II FERO-Carmen Mateu Grant – Dr. Pere Barba
II FERO-Carmen Mateu Grant
Dr. Pere Barba
Logic AND-gating to overcome key challenges in CAR T cell therapy for acute leukemias.
€100,000
Innovative CAR-T therapies, which are based on reprogramming a patient’s immune system cells in the laboratory so they can destroy tumor cells once returned to the body, have revolutionized the treatment of some blood cancers. However, their applicability remains very limited in cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia, two aggressive types of blood cancer for which patients have few therapeutic options after relapse.
The project, led by Dr. Pere Barba and funded by FERO Cancer with the sponsorship of the Fundació Castell de Peralada, seeks to develop new CAR-T therapy strategies that are activated only upon recognizing two molecules present on the surface of leukemia cells, but not on healthy cells. In this way, the CAR-T cells will destroy cancer cells more selectively, allowing for a reduction in side effects.
The ultimate goal is to advance toward safer and more effective treatments for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia.
