chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy
Also written as: CAR-T — chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy
A form of immunotherapy where a patient's T cells are genetically modified to better recognize and attack cancer cells.
Full Definition
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) is an innovative form of immunotherapy that involves extracting T cells from a patient, genetically engineering them in the laboratory to express artificial receptors called chimeric antigen receptors, and then reinfusing the modified cells back into the patient. These engineered T cells are designed to recognize and bind to specific proteins on cancer cells, leading to targeted destruction of malignant cells. CAR-T therapy has shown remarkable success in treating certain blood cancers, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia and certain lymphomas, though it can cause severe side effects including cytokine release syndrome.
Usage
Usage note: Spell out fully on first use, then use CAR-T. Note that CAR-T is hyphenated.
In Context
- "The patient was referred for CAR-T cell therapy after failing conventional chemotherapy." — Referral letter
- "Manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor T cells took three weeks to complete." — Treatment timeline