Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are T lymphocytes that are genetically engineered to express a synthetic receptor that recognizes a tumor cell surface antigen and causes the T cell to kill the tumor cell. CAR T treatments improve overall ... CAR T cell therapy uses T cells engineered with CARs to treat cancer. T cells are modified to recognize cancer cells and destroy them. The standard approach is to harvest T cells from patients, genetically alter them, then infuse the resulting CAR T cells into patients to attack their tumors. [1] CAR T-cell therapy is associated with reversible acute toxicities, such as cytokine release syndrome in approximately 40% to 95% of patients, and neurologic disorders in approximately 15% to 65%. New CAR T-cell therapies in development aim to increase efficacy, decrease adverse effects, and treat other types of cancer. What is CAR-T Cell Therapy? CAR-T therapy involves: Extracting T-cells from a patient’s blood. Genetically modifying them to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that target cancer cells. Expanding the modified T-cells in the lab. Infusing them back into the patient to seek and destroy cancer cells.
