Some patients who receive immune cell therapy are able to beat cancer and remain cancer‑free for many years, but most do not. Dr. Melenhorst and his team study those rare long‑term survivors to understand what made their immune cells succeed when others stopped working.
By examining chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells from real patients, the team identifies gene disruptions found in cells that expanded and persisted unusually well over time. These disruptions may reveal how CAR T-cells stay strong, avoid burnout and continue attacking cancer. The team then uses these patient-derived insights to guide gene‑editing strategies — engineering immune cells that are more durable, more resilient and better able to fight cancer for the long term. The goal is to turn exceptional patient outcomes into better treatments for many more people.
Cancer remains a major cause of illness and death, even with today’s best treatments. Immune cell therapies offer tremendous promise, but they often stop working too soon and don’t help every patient. This research aims to make these therapies last longer and work more reliably. Stronger, longer‑lasting immune cells could mean fewer cancer relapses, longer survival and more patients benefiting from lifesaving treatments.
By learning directly from patients and translating those lessons into better therapies, Dr. Melenhorst’s work supports VeloSano’s mission to accelerate research that brings meaningful, lasting impact to people living with cancer.
100% For The Cure
