AFFILIATION

University of Pennsylvania, United States

SUMMARY OF WINNING ENTRY

For Development of CAR T Cell Therapy for Cancer and Other Diseases

Based on Professor Eshhar’s foundational concept of functional chimeric T-cell receptor molecules, efforts by Professors Carl H. June, Michel Sadelain, and others led to a new generation of engineered T cells for a more effective cellular immunotherapy against cancer, especially blood cancers leukemias and lymphomas. The ground-breaking discoveries by Professor June include 1) adopting a lentiviral transduction system based on the knowledge of how HIV infects T cells to allow for more efficient genetic engineering of the T cells and 2) the engineering of a signaling domain that enhances the function of the chimeric antigen-T cell receptor and allows better T cell activation and killing of target cancer cells. Professor June recently reported 10 year survival data for the first treated patients with advanced leukemias. The work of Professor June and his clinical colleagues led to the approval of CAR T cells not only for acute lymphocytic leukemias, but also for lymphomas.

SCALE OF IMPACT

Professor June’s contribution to the use of CAR T cells resulted in clinically effective FDA approved CAR T cells. The clinical success demonstrated by Professor June and his clinical colleagues opened wide interest in broader application of CAR T cells for other medical applications.

MEANINGFUL CHANGE

The development and use of improved CAR T cells by Professor June led to effective clinical cancer treatments and later treatment of an autoimmune disease that otherwise was generally refractory to standard therapy.