| Project Title | Using the Power of the Immune System to Treat Glioblastoma |
|---|---|
Grant Amount | $200,000 |
Institution | The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research |
Investigator Team | Principal investigators Dr. Misty Jenkins, Dr. Jarrod Sandow, Dr. Ryan Cross, Dr. Andrew Morokoff and A/Prof. Kate Drummond with associate investigator Dr. Pete Smith |
Grant Type | 2019 Innovation Grant |
Years | 2019 – 2021 |
This project aims to create a new immunotherapy treatment for glioblastoma, called CAR T cell therapy. Immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune system, to treat their own cancer and involves harnessing the immune system to recognise and kill cancer. CAR T cells are specialized white blood cells that can be genetically engineered to target cell surface proteins and specifically kill cancer cells leaving healthy neighboring cells alone. This approach has shown incredible clinical promise in patients with leukaemia (or blood cancer), providing long-term treatment responses.
This project will use cutting edge technology to identify unique proteins on glioblastoma cells. CAR T cells will then be engineered to target these unique proteins and kill cancer cells.
“Our vision is to establish a world leading immunotherapy laboratory, dedicated to the development and application of immunotherapy as a therapeutic option for brain cancer.”