Marcela Maus

Maus attended Stuyvesant High School in New York City. She was an undergraduate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in biology and literature. She earned her MD–PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, where she trained in the laboratory of Carl H. June, developing methods to expand T-cell populations, for medical therapies. She completed residency in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2008. She completed fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 2008 to 2012.

In 2012 Maus returned to the University of Pennsylvania, where she became an assistant professor and director of translational medicine. Since 2015 Maus has worked in the Massachusetts General Hospital{{Cite web|url=https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/doctor.aspx?id=19877|title=Marcela V. Maus, MD, PhD - Hematology/Oncology - Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA|website=www.MassGeneral.org|access-date=2019-08-02}} and Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. Here she leads the Cellular Immunotherapy Program{{Cite web|url=http://www.massgeneral.org/cancer-center/clinical-trials-and-research/immunotherapy/cellular-immunotherapy-program|title=Cellular Immunotherapy Program|website=www.MassGeneral.org|language=en|access-date=2019-11-28}} which translates her research into clinical trials for patients with malignancies.{{Cite web|url=https://worldmedicalinnovation.org/speakers/marcela-maus-md-phd/|title=Marcela Maus, MD, PhD|website=2019 World Medical Innovation Forum|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-02}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.micromedicine.com/about-us/leadership/marcela-maus-md-phd/|title=Marcela Maus, MD, PhD|website=MicroMedicine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-02}}

Maus develops chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells for cancer patients.{{cite web |title=Home - Maus Lab |url=https://mauslab.com/ |website=Maus Lab - The goal of the Maus lab is to design and evaluate next generation genetically-modified (CAR) T cells as immunotherapy in patients with cancer.}} She demonstrated that it is possible to use engineered CAR-T cells to identify and kill tumour cells that express a specific protein, EGFRvllI (variant III).{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170719154548.htm|title=Combining CAR T cells with existing immunotherapies may overcome resistance in glioblastomas|website=ScienceDaily|language=en|access-date=2019-08-02}} She has also conducted research that examines using CAR-T cells in combination with checkpoint inhibitors to treat other cancers. {{cite web |title= 2023 AACR Conference Research Abstract - Maus Lab |url=https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/83/7_Supplement/4098/723329/Abstract-4098-Chimeric-antigen-receptor-CAR-T |website= 2023 American Association for Cancer Research Conference Abstracts: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells overexpressing Bcl-xL increase proliferation and antitumor activity alone and in combination with BH3 mimetics.}} The cells can breakthrough the blood–brain barrier, infiltrate a tumour and illicit an immune response. Maus has used CRISPR-Cas9 to develop the CAR-T cells that incorporate a molecule called Bi-specific T-cell engager (BiTE).{{Cite web|url=https://endpts.com/building-up-its-io-ops-crispr-therapeutics-allies-with-marcela-maus-at-mass-general/|title=Building up its I/O ops, CRISPR Therapeutics allies with Marcela Maus at Mass General|website=Endpoints News|language=en|access-date=2019-08-02}} Bi-specific T cell engager continues to produce short-lived molecules that attack the tumour until it is destroyed. BiTEs contains two molecular arms, one which catches an antigen EGFR target on the tumour cells and the other locates a CD3 receptor of a nearby T cell. Once the target and T cell receptor are close to one another it can destroy the cancer cell. The BiTEs force the tumor and T cells together.{{Cite web|url=https://www.statnews.com/2019/07/22/a-new-kind-of-car-t-becomes-a-micro-pharmacy-eliminating-glioblastoma-in-mice/|title=A new kind of CAR-T becomes a micro-pharmacy, eliminating glioblastoma in mice|date=2019-07-22|website=STAT|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-02}} Usually BiTE is too large to cross the blood-brain barrier, but as CAR-T cells can pass through, they can produce the BiTE inside the brain.

Maus is on the leadership team of MicroMedicine, a start-up which creates automated microfluidics for targeted cell isolation from biological fluids.{{Cite web|url=https://www.biospace.com/article/micromedicine-announces-new-advisory-board-member-dr-marcela-maus/|title=MicroMedicine™ Announces New Advisory Board Member, Dr. Marcela Maus|website=BioSpace|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-02}} Maus was awarded a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Stage 2 fellowship to develop CAR-T cells that can target abnormal antigens made from oncogenes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.damonrunyon.org/our-impact/new-discoveries/entries/5186/Armored%20CA...|title=New Discoveries and Honors in Cancer Research|website=Damon Runyon|language=en|access-date=2019-08-02}} She has turned CAR-T cells into "armoured vehicles" which can target glioblastoma brain tumours.

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• {{Cite journal|title=CD8+ T-cell responses to adeno-associated virus capsid in humans|last=Maus|first=Marcela|date=2007|journal=Nature Medicine|volume=13|issue=4|pages=419–422|doi=10.1038/nm1549|pmid=17369837|s2cid=42965337}}
• {{Cite journal|url= |title=Cardiovascular toxicity and titin cross-reactivity of affinity-enhanced T cells in myeloma and melanoma|last=Maus|first=Marcela|date=2013|journal=Blood|volume=122|issue=6|pages=863–871|doi=10.1182/blood-2013-03-490565|pmid=23770775|pmc=3743463}}
• {{Cite journal|url= |title=Antibody-modified T cells: CARs take the front seat for hematologic malignancies|last=Maus|first=Marcela|date=2014|journal=Blood|volume=123|issue=17|pages=2625–2635|doi=10.1182/blood-2013-11-492231|pmid=24578504|pmc=3999751}}

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Category:American women immunologists

Category:American immunologists

Category:Harvard Medical School faculty

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

Category:University of Pennsylvania faculty

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)