Impact of CAR T-Cell Therapy on Cancer & Future Developments
By: Talha Waleed, Bridgewater-Raritan High School
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Summary
This project explores the revolutionary role of CAR T-cell therapy in cancer treatment. CAR T-cell therapy is an innovative form of immunotherapy that genetically modifies a patient’s T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells with high specificity, offering hope for long-term remission, particularly in hematological cancers. The therapy involves collecting T-cells from the patient, reengineering them to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that recognize specific proteins on cancer cells, and then reinfusing them into the patient to target and kill the cancer cells. Since 2017, six CAR T-cell therapies have been FDA-approved for treating various blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma. However, the therapy is not without challenges, including severe side effects like cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and limitations in treating solid tumors due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Ongoing research aims to overcome these challenges by improving T-cell trafficking to tumor sites, exploring alternative immune cells like natural killer (NK) cells, and developing off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapies from healthy donors. Despite these obstacles, CAR T-cell therapy represents a significant advancement in oncology, with the potential for further breakthroughs as research continues.
Video Presentation
Impact Statement
I am Talha Waleed, a rising senior at Bridgewater Raritan High School. Participating in the ELIO Academy program and writing a report on CAR T cell therapy has been a transformative experience for me. Through my research experience, I explored how CAR T cell therapy, a groundbreaking approach that modifies a patient's T cells to better target cancer cells, is reshaping the future of oncology. The ability to harness the immune system’s potential in such a precise and targeted way underscored the importance of innovative therapies in tackling complex diseases like cancer. I gained experience in evaluating scientific literature, synthesizing complex information and presenting it in a clear and engaging manner.
Report White Paper
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_By: Talha Waleed_
The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Elio Academy.
