A Phase I trial involving ten patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma or T-cell lymphoma has achieved a 100% overall response rate and a 50% complete remission rate, in addition to a favourable safety profile and high in vivo persistence of CAR30+ cells. The results of this pioneering study in Europe have been published in the prestigious journal Blood.

The development of HSP-CAR30 represents a significant advancement in the treatment of CD30+ lymphomas, as it is designed to target the CD30 protein on tumour cells. It has demonstrated high efficacy in refractory patients who had exhausted other treatment options.

The optimised design of HSP-CAR30 includes genetic enhancements and a combination of interleukins (IL-21, IL-7, and IL-15) to promote the expansion of memory T cells, ensuring prolonged treatment activity and sustained immune response.

HSP-CAR30 is the first European CAR-T30 study to successfully complete its initial phase, with promising results presented at ASH 2024 and an expanded trial to further validate its findings.

The Josep Carreras Leukaemia Foundation and the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute have supported the project by funding key equipment and contributing to the production of the therapy.

Researchers in Japan have developed a predictive model that could improve treatment decisions for advanced pancreatic cancer patients. By combining tumor marker readings with patients' genetic information, their model predicts patient survival outcomes with greater accuracy and better identifies candidates who would benefit from surgery. The researchers found that specific genetic variations have a greater impact on tumor marker levels than the severity of the cancer. 

It is expected that the new model will be used as an indicator to determine if surgery is a good option for patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The study was published in the British Journal of Surgery. 

A recent review highlights the critical role of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in human health, emphasizing their influence on disease development, drug metabolism, and therapeutic interventions. These enzymes are responsible for detoxifying harmful compounds, but their dysregulation is linked to severe conditions, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and chronic inflammatory diseases. Genetic variations in GSTs can lead to oxidative stress, DNA damage, and resistance to apoptosis, making them key players in disease pathogenesis.

This new review article published in Genes & Diseases sheds light on the pivotal role of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in the complex landscape of cancer metabolism. Traditionally overshadowed by the widely recognized Warburg effect, FAO is now emerging as a crucial metabolic pathway that fuels tumor development, influences drug resistance, and presents promising therapeutic targets.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, continues to pose a significant global health challenge due to its high mortality rate and limited treatment options. However, a new frontier in cancer therapy has emerged, focusing on neddylation modification, a crucial cellular process that influences cancer progression. The latest insights into this mechanism provide hope for targeted therapies that could revolutionize the treatment landscape for HCC.