Early Study of New CAR-T Cell Shows Promising Results

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A study by MSK researchers in Nature Chemical Biology describes the development of a new class of cell that may boost treatment options for certain cancers and other diseases, one of a number of new advances in the field of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) therapy.

CAR-T cells are engineered from a patient’s own cells and used to activate an immune response against cancer. As described by Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News and The Science Advisory Board, the new synthetic enzyme-armed killer (SEAKER) cells described in the study overcome many of the limitations of current CAR-T cell therapies. In an animal model, the researchers successfully engineered the cells to produce AMS, a natural anti-cancer compound, at the cancer site.

The researchers plan to further develop SEAKER cells for use in human clinical trials in two to three years.

Three Questions: Eric W, Programmer Analyst III

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For our next Three Questions interview, we spoke with Eric W, Programmer Analyst III.

Image of a forest in Oregon.

Eric hiking in Oregon.

What areas can you help MSK users with?

I help users behind the scenes on Library websites and applications like Synapse (the publication database of MSK) and the MSK Data Catalog (datasets used in research at MSK), among many others. In collaboration with my colleagues, I work on projects to add new features to existing applications as well as develop new ones to help meet the research needs of MSK.

What projects have you been working on recently?

Some of my current projects: I’ve been working with our Research Data Management Librarian to create a data policy API and a separate front-end app that will help MSK researchers understand and meet the compliance requirements of their publishers and funders. I’ve also been working with the Library Director on a database and display for accessing past quarterly Advancing Authorship seminars hosted by the Library.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I’ve wanted to go on a safari and see the pyramids ever since I was a child. Rather than just one specific area, I’d like to travel around the continent of Africa.