How does therapy work?
Some blood taken from the patient and T-cells – a type of immune cells – are separated from the other blood in a special laboratory. Then, T-cells are genetically processed so that they can produce chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). CAR T-cell therapy allows T-cells recognize tumour cells, aim at them, and destroy the tumour.
In fact, CAR T-cell process turns the patient’s personal T-cells into hunters and killers of cancer.
Processed T-cells need some time to multiply in the laboratory and then they are injected back into the patient. The patient undergoes chemotherapy by the time the cells grow in the laboratory. Chemotherapy will suppress patient’s immune system thus allowing CAR T-cells present better after the injection.
The whole process takes around 10 days, but the patient stays in hospital for at least 2 weeks for monitoring the toxicity. This period of monitoring may take longer.
What are the possible side effects of CAR T-cell therapy?
CAR T-cells are connected to significant but reversible side effects in 40-60% of the treated patients.
They include influenza-like symptoms accompanied by high temperature and shortness of breath. This syndrome may lead to low blood pressure, chills, etc. There are also some reported neurological side effects like headache and seizures. All these effects are reversible but may be significant and require treatment at an Emergency Unit.
Who is the most appropriate candidate for a CAR T-cell therapy?
This therapy is provided only to patients who have undergone at least two courses of treatment of leukaemia.
CAR T-cell therapy is rather successful with younger patients. For example, young children have 85-90% level of recovery. On average, 80% of teenagers who have undergone this therapy have been completely cured from leukaemia. The total percentage of cured patients is 70%.
Medical centres in Israel and the United States are constantly trying to improve the level of success through permanent modern scientific researches. The Medical Centre in Israel is happy to announce that currently they offer an innovative CAR T-cell therapy for patients with multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with 8:12 translocations and CD19 expression as a part of a clinical trial.
We also offer a complete diagnostic procedure to find out if the patient is appropriate for such an option.
90% recovery 70% total complete
of children recovery