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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Single Infusion Recommended
- CAR-T treatment is usually given as a single infusion because the cells proliferate greatly inside the body.
- Repeated CAR-T infusions generally aren't beneficial unless guided by clinical trials or evidence of lost CAR-T presence.
Genetic Modifications Limited to T-Cells
- CAR-T modifies the DNA of only the harvested T-cells, adding new genetic material to express CAR receptors.
- This does not alter the patient's overall DNA or other cells, keeping genetic changes localized to engineered T-cells.
CAR-T in Autoimmune Diseases
- CAR-T therapies may be repurposed to treat autoimmune diseases by targeting B-cells or engineering T-cells to suppress immune activity.
- Early clinical trials show promising remission in diseases like refractory lupus using CAR-T to eliminate B-cells.