T-cells act against hard-to-treat cancers (T-ACT)
Development of new immune combination treatments towards cancers of the breast, colon and ovarium
Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) is a successful treatment form for blood cancers, in which patient’s T-cells (a type of leukocyte) are gene-engineered to express a protein that recognizes cancerous cells, after which this cellular product is given back to the patient. In this project, we extend ACT to cancers of the breast, colon and ovarium. To this end, scientists at Erasmus MC partner with entrepreneurs at Pan cancer T (PCT) BV and collaborate with clinical advisors and patient advocates.
Creation of a new therapy that can be quickly implemented and applied to a large group of ill people for whom current treatment is non-effective and/or yields side effects that hamper healthy lives. To enable the development of such a new therapy, we introduce 2 differentiating elements: (a) unique targets for ACT that are exclusively expressed by cancers but not healthy tissues (so-called PCT targets); and (b) innovative technologies to select proteins (so-called T-cell receptors, TCRs) that recognize PCT targets, as well as to overcome immune suppression in the targeted cancers.
Partners will obtain TCRs directed against 3 PCT targets that are highly expressed in hard-to-treat breast, colorectal and ovarium cancer. TCRs are genetically introduced into T-cells, after which these T-cells are assessed for safety and anti-tumor efficacy in combination with an approach that makes T cells better resist the immune-suppressive tumors.
ACT has been successfully developed against breast cancer, where we selected a safe and effective TCR and demonstrated that this TCR in combination with a new approach enhanced the durability of the anti-tumor response. Currently, PCT is preparing a phase 1/2 clinical trial with this next-generation TCR (expected start date: 2Q2026). Other TCRs directed against colorectal or ovarium cancers show promising preclinical results.
Collectively, these developments are expected to impact longer and healthier lives for large cohorts of patients with these cancers.
Andere projecten
In elk PPS-project werken kennisinstellingen, bedrijven en zorgpartijen samen aan een concrete gezondheidsvraag. Bekijk het volledige projectoverzicht.
Bekijk de programma’s
Binnen onze programma’s werken bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en regionale partners samen aan innovaties die bijdragen aan betere gezondheid en zorg.
Bekijk de partnerschappen
Strategische publiek-private partnerschappen (PPP's) zijn meerjarige samenwerkingen tussen bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en andere partijen.
Hoe kunnen we je helpen?
Heb je een vraag of wil je meer weten over Health Holland? We brengen je graag in contact met de juiste mensen, kennis en mogelijkheden om gezondheidsinnovatie te versnellen.
We hebben uw bericht ontvangen
We nemen binnen 3 tot 4 werkdagen contact met je op. Is je vraag dringend? Neem dan gerust direct contact met ons op. Hieronder zie je de contactoptie die het beste past bij je onderwerp.
Opnieuw beginnen
Er ging iets mis bij het versturen van het formulier. Probeer het opnieuw.