In the recent few years, “CAR-T cells” have been quite frequently occuring in the headlines of the most sensational news in the field of human cell and tissue biobanking and cell therapy.

CAR-T cells are the patient’s own lymphocytes, “trained” in the laboratory to destroy a certain type of cells, mostly the malignant ones, so CAR-T cell therapy is one of the most modern and promising methods of treating cancer.

Creation of CAR-T-cells is a complex and multi-stage process that involves cytapharesis, isolation of lymphocytes from the patient’s blood using a special device for apheresis, then the gene that creates a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is incorporated in the DNA of each lymphocyte. Thus modified lymphocytes are multiplied in the laboratory, and, having reached the required number, are administered (retransfused) to the patient. Using a chimeric receptor, the modified lymphocytes find malignant cells and destroy them by secreting powerful cytotoxic substances. CAR-T therapy is particularly effective in the treatment of B-cell lymphomas.

Back in 2017, the FDA approved the use of 2 experimental CAR-T-cell drugs in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and B-cell lymphoma along with other approved clinical trials.

Today, the international registry of clinical studies (clinicaltrials.gov) has nearly 700 trials in which CAR-T cells are used in the clinic. Scientists and pharmaceutical companies have already managed to significantly reduce the cost of CAR-T therapy from $ 1 million per course of treatment 5 years ago to $ 300,000-500,000 at the moment. Therefore, in the next few years, the wider introduction of CAR-T cells in practical oncology is expected.

It should be noted that native and modified lymphocytes are also used in the treatment of COVID-19, in particular isolated from umbilical cord blood.

Based on: bioinformant.com