City of Hope scientists have developed and tested the first chimeric antigen receptor therapy using chlorotoxin, a component of scorpion venom, to direct T cells to target brain tumor cells, according to a preclinical study published March 4 in Science Translational Medicine. The institution has also opened the first in-human clinical trial to use the therapy.
In April 2025, announcements from the two most influential biomedical agencies in the US, the FDA and the NIH, declared that both will seek to reduce and minimize animal-based testing and experimentation. These declarations sparked joy in some circles, and deep concern in others that was reflected in a 28% fall in the share price of Charles River Labs (NYSE: NYSE:CRL).
