Question

CAR-T cell therapy and its indication. Explain with examples.

Hint:

CAR-T therapy is still an evolving treatment, and its application is expanding with ongoing clinical trials targeting more types of cancers.

Answer 1

CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy is a form of immunotherapy where a patient's T cells are genetically modified to better recognize and attack cancer cells. This cutting-edge therapy is particularly effective in hematologic cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
Step 1: Mechanism of CAR-T Therapy:
CAR-T cells are T cells that are taken from a patient’s blood and modified in the laboratory. The T cells are equipped with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), which is designed to target a specific antigen on cancer cells. Once modified, the CAR-T cells are infused back into the patient, where they recognize and kill the targeted cancer cells.
Step 2: Indications of CAR-T Therapy:
CAR-T therapy has shown promising results in treating various types of blood cancers, particularly those that have not responded to traditional treatments. Some common indications include: 1. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): CAR-T cells targeting CD19 have been used successfully to treat relapsed or refractory ALL, especially in children and young adults. 2. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL): CAR-T therapy has also shown effectiveness in treating relapsed or refractory NHL, with CAR-T cells targeting the CD19 protein.
Step 3: Examples of CAR-T Therapies:
1. Kymriah: A CAR-T therapy used to treat ALL and large B-cell lymphoma by targeting the CD19 antigen. 2. Yescarta: Approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma and other types of NHL.