Lastwika Lab
Principal Investigator: Kristin J Lastwika
Institution: Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Seattle, WA)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Abstract For the last 30 years, the 5-year survival rate of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has been less than 7% despite the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors as treatment options. Therapies like immune checkpoint inhibitors that aim to reengage an immune response may not succeed for SCLC as previous studies have shown downregulation of MHC molecules, low PD-L1 expression and limited immune infiltration. However, SCLC is often associated with autoantibody-driven Paraneoplastic Syndromes, providing evidence for the immunogenicity of SCLC. We propose that chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-Ts) as a novel approach for SCLC immunotherapy that overcomes impediments to endogenous immunity. CAR-Ts are synthetically engineered to fuse antibody ligand binding domains with costimulatory components that activate T cells after engagement of cell surface antigens, and have had considerable success in leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. The microenvironment of SCLC is phenotypically closer to CAR-T responsive lymphoma than many solid tumors where CAR-Ts have thus far had limited success. A challenge for CAR-T cells in many solid tumors is the identification of target antigens tha…
Active NIH Awards
- 5U01CA268066-05: Translating Autoantibodies Into Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T cell Therapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer (2026)
- 5U01CA268066-04: Translating Autoantibodies Into Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T cell Therapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer (2025)
- 5U01CA268066-03: Translating Autoantibodies Into Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T cell Therapy for Small Cell Lung Cancer (2024)
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