Roger B. Cohen, MD, is a professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and associate director of clinical research at Penn's Abramson Cancer Center. Along with his colleagues at Penn, he is investigating a novel CAR T-cell product as a treatment for adults with medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

MTC is a rare disease, accounting for 1% to 2% of thyroid cancer cases. The prognosis for these patients is poor, and there are few treatment options for those with relapsed/refractory disease.

CAR T-cell thearapies have had limited success in solid cancers, but Donald Siegel, MD, PhD, at Penn, has discovered a unique protein, GFRα4, that is expressed only on MTC cells. Dr Cohen explains how this protein provides a target for GFRα4 CAR T-cells in patients with MTC.

Videos

Dr. Cohen on Potential With CAR T-Cell Therapy in Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Donald Siegel, MD, PhD, Dr. Cohen's scientific collaborator, discovered GFRα4, a protein uniqely expressed on the parafollicular cells that become malignant in MTC. In the clinical trial, Dr. Cohen will assess whether a one-time infusion of autologus GFRα4 CAR T cells can kill tumor cells without causing the toxicities common to immunotherapy.

GFRα4 May Represent a Unique Therapeutic Target in Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Investigators leading clinical trials must go the extra mile to recruit diverse patient populations and the challenge is even greater for those exploring rare cancers. Here, Dr. Cohen explains the steps Penn is taking to recruit the broadest variety of patients.

Roger B. Cohen, MD

Articles

Dr. Cohen on Potential With CAR T-Cell Therapy in Medullary Thyroid Cancer

GFRα4 May Represent a Unique Therapeutic Target in Medullary Thyroid Cancer

Dr. Cohen on Diversifying the Patient Population for a Clinical Trial in Medullary Thyroid Cancer