Recently, immunotherapy has gained increasing relevance due to its potent therapeutic potential for treating various types of cancer.
Back in 2017, 33 blood cancer patients in China, had dramatic clinical remission within 2 months by using a new CAR-T cell therapy.🔬
During a phase I clinical trial, a new type of "T-cell" named "chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T." was used as a new type of immunotherapy for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
Of those involved, 33 out of 35 patients in this clinical trial have has clinical remission within two months!
- "Although recent advances in chemotherapy have prolonged life expectancy in multiple myeloma, this cancer remains incurable,” said study author Wanhong Zhao, MD, PhD
“It appears that with this novel immunotherapy there may be a chance for cure in multiple myeloma, but we will need to follow patients much longer to confirm that.”
However, the most common side effects associated with CAR-T cell therapy can be low levels of blood cells platelets, white blood cells, neutrophils, and red blood cells as well as fever.
Since that article was written in 2017, a further clinical trial using CAR-T therapies, called CT053, is underway in China and is aimed towards heavily treated myeloma patients.
To quote the article about CT053.
- "From the 16 patients initially enrolled, 13 were eligible for early clinical response, all of whom responded to treatment. Twelve of these patients achieved rapid responses within a month after receiving a single dose of modified CT053 T-cells — including four partial responses, six very good partial responses, and two complete responses.
Within median of eight weeks after receiving treatment, five of the 12 patients given 150 million or more CT053 cells achieved a complete response. In addition, 12 of the 13 patients continued to respond to treatment from four weeks onward toward the study’s cut-off date, and 11 still contained viable CT053 cells four to six months after treatment.
- “Data from this early-stage clinical study showed the unparalleled safety and efficacy of CT053 CAR-T cells. Major AEs [adverse events, or side effects] were transient, manageable, and reversible,” the poster read."
From my perspective, I believe that immunology, CAR-T therapies, etc offer the best shot on the horizon for treating and possibly curing many forms of cancer. I also believe that spinoffs from this can be applied to other diseases.
It's great to see such treatments being developed in China, let's hope we see many more in the future and the end to cancers!
➡CARsgen to Begin CT053 Clinical Testing in China for Heavily Treated Myeloma Patients
https://myelomaresearchnews.com/2019/03/14/carsgen-therapeutics-ind-ct053-receives-clearance-china/
➡33 blood-cancer patients have dramatic clinical remission with new T-cell therapy
