AS A SOCIETY , WE ARE STILL A LONG WAY OFF FROM CLAIMING WE HAVE BEAT CANCER . HOWEVER , WITH ADVANCING TREATMENTS SUCH AS CAR T CELL THERAPY , CANCER PATIENTS ARE GIVEN THE BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL AFTER DIAGNOSIS .
F E A T U R E
AS A SOCIETY , WE ARE STILL A LONG WAY OFF FROM CLAIMING WE HAVE BEAT CANCER . HOWEVER , WITH ADVANCING TREATMENTS SUCH AS CAR T CELL THERAPY , CANCER PATIENTS ARE GIVEN THE BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL AFTER DIAGNOSIS .
free to rapidly multiply without a reaction from the immune system .
Scientists now have the ability to collect , genetically alter and infuse T cells into the patient . This means that the receptors on T cells can be engineered to better recognise cancer-specific antigens and therefore bind to and kill cancer cells . These new and improved T cells are called CAR T or CAR-TCR cells .
While CAR T cell therapies offer a crucial treatment option for patients , a significant portion of the population faces financial barriers in accessing them . The cost of the therapy , exceeding US $ 500,000 , is attributed in part to non-automated , labour-intensive and challenging-toscale manufacturing processes associated with current manufacturing workflows . Consequently , patients find themselves accepting subpar outcomes from outdated technology at a higher cost .
By making the process of separating T cells and collecting them from a blood sample more efficient in terms of cost , quality and automation , CAR T cell therapy will become a more effective and affordable course of action . In this way , CAR T cell therapies will be able to advance into first- and second-line treatment options .
Cell separation : What are microbubbles and how do they work ?
Buoyancy-based cell separation technology offers a faster , more effective solution to the outdated and limited cell separation practices like magnetic-activated cell sorting ( MACS ) currently entrenched in the cell therapy manufacturing market . MACS also often entails
34 www . intelligenthealth . tech