Scientists have developed a new method to strengthen cancer-fighting cells using CRISPR gene editing — and they did it by running the process inside living organisms.
The new study, published in the journal Molecular Therapy, used CRISPR genome-editing tools to systematically identify specific genetic targets that could make CAR-T cells more effective against solid tumors.
CAR-T cells are a form of immunotherapy that modifies a patient's own cells to target and destroy cancer cells. While the approach has shown remarkable success against blood cancers, it has struggled against solid tumors, which have largely resisted these treatments.
The new approach ran a CRISPR screening platform directly inside a living organism, identifying how specific gene knockouts could enhance CAR-T cell expansion and persistence. Unlike laboratory-based experiments, this captured the interactions occurring in a real biological environment.
The researchers said the findings could pave the way for significant advances in solid tumor therapy by overcoming cancer cells' defensive mechanisms. However, further testing will be needed before the results can be translated into clinical trials.
