that kill tumor cells. The clinical trial used genetically modified versions of the patient’s own T cells, and showed remission for up to a year in a small group of patients – several others of whom are now in complete remission. Since then, Dr. June and his team at the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center have made great strides for the treatment of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia, culminating most recently with the FDA’s breakthrough designation for a new  therapy .

The designation was awarded after 27 of the 30 patients in the studies achieved a complete remission a month after receiving an infusion of these engineered cells, and 78 percent of patients were still alive following the trial in 2012.

ACGT continues to fund research, which is carefully selected by its esteemed Scientific Advisory Council.  By funding this breakthrough research, ACGT strives to reduce the painful side effects of cancer treatments, and allow patients to live longer, better quality lives .

Show your support for breakthrough cancer treatments.  Help us lead the charge!  Donate today! 

 

 

In the spirit of #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back on December 2, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) asks donors to support their favorite causes in the spirit of the holiday season.

Here at ACGT, the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to cell and gene therapies for cancer, we’re particularly excited about #GivingTuesday this year, as we’re unveiling our new #NotImmune campaign.

#NotImmune aims to put a spotlight on the need for funding research, so cancer can become a more manageable disease and patients can receive quality treatment with fewer painful side effects.

Cancer is an aggressive disease for which the treatments often come with devastating side effects.  Cell and gene therapies, such as immunotherapy treatments for cancer, attack the cancer, not the patient.  It’s a powerful message and a game changer for those undergoing cancer treatments.  We want to fund research that will bring these types of treatments to all.

#NotImmune is a call to action – an opportunity for people to show family, friends and colleagues that they support breakthrough research, such as immunotherapy treatments, that use the body’s own immune system to attack the cancer while minimizing side effects.

We’re fortunate to have funded researchers early on, selected by our esteemed Scientific Advisory Council, who are now considered pioneers in the fields of cell and gene therapy, and to have an active and engaged community of supporters.  Cancer is something that impacts patients, their families and the community and we invite everyone to join us in showing they’re not immune to the cause.

With your support, we help Investigators to uncover breakthrough treatments that make cancer a more manageable disease and allow patients to lead longer and fuller lives.

No one is immune to cancer, no one should be immune to the cause.  Attack the cancer, not the patient. One-hundred percent of all donations go directly to research.

Support Cancer Research!

Share your story using #NotImmune and tell us why cancer research matters to you!

October is breast cancer awareness month and an important reminder than one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetimes. It is also a reminder that regardless of the source of the cancer a month-long observance is not enough. Conquering cancer is about taking action and making an impact, as noted in “The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s” recent article Why It’s Time to Rethink Pink by Brian Reich. Awareness is simply the foundation for promoting advocacy and inspiring action. With cancer, in particular, awareness alone isn’t going to advance the level of treatment or support therapies that help treat patients without the devastating effects of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. On the molecular treatment level in particular, which we believe is the future of cancer care, there is a definitive need to fund additional research.

While significant progress has been made in the field of immunotherapy since early clinical trials supported by ACGT funding, there is far more progress to be made. We look forward to celebrating more lifesaving stories, like that of Bob Levis who two years ago had terminal cancer and today, thanks to a clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania, is cancer free, playing golf once again. Bob is just another success story proving that this form of gene therapy, called immunotherapy, which uses the patient’s own immune system to attack the cancer cells while keeping healthy cells healthy, can be a lifesaving approach. Once considered a fledgling science, immunotherapy, and other cell and gene therapy treatments for cancer are attracting tremendous media attention as well as that of the pharmaceutical and biotech industries who have invested almost $750 million in the last 12 months to bring this revolutionary science to practice. ACGT was at the forefront of this movement with its first grants in 2002, and now, almost $25 million has been awarded to date.

Among the remarkable progress being made by ACGT Research Fellows is Dr. John Bell, Senior Research Scientist and Professor of Medicine at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada. In November 2013, ACGT awarded a $500,000 grant to Dr. Bell, who has worked extensively with oncolytic viruses – man-made viruses that target only cancer cells, and spare patients the harrowing side-effects of chemotherapy or surgery – and has discovered the enormous promise they offer for better care. Last year, Dr. Bell and his team uncovered a new oncolytic variant – the Chimeric Maraba virus – that has had success in treating human glioblastomas in mice. With ACGT’s grant, Dr. Bell is able to further explore the potential of Chimeric Maraba, design and manufacture it, and begin Phase I human trials to establish safety and efficacy.

This week, Penn Medicine announced that studies with investigational therapy CTL019, which uses the patient’s own T-cells to target tumor cells, resulted in 90% of participants (27 out of 30) achieving complete remission. Among those leading this research team was the University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Carl H. June, a famed researcher and ACGT Fellow and Scientific Advisory Council member who was lauded for saving the life of young Emma Whitehead using immunotherapy treatments back in 2012.

ACGT supported Dr. June’s research, as well as the pioneering research of ACGT Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Michel Sadelain, back in 2004. Oftentimes, the ability to move beyond awareness is challenged by a lack of clarity around how one person can make an impact, but each of us can do something and together we can make a real impact.

1. Like ACGT on Facebook and spread the word among friends and family
2. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news on molecular medicine and retweet to help build awareness and drive action within your own network.
3. Donate. ACGT is proud to support Young Investigators and renowned researchers alike as they uncover new breakthroughs in the fields of cell and gene therapy to treat cancer.

We found this excellent blog on CRI’s website summarizing several of the immunotherapy approaches presented at the recent AACR meeting. Click here to read the post. As you may know, CRI is dedicated solely to immunotherapy. ACGT is dedicated to using all types of cell and gene therapy approaches, including immunotherapy. The blog mentions many of our funded Scientific Advisory Council members and Research Fellows including Drs. Chen, Dranoff, June, Sadelain, Russell and Bell.