AACR Highlights Promising Results of Innovative CAR T Cell Therapy for Advanced Thyroid Cancers

A groundbreaking chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy named AIC100 has shown encouraging early results in treating patients with aggressive thyroid cancers. Developed to target the ICAM-1 protein expressed on tumor cells, AIC100 demonstrated notable tumor reduction and manageable safety in a Phase I trial presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 by Dr. Samer Srour from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

This therapy is particularly significant for patients battling anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PTDC), both of which have limited treatment options and are associated with poor prognoses. In the study involving 24 adult patients with either newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory disease, 15 had received AIC100 through varying dose levels. Results showed that among patients in higher dose cohorts, there was a 50% objective response rate, with some experiencing partial or complete remission, and others maintaining disease control for several months.

Importantly, the therapy was well tolerated. No severe toxicities or neurological side effects like ICANS occurred, and only mild cytokine release syndrome was observed in some cases. Based on these promising outcomes, the optimal dose for future studies has been identified, paving the way for Phase II trials.

This research marks a significant step forward in using CAR T cell therapies for solid tumors, which has historically been challenging. The potential to induce durable remissions offers hope for patients with these aggressive thyroid cancers. The study was supported by AffyImmune Therapeutics, with ongoing research aiming to expand therapeutic options in this difficult-to-treat cancer type.