The fundamental principle of CAR T-cell therapy is empowering a patient's own immune cells, specifically T-cells, to identify and attack cancer cells effectively.
Understanding CAR T-Cell Therapy
CAR T-cell therapy involves modifying a patient's T-cells in a laboratory setting. These re-engineered cells are often referred to as a "living drug" because they are designed to seek out and destroy cancer cells within the body.
The Core Principle: Recognizing Cancer
The key to how CAR T-cells work lies in the Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) that are added to their surface during the re-engineering process.
According to the reference, the CARs recognize and bind to specific proteins, or antigens, on the surface of cancer cells. This targeted binding is the core principle that allows the CAR T-cells to selectively identify and attack malignant cells while leaving healthy cells relatively unharmed.
How CARs Enable Recognition
Think of CARs as specialized sensor antennas. When a CAR T-cell encounters a cancer cell, these antennas (the CARs) look for a specific signal (the antigen) on the cancer cell's surface. Once the CAR binds to its target antigen, it activates the T-cell, triggering it to launch an attack against the cancer cell.
Creating CAR T-Cells
The process to create these specialized fighters typically involves:
- Collection: T-cells are collected from the patient.
- Engineering: In a laboratory, the T-cells are genetically modified to express the specific CARs on their surface.
- Expansion: The modified CAR T-cells are grown in large numbers.
- Infusion: The expanded CAR T-cells are infused back into the patient.
Once back in the bloodstream, these CAR T-cells circulate and use their CARs to locate and bind to cancer cells presenting the targeted antigen, initiating the immune response against the tumor.
