# Treating Liver Cancer with Specially Trained Immune Cells > This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer by giving patients specially activated immune cells that are trained to recognize and kill cancer cells displaying a specific protein fragment. - **Patent:** US 12168044 - **Original title:** Peptides and combination of peptides for use in immunotherapy against non-small cell lung cancer and other cancers - **Owner:** Immatics Biotechnologies - **Granted:** 2024 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 0 - **Field:** biotech, pharmaceutical, immunotherapy, gene_editing ## What it does This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer, a type of liver cancer, by administering activated T cells to a patient. These T cells are specifically designed to kill cancer cells that display a particular peptide, KVLEHVVRV (SEQ ID NO: 1), on their surface, bound to an MHC class I molecule (claim 1). The activated T cells can be created in two main ways: either by genetically modifying T cells with a specific T cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes the target peptide (claim 2), or by training T cells outside the body using special 'antigen presenting cells' that display the peptide (claim 3). The treatment can also include giving additional helper medicines, called adjuvants, such as IL-2, IL-7, or IL-15, to boost the immune response (claim 4). For example, a patient with hepatocellular cancer could receive an infusion of their own T cells, modified in a lab to target the KVLEHVVRV peptide found on their tumor cells. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular cancer. - Does not cover targeting cancer cells with peptides other than KVLEHVVRV (SEQ ID NO: 1). - Does not cover methods where the T cells do not bind the target peptide in a complex with an MHC class I molecule. - Does not cover cancer immunotherapies that do not involve administering activated T cells, such as traditional vaccines using the peptide alone. ## The clever bit The novelty lies in identifying a specific peptide, KVLEHVVRV, as a target for T cells in hepatocellular cancer, and then outlining precise methods to activate T cells to recognize this peptide when presented by MHC class I molecules on tumor cells. ## Real-world examples 1. TCR-T cell therapies for solid tumors 2. CAR-T cell therapies (a related but distinct approach) 3. Personalized cancer immunotherapies ## Why it matters Hepatocellular cancer is a challenging disease to treat, and targeted immunotherapies offer new hope. This patent focuses on a highly specific approach, using the body's own immune system, specifically T cells, to identify and destroy cancer cells based on a unique marker. Such targeted therapies aim to reduce side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy by focusing the attack directly on tumor cells. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does Treating Liver Cancer with Specially Trained Immune Cells cover? This patent describes a method for treating hepatocellular cancer by giving patients specially activated immune cells that are trained to recognize and kill cancer cells displaying a specific protein fragment. ### Who owns patent US 12168044? Immatics Biotechnologies owns this patent, granted in 2024. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on October 19, 2043, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What problem does this patent solve? Hepatocellular cancer is a challenging disease to treat, and targeted immunotherapies offer new hope. This patent focuses on a highly specific approach, using the body's own immune system, specifically T cells, to identify and destroy cancer cells based on a unique marker. Such targeted therapies aim to reduce side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy by focusing the attack directly on tumor cells. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover treating cancers other than hepatocellular cancer. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12168044/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-non-small- **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12168044 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Targeting Liver and Bile Duct Cancers with Specific Immune Cells](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11560405/peptides-and-combination-thereof-for-use-in-the-immunotherapy-against-cancers-11560405) — This patent describes a method to treat liver and bile duct cancers by using specially activated immune cells that recognize a unique protein fragment found on these cancer cells. - [Using Specific Immune Cells to Fight Cancers Like Lung and Breast Cancer](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11407807/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-various-tu) — This patent describes a method to treat specific cancers, including lung, breast, and ovarian cancer, by giving patients their own immune cells (T cells) that have been trained to recognize and destroy cancer cells presenting a unique protein fragment. - [How a Specific Protein Fragment Can Train Immune Cells to Fight Cancer](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10314897/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-various-ca) — This patent describes methods to fight various cancers by using a specific protein fragment (peptide LYHDIFSRL) to train a patient's immune cells to recognize and attack tumor cells. - [Training Immune Cells to Fight Cancer Using Specific Markers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10377797/cell-epitopes-and-combination-of-cell-epitopes-for-use-in-the-immunotherapy-of-m) — This patent describes a method to create a powerful immune response against cancer by taking a patient's own T cells, teaching them to recognize specific cancer markers outside the body, and then putting them back to kill cancer cells. - [Training Immune Cells to Fight Specific Cancers](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10364282/peptides-and-combination-of-peptides-for-use-in-immunotherapy-against-esophageal) — This patent describes a method to treat specific cancers like esophageal or lung cancer by creating specialized immune cells in the lab and giving them to patients to kill cancer cells that display a particular protein fragment.