How does CAR-T cell therapy target leukemia and lymphoma cells?

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Precancerous growth in a human colon — cancer View through an endoscope of a polyp, a benign precancerous growth projecting from the inner lining of the colon.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy that targets leukemia and lymphoma by genetically modifying a patient's own T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.1

The process works as follows:

Extraction and Engineering: T cells are collected from the patient's blood via leukapheresis. In a laboratory, these cells are modified using genetic engineering to express a specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) on their surface.1
Targeting: The engineered CAR protein enables the T cells to identify and bind to a specific antigen found on the surface of cancer cells, such as CD19 in many B-cell malignancies.1
Activation and Infusion: After the modified cells are multiplied in the lab, the patient undergoes chemotherapy to reduce their existing T-cell count. The CAR T cells are then infused back into the patient's bloodstream, where they bind to the target antigens and destroy the cancer cells.1

This therapy effectively harnesses the immune system to combat blood cancers, often achieving remission in patients who have not responded to standard treatments.1