CAR T-Cell Therapy and the Cytokine Storm: The Balancing Act at the Center of Next-Generation Cancer Therapies
Recent advances in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy have opened exciting new avenues for the treatment of a variety of malignancies. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a powerful immune response to activated CAR T cells, is the primary side effect of CAR T-cell therapy, but existing CRS treatments can make CAR T-cell treatment less effective. In two recent studies, researchers used multiplexed cytokine immunoassays to better understand how CAR T-cell therapy triggers CRS and to identify strategies for early intervention in CRS development.
Microphysiological Systems: A Game Changer for Drug Safety and Efficacy Studies?
In December 2022, a groundbreaking law was passed granting the U.S. FDA the authority to consider data from new alternative methods in the preclinical testing phase for new drug development. Among the new methods are 3D cell cultures that mimic human tissues and organs, known as microphysiological systems (MPS). The new law aims to improve clinical outcomes while decreasing reliance on animal testing. In this article, we discuss MPS and review data showing how they can synergize with Bio-Plex Assays.