Blog | HemaCare

As the fight against COVID-19 continues, the use of CAR-T or TCR-T therapies may be able to help treat patients infected, but more research is needed.

The last decade of research has provided significant advances in anti-cancer immunotherapies. Particularly, the development of genetically modified T-cells has been successful in treating various types of cancers. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) T-cell therapy are major examples of highly studied immunotherapies. CAR-T cells recognize proteins or antigens expressed on the surface of cancer cells, whereas TCR-T cells recognize tumor antigens inside the cells.

A newly developed single-treatment approach, uses autologous gene therapy and CD34 stem cells to improve erythrocyte function in SSD patients.

Sickle cell disease (SSD) refers to a group of inherited erythrocyte disorders. Hemoglobin in people with SSD becomes defective leading to abnormal shaping of erythrocytes. The defective hemoglobin form, hemoglobin S, replaces the normal hemoglobin A. The abnormally crescent or sickle-shaped erythrocytes cause a number of illnesses associated with the clogging of vessels, poor oxygen flow to organs, and associated damage.

A cord blood-derived CAR NK-cell therapy targeting CD19 showed promising results for patients with NHL and CLL.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T–cell therapy has been used with some success for certain types of hematological malignancies. The medical scientific community considers the possibility of using this approach for a wider spectrum of B-cell malignancies. However, there are a few significant limitations that affect the widespread successful use of CAR T for these forms of cancer.

As Phase 3 clinical trials begin for Lenti-D as a treatment for patients with X-ALD, the drug also shows promise for treating a range of neurodegenerative diseases.

X‐linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X‐ALD) is a peroxisomal disorder resulting from a mutation in the human ATP-binding cassette, sub-family D, member 1 gene (ABCD1). The ABCD1 gene codes for the adrenoleukodystrophy protein (ALDP) needed for very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) to enter peroxisomes for degradation. When this process is disrupted, the VLCFAs accumulate in various tissues of the body, including the brain. VLCFA accumulation and demyelination of brain white matter lead to the severe neurological symptoms seen with X-ALD.

A new type of T cell capable of recognizing and killing most human cancer cells has just been discovered. Researchers at Cardiff University in Wales hit upon the entirely new class of T cell while examining immune cells at a local blood bank. ^[1] This T cell carries a novel T cell receptor (TCR) which recognizes most cancers, while ignoring healthy cells.