Seattle Children’s Research Shows Groundbreaking Results for Treating Solid Tumors

A recently published letter in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights positive early-stage results in pediatric cancer research. The letter, co-authored by Seattle Children’s researchers Michelle Choe, MD, and Andras Heczey, MD, details early-stage trial results for GPC3 CAR T-cell treatment with dual cytokine armoring. 

The publication details a pediatric liver cancer patient who achieved complete, durable remission for more than a year after receiving the novel immune therapy. While this patient population typically faces a high rate of relapse within a few months, this patient required no follow-up surgery or radiation.   

Seattle Children’s is currently recruiting patients for the ongoing Phase 1 trial, known as the IMPACT study.  Drs. Choe and Heczey are leading the trial efforts at Seattle Children’s, which is one of only two sites in the nation involved in this research.

Why This Matters

Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Current standard treatments for solid tumors, like chemotherapy, radiation and invasive surgery, carry a high risk of complications for young patients. The IMPACT study aims to determine if engineered immune cell therapy can provide a more effective, less invasive option for highly aggressive or advanced tumors.

To learn more, visit the IMPACT study page.