Cancer research allows scientists to modify specific immune cells to recognize and kill cancer. One type of immune cell is called the cytotoxic killer T cell. This T cell has a receptor (TCR) that is used to recognize a structure on the cancer cell's surface called a peptide-major histocompatibility molecules complex I (pMHC I). pMHC I complexes are diverse and are rarely shared amongst patients. This diversity prevents the use of a classic TCR across multiple patients to avoid tissue injury that known as graft versus host disease (GVHD). To bypass these limitations, Dr. Elsabbagh propose to develop T cells expressing a TCR that can target a protein called CD1d. Unlike MHC I, CD1d is not diverse and is well expressed on various childhood cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which has been known for high rates of treatment-related toxicity and disease recurrence. These modified cells will be pre-made and used universally in any AML or other children’s cancers that expresses CD1d. Dr. Elsabbagh and team will also attach a recent discovered enhancing protein called MyD88 to the created receptor to enhance their anticancer activity. They expect these modified T cells will be able to recognize and kill children AML cells.

This institution is a member of a research consortium which is being funded by St. Baldrick's: The Malignant Germ Cell Tumor International Consortium (MaGIC). For a description of this project, see the consortium grant made to the lead institution: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.