“We are very fortunate and so grateful to the VeloSano community, bike riders and donors for their support in making our research happen,” says Jianjun Wu, PhD.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been incredibly effective in treating blood cancers, but it hasn’t been as successful in treating solid tumors. Research conducted by Jianjun Wu, PhD, and his team has found that solid tumors can secrete a small molecule, called cGAMP, that can kill CAR T-cells, making them less effective in treating cancer.
The goal of this study is to understand why this happens and to develop improved CAR T-cells that can survive longer and work better against solid tumors. It’s a big challenge, but Dr. Wu has the ambition and confidence.
“We hope to make the CAR T-cell more persistent in the solid tumor and survive longer, thus making them more effective in treating solid tumors,” says Dr. Wu. “We want to make our research translational. At Cleveland Clinic, we can always reach out to our clinical resources to get patient samples and make our basic research more relevant to physicians. It is very unique to Cleveland Clinic.”
Tumors create a tough environment that stops CAR T-cells from doing their job, causing them to die inside the tumors. With support from VeloSano, Dr. Wu is able to work towards a future where solid tumors are no match for the power of CAR T-cell therapy.
“The VeloSano community is not only supporting our project and our research, but they are also backing hope for millions fighting cancer worldwide,” says Dr. Wu.
100% For The Cure
