Members of the Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy Secure More Than $2.6 Million to Advance NKT Cell Immunotherapy Research

Researchers in the Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy at Texas Children’s Hospital, directed by Leonid S. Metelitsa, MD, PhD, have secured more than $2.6 million in new research funding to advance innovative immunotherapy approaches for children with pediatric cancers, including neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma and other solid tumors.

The funded projects focus on harnessing the power of natural killer T (NKT) cells and developing next-generation cell therapies designed to enhance anti-tumor activity, overcome treatment resistance, and improve outcomes for children with cancer. The awards support a range of research efforts spanning basic science discoveries, translational studies and the development of novel CAR NKT cell therapies.

Funded investigators and projects include:

Gengwen Tian, MD, PhD
•    Scholar Award: Whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis screening to develop CAR NKT therapy for neuroblastoma (Hyundai Hope on Wheels)
•    Enhancing GD2.CAR NKT anti-tumor efficacy against neuroblastoma through targeting PRDM1 and ZBTB7B (CURE Childhood Cancer)

Leonid S. Metelitsa, MD, PhD
•    CAR NKT Cell Immunotherapy of Neuroblastoma (National Institutes of Health)

Andrew A. Wahba, MD
•    Young Investigator Award: Advancing Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy with CAR NKT Cells (MIB Agents Osteosarcoma Alliance)
•    Young Investigator Award: Enhancing CAR NKT Immunotherapy for Osteosarcoma Through Dual Targeting and Microenvironment Reprogramming (Hyundai Hope on Wheels)

Norihiro Watanabe, PhD
•    Allo-resistant off-the-shelf armed CAR-Vδ2 T cell therapy for osteosarcoma (Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas)

These awards reflect growing momentum in the development immunotherapy approaches and underscore the commitment of Texas Children’s investigators to translating scientific discoveries into more effective treatments for children facing cancer and other serious diseases.