The work of Brendjens et al in retrovirally infecting peripheral T cells thereby transforming them into 19z1+ cells (capable of targeting CD19+ Burkitt lymphoma cell line) marked another approach in cancer therapy. This work demonstrates the possibility of genetically engineering large populations of patient T cells with reactivity towards tumour antigens. Some of the challenges to these approach are the long-term survivalability of the genetically engineered T cells, their ability to home in on tumour sites and establishing a tumour-specific immune response.
Another approach will be to harness the potential of B cells. Like what Brendjens et al did with T cells, the B cells can be virally infected and transformed into cells that are capable of expressing the tumour specific antibodies. Biologics have become notably used in the war against cancer, with avastin, an anti-VEGF antibody, making the headlines in recent times. Thus, the ability to produce anti-cancer antibodies, our body's natural biologics seem to be an attractive proposition. What is so attractive about the use of B cell therapy comes from another intrinsic property of B cells - their ability to present antigens, i.e. they are antigen presenting cells. This means that the B cells are able to augment the adaptive arm of immune response, presenting antigens and co-stimulating T cells in order to direct immune response against the cancer cells. Thus, the possible approach maybe to genetically-engineer the B cells and expose them to tumour antigens. Some of the challenges may be similar to that experienced in T cells, i.e. the ability of the populations of B cells to survive in the body.
Citations
1) Brian Becknell & Michael A. Caligiuri. Cancer T cell therapy expands. Nature Medicine 9, 257 - 258 (2003)
2) Brentjens, R. et al. Eradication of systemic B cell tumors by genetically targeted human T lymphocytes co-stimulated by CD80 and interleukin-15. Nat. Med. 9, 279–286 (2003).
3) Maher, J., Brentjens, R.J., Gunset, G., Riviere, I. & Sadelain, M. Human T-lymphocyte cytotoxicity and proliferation directed by a single chimeric TCR /CD28 receptor. Nat. Biotechnol. 20, 70–75 (2002).
