Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes thousands of cases of cervical cancer and head and neck cancer each year. Although HPV-driven cancers carry viral proteins that should make them visible to the immune system, many patients with advanced disease do not respond well to current immunotherapies. There is an urgent need for new approaches that can help the immune system better recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Dr. Veatch aims to develop a new type of cell-therapy approach that focuses on CD4 T cells, a critical part of the immune system that helps coordinate broader immune attacks against cancer. Most current cell therapies have concentrated on CD8 T cells, which primarily kill cancer cells directly. In contrast, CD4 T cells may offer an additional advantage by activating and strengthening other immune cells within the tumor environment, potentially overcoming resistance to current treatments.
To create this therapy, he and his team will identify naturally occurring immune receptors that recognize HPV proteins and use them to engineer CD4 T cells that can specifically target HPV-driven tumors. These engineered cells will then be tested in sophisticated preclinical models designed to closely mimic how human immune cells behave in cancer. The team will also explore strategies to further improve the therapy’s effectiveness.
The ultimate goal of this work is to lay the foundation for a new immunotherapy for patients with HPV-related cancers. This research could expand treatment options for patients with advanced disease and help pave the way for future clinical trials.
Project and Grants: Development of CD4+ T cell therapies targeting human papillomavirus-driven malignancies
