Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that harnesses the power of the patients’ own immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells.

For more than 20 years, BC Cancer has been driving innovation in immunotherapy research and shaping the next generation of scientists in the field.

Experts are studying how the immune system responds to cancer and how to enhance this response for treatment. Founded fully through donor support, BC Cancer’s immunotherapy research program launched at BC Cancer – Victoria’s Deeley Research Centre (DRC) in 2014 and has since expanded to a provincial network of world-class scientists and clinicians.

With a team of talented experts and state-of-the-art equipment, BC Cancer is a national leader in immunotherapy, sharing world-first findings with sites around the globe.

What You Need to Know about Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy takes an immune-based approach to treating cancer, bringing the best treatment options to patients and leading to improved outcomes for those with advanced cancers.

CAR T-cell therapy involves the modification of T-cells, a type of white blood cell, enabling them to identify and destroy cancer cells. T-cells possess remarkable abilities to fight disease, but they can sometimes be ineffective against cancer cells. With genetic modification, T-cells can be engineered to include a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) which enables T-cells to identify and destroy cancer cells more effectively.

The DRC is one of the first sites in the world to pioneer an immunotherapy research program that uses genomic approaches to generate more precise immune responses against cancer and is the first lab in Canada to manufacture CAR T-cells in-house.

How is BC Cancer Advancing Immunotherapy?

Deeley Research Centre (DRC)

The DRC produces made-in-Canada CAR T-cell therapies for people with advanced cancers. The DRC team’s goal is to advance CAR T-cell research and bring cutting-edge, cost-effective treatments to more patients across B.C. Since its launch, the DRC has manufactured and delivered safe, effective engineered cell therapies and is leading clinical trials to bring their research from the lab bench to patients.

Clinical Trials

In BC Cancer’s first CAR-T clinical trial (CLIC-01) for leukemia and lymphoma, 43% of participants achieved complete regression — this is remarkable given that these patients had exhausted all other treatment options. The trial was led in collaboration with Ottawa Hospital and highlighted the incredible potential of CAR T-cell therapy to transform cancer care across Canada. Next, a new trial (CLIC-02) will enable even more blood cancer patients, including children, to benefit from CAR-T therapy.

Solid Tumour Research

BC Cancer experts are researching the effectiveness of CAR-T immunotherapy for some of the most challenging solid cancers, including ovarian and pancreatic. The team is developing a clinical trial for solid tumours (CLIC-03) that could open by 2027, leading to new treatments for patients with few options.

The Next Generation of Researchers

The DRC offers opportunities to high school, co-op and graduate students to develop their careers in cancer research. For example, each year the High School Internship Program provides students with personalized lab training and valuable research and scientific communication skills. Students play a critical role in advancing innovative immunotherapy research by contributing fresh perspectives and ideas to each project.