A study to learn more about how well immune system cells can find cancer

Cancer type:

All cancer types

Status:

Results

Phase:

Other

This study looked at how well white blood cells could find cancer, and if having another treatment at the same time helped them to do this better.

More about this trial

Doctors are always looking for new ways to treat cancer. An area researchers are looking into a lot is using cells of the immune system to attack the cancer. One way of doing this is by multiplying a patient’s white blood cells (T cells) in the laboratory, and then giving them back to the patient. Scientists have also used T cells to deliver viruses showing anti cancer activity into cancers in the laboratory.

In both of these treatments it is important that enough T cells reach the cancer. But we know from research that it is difficult to get lymphocytes Open a glossary item , including T cells, to move towards a cancer. This limits how well this type of cancer treatment can work. We also know that in doctors’ experience, lymphocytes given through a drip into a vein rarely get to a cancer without the help of other treatments. So researchers need to find ways of improving the cell’s ability to reach the cancer.

This study looked at white blood cells in people before and after their planned course of cancer treatment. The main aim of this study was to see how well white blood cells could find the cancer. And to see if their ability to find the cancer could be improved by the treatment they have.

Summary of results

There are no trial results available for this study. The trial team had difficulty fitting the test into peoples’ treatment schedule. This meant that they were unable to get enough people to take part to produce reliable results. The findings from the blood samples of those people who did take part has provided information for further laboratory work.