What are CAR T Cells?
CAR stands for Chimeric Antigen Receptor. T cells are a type of white blood cells that play a key role in immune response against infections and cancer cells. In CAR T cell therapy, T cells are collected from patient's blood and genetically engineered to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) on their surface. These CARs allow the T cells to recognize specific proteins or antigens on the surface of cancer cells and target and destroy them.

How are CAR T Cells Developed?
The T cells used for CAR T Cell Therapy are collected through a process called leukapheresis which separates white blood cells from other blood components. These T cells are then genetically modified using a viral vector to produce chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) on their surface. The CAR consists of an antigen recognition domain from antibodies that allows T cells to bind to a specific antigen on tumor cells and activate domains from T-cell receptors that trigger T cell activation and killing of cancer cells. Once the T cells are modified to express CARs, they are expanded in number in the laboratory and then infused back into the patient.

Targeted Antigens
CAR T cells are engineered to target specific antigens expressed on cancer cells. The most common targeted antigens in approved CAR T cell therapies are CD19 antigen for certain types of leukemia and lymphoma and GD2 antigen for neuroblastoma. Research is ongoing to modify CAR T cells against other common cancer antigens like HER2, PSMA, mesothelin etc. for many solid tumors. This targeted approach allows CAR T cells to precisely recognize and eliminate cancer cells while sparing normal cells.

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