Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases that has been plaguing mankind for centuries. It is estimated that in 2021, 1,898,160 people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States alone.

The disease is caused by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body, and it can affect any part of the body. Cancer can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or hormone therapy. However, these treatments are not always successful, and they can have debilitating side effects.

Scientists and researchers have been working tirelessly to find a cure for cancer, and they have made significant progress in recent years. One such breakthrough discovery in cancer treatment research is the development of CAR-T cell therapy.

What is CAR-T cell therapy

CAR-T cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that uses a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer. The therapy involves collecting the patient’s T cells, which are a type of white blood cell that plays a crucial role in the immune system.

The T cells are then modified in a laboratory to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface. These receptors allow the T cells to recognize and bind to specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells. Once the CAR-T cells bind to the cancer cells, they attack and destroy them.

CAR-T cell therapy has been successful in treating certain types of blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma.

In fact, in 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two CAR-T cell therapies for the treatment of certain forms of leukemia and lymphoma.

New breakthrough in CAR-T cell therapy

While CAR-T cell therapy has been successful in treating blood cancers, it has been less effective in treating solid tumors, which make up the majority of cancer cases.

Solid tumors have a different microenvironment than blood cancers, which makes it harder for CAR-T cells to identify and attack them.

However, a recent breakthrough in CAR-T cell therapy research could change that. In October 2020, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Novartis reported a new technique for designing CAR-T cells that can recognize and attack solid tumors.

How the new technique works

The new technique involves using a molecular machine called a synthase. The synthase is capable of attaching specific carbohydrates to proteins on the surface of a tumor cell.

When a CAR-T cell encounters a carbohydrate-coated tumor cell, it is activated and attacks the tumor.

The researchers tested the technique on mice with pancreatic tumors, which are notoriously difficult to treat.

The CAR-T cells were able to infiltrate the tumor microenvironment and attack the tumor cells, leading to a reduction in tumor growth and prolonged survival in the mice.

What this means for cancer treatment

The development of CAR-T cells that can recognize and attack solid tumors could be a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.

Solid tumors are responsible for the majority of cancer deaths, and current treatments are often ineffective and have debilitating side effects.

The new CAR-T cell technique has the potential to be used to treat a wide range of solid tumors, including pancreatic, lung, breast, and colon cancer.

However, the technique is still in the early stages of development, and more research is needed to determine its safety and effectiveness in humans.

Conclusion

Cancer is a devastating disease that affects millions of people every year.

The development of CAR-T cell therapy has been a major breakthrough in cancer treatment research, and the new technique for designing CAR-T cells that can recognize and attack solid tumors has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. While more research is needed, the future looks promising for cancer patients.