What is CAR T-cell Therapy?

CAR T-cell therapy is a  treatment that uses the patient's own immune system to fight cancer.

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Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T-cell therapy) is a relatively new treatment that uses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer.

CAR T-cell therapy removes T-cells from the blood and inserts a new gene into them to make it easier for the T-cells to fight cancer. The new cells are called CAR T-cells.

The CAR T-cells are then infused into the patient to begin fighting cancer.

As of Novemeber 1,  2024 the FDA has approved the following CAR T-cell therapies for patients who relapsed, or did not respond to treatment, after several rounds of chemotherapy:

  • Abecma® (idecabtagene vicleucel; ide-cel) for adults with multiple myeloma
  • Breyanzi® (lisocabtagene maraleucel; liso-cel) for adults with:
    • large B-cell lymphoma
    • follicular lymphoma
    • mantle cell lymphoma
    • chronic lymphocytic leukemia
    • small lymphocytic lymphoma
  • Carvykti™ (ciltacabtagene; autoleucel; cilta-cel) for adults with multiple myeloma
  • Kymriah® (tisagenlecleucel) for
    • children and young adults (up to 25 years old) with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
    • adults with large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma
  • Tecartus® (brexucabtagene autoleucel; brexu-cel) for adults with:
    • mantle cell lymphoma
    • B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
  • Yescarta® (axicabtagene ciloleucel; axi-cel) for adults with:
    • large B-cell lymphoma
    • follicular lymphoma

The specific CAR T-therapy available to you will vary depending on the medical center where you are receiving treatment. In addition to FDA-approved therapiess, your treatment center may offer you an opportunity to participate in a clinical trial testing a new type of CAR T-cell therapy. 

Watch this video about CAR T-cell therapy for patients with lymphoma. Click here to read the transcript of this video and download the slides.

Watch this video about CAR T-cell therapy for patients with multiple myeloma. Click here to read the transcript and download the slides.

\Watch this video about CAR T-cell therapy for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  Click here to read the transcript and download the slides.

NEXT:  Steps Involved in CAR T-cell Therapy

Updated November 2024

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