As part of RARITY’s first aim, we set out to develop advanced T cell therapies by identifying, isolating, and converting cancer-specific T cells from patients into high-quality therapeutic products. A key step in this process is identifying markers—specific proteins on the surface of cells—that allow us to distinguish cancer-fighting T cells from the broader population of T cells. Recently, we identified two such markers that can pinpoint T cells with anti-cancer potential in patients with colorectal cancer (van den Bulk et al., JITC 2023). This discovery is a critical step toward developing more effective T cell-based immunotherapies.
For the project’s second aim, we used advanced genomic techniques to identify new targets on cancer cells—molecules that could serve as signals for the immune system to attack. While most current immunotherapies focus on a limited set of such targets, our work has revealed several previously overlooked molecules that could serve as targets for immune-based therapies. We are now validating these findings in additional patient samples to assess their broader significance.
In the third aim, we focused on uncovering lesser-known immune cell populations that may play important roles in fighting cancer. Excitingly, we discovered that a unique type of immune cell known as gamma-delta T cells can recognize cancers that have evaded detection by conventional T cells. Our research also suggests that gamma-delta T cells may contribute to the success of cancer immunotherapy in some patients (de Vries et al., Nature 2023). These groundbreaking findings open up new possibilities for using gamma-delta T cells as powerful tools in future cancer treatments.
RARITY has also played a key role in supporting the development of several technological and analytical approaches for the analysis of cancer tissues. These advances have enabled our group, as well as others, to push forward knowledge in cancer immunology and immunotherapy (e.g. Ijsselsteijn et al., Nature Methods, 2024).
In addition, RARITY has facilitated the initiation of numerous collaborations with fundamental, translational, and clinical scientists. The work carried out within this project has been featured in more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and presented in numerous communications at international conferences.
