# immunotherapy

Cancer Drug Dosing Faces New Scrutiny as Patients and Researchers Push for Lower Amounts

Patients and researchers are questioning whether some approved cancer drug doses are higher or longer than necessary.
International clinicians have already used lower doses or shorter treatment periods for immunotherapies such as nivolumab and pembrolizumab.
The debate could affect side effects, treatment costs, and how future oncology trials are designed.

DT Editorial Team·Aug 25, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Novel first-line combination strategies in advanced TNBC (via dailyreporter.esmo.org)

Ivonescimab Plus Chemotherapy Shows Promise in Advanced Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Ivonescimab is a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody.
Phase 2 trial enrolled 36 patients with advanced TNBC.
Objective response rate was 80.0%.
Treatment-related adverse events occurred in all patients, but no deaths.

DT Editorial Team·Aug 13, 2026·via nature.com

Phase 1 Trial Shows Intracranial CAR-T Therapy for Recurrent Glioblastoma Is Safe and Feasible

Phase 1 dose-escalation trial of intracranial delivery of B7-H3-targeting CAR-T cells for recurrent glioblastoma.
Study published in Nature Medicine, demonstrating safety and feasibility.
No dose-limiting toxicities; manageable adverse events.
Preliminary signs of antitumor activity observed.

DT Editorial Team·Aug 7, 2026·via nature.com

$FcRH5×CD3 bispecific antibody cevostamab in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: a phase 1 trial - Nature Medicine$

Phase 1 trial suggests cevostamab could widen options in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma

A phase 1 trial tested cevostamab in 324 patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.
Most participants had heavily pretreated disease, and nearly half had prior BCMA-targeted therapy.
The drug produced a 42.1% objective response rate and a median response duration of 11.2 months.
The maximum tolerated dose was not reached, though serious adverse events were common.

DT Editorial Team·Jul 25, 2026·via nature.com

Scientists develop DNA-delivered immunotherapy that targets ovarian cancer more effectively

DNA-Delivered Immunotherapy Shows Promise Against Ovarian Cancer

Wistar researchers reported a preclinical ovarian cancer immunotherapy study in Molecular Therapy.
The platform uses DNA delivery so the body can produce bispecific T cell engagers rather than relying only on conventional protein manufacturing.
The approach also supports dual antigen targeting in a single dose, aimed at reducing tumor escape and resistance.

DT Editorial Team·Jul 19, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

A renewable cell source for cancer immunotherapy could make off-the-shelf treatments possible

USC team reports renewable cell source for macrophage cancer therapies

USC-led researchers reported a way to extensively expand granulocyte-monocyte progenitors in the lab.
The progenitor cells can be engineered to target cancer markers and support broader immune responses.
The work suggests a scalable starting point for macrophage-based, potentially off-the-shelf cell therapies.

DT Editorial Team·Jun 19, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Phase 1 trial points to early promise for IMA401 in solid tumors

IMA401 was tested in 61 patients with advanced solid tumors.
The maximum tolerated dose was not reached under the trial protocol.
Researchers set a recommended phase 2 dose of 1 mg to 2 mg every two weeks.
Common treatment-related side effects included low-grade cytokine release syndrome, lymphopenia, and neutropenia.

DT Editorial Team·Jun 1, 2026·via nature.com

Ultra-low doses could bring costly cancer treatments to more patients in poorer countries

Low-dose cancer therapy study points to access gains

STAT highlighted ultra-low-dose immunotherapy as a potential way to cut treatment costs.
The candidate frames the development around improved access in poorer countries.
The broader significance is economic as well as clinical.

DT Editorial Team·May 31, 2026·via statnews.com

Pilot trial points to immune-targeted therapy for hard-to-treat depression

A 30-person pilot trial tested tocilizumab in moderate-to-severe depression that had not responded to standard antidepressants.
Compared with placebo, the anti-inflammatory drug appeared to reduce depression symptoms and improve fatigue, anxiety, and quality of life.
The study adds clinical support to the idea that an IL-6-linked inflammatory pathway may drive a subset of depression cases.

DT Editorial Team·May 20, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Sensory nerves may help lung tumors hide from the immune system

Researchers linked sensory nerve signaling to weaker anti-tumor immunity in lung cancer.
Tumors appeared to promote nerve growth and CGRP release in the local microenvironment.
Blocking nerve activity or CGRP signaling strengthened immune organization and reduced tumor growth in mice.

