Everything You Need to Know About CAR-T Products in 2019

Unfortunately, there are new illnesses and diseases diagnosed daily around the world. However, there are also cures and medical inventions that help combat these new ailments almost as fast. Not every new disease will have a treatment but know that there are researchers working very hard to come up with cures every single day.

One of the latest medical discovery is CAR-T from Poseida, that works to combat Cancer. CAR-T is Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell Therapy and is a kind of immunotherapy that modifies your body’s T-cells so that they will recognize cancer within the body. This enables medications to more effectively find and destroy cancer cells.

How CAR-T Works

The process for which CAR-T helps to kill cancer cells is not a difficult process for the patient or the doctor. The real work is done when the T-cells are combined with the CAR, which is a special receptor, a chimeric antigen receptor. This “arms” the T-cells to find and fight the cancer cells within the blood.

Blood is drawn from the patient, and a machine separates the white blood cells from the rest of the blood. The T-cells are removed from the white blood cells and then mixed with the CAR. This “new” blood is then put back into the patient so the cells can begin to work to fight the cancer cells.

The CAR-T Process

The process can take time as millions of new T-cells are “manufactured” in the laboratory before returning them to the patient. The return process is known as an infusion of the blood product and does not cause discomfort or pain. The entire procedure is done outside the body, and the taking of blood is the part that many people are most nervous about.

The newly installed CAR-T cells are able to adhere to the antigens in the cancer cells and kill off the infection.  

Eligibility

Patients who are suffering from an aggressive form of cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, as well as a few other blood disorders that are associated with cancer, are eligible for the CAR-T procedure.

Prior to the CAR-T infusion, many patients are given a round or two of chemotherapy. This is up to the patient’s doctor and the technician doing the CAR-T procedure.  

After the Procedure

Once a patient has had the CAR-T procedure done on them, they must rest and have a caregiver with them at all times. The patients need to be monitored for signs of infections, fever and neurological issues. The recovery period is typically anywhere from 60 days to 90 from the infusion. 

After the infusion, a patient will feel tired a lot as their immune system recalibrates itself and the new blood cells begin to fight off the cancer. The individual will also lose their appetite during this period of time.

Unfortunately, there are currently only a few hospitals in the country that are capable of performing this type of procedure for patients. Only your cancer doctor can decide if this procedure will be beneficial for your type of cancer.