CAR T-cell therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells) has been on the rise as an immunotherapy treatment. It entails your T-cells being removed from your bloodstream and sent to a lab, where they are genetically engineered to target and destroy cancer cells more effectively. They are then put back into the bloodstream, with the hope that they will proliferate and eradicate the cancer.
T-cells are white blood cells part of your immune system. Their job is to find and fight infection from foreign intruders (such as viruses or bacteria). However, a major reason why they allow a malignant tumor to develop is because they are unable to recognize the cancer cells as foreign. When the T-cells are brought to the lab, they are genetically engineered to recognize signals on tumor cells, and effectively destroy them.
CAR T-cell therapies are currently only approved for children with advanced B-cell ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia). Studies have shown that CAR T-cells are proving effective at attaining remission, and are boosting survival rates of kids with aggressive B-ALL. Ongoing research is aiming to expand CAR T-cells for other types of leukemia as well. Approximately 85% of pediatric ALL patients respond well to chemotherapy and are able to attain remission, so CAR T-cell therapy is really a last-resort option for patients who aren’t seeing results with chemo.
If your child is dealing with aggressive B-ALL and isn’t responding to chemotherapy, you might want to talk to your doctor about starting CAR T-cell therapy instead.
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