CAR T-Cell Therapy is an exciting new treatment that uses the body’s immune system to destroy cancerous cells. But how is CAR-T Therapy used to treat multiple myeloma? immune system’s main soldier in fighting off viruses and bacteria is the T-cell. Unfortunately, the body’s T-cells aren’t typically strong enough to fight off myeloma cells, but scientists have recently been able to extract T-cells from a patient’s body, modify them, and then reinsert them back into the patient. The process is typically as follows:
- T-cells are taken from a patient’s blood.
- Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a specific protein on the patient’s cancer cells is added to the T-cells in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).
- Large numbers of the CAR T-cells are grown in the laboratory and given back to the patient.
Preliminary evidence has shown that these modified CAR T-Cells have a powerful impact at eradicating myeloma cells in a way that hasn’t been possible with the existing treatment regimen. “It’s not available yet as an FDA-approved treatment, but there are multiple centers doing this as a clinical trial,” says Dr. Nina Shah, hematologist at UCSF. “We’re really excited and hope that we can make this more available for as many patients as possible.”
CAR T treatments are being tried in a number of cancers including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and leukemia. A recent study of one kind of lymphoma found that 39% of people treated with CAR-T therapy remained in remission for two years. In commenting on the CAR T study, Dr. Joseph McGuirk, director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Kansas Hospital told SurvivorNet, “It’s not hyperbole. I’ve been a blood cancer specialist for 30 years now. In my career, this is by far the most exciting, hopeful, promising time in cancer therapeutics.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Nina Shah is a hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting the blood marrow. She treats patients at the Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic. Read More
CAR T-Cell Therapy is an exciting new treatment that uses the body’s immune system to destroy cancerous cells. But how is CAR-T Therapy used to treat multiple myeloma? immune system’s main soldier in fighting off viruses and bacteria is the T-cell. Unfortunately, the body’s T-cells aren’t typically strong enough to fight off myeloma cells, but scientists have recently been able to extract T-cells from a patient’s body, modify them, and then reinsert them back into the patient. The process is typically as follows:
- T-cells are taken from a patient’s blood.
- Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a specific protein on the patient’s cancer cells is added to the T-cells in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).
- Large numbers of the CAR T-cells are grown in the laboratory and given back to the patient.
Preliminary evidence has shown that these modified CAR T-Cells have a powerful impact at eradicating myeloma cells in a way that hasn’t been possible with the existing treatment regimen. “It’s not available yet as an FDA-approved treatment, but there are multiple centers doing this as a clinical trial,” says Dr. Nina Shah, hematologist at UCSF. “We’re really excited and hope that we can make this more available for as many patients as possible.”
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CAR T treatments are being tried in
a number of cancers including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and leukemia.
A recent study of one kind of lymphoma found that 39% of people treated with CAR-T therapy remained in remission for two years. In commenting on the CAR T study, Dr. Joseph McGuirk, director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Kansas Hospital told SurvivorNet, “It’s not hyperbole. I’ve been a blood cancer specialist for 30 years now. In my career, this is by far the most exciting, hopeful, promising time in cancer therapeutics.”
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Nina Shah is a hematologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple myeloma, a type of cancer affecting the blood marrow. She treats patients at the Hematology and Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinic. Read More
