Scientists at UC Irvine engineered glycan-dependent T cell recruiter (GlyTR) compounds that selectively bind tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, activating T cells to kill diverse cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. This approach addresses major limitations of current bispecific antibodies and CAR T cell therapies which cause off-target toxicities by targeting low-level antigens on normal cells. The velcro-like binding avidity to glycans allows for potent tumor killing with minimal side effects. Preclinical models demonstrated efficacy against multiple solid tumor types including breast, lung, colon, and pancreas cancers, heralding a promising universal cancer immunotherapy platform.