How Do CAR-T Cells Work To Engineer A Patient's Immune System To Fight Cancer?

Conventional cancer treatments (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy/radiation) do not specifically target cancer cells and, as a result, can cause extensive off-target damage, and complications for patients.

In the last several years, ground-breaking research and advancements in genetic engineering have led to the development of a novel treatment strategy, known as immune therapy, that is rapidly emerging as an alternative to conventional cancer treatments. By re-deploying the body’s own immune cells to target and kill cancer cells, immune therapy provides a more targeted method to treat cancer. The most advanced development in cellular immunotherapy for cancer has been bioengineered T-cells, modified to express a special surface receptor called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). CARs target unique receptors on specific cancer cells, allowing CAR-Ts to selectively recognize, bind, and kill cancer cells in vivo by initiating the body’s natural immune response.