As technologies evolve, therapies for cancer have advanced and more and more researchers are finding out how the science of our bodies make us ill and can repair us. In this great life sciences race to learn about our diseases and illnesses, and how we can treat and one day cure them (at least we hope), the hottest topic is CAR-T. What is CAR-T you say? No it’s not Cardi B’s twin … Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell is an adoptive cell immunotherapy that has been a breakthrough in the treatment of aggressive B-cell lymphoma and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
CAR T cells are GE (genetically engineered) hybrid of antibodies and T cell. The manufacturing of these cells is costly and complex and extremely controlled in procedure. There have been two FDA approved drugs on the market, YesCarta® by Gilead and Kymriah®, Novartis both used and approved for B-cell diseases in young children and youths. Both have demonstrated a lasting effect on these two diseases, long-term is super important for these drugs.
Lots of great results but they do not come without costs and risk.
There is a range of toxicities associated with this CAR-T therapy, it differs and is unique from those seen with the traditional chemotherapies and targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies. Toxicity seen with the CAR-T cell therapy is CRS and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndromes (ICANS). They will be implementing more products to help figure out the causes of the toxicity and when and at what point to apply the therapies. Researchers will continue to make use of the products to assist in the advancement of this therapy, in cancer and institutional centers around the globe.
So, what does all this mean for us HUMANS? This whole CAR-T therapy is paving the way to new therapies and identifying new hurdles in the race to cure and treat these cancers. Opening the door to more research and technologies to be developed.
For more information on how KromaTiD can assist with data and risk analysis of your CAR-T therapies prior to IND filing, please visit our website at: kromatid.com