EGFR-specific CAR-T cells trigger cell lysis in EGFR-positive TNBC

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunotherapy
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with limited effective treatment options.
• Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is frequently overexpressed in TNBC, making it a potential therapeutic target.
• Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has emerged as a potent immunotherapy approach for various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate EGFR-specific CAR-T cells for treating TNBC.
• To assess the efficacy of these CAR-T cells against high-EGFR-expressing TNBC models.

Main Methods:

• Generated two types of EGFR-specific CAR-T cells using lentiviral vectors.
• Assessed CAR-T cell activation, cytotoxicity, and cytokine release in vitro.
• Evaluated antitumor effects in TNBC cell line and patient-derived xenograft mouse models.

Main Results:

• EGFR-specific CAR-T cells were activated by high-EGFR-expressing TNBC cells.
• CAR-T cells demonstrated specific lysis of TNBC cells in vitro.
• Significant inhibition of tumor growth was observed in both cell line and patient-derived xenograft models.

Conclusions:

• EGFR-specific CAR-T cells exhibit potent cytotoxic and antitumor activity against TNBC.
• These findings suggest EGFR-specific CAR-T cells are a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC patients with high EGFR expression.