A Victoria team is playing a central role in developing a cancer therapy that shows a 90 per cent complete response rate for certain types of leukemia that are otherwise fatal, says a researcher at the Deeley Research Centre.

Immunotherapy is an approach for cancer treatment that uses the patient乌鸦传媒檚 own immune system 乌鸦传媒� getting it fired up to destroy cancer cells. It乌鸦传媒檚 a path Brad Nelson started working in two decades ago, and the last five years have yielded impressive results globally.

乌鸦传媒淭wenty years ago, (immunotherapy) was very much a futuristic idea,乌鸦传媒� said Nelson, co-director of the centre based at BC Cancer adjacent to Royal Jubilee Hospital. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e gone from being a bit on the fringes 乌鸦传媒� to now doctors, nurses are delivering some types of therapy as standard of care for many cancers.乌鸦传媒�

Nelson first embarked on T-cell studies as an option to work alongside standard chemotherapy and radiation. Twenty years later, it乌鸦传媒檚 working.

乌鸦传媒淭his has been a global phenomenon with breakthroughs at centres around the world,乌鸦传媒� Nelson said.

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The ultimate goal is to develop safe, potent and cost-effective immunotherapies to battle a range of cancers.

One area of research using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells is showing significant signs of success. In the simplest of terms, they take a patient乌鸦传媒檚 immune cells 乌鸦传媒� in particular T-cells 乌鸦传媒� and insert a gene that rewires them. Now hardwired to recognize the cancer, the genetically engineered cells go back into the patient乌鸦传媒檚 blood stream and circulate.

乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e now hardwired to 乌鸦传媒� when they see a tumour cell 乌鸦传媒� latch on and destroy it,乌鸦传媒� Nelson said.

In oncology terms, it乌鸦传媒檚 still a recent development, but showing spectacular results in blood-based cancers, he added.

International clinical trials have shown (CAR) T-cells can achieve up to a 90 per cent complete response rate for certain types of leukemia that are otherwise fatal 乌鸦传媒� the tumour goes away, it乌鸦传媒檚 undetectable, Nelson explained.

The Victoria lab has a purpose-built clean room to manufacture the genetically engineered cells. With approvals, the team embarked on a patient trial with treatment taking place in Vancouver and Ottawa. The consortium has treated 60 patients on this trial and recently published results for the first 30 in a peer-reviewed international journal documenting the treatment is safe and effective, Nelson said.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e also figured out how to make it cost-effective.乌鸦传媒�

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Alongside success, the treatment rapidly became commercialized to tune of a $1 million treatment in the U.S.

乌鸦传媒淚n Canada, we looked at those numbers and thought there乌鸦传媒檚 just no way our health-care system can support those costs,乌鸦传媒� Nelson said. 乌鸦传媒淚n B.C. alone, there are about 100 patients a year that need this therapy.乌鸦传媒�

Along the way, they乌鸦传媒檝e created the next generation of cutting-edge clinical researchers

乌鸦传媒淎nother accomplishment of the program is we乌鸦传媒檝e created this generation of highly trained, largely younger people who have these skills and great jobs in producing this very sophisticated cancer treatment and really setting B.C. up for the future.乌鸦传媒�

Julie Nielsen took on the role as leader of cell manufacturing for BC Cancer乌鸦传媒檚 immunotherapy program about a year ago. She乌鸦传媒檚 been at the agency for 15 years, lured there by the enthusiastic work of Nelson.

Early on, she was working with patient samples and got to talk to patients. Even though she couldn乌鸦传媒檛 treat them, patients were interested in hearing about the work and its potential.

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乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e always loved being here and loved my job for a lot of reasons. Mainly the patient focus,乌鸦传媒� Nielsen said. 乌鸦传媒淣ow we乌鸦传媒檙e really treating patients. I乌鸦传媒檝e talked to some of these people and heard their stories, and they乌鸦传媒檙e just so grateful. It乌鸦传媒檚 so inspiring.乌鸦传媒�

Both researchers are grateful to the community that helps fund the work. Beyond Belief is the latest ambitious BC Cancer Foundation campaign to raise $500 million with the goal of investing in research, technology and access. The BC Cancer Foundation raised $77.1 million for BC Cancer last year.

Victoria乌鸦传媒檚 Deeley Research Centre was funded by the community through the BC Cancer Foundation and much of Nelson乌鸦传媒檚 research has been made possible through community donations, said William Litchfield, executive director.

乌鸦传媒淭his is an amazing example of how our community has invested to make a real difference in cancer care, and with our community乌鸦传媒檚 continued support we will continue to make world-class breakthroughs,乌鸦传媒� Litchfield said.

Learn more about the campaign at bccancerfoundation.com.

christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca