CAR T-cell therapy

CAR T-cell therapy treats cancer by engineering a patient’s T cells to recognize a target on tumor cells, then infusing the modified cells back into the patient.

Chimeric antigen receptor: A synthetic receptor that combines an antibody-derived target-binding region with T-cell signaling components. This engineered receptor gives infused T cells their chosen tumor-cell target.
B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: An aggressive blood cancer in which immature B-cell precursors accumulate in bone marrow and blood. CD19-directed CAR T-cell products are used for some patients with this leukemia.
Cytokine release syndrome: A systemic inflammatory reaction caused by rapid immune-cell activation and cytokine release. CAR T-cell expansion can trigger this potentially severe early treatment complication.
Bispecific T-cell engager: An antibody-based drug that binds both a tumor antigen and a T-cell surface protein to bring the cells together. It redirects T cells without collecting, genetically modifying, and reinfusing them.
Leukapheresis: A procedure that separates and collects white blood cells from circulating blood. It is commonly used to collect the T cells that will be engineered.
T cell: A lymphocyte that recognizes specific antigens and coordinates or carries out adaptive immune responses. CAR T-cell therapy repurposes these immune cells as living cancer treatments.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: An aggressive lymphoma arising from mature B cells and the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Several CAR T-cell therapies are approved for defined groups with this lymphoma.
Immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome: A neurological complication of immune effector therapies that can cause confusion, speech problems, seizures, or swelling. This toxicity can follow CAR T-cell infusion and requires prompt recognition and management.
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy: A cell therapy that expands immune cells taken from a patient’s tumor and returns them after preparation. It uses naturally tumor-reactive lymphocytes rather than inserting a synthetic receptor.
Gene transfer: The introduction of genetic material into a cell using a delivery method. Manufacturing inserts instructions for the chimeric antigen receptor into T cells.

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