Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among women with gynecological cancers. The current medical playbook—surgery followed by chemotherapy—initially shows promise. Tumors shrink, sometimes disappearing entirely. But in more than 80% of patients, the cancer not only comes back, but returns more aggressive and increasingly resistant to the very treatments that once seemed effective.

But now, there could be new hope. In a study published in the journal Med, UCLA researchers have detailed their development of a new type of immune cell therapy, called CAR-NKT cell therapy, that could transform ovarian cancer care by delivering superior cancer-fighting power.

“This is the culmination of over a decade of work in my lab and represents over six years of collaboration with gynecologic oncologist Dr. Sanaz Memarzadeh,” said co-senior author Lili Yang, a professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.