The innunotherapy targets neuroblastoma, a common cancer in infants
Around 15 thousand children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year with neuroblastoma the most common cancer in infants, accounting for a disproportionate share of pediatric cancer deaths.
But there may be new hope. Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) say they have made significant progress in the treatment of neuroblastoma, a cancer of the peripheral nervous system that usually occurs as a solid tumor in a child's chest or abdomen.
Scientists say the study offers insights that could lead to new, personalized medicine approaches in immunotherapy treatment. The findings were published this week in the journal Cancer Cell.
Monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy is the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) treatment currently approved for neuroblastoma. Doctors at CHOP say there can be painful side effects, causing patients to relapse. That, they say, was there motivation to look for new treatment options.
Their study was designed to increase understanding of how cells function and what goes wrong in diseases such as cancer. It sought to analyze and identify potential new targets for immunotherapy.
"Our study demonstrates the power of an integrative multi-omics approach to identify immunotherapeutic targets," said senior author, Sharon J. Diskin.
The researchers subsequently studied a novel treatment called ADCT-701, an antibody-drug conjugate that delivers a potent therapy. The therapy must be approved by the FDA before it can be used.
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Posted: 2024-10-25 12:06:05