Researchers from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania are working on a new approach toward fighting cancer, which includes extracting T-cells from the body of a patient and genetically modifying them to make them more efficient in finding and killing cancer.

The lymphocytes were extracted from three patients and preserved alive while scientists removed three genes from their make-up. The genes known as TRAC, TRBC And PDCD1 are known for obstructing the fight against cancer.

The T-cells were then returned to the patients and a short chemotherapy was introduced. It was determined that the cells can survive for a long time in the body, despite the editing and the chemotherapy. The scientists are now planning to expand the tests to a greater number of patients and begin determining to what extent are the edited T-cells better and finding and killing cancer cells.

A similar study is also being conducted to edit the T-cells in a way that adds to them a receptor for a protein such as CD19.