NCI funds work on CAR T cell therapy of brain tumors using focused ultrasound

LSI is partnering with the Ultrasound Biophysics and Bioengineering Lab directed by Dr. Costas Arvanitis in an R01 titled “Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis Therapy by Focused Ultrasound-Guided Control of HER2 CAR T cells.” This project will use focused ultrasound to enhance immune cell infiltration through the blood-brain barrier and guide delivery of CAR T cells to the brain for cancer therapy.

Summary | Breast cancer brain metastasis is observed in up to 50% of HER2-positive breast cancer patients and patients survive less than 2 years following CNS involvement. CAR T cell therapy is a promising new treatment but typically results in poor responses against solid tumors. This proposal seeks to apply thermal targeting by Magnetic Resonance guided Focused Ultrasound to increase anti-HER2 CAR T cell delivery and potentiate therapy against breast cancer brain metastasis.