CAR T-Cell Therapy

CAR T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that strengthens the immune system to more effectively find and destroy cancer cells. It’s been used to treat blood cancers including leukemia and lymphoma.

University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC) is a leader in CAR T-cell therapy, being one of a limited number of cancer centers in the United States to offer it.

How CAR T-Cell Therapy Works

CAR T-cell therapy enhances the body’s T-cells, the immune cells, that recognize and destroy infections and disease.

T-cells are removed from the body and sent to a lab. The T-cells are genetically engineered to produce chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). These receptors help T-cells find and attack cancer cells.

The modified T-cells are grown and multiplied in the lab to hundreds of millions, then infused back into the patient where they kill cancer cells. 

Without CAR T-cell therapy, the body’s T-cells can get overwhelmed by cancer cells and fail to stop them from growing.

Benefits of CAR T-Cell Therapy

CAR T-cell therapy has shown results in patients with advanced cancers when other treatments have failed. It has eradicated cancer in some patients, and resulted in long-term remission, giving patients years of cancer-free living they did not think was possible.

CAR T-cell therapy is a targeted therapy, which means it can limit damage to healthy tissue. It can sometimes be completed in a single infusion. 

As with most treatments, CAR T-cell therapy does come with side effects – some severe. Your doctor will give you all the information about possible side effects and how you’ll be monitored and treated.

Getting CAR T-Cell Therapy at UMGCCC

CAR T-cell therapy is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat certain blood cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma.

Our team has years of experience treating patients with engineered T-cells, helping hundreds of patients (including those who have participated in clinical trials). UMGCCC was the first cancer center in the Baltimore/Washington area to offer CAR T-cell therapy.

As more become FDA approved and available, we may provide CAR T-cell therapies for other types of cancer.

To learn more about getting CAR T-cell therapy at UMGCCC, call 410-328-7904. 

CAR T-Cell Therapy Clinical Trials

UMGCCC has a robust research program and is always conducting trials to explore cancer treatments like CAR T-cell therapy. If you’re interested learning more about our current research, search our database to find active clinical trials at UMGCCC. 

To ask about participating in a CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial, call 410-328-7904.