Michel Sadelain Wins Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science for Harnessing T Cells Against Cancer [Exclusive Interview]

(CNA reporter Liao Han-yuan, New York, June 16) Michel Sadelain, a biomedical scientist renowned for his decades-long research into harnessing the human immune system to combat cancer cells, has been awarded the Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science. His pioneering work has brought previously elusive blood cancers, lymphomas, and solid tumors into the crosshairs of the immune system, dramatically enhancing its cancer-fighting capabilities. Some pediatric patients treated with his methods are now adults.

Having earned degrees and conducted research in France, Canada, and the United States, Michel Sadelain has received numerous accolades in the fields of cancer and cellular engineering. Alongside his team, he spent decades searching beyond chemotherapy and surgery for ways to empower the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Today, 'chimeric antigen receptor T-cell' (CAR-T) therapy has become a vital treatment pathway for the most stubborn forms of blood cancer and solid tumors.

Sadelain is one of the recipients of the 7th Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science for his work on CAR-T cell therapy.

"This idea goes back 30 years," he said, "when, after obtaining my medical degree, I was striving toward a Ph.D. in immunology. We knew the immune system protects humans and fights infections, but it wasn’t effective against cancer. At the time, most people believed vaccines should drive immune responses, but I thought we should teach the immune system to recognize and defeat cancer cells. To instruct immune cells inside the body, we needed to provide genetic guidance—altering genes. We take cells from patients, develop gene-modifying techniques in the lab, and then return them to the patient."

Speaking at the Columbia University Medical Center campus, Sadelain slowly and clearly explained complex immunology using simple language, reflecting his unwavering commitment to the research path of 'teaching' T cells to identify and attack cancer cells. He recalled that explaining this theory to a New York Times reporter years ago also took considerable effort.

"The key is what guidance we provide, and that comes through an artificially designed molecule called the 'chimeric antigen receptor' (CAR). Over the years, we've engineered CARs to enhance T cells' ability to recognize and strike cancer. We chose CD19 as the target for CAR-T cells because this molecule is commonly found on leukemia and lymphoma cells—types of blood cancer," Sadelain continued.

This immunotherapy transcends traditional cancer treatments such as drugs, radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy. Tumor and T cells are collected, undergo countless rounds of cellular engineering and 'training' in the lab, are tested for positive data, and have received official approval for clinical trials. It is now a viable treatment option for patients.

The research process required massive funding, equipment, and support from other research initiatives. "We worked in the lab for years—over a decade before clinical trials. At the time, the pharmaceutical industry wasn’t producing 'cells' as effective therapeutics. Drug companies used chemical techniques to make medicines. Sometimes they used protein molecules, but not living cells," Sadelain said.

"We had to manufacture the cells ourselves and grow them in the hospital. My colleagues and I developed the cell production process. In 2007, we applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for our first clinical trial. It didn’t immediately show results. Some doctors thought it was a strange therapy, and patients had little hope. But after several cases, the results were astonishing, and so we began using this therapy," he said.

CAR-T cell therapy has shown significant efficacy against blood cancers, lymphomas, and solid tumors. Some patients experience sustained immune suppression, and strong initial responses against malignant cells have allowed pediatric patients to grow into adulthood.

Sadelain still advises patients to use the therapy earlier, avoiding unnecessary detours. He said patients undergoing CAR-T therapy are often adults and children for whom traditional cancer treatments have failed, who have relapsed after treatment, or whose cancer persists despite multiple therapies—making CAR-T a last resort. While not effective for all patients, it remains a precious option for many. (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150616