- Gene Alteration: A Technology for Targeting Cancer Cells; Very little damage
In America, 24 years ago, a child's leukemia was successfully treated with CAR-T immune therapy. This gene therapy based treatment method for cancer has also been started in India since April this year. Its success rate in the country has been 80% within 5 months. This technology is now showing a ray of hope for asthma and heart patients as well. Let's find out why it is considered a miracle in the medical world…
CAR-T cell therapy: In this, cells are removed from the body and updated in the laboratory, so that they recognize and destroy cancer cells. In fact many harmful cells such as cancer have special protein markers on their surface. These are called antigens. T-cells are extracted from the patient's immune system. It involves gene editing and insertion of 'chimeric antigen receptors' (CARs). It is then placed back into the body. This edited gene detects and destroys antigens.
- Effects on Asthma, Heart Disease and Age: Scientists in China have succeeded in eliminating a specific antigen on white blood cells responsible for asthma. Other research shows that this therapy can also affect the body's B-cells. Eight patients in Europe have recovered from severe symptoms of life-threatening systemic lupus erythematosus after CAR-T therapy. According to researchers, this therapy may have an effect on aging. It makes a special protein when cells are damaged with age. CAR-T cells were also engineered to attack this protein. Challenges and costs: This therapy is expensive. Actually it has to be prepared for each patient separately. Due to which it costs crores of rupees to prepare it.
- Side effects: Some CAR-T cells also attack antibody-producing B-cells. However, it shows minimal effect on the body.
Prepared at IIT Bombay in India, starting from April Gene therapy treatment for cancer started in India in collaboration with IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Hospital. In some hospitals it costs up to 40 lakh rupees. However, this is a tenth of the cost in other countries of the world. In India this therapy is allowed only in patients who do not work in the early stages of treatment. Soon it will be possible to treat other cancers after blood cancer.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