DT Editorial Team·May 19, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Supercharging Immune Cells May Help Control HIV Long-Term

Early CAR-T Results Point to a New Path for Long-Term HIV Control

Two trial participants maintained undetectable HIV without ongoing medication after a single CAR-T infusion.
The study is early and small, focused on safety and feasibility rather than broad efficacy.
If replicated, the approach could push HIV treatment toward longer-lasting immune control.

DT Editorial Team·May 18, 2026·via wired.com

Remission Antibodies Point to a New CAR T Strategy Against Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Researchers used antibodies from AML patients in long-term remission after bone marrow transplant to identify a new target.
The target, U5 snRNP200, appears on the surface of leukemia cells in about half of AML patients but is usually found inside the nucleus.
Engineered CAR T cells showed activity in animal models and appeared broadly effective against several other leukemia types.

DT Editorial Team·May 13, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

CAR T’s biggest weak point may be the patient’s own aging immune cells

Rutgers researchers linked CAR T underperformance to senescent CD8+ T cells used as starting material.
Higher senescence burdens reduced cell expansion under standard CAR T culture conditions.
Analysis of published lymphoma data found stronger senescence signatures were associated with higher failure risk.
The work suggests pre-manufacturing cell-quality screening could improve patient selection and product design.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 30, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Experimental red-blood-cell delivery system turns immune cells into cancer fighters inside the body

Researchers used engineered red blood cells to carry mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles.
The genetic payload is designed to reprogram myeloid immune cells into tumor-targeting cells inside the body.
The strategy could eventually reduce the time and cost associated with conventional CAR cell manufacturing.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 29, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Glioblastoma Study Identifies Molecule Linked to Better Responses and Immune Memory

Researchers studying exceptional glioblastoma responders found higher levels of miR-181d in their tumors.
The molecule appears to suppress RAD51, a protein cancer cells use to repair treatment-induced DNA damage.
In preclinical models, restoring miR-181d before radiation also appeared to improve long-term immune recognition of the tumor.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 22, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Gut Microbiome Signals Could Help Predict Which Melanoma Patients Relapse

Medical Xpress reports that gut bacterial composition predicted melanoma recurrence after surgery and immunotherapy.
The reported predictive accuracy reached up to 94 percent.
The finding points to the microbiome as a potential biomarker for relapse risk assessment.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 20, 2026·via medicalxpress.com

Clinical development of cancer vaccines - Nature Medicine

Cancer Vaccines Enter a New Clinical Era

Personalized mRNA cancer vaccines use tumor sequencing to target neoantigens unique to each patient's cancer
Moderna/Merck mRNA-4157 showed significant melanoma recurrence reduction in Phase 2, driving broader clinical expansion
Combination approaches pairing vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors are advancing across multiple tumor types
Multiple Phase 3 trials now underway will determine if cancer vaccines become standard-of-care treatment

DT Editorial Team·Mar 16, 2026·5 min read·via nature.com

Early Biologic Therapy Sharply Cuts Asthma Attacks in Kids

Children starting biologics at younger ages showed the greatest reduction in severe asthma attacks
Real-world data fills critical evidence gap that clinical trials alone could not address
Insurance prior authorization delays remain a significant barrier to timely treatment access

DT Editorial Team·Mar 9, 2026·5 min read·via medicalxpress.com

A bold new plan could finally cure type 1 diabetes

Science

Two-Part Cell Therapy Aims to Cure Type 1 Diabetes

Combines stem cell-derived beta cells with CAR-engineered immune bodyguards
Preclinical protection lasted one month in humanized mouse models
Funded by $1M Breakthrough T1D grant at Medical University of South Carolina

DT Editorial Team·Mar 2, 2026·4 min read·via sciencedaily.com

Neoantigen Vaccine for Hereditary Cancer Shows Promise in Early Trial

Off-the-shelf neoantigen vaccine showed safety and immunogenicity in Lynch syndrome patients
Lynch syndrome affects 1 in 280 people and carries 40-80% lifetime colorectal cancer risk
The vaccine targets shared neoantigens from mismatch repair deficiency, no customization needed
Larger trials needed to determine if immune responses translate to reduced cancer incidence

DT Editorial Team·Feb 27, 2026·5 min read·via nature.com