Rutgers Cancer Institute Reports Breakthrough T Cell Therapies Achieve Long-Term Remission in HPV-Associated Cancers
Key Insights
Researchers at Rutgers Cancer Institute (search) presented landmark data showing two patients with metastatic cervical cancer (search) remain in complete remission 10 years after receiving tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy (search).
A Phase II clinical trial of genetically engineered E7 T cells (search) targeting HPV16 oncoprotein achieved substantial tumor shrinkage in 6 out of 10 patients with advanced HPV-associated cancers (search).
Two patients in the E7 T cell study experienced complete tumor regression that remains ongoing at 11 and 12 months, representing promising outcomes for previously incurable cancers.
Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute (search) and RWJBarnabas Health (search) have announced breakthrough findings from two clinical trials demonstrating the potential of novel T cell therapies to achieve long-lasting remission and complete tumor regression in patients with advanced HPV-associated epithelial cancers (search). The results, presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting in November 2025, represent significant advances in treating cancers that are generally regarded as incurable.
Phase II Trial Shows Promise for Engineered T Cell Therapy
In the first study, researchers reported encouraging interim results from a Phase II clinical trial evaluating genetically engineered T cell receptor (TCR)-T cells designed to target the HPV16 E7 oncoprotein (search) in patients with metastatic HPV-associated cancers (search). The treatment protocol consisted of a conditioning regimen, a single infusion of up to 50 billion E7 T cells (search), and a median of three doses of adjuvant aldesleukin.
All 10 patients enrolled had advanced cancers with limited treatment options, including five with head and neck cancer (search), two with cervical cancer, two with anal cancer (search), and one with esophageal cancer (search). The treatment was generally well tolerated, with side effects consistent with the preparative regimen and aldesleukin administration.
Six out of 10 patients achieved substantial tumor shrinkage, with two patients experiencing complete tumor regression that remains ongoing at 11 and 12 months, respectively. Notably, both patients who achieved complete responses had previously received immunotherapy and other standard therapeutic options without success.
"Metastatic HPV-associated cancers (search) remain difficult to treat," said Christian Hinrichs, MD, Co-Director of the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute (search) and Chief of the Section of Cancer Immunotherapy, who led both studies. "We found that E7-directed T cells can induce meaningful, and sometimes complete, responses in patients with limited options. It's an encouraging step toward effective engineered T cell therapies for these and other epithelial cancers (search)."
Decade-Long Complete Remission Achieved with TIL Therapy
The second study revealed extraordinary long-term outcomes, with two patients with metastatic cervical cancer (search) remaining in complete remission 10 years after receiving a single infusion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. Conducted as part of clinical trial NCT01585428, this study represents the strongest evidence to date that cellular therapy can produce long-term, potentially curative responses in epithelial cancers (search).
A decade after treatment, patients exhibited no evidence of disease based on imaging and circulating tumor DNA analysis. The administered anti-tumor T cells underwent a temporary expansion phase that coincided with tumor shrinkage and apparent elimination. Tumor responses have continued long after the T cell responses, suggesting that the tumors were cleared during the initial response.
One patient, Sue from Washington, DC, described her experience: "Participating in this clinical trial felt like a calling. When I joined the study, my cancer was very advanced, and I wanted to use whatever time I had left to help enhance research that could benefit others. I never imagined the treatment would work for me, but just two months after receiving my TIL infusion, my cancer was undetectable on the scans. Now, 12 years later, I'm still cancer-free and deeply grateful to the doctors and researchers who made that possible."
Manufacturing and Clinical Infrastructure
The development of these treatments has been facilitated through a collaboration between the National Cancer Institute and Rutgers Cancer Institute (search), with the Phase II study conducted at Rutgers Cancer Institute. The cell products for the study were manufactured in a Good Manufacturing Practices facility on-site at Rutgers Cancer Institute, part of the Duncan and Nancy MacMillan Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence.
Another patient, Maria from Philadelphia, shared her experience with the E7 T cell therapy: "When I finished my treatment, I couldn't believe how quickly I started feeling better. Within a month, the nodules were gone, and for the first time in years, I felt free, full of energy and living the life. I can spend time with my son, do the things I love, and really enjoy life again."
Implications for Epithelial Cancer Treatment
"These studies indicate that one-time cell therapies can achieve durable responses in epithelial cancers (search), which historically have been more resistant to these treatments than blood cancers," said Dr. Hinrichs. "The decade-long complete responses to TIL therapy give hope that these patients may be cured. The E7 T cell results that include complete responses are encouraging and support continued study of the approach."
Steven K. Libutti, MD, FACS, William N. Hait Director of Rutgers Cancer Institute (search) and Senior Vice President of Oncology Services at RWJBarnabas Health (search), emphasized the significance of conducting such research at an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Centers like ours, the only one in New Jersey, bring together the scientific expertise, clinical resources and collaborative environment needed to translate new discoveries from the laboratory into clinical trials, and ultimately into meaningful treatments for patients."
The findings provide compelling evidence that cellular immunotherapy approaches may offer new hope for patients with advanced epithelial cancers (search), particularly those associated with HPV infection, representing a significant advancement in the treatment of these challenging malignancies.