CAR-T cell therapy
Pronunciation: CAR-tee cell therapy
Also written as: CAR-T — Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy
Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy; a personalized immunotherapy using genetically modified patient T cells to target cancer.
Full Definition
CAR-T cell therapy involves extracting a patient's T cells, genetically engineering them to express chimeric antigen receptors that specifically recognize cancer cell surface proteins, expanding these modified cells in the laboratory, and then reinfusing them into the patient. The engineered T cells can then directly target and destroy cancer cells expressing the specific antigen. CAR-T therapies have shown remarkable efficacy in certain blood cancers, particularly B-cell malignancies. However, they can cause serious side effects including cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity, requiring specialized monitoring and management protocols.
Usage
Usage note: Use hyphen in 'CAR-T' and specify the exact product name when documenting treatment.
In Context
- "The patient was admitted for CAR-T cell therapy with tisagenlecleucel." — Treatment plan
- "CAR-T cell therapy resulted in cytokine release syndrome requiring tocilizumab." — Adverse event documentation