As early as 2024, the research group led by Sebastian Kobold, Professor of Immunopharmacology at LMU Klinikum, demonstrated that the molecule prostaglandin E2 in the tumor microenvironment can block the immune system’s killer cells (T cells), preventing them from attacking cancer cells. This mechanism is considered one of the main reasons why therapeutic CAR T cells have so far shown limited success in treating so-called solid tumors, including colorectal and breast cancer.

Building on these findings, Kobold’s team at the Institute of Clinical Pharmacology has now translated this insight into a practical therapeutic approach. In close collaboration with the group led by Jan Böttcher at the University of Tübingen, the researchers genetically modified CAR T cells so that prostaglandin E2 can no longer bind to them. As a result, the engineered immune cells remain active and are able to destroy solid tumor masses.

The new study has now been published in the scientific journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, marking an important step toward improving CAR T-cell therapies for a broader range of cancers.