Mayo Clinic Talks Genes and Your Health Series: Harnessing the Power of T-Cells for the Treatment of Cancer and Immune Related Diseases
May 22, 2025
Dr. Saad J. Kenderian, a hematology consultant at the Mayo Clinic, discusses the revolutionary CAR-T cell therapy, which modifies T-cells to target blood cancers like leukemia. He emphasizes patient selection and treatment monitoring, while exploring the therapy's potential for autoimmune diseases. The conversation delves into cytokine storms, linking lessons from COVID-19 to cancer treatment challenges. Additionally, Kenderian addresses the need for increased awareness about CAR-T therapy and its accessibility hurdles, highlighting its transformative potential for many patients.
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How CAR-T Therapy Works
- CAR-T therapy involves engineering a patient's T-cells to express chimeric antigen receptors that recognize and kill cancer cells.
- These engineered T-cells act like supercharged immune cells targeting specific cancer antigens to fight the disease effectively.
CAR-T Targets Blood Cancers
- CAR-T therapy currently treats mainly blood cancers like lymphoma, myeloma, and leukemias with FDA approval.
- It can induce deep, potentially curative remissions, but does not work for all patients or cancers yet.
Challenges in Solid Tumors
- CAR-T therapy is less effective in solid tumors due to T-cell trafficking challenges and immune-suppressive tumor environments.
- Solid tumors suppress T-cells, limiting the CAR-T cells' ability to kill cancer within these masses.