Car t therapy?

[Dawnclark]

What exactly is cart therapy and when is it used?

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

This explains it better than I could. 😃

cancer.gov/publications/dic...

Its an experimental therapy in early clinical trials, it may one day replace stem cell transplant, but it is some time off in CLL. There are some problems using it in CLL that needs to be overcome, but certainly it is improving.

~chris

[gp7591 in reply to Cllcanada]

I read a posting from Doug Olson on the CLL Society website, who was treated successfully for CLL with CAR T-cell therapy at the University of Pennsylvania seven years ago and is completely free of disease, MRD negative, along with the first patient treated there at Penn. I know that CAR T-cell therapy is only for those patients who have relapsed and/or not been treated successfully with other therapies, but it appears to have worked very well for at least a few people... -G

[Hidden in reply to gp7591]

If it doesn't kill you it usually works The latest version kills a lot fewer people...the first generation caused a Cytokine storm and overwhelmed the body....it can be treated, but I think it caught them by surprise.

I'd still sign up in a second....

[gp7591 in reply to Hidden]

Scott- Yes, many thanks! It appears to be working very well for Dr. Koffman- and I'm so glad it is!! My friend who has Ph.D. in immunology and teaches medicine at PCOM in Philly says it will win someone the Nobel Prize sometime soon- it is truly a "breakthrough therapy"- which may lead to many more advanced and effective treatments for serious conditions in the coming years. Best, G

[Hidden in reply to gp7591]

If it doesn't win the nobel prize there is something wrong in the world....the science behind that is so cutting edge....I mean I have a couple brains cells I can usually get at least a spark from if I try real hard...but man, this stuff hurts my brain....

[Hidden]

CAR-T stands for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell therapy and it uses your own blood which is modified and then injected back into you. The real long term benefit to this is because it is your own stuff you would not need immuno suppressant drugs.

As others have said, it is a long way off from being ready for Prime Time...but between you and me....if I could get it now, I would take it...not cause I think it would definitely work...but the chemistry and technology is so cutting edge I simply would not be able to say no...

Scott

[JR1964 in reply to Hidden]

Scott, have you seen a new take on CAR-T that MDA is doing. It is CAR-NK. Different approach with less toxicity. Also considered a off the shelf product vs CAR-T is a process. Also the guy that was instrumental in developing CAR-T was working on another treatment. You can pull up a video called fighting fire with fire- Dr. June - University of Pennsylvania. STAY STRONG J.R.

[Hidden in reply to JR1964]

I have only briefly skimmed the latest CAR-T stuff...but yes I think that was the MDA NK where they were using switches and such....friggin makes Star Trek look like the dark ages

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to JR1964]

UCART19 by Cellectis/Pfizer is an off the shelf CAR T, currently in CLL trials..

[JR1964 in reply to Cllcanada]

Chris, Thanks, there are so many things happening in treatments and once you start following one on one day , the next day you hear about two more. STAY STRONG AND REMEMBER THAT A CURE IS COMING SOONER THAN LATER J.R.

[wmay13241]

I found a lot og good CAR-T information at lymphomation.org/programing...

[pkpayne]

Is there an age limit to having the CAR-T treatment?

Paula

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero in reply to pkpayne]

I had a quick look, one trial only accepts patients under 70 yo, others require fairly high performance scores... so you need to be quite fit and functional, and no secondary cancers and limited comorbidities...

Each trial is different, with different criteria, but all require previous lines of treatment...

~chris

[pkpayne in reply to Cllcanada]

That's what I was afraid of - that you would have to be under 70. That sure eliminates a lot of us! Thanks Chris!

Paula