Project Summary:
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a significant health concern in Wisconsin, marked by high incidence rates and limited access to advanced treatment options, particularly in underserved communities. These disparities disproportionately affect rural and low-income populations, leading to poorer outcomes and higher relapse rates. Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has shown promise for relapsed or refractory MM, its high costs and potential for relapse create additional barriers for medically underserved patients, exacerbating existing health inequities This project aims to address these inequities by developing and validating a novel activation-inducible bispecific BCMA-CD24 CAR-T (Aib-CAR-T) cell therapy that targets both BCMA and CD24 to enhance treatment precision and safety.
The project team's innovative approach incorporates an activation-inducible system to ensure CD24 targeting only occurs in BCMA-positive environments, minimizing off-target effects and reducing treatment toxicity. By leveraging this dual-targeted strategy, Abi-CAR-T cells are expected to more effectively eliminate both bulk MM cells and drug-resistant minimal residual disease, leading to reduced relapse rates and improved long-term outcomes.
The development process includes preclinical studies to confirm efficacy, safety, and readiness for clinical trials. The team's combined expertise in CAR-T design, manufacturing, and clinical application positions them to advance this therapy from bench to bedside.
The intended impact of this project is to create a more effective and safer CAR-T therapy that can be scaled and made accessible to underserved populations in Wisconsin. This advancement aims to reduce healthcare disparities, improve patient survival, and enhance the quality of life for MM patients. If successful, Abi-CAR-T therapy could set a new standard of care for MM and serve as a model for increasing access to advanced cancer treatments across other health-challenged communities.