Awarded the 18th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Professor Michel Sadelain discusses in this interview his groundbreaking contributions to cellular engineering and immunotherapy. Sadelain explains how his work on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies has transformed the treatment landscape for certain cancers, enabling the immune system to recognize and attack malignant cells more effectively. He reflects on the journey from basic research to clinical application, the challenges of translating laboratory findings into therapies that benefit patients, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to push the boundaries of biomedical innovation. Throughout the conversation, Sadelain highlights both the promise and the complexities of engineering living cells to combat disease and improve human health.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Know
Awarded the 18th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Professor Michel Sadelain discusses in this interview his groundbreaking contributions to cellular engineering and immunotherapy. Sadelain explains how his work on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies has transformed the treatment landscape for certain cancers, enabling the immune system to recognize and attack malignant cells more effectively. He reflects on the journey from basic research to clinical application, the challenges of translating laboratory findings into therapies that benefit patients, and the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to push the boundaries of biomedical innovation. Throughout the conversation, Sadelain highlights both the promise and the complexities of engineering living cells to combat disease and improve human health.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine has gone in this eighteenth edition to Carl H. June (University of Pennsylvania) and Michel Sadelain (Columbia University) for revolutionizing the treatment of cancer by means of CAR-T cell immunotherap
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Could you explain what CAR-T cells are and how your basic research revealed their therapeutic potential to treat cancer?
01:51 How did you first become interested in this field and what motivated you to carry out this research?
02:39 At the level of clinical applications, what has been demonstrated so far about the potential of these therapies to treat blood cancer and how many patients have already benefited from them?
04:16 To what extent has it been shown that CAR-T cell therapies could also be effective against solid tumors and when do you foresee that this could also benefit patients who suffer from lung, breast, colon, pancreatic or brain cancer?
05:44 What has been demonstrated up to now about the potential of these therapies for autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and other disorders?
