New Therapeutic Compound Could Overcome Immune Evasion in Cancer Cells

Scientists have identified a protein, YTHDF2, that could improve CAR T cell therapy by helping overcome cancer's immune evasion.

Researchers at the City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment centers in the U.S., with its National Medical Center ranked among the top 5 in the nation for cancer by U.S. News & World Report, have identified a key factor that allows cancer cells to evade CAR T cell therapy ().

CAR T cell therapy uses the immune system to target and destroy tumor cells and is primarily used for certain types of leukemia and lymphoma. However, some cancer cells have developed mechanisms to hide from the immune system, escaping destruction. The study, published in Cell, could lead to more personalized treatments that enhance cancer patients' survival rates.

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Discovery of Key Protein

The researchers identified a protein called YTHDF2 that plays a starring role in advancing the development of blood cancers. City of Hope then created a new medicinal compound called CCI-38, which targets and suppresses YTHDF2, reducing the growth of aggressive blood cancers. The approach improves the likelihood of successful cancer treatment.

“We believe that using CCI-38 to target YTHDF2 will significantly enhance the effectiveness of CAR T cell therapy on blood cancer cells,” said Jianjun Chen, Ph.D., Simms/Mann Family Foundation Chair in Systems Biology and the director of the Center for RNA Biology and Therapeutics at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope.

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Challenges in Blood Cancer Treatment

“One of the challenges in treating blood cancers is a phenomenon called ‘antigen escape.’ A key target for these therapies is a protein called CD19 found on the cancer cells,” added Dr. Chen, corresponding author of the new study.

However, in 28-68% of cases, the cancer cells lower or lose this CD19 marker, making treatments less effective. Although researchers are working on strategies to target multiple components, nearly half of patients are still affected by this issue.

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How YTHDF2 Helps Cancer Cells Evade the Immune System

YTHDF2 switches on genes that help cancer cells produce a stable energy source to fuel the cells’ ability to grow and spread. Moreover, this protein helps cancer cells conceal themselves by reducing the presence of antigen biomarkers that normally trigger the immune system to detect and attack cancer. Lastly, excess YTHDF2 works like a werewolf’s bite to transform blood cells from healthy to cancerous in mouse studies.

“Reducing the need for follow-up treatments could lead to better long-term survival and less relapse for our patients while lowering side effects and medical costs,” said Xiaolan Deng, Ph.D., an associate research professor in systems biology at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope and a co-corresponding author of the study.

City of Hope, a recognized leader in CAR T cell therapies for glioblastoma and other cancers, has treated more than 1,600 patients since its CAR T program started in the late 1990s. The institution continues to have one of the most comprehensive CAR T cell clinical research programs in the world.

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Personalized Approaches for Blood Cancer Treatment

“Unraveling the biology underlying YTHDF2’s function will help us develop new strategies to prevent tumor cells from escaping immune surveillance,” said Zhen-Hua Chen, Ph.D., a staff scientist in systems biology at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope and first author of the study. “This could lead to personalized approaches for patients whose blood cancers don’t respond to initial treatment or who relapse after initial response to T cell-based immunotherapy.”

Patent for Groundbreaking Cancer Research

The City of Hope team has filed a patent application covering critical aspects of this work, which holds implications for improving care for patients with other cancers and severe autoimmune diseases. The next phase of research will focus on improving CCI-38’s safety and effectiveness, exploring new methods to drive YTHDF2 out of cancer cells, and developing clinical trials.

Reference:

YTHDF2 promotes ATP synthesis and immune evasion in B cell malignancies - (https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(24)01324-2)

Source-Eurekalert