CAR-T Pioneer to Keynote Research Retreat
Anixa Biosciences announced that Dr. Jose Conejo-Garcia, co-inventor of its FSHR-mediated CAR-T technology, will be the keynote speaker at the South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute's 2026 retreat. CAR-T therapy is a form of immunotherapy used to treat cancer.
- CAR-T therapy is a personalized "living drug" where a patient's own T-cells—a type of immune cell—are collected and genetically engineered in a lab. These modified cells are grown into the hundreds of millions before being infused back into the patient. - The new, engineered cells produce special proteins on their surface called Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs). These receptors act like hooks, enabling the T-cells to recognize and attach to specific proteins, or antigens, on the surface of cancer cells, marking them for destruction. - Dr. Conejo-Garcia's innovation, known as CER-T, targets the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor (FSHR). This is a novel approach because FSHR is found on ovarian cells and the blood vessels that supply tumors, potentially opening up CAR-T treatment for solid tumors, not just blood cancers. - Currently, FDA-approved CAR-T therapies primarily treat blood cancers like B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and various types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The technology co-invented by Dr. Conejo-Garcia is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. - The South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute, the event host, is part of a national NIH-funded network. Its mission is to bridge the gap between biomedical discoveries in the lab and actual health interventions that improve patient care and public health. - A career in developing such technologies, like Dr. Conejo-Garcia's, typically involves deep research and a path through graduate school (Ph.D.) and/or medical school (M.D.). This "biotechnology" track focuses on manipulating biological systems in a lab to create new drugs and therapies. - This contrasts with patient-facing roles, such as a clinical oncologist who administers the therapy. That career path requires medical school and extensive clinical training. Other related careers include biomedical engineering, which focuses on designing and building medical devices and technologies to solve clinical problems.
