Immunotherapy is defined as the prevention or treatment of disease with substances that stimulate the immune response. During last edition’s table talk, I learned about a new development in cancer research, CAR-T cells. In our immune system, we have two types of T-cells which are killer T-cells and helper T-cells. They work together to scan the cells and the environment in our bodies to destroy foreign invaders. However, when a cell becomes cancerous it is harder for T-cells to detect and destroy them because they behave like normal cells.
CAR-T cells are genetically altered T-cells. The T-cells are collected from the patient’s blood and given special receptors called chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). These receptors give the t-cell the ability to recognize antigens on tumor cells. After being created the CAR-T cells are infused into the patient. The T-cells multiply and guided by the receptors recognize and kill cancer cells. Patients have been known to go into remission after six months of this treatment.
Even though this is a breakthrough treatment in cancer research it comes with some risks. The CAR-T cells may end up malfunctioning which has caused death among two percent of the people that use this treatment.
This is some absolutely astounding innovation in the department of cancer research. In an era where cancer seems to be inevitable in affecting either our own bodies or those of our loved ones, I think it is great that strides are being made to potentially cure if not control cancer.