CoStAR (Costimulatory Antigen Receptors)

"The need for new treatment options for cancer remains high. Recently there has been huge interest and massive success with treatments which involve modifying the patients immune system, effectively helping the patient fight their own cancer. In one example this has taken the form of drugs which can be injected, such as therapeutic antibodies. We and others are pioneering the use of adoptive cell therapy wherein the patient's immune cells are removed and either allowed to recover and be re-educated in the laboratory, or are engineered to recognise any cancer of choice. Many clinical trials globally have proved the success of this approach.

We have identified a means by which natural or engineered T-cells (a type of cancer fighting white blood cell) can be assisted in their cancer fighting capacity by introducing a molecule into the cells which enhances their anti-cancer activity. The approach takes advantage of a natural process which occurs in the immune system every time an infection is encountered, but is often lacking in responses of the immune system to cancer.

This approach has broad applicability across many cancer types including colorectal, skin, kidney and ovarian cancer. We have conducted some initial experiments to prove the concept; however, to ensure success we need to validate this approach in the lab before any patient trials can be conducted."