MEDICAL

SAMITIVEJ HOSPITAL

CAR T-Cell Therapy : Empowering Pediatric Cancer Treatment Suradej Hongeng , M . D . on Jul 20 , 2023

Highlights :

• Harnessing the immune system : CAR T-cell therapy empowers the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells , offering a new approach to pediatric cancer treatment .

• Successful outcomes : Samitivej Children ’ s Hospital has achieved remarkable success with CAR T-cell therapy , treating 10 patients , including 7 pediatric cancer patients , and delivering exceptional care and outcomes .

• State-of-the-art facilities : Samitivej Children ’ s Hospital is equipped with advanced facilities , supporting the delivery of CAR T-cell therapy at the forefront of medical innovation .

Chimeric antigen receptor ( CAR ) T-cell therapy is an advanced form of immunotherapy that shows great promise in combating blood cancer . By modifying a patient ’ s T cells and reintroducing them into the body , CAR T-cell therapy empowers the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells , offering hope for children with leukemia and potential treatments for other cancer types .

T-Cells T-cells are special white blood cells that help our body fight infections and diseases such as cancer . They move around in our body to find and destroy bad cells . When we get sick , T cells are produced to fight the specific problem . They also remember the infections

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they fight , so if we get reinfected with the same pathogen in the future they can quickly attack and stop it .

What is CAR T-cell therapy ? CAR T-cell therapy is an innovative cancer treatment that enhances the ability of T-cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells . It involves genetically modifying T cells in a laboratory to express chimeric antigen receptors ( CARs ), which improve their targeting capabilities . This therapy addresses the challenge of distinguishing cancer cells from normal cells , offering a promising approach to cancer treatment .

How does it work ? CAR T-cell therapy works by genetically engineering T-cells to produce CARs , which are receptors capable of recognizing specific proteins on cancer cells . T-cells are collected from a parent or sibling and modified in a lab to express CARs , enabling them to bind to specific proteins on cancer cells . These modified CAR T-cells are then multiplied and infused into the patient ’ s bloodstream .

CAR T-cell therapies are customized to target specific cancer antigens . For example , in certain types of leukemia and lymphoma , cancer cells have an antigen called CD19 . CAR T-cell therapies are designed to bind to the CD19 antigen , but they are not effective for cancers that do not have this antigen .

Once in the body , CAR T-cells can recognize and target cancer cells more effectively . They initiate a powerful immune response , leading to the destruction of cancer cells . This personalized approach harnesses the patient ’ s immune system to fight cancer , providing a targeted and potent treatment option . CAR T-cell therapy has demonstrated significant efficacy , especially in cases where other treatments have been unsuccessful . It has received USA FDA approval for the treatment of hematological malignancies like leukemia , lymphoma , and multiple myeloma , offering hope to patients facing these diseases .

What is the CAR T-Cell Therapy process ?

• Collecting the T-Cells : The blood of

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