Overview
Mayo Clinic's Cellular Therapy Discovery and Translation Program develops new treatments that use living cells to fight disease. Instead of relying only on medicines or surgery, these therapies use specially prepared cells — often from the patient receiving treatment or from a donor — to find and attack illness in a more targeted way.
We study how the immune system works and then design cell-based treatments that can recognize and destroy harmful cells or help the body heal. These therapies aim to treat serious and complex conditions such as cancer, autoimmune diseases and complications related to organ transplants. By combining advances in science and medicine, we are creating new options for patients who may not benefit from traditional treatments.
Many diseases remain difficult to treat with standard therapies. Traditional treatments do not help some patients. And other patients may experience side effects or see the disease return over time. In conditions such as cancer and autoimmune disease, the immune system may fail to recognize harmful cells or mistakenly attack healthy tissue. Cell therapy offers a different approach by helping the immune system do its job more effectively. Scientists can modify or select cells to better target disease, improve precision and reduce harm to healthy parts of the body.
This type of research is especially important for patients with limited treatment options. It represents a promising path toward more-personalized and long-lasting care.
Team science driving new treatment options
Our program brings together experts from many fields to move new therapies from early discovery to patient care as quickly and safely as possible. We focus on building a complete pathway, from understanding disease in the lab to developing and manufacturing cell therapies and testing them in clinical trials. This coordinated approach helps reduce delays and ensures that promising treatments can reach patients sooner.
We work closely with experts across Mayo Clinic to support each stage of research. Our program brings together a wide range of expertise from fields including:
- Autoimmune disease.
- Biomanufacturing.
- Dermatology.
- Discovery science.
- Hematology.
- Neurology.
- Oncology.
- Rheumatology.
- Transplant.
This team-based approach helps ensure that new discoveries meet unmet patient needs while prioritizing quality and safety.
Translating findings into better care
We are developing a range of cell therapy approaches that can be used to treat multiple diseases and conditions, including cancer, autoimmune diseases and challenges related to organ transplantation. Our work combines expert knowledge of the immune system with tools such as genetic engineering and precision targeting to create therapies designed to act directly on the source of disease.
Our program is designed to bring new and potentially life-changing treatments to patients faster. By improving how therapies are discovered, developed and produced, we aim to expand treatment options for people with serious or hard-to-treat diseases. These advances may lead to more-precise therapies, fewer side effects and better long-term outcomes. Our goal is not only to treat disease but also to move closer to lasting cures that improve quality of life.
Recent accomplishments
Key advances include:
- Creation of new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy platforms, including therapies created from donor cells.
- Development of early clinical trials testing new cell-based treatments.
- Introduction of CAR-T cell therapy to help prepare patients for kidney transplantation.
- Launch of new clinical trials focused on autoimmune diseases.
- Improvement of methods for selecting and engineering immune cells.
- Establishment of partnerships to help bring new therapies to patients more quickly.