Doctors at Apollo Cancer Centre, Hyderabad have successfully treated a 50-year-old female patient from Karimnagar using Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. The patient was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
CAR-T cell therapies, often referred to as ‘living drugs,’ involve the extraction of a patient’s T-cells, responsible for combating cancer cells, through a process called Apheresis. These T-cells are then genetically modified in a controlled laboratory environment using a safe vehicle (viral vector), expressing modified connectors known as Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs). Specifically designed to recognise proteins abnormally expressed in certain cancer cells, these CARs are multiplied to the desired dose and directly infused into the patient.
“The successful treatment of the patient using CAR-T Cell therapy represents a significant leap forward in our fight against B-cell lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and myelomas. These cases underscore the efficacy and potential of this transformative therapy in providing new hope for patients facing these challenging conditions.”, said Dr. Padmaja Lokireddy, Hematologist, and BMT Specialist at Apollo Cancer Centre.
