CAR T CELLS

CAR T cell therapy, short for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell therapy, is a type of immunotherapy used in cancer treatment. The process begins by collecting a patient's own T cells (a type of white blood cell) from their blood through a process called leukapheresis. In a laboratory setting, the T cells are genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface. These CARs are designed to recognize specific proteins (antigens) found on cancer cells. The CAR T cells are then expanded to large numbers and infused back into the patient. The CAR protein allows T cells to specifically target and and eliminate cancer cells.

 

CAR T cell therapy has shown promising results in treating certain types of blood cancers, such as certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma. However, there are limitations that our lab seeks to overcome, such as:

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• Persistence – After eliminating the target cancer cells, CAR T cell levels drop and may die off altogether. This limits the long-term effectiveness of CAR T cell therapy. Our lab looks for ways to create memory CAR T cells that can persist and respond to cancer re-emergence.

 

• Solid Tumor efficacy – Solid tumors present multiple challenges to CAR T cell therapy, including physical barriers, heterogeneity of the tumor cells, and suppressive tumor microenvironments. We search and test new ways to enhance the ability of CAR T cells to leave the bloodstream, migrate to the tumor site, bind cancer cell targets, and induce an anti-tumor immune response.