Innovation Spotlight

Immune Therapy

The Immune Therapy Program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre draws from the basic science and clinical strengths of one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. 

 

Learn more about how The Princess Margaret is leading the way:
What is Immune Therapy?
First Clinical Trial in Canada of Adoptive T-Cell Therapy
Leaders in Treatment using "Checkpoint Blockade"
Testing a Broad Spectrum of Cancer Vaccines
"Teaching" New T-cells How to Attack Tumour Cells 
Leading features of Immune Therapy at The Princess Margaret

 

What is Immune Therapy? 

First Clinical Trial in Canada of Adoptive T-cell Therapy

WHAT IS ADOPTIVE T-CELL THERAPY? 

In Adoptive T-cell Therapy, T-cells from a sample of the patient’s cancer are isolated in the laboratory. T-cells are the chief type of immune cell that can directly attack and destroy cells that are infected with viruses. T-cells can also attack and destroy cancer cells.  

Scientists then use growth stimulants to dramatically increase the number of these anti-tumour T-cells and then transfer them back into the patient. T-cells that are found right inside tumours often have a “built-in” ability to kill off cancer cells, but often are too few in number to efficiently kill the tumour.

The goal is, in many ways, to provide a larger army (or a larger number of soldiers) to fight the tumour in the hopes of launching a stronger immune attack against the patient’s cancer. 

Adoptive T-cell Therapy is a truly personalized medicine since the T-cells are matched to each individual patient. The complex technology needed to produce T-cells for clinical use can only be developed in comprehensive cancer centres like The Princess Margaret.

OUR LEADERS
	Dr. Pam Ohashi Director, Immune Therapy Program Co-Director, The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
	Dr. Linh Nguyen Head, Translational Immunotherapy Laboratory
	Dr. Marcus Butler Medical Oncologist

 

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Leaders in Treatment Using “Checkpoint Blockade”

There are many types of cells and molecules that act to inhibit the T-cell response, just like the brakes in a car.  This can be useful in some situations.  In the case of Immune Therapy for cancer treatment, however, these “brakes” are not desirable. Part of Immune Therapy is aimed at discovering ways to “release” these brakes, so that we can unleash the power of T-cells to effectively destroy cancer cells.
 

What is Checkpoint Blockade?

 

The points at which the brakes are applied are called “checkpoints.”  Checkpoint Blockade is a type of Immune Therapy which blocks these checkpoints, which releases the brakes and gives a “go” signal so that T-cells can continue to effectively attack the cancer until it is completely gone.  This approach has been tested with impressive results as a form of treatment for certain cancers.

Drs. David Hogg, Anthony Joshua, Marcus Butler, Pam Ohashi, Lillian Siu, and Natasha Leighl are leading their teams of world-class researchers at the frontier of this approach.

OUR LEADERS
	Dr. David Hogg Medical Oncologist
	Dr. Anthony Joshua Medical Oncologist
	Dr. Marcus Butler Medical Oncologist
	Dr. Pam Ohashi Director, Immune Therapy Program Co-Director, The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
	Dr. Lillian Siu Co-Director, BRAS Drug Development Program Director, Phase I Clinical Trials Program
	Dr. Natasha Leighl Medical Oncologist

 

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Testing a Broad Spectrum of Cancer Vaccines

 

The goal of cancer vaccines is to alert T-cells to the presence of cancer and to initiate a strong T-cell response against the tumour. There are different ways that this can be achieved. For instance, Dr. Amit Oza is leading a clinical trial using the vaccine DPX-Survivac for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

In another example, Dr. Jeffrey Medin has established the expertise to alter viruses so that they can potentially be used as cancer vaccines. Working with Dr. Christopher Paige, Senior Scientist and Vice President of Research at UHN, and Medical Oncologists Drs. Mark Minden and Andre Schuh, Dr. Medin has made viruses which secrete molecules called cytokines which tip off the immune system that cancer cells are present. A clinical trial to test this vaccine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia is currently being designed.

OUR LEADERS
	Dr. Amit Oza Director, Cancer Clinical Research Unit Co-Director, BRAS Drug Development Program
	Dr. Jeffrey Medin Senior Scientist, University Health Network
	Dr. Christopher Paige Vice President, Research, University Health Network  Senior Scientist
	Dr. Mark Minden Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
	Dr. Andre Schuh Director, Clinical Services for Malignant Hematology Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

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"Teaching" new T-cells how to attack tumour cells

As mentioned, T-cells found inside tumours often have a “built-in” ability to kill off cancer cells.  However, some tumours may not have any T-cells in them, or the T-cells found may not be “fit” enough to multiply in the laboratory setting.  But what if we could “teach” new T-cells to attack tumour cells? Following this idea, Drs. Naoto Hirano and Marcus Butler have developed a biological tool called artificial Antigen-Presenting Cells (APCs). 

What are artificial APCs?

In order for T-cells to be fully equipped to mount a strong immune response, they require “go” signals from a specialized population of immune cells called antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Artificial APCs have been developed as a biological tool to “teach” new T-cells how to recognize and attack cancer cells. This approach was proven by Drs. Hirano and Butler while they were at Harvard Medical School.

Once “taught”, these “educated” T-cells were given to patients in a clinical trial of “Adoptive T-cell Therapy”.  No drugs were given to patients during the treatment, which meant that patients were able to avoid hospitalization and instead could be treated safely as outpatients.  Drs. Hirano and Butler have brought their expertise to The Princess Margaret to create new and more potent cancer-targeting T-cells that have been “educated” by specialized artificial APCs.  
 

OUR LEADERS
	Dr. Naoto Hirano Associate Director for Research, Immune Therapy Program Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
	Dr. Marcus Butler Medical Oncologist

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Leading features of Immune Therapy at The Princess Margaret

Cutting-edge research expertise spanning from basic immunology discoveries though clinical trials of Immune Therapies.

Established technologies to produce various types of T-cells for clinical use that can destroy cancer cells.

Dedicated team of researchers for detailed analysis of patients’ immune responses against cancer.

World-class teams to support all aspects of the development and implementation of clinical trials.

Access to agents sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program for use in early phase clinical trials.

Large patient population size, allowing the evaluation of Immune Therapies in many different types of cancers and individuals.

A specialized facility for manufacturing cell products for clinical use under "Good Manufacturing Practices" (GMP).

Participation in a wide variety of industry-sponsored clinical trials.

Extensive, proven expertise in drug development and conduct of practice changing trials.

Full repertoire of complementary modalities (chemotherapy, clinical genomics, epigenetics) to enable rapid testing of combination therapies.