MIT News breed · Wetenschap

MIT Researchers Develop Novel Cell Preservation Technique for CAR-T Therapy

Researchers at MIT have developed a new method to preserve CAR-T cells, a type of immune cell therapy for cancer, by significantly reducing the need for a toxic chemical preservative. This innovation aims to make CAR-T cell therapy more accessible by simplifying the freezing and shipping process.

CAR-T cell therapy, used for certain blood cancers, is currently available at only about 5% of U.S. hospitals, often requiring cells to be frozen and shipped. MIT researchers have created a technique that lessens the damage to cells during freezing and shipment by minimizing the use of a chemical preservative, potentially enabling more hospitals to offer this treatment.

The new method uses a non-toxic antifreeze sugar instead of the traditional cryoprotective chemical, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which typically needs to be removed before treatment. This removal process can be complex and harmful to the cells, limiting broader clinical application.

The study demonstrated that cells preserved with this sugar-based method showed higher survival rates and were effective in treating lymphoma and glioblastoma in mouse models. The researchers used electroporation to introduce sugars like trehalose and sucrose into the cells, which mimic natural antifreeze mechanisms found in some Arctic organisms.

While a small amount of DMSO is still used, it is not required to be removed, simplifying the process. This advancement could allow CAR-T cells to be thawed and injected directly, potentially expanding access to this powerful cancer treatment. Further research and clinical trials are planned to integrate this technique into existing hospital protocols.

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