"Researchers Artificially Generate Immune Cells Integral To Creating Cancer Vaccines"
For the first time, Mount Sinai researchers have identified a way to make large numbers of immune cells that can help prevent cancer reoccurrence, according to a study published in Cell Reports. The researchers discovered a way to grow the immune cells, called dendritic cells, at large scale in the lab to study them for their potential use in highly refined cancer vaccines to prevent patients' cancer from coming back. The ability to generate large numbers of distinct types of human dendritic cells in vitro is critical for accelerating our understanding of dendritic cell biology and to harness them clinically," said Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, hematology and medical oncology and director of immunotherapy at the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Our system will also be useful for translational applications including in vitro drug and vaccine testing on different dendritic cell types." This research is a jumping-off point for further research on the different types of dendritic cells and other immune cells and has implications for not only boosting cancer-fighting therapies but also to prevent organ transplant rejection, which involves the immune system as well.
- Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, Professor, Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Director, Immunotherapy, The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Additional coverage: