New CAR T-cell Therapy Targets MUC1 Antigen for Breast Cancer Treatment: Study Shows 41BB Signaling Domain More Effective at Activating CAR T-cells

Scientists from Chulalongkorn University are studying a new treatment for breast cancer called CAR T-cell therapy. They have created CAR T-cells that target a specific antigen called mucin-1 (MUC1) that is present on breast cancer cells. They compared two different signaling domains, CD28 and 41BB, to see which was better at activating the CAR T-cells. They found that the CAR T-cells with the 41BB signaling domain were better at killing cancer cells and producing inflammatory molecules. They also showed that these CAR T-cells were effective against both breast cancer cell lines and primary breast cancer cells in the laboratory. This study provides evidence for the potential of CAR T-cell therapy targeting MUC1 in breast cancer treatment, and suggests that the 41BB signaling domain could be a better option for activating the CAR T-cells.