CAR-T Cell Therapy

• 04 Nov 2023

Source: IE

Why in News?

Recently, The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has granted market authorisation for NexCAR19, India’s first indigenously-developed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) Therapy.

• India is now one of the first developing countries to have its indigenous CAR-T and gene therapy platform.

What is NexCAR19?

• About:
  • NexCar19 is a type of CAR-T and gene therapy developed indigenously in India by ImmunoACT, which is a company incubated at IIT Bombay.
  • It is designed to target cancer cells that carry the CD19 protein.
    • This protein acts like a flag on cancer cells, which allows CAR-T cells to recognise and attach themselves to the cancer cells and start the process of elimination.
  • Even some developed nations don’t have their own CAR-T therapies; they import them from the United States or Europe.

• Patient Eligibility:
  • NexCAR19 therapy is intended for people with B-cell lymphomas who have not responded to standard treatments like chemotherapy and have experienced relapse or recurrence of cancer.
  • Initially, the therapy is approved for patients aged 15 years and older.
• Procedure:
  • The process commences with the patient donating blood at a transfusion center. The T-cells are genetically modified and reinfused into the patient within a period of 7-10 days.
• Efficacy:
  • It leads to significantly lower drug-related toxicities. It causes minimal damage to neurons and the central nervous system, a condition known as neurotoxicity.
    • Neurotoxicity can sometimes occur when CAR-T cells recognise the CD19 protein and enter the brain, potentially leading to life-threatening situations.
  • This therapy also results in Minimal Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), which is characterized by inflammation and hyperinflammation in the body due to the death of a significant number of tumour cells, as CAR-T cells are designed to target and eliminate cancer cells.