Understanding CAR T-cell therapy
Author: Hanna Phung
CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T-cell therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses a person's own immune cells to find and attack cancer cells.
Credits: Froedtert.com
How CAR T-cell therapy works:
T cells are collected
Doctors take some of the patient’s T cells, which are immune cells that normally help fight infections.
T cells are modifiedIn a laboratory, scientists add a special protein called a CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) to the T cells. This receptor helps the T cells recognize certain cancer cells.
The cells are multipliedThe modified T cells are grown until there are enough of them to give back to the patient.
CAR T cells are returnedThe modified cells are put back into the patient through an IV.
They attack cancer cellsThe CAR T cells can recognize their target on cancer cells and activate the immune system to destroy those cells.
What cancers can it treat?
CAR T-cell therapy is currently used mainly for certain blood cancers, including some types of leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
Common side effects:
After treatment, common side effects can be fevers and chills, tiredness, weakness, headaches, nausea, low blood pressure, etc.
Works cited:
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