In recent years, as researchers have discovered more about the various mechanisms of the body, they have been able to use genetic engineering to treat various diseases. Moreover, the use of cells from the patients' bodies as part of their treatment process results in better outcomes than other treatments, such as transplants from donors, and the fact that the body will not reject the special drugs that are appropriate for them.

These are some of the guiding principles that led researchers from Novartis (Switzerland), based in Switzerland, to examine genetic engineering as a treatment for leukemia patients. Finally, the innovative and groundbreaking company was able to create treatment for this cancer, which was unanimously approved by a panel of the Food and Drug Administration. As the days pass since the approval, researchers are working on optimizing and improving the method to make it the best possible for patients with leukemia who are struggling for their lives.

To treat leukemia in children and young patients (ages 3-25), the Novartis researchers decided to use the patients' blood cells and engineer them to fight cancer in their bodies. Treatment is for patients with recurrent cancer or those who have been resistant to conventional treatments for leukemia. In collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, Novartis has developed a method of healing that can "eliminate" cancer cells.

To do this, T-cells, which take part of the immune system, are collected and transferred to the laboratory for further treatment. The next stage involves the introduction of the HIV virus (the virus that leads to AIDS) mutated and transplanted into the blood cells harvested from the patients. Thanks to the natural replication and attack properties of the virus, it can multiply in large quantities and serve as a natural treatment for patients. The virus cells are engineered to identify and attack cancerous cells, and after they undergo this treatment and are stripped of the HIV disease pathogens, the engineered blood cells are injected back into the patient's body.

Dr. Stephen Grupp, a physician and lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, says that due to the treatment of young patients and the aggression of leukemia, the need to renew the approach and treatment methods has been successful, and the CTL019 will be available in different countries after improvements, And additional tests to be conducted.

The most important question about CTL019 treatment is whether it actually works. To address this, they examined the first treatment at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, and the results were encouraging. Emily Whitehead, the most famous patient in the trial, was treated and completely recovered from cancer in 2012. Five years later, Emily was free from cancer and her parents expressed support for the FDA panel discussion on its approval.

However, the significant disadvantage of treatment is the long time it takes to prepare it for each patient (currently 22 days), during which the condition of patients may deteriorate irrevocably. In addition, the treatment caused severe side effects, including system breakdowns in patients such as Emily, who eventually recovered from blood cancer, but paid for it in a severe fight against the disease. There is also concern about the future effects of treatment with a virus and whether the treatment itself will cause a different type of cancer after several years.

The researchers at Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania continue to work hard on these problems to improve the treatment of CTL019 for young patients with this terrible disease and help them recover. Monitoring the health of these patients will be 15 years after treatment and hope is to cure them completely, reduce side effects and give them a chance for a healthy future and full life.