2018年1月24日 — 来恩的科学创始人 Antonio Bertoletti 教授和合作者在2018年新保集团杜克-国大医学院研究日上荣获一等奖。该奖项为认可并庆祝该团队在新保集团杜克-国大学术医学中心，为生物医学研究领域所做出的杰出贡献。

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获奖研究标题及摘要如下：

Personalized T celltherapy against HBV related hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract: The efficacy of cancer T-cell immunotherapy is increasingly recognized.  We developed a method to select T-cell receptors (TCR) from HBV-specific T-cells of patients who resolved HBV infection and reintroduce them on lymphocytes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Our objective was to test whether HBV-specific TCR-redirected T-cells recognize HCC with HBV-DNA integration and can be used in immunotherapy against HCC.  We profiled the HBV transcripts in HCC with HBV-DNA integration in order to select the HBV-specific TCR able to redirect T-cells against them.  These engineered T-cells lysed HCC cells in vitro and in animal models. The approach was then translated in a clinical setting.  Primary HCC of a patient treated with liver transplantation was analyzed for HBV-transcript expression. We detected HBV-mRNA coding for a fragment of HBV-envelope containing an epitope recognized by a HLA-B58-restricted HBV-specific TCR. The patient (HLA-B58+) developed HCC relapses in the lung and was treated with multiple infusions of the HLA-B58-restricted TCR-redirected T-cells. An objective positive response was observed while new lesions in the lung or liver have not been detected till date.  In conclusion, we demonstrate that immunotherapy of HBV-related HCC is possible and the HBV integration profile in HCC can guide personalized treatment of HCC patients.