Cellular therapies have emerged as a transformative catalyst in cancer care. Advancements have made them life-extending treatments for patients who had run out of options, and, for many people, they have provided durable remissions — potentially cures. Their approvals are expanding for a wider array of cancers.
What is cellular therapy? Basically, it is a living drug developed from human stem cells or immune cells. Cellular therapy can be a powerful immunotherapy when immune cells are reprogrammed to recognize and attack cancer cells with chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T). Cellular therapy can supercharge white blood cells to bombard melanoma tumors when tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are isolated and expanded to target the cancer cells.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is a leader in cellular therapies both nationally and internationally. Our hematologists and oncologists were among the first in the United States and the world to offer new advancements through clinical trials. Their expertise is sought by other researchers as they have presented their data and discoveries at international conferences. Our front-line clinicians are highly skilled and knowledgeable in taking care of our patients and implementing innovations to improve the treatment experience. Vanderbilt-Ingram has consistently had an outstanding record in stem cell transplantation outcomes and survival rates, and this has also led to our success in this relatively new area of cellular therapies as they share many commonalities. One particular area that Vanderbilt-Ingram leads in is the administration of cell therapies in the outpatient setting. Typically, patients are hospitalized for one month while they undergo treatments for cell therapies. Vanderbilt-Ingram was the first to demonstrate that cell therapies could be safely administered as an outpatient treatment, and for us, this has become our standard of care. This allows patients to have a much better experience, and can save resources for hospitals, e.g., making more inpatient beds available. It also allows for patients who live farther away to come and receive their treatments here but then go back home where they can be closely monitored using new wearable technologies. This is truly aligning with our vision of democratizing personalized health care for all.
This issue of Momentum showcases our cellular therapy advancements. The cover story, “Cell Power,” gives an overview of our cellular therapy programs and details how they have helped patients. Another story describes how our physicians have shared their expertise, enabling VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System to be the Veterans Affairs’ only certified CAR-T center. Veterans from across the nation come to Nashville to receive CAR-T treatments. There are two question-and-answer articles that explain our recently added TILs therapy as well as the role of the translational scientist in improving cellular therapies. We highlight one of the many researchers who has benefited from an Ambassadors Grant and is investigating the noninherited mutations in stem cells that can be precursors to cancer. Other features celebrate our front-line clinicians, including a nurse who has performed more than 20,000 bone marrow biopsies and a nursing team that has shown how virtual reality can make infusion appointments less stressful for our patients.
For decades, cancer doctors were limited to the “three pillars of cancer treatment”: surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. While these three pillars continue to be integral to cancer care, patients now have more options, including targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and other new treatment modalities. Cellular therapies are at the axis of these advancements. They can function as both immunotherapies and targeted therapies. We’re excited about what the future holds and are committed to doing all we can to expand the effectiveness of cellular therapies for more types of cancer and make them available to everyone who needs them.
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