A new way to treat lung cancer could be as simple as breathing it in. Researchers at Cleveland Clinic are studying the first inhalable gene therapy for lung tumors. It’s delivered as a mist directly into the lungs, helping target tumors where they are. The therapy is designed to help the immune system better recognize and fight cancer, while limiting side effects elsewhere in the body. Early findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Annual Meeting. A total of 21 patients have been enrolled in the trial. “This is a phase 1 study, where we’re looking at treatment in early testing, and the goal is to figure out whether it is worth going forward. We achieved our aims regarding both safety and efficacy. All of the patients had stopped responding to prior treatment that included immune checkpoint inhibitors. We achieved a response rate of approximately 30% when we added KB707 to an ICI. It’s very encouraging to see that,” says lead investigator Wen Wee Ma, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute. The study is moving forward. Future plans include seeing how the therapy could help induce response to other immunotherapy drugs in people whose tumors didn't respond initially