Dampening CAR therapy-induced cytokine storm with anti-GM-CSF antibodies

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term aim of this project is to reduce or eliminate the serious adverse events associated with cellular immunotherapy used to treat cancer. The current impressive efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies is often accompanied by a well-known toxicity stemming from the large release of cytokines from activated immune cells, known as a 'cytokine storm'. An ideal cancer therapy would be effective, selective, permanent, and safe. The immune system has the ability to specifically recognize and attack tumor cells and their supportive microenvironments, while sparing nearby normal cells. We have developed a novel therapy that has met these marks through the use of a patient's own immune cells. Inthis therapy, a patient's T-cells will be modified to express a NKG2D based CAR, expanded, and then returned to the patient. Although the promise of this CAR therapy is impressive, the potential use may be hampered by cytokine storm SAEs as observed f