CAR-T cell therapy is an exciting type of immunotherapy that uses your own immune cells to fight myeloma. Here's how it works:
- T cells (immune cells) are collected from your blood through a process called apheresis
- Those T cells are genetically modified in a lab to recognize and attack myeloma cells
- The modified Show Full Answer
CAR-T cell therapy is an exciting type of immunotherapy that uses your own immune cells to fight myeloma. Here's how it works:
- T cells (immune cells) are collected from your blood through a process called apheresis
- Those T cells are genetically modified in a lab to recognize and attack myeloma cells
- The modified cells are then returned to your body to seek out and destroy cancer cells
The idea is that these engineered cells can stick around in your body long-term, continuing to fight myeloma even as new cancer cells appear. There are two FDA-approved CAR-T therapies for myeloma:
- Idecabtagene vicleucel (Abecma) – approved in 2021
- Ciltacabtagene autoleucel (Carvykti) – approved in 2022
Both target a protein called BCMA found on myeloma cells. Studies have shown impressive results — Abecma helped reduce cancer signs in about 3 out of 4 people, and Carvykti showed improvements in nearly 98% of study participants. To be eligible, myeloma generally needs to be relapsed or refractory (resistant to treatment), and at least four prior treatments must have been tried, including:
- Immunomodulatory drugs
- Proteasome inhibitors
- Anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies It's important to be aware of potential side effects, which can be serious. These include:
- Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) – a strong immune reaction causing fever, low blood pressure, and possible organ issues
- ICANS – a neurological condition that can cause confusion, headaches, difficulty speaking, or in rare cases, coma
- Low blood cell counts
- Increased infection risk
Because of these risks, CAR-T therapy is only available at specialized treatment centers, where close monitoring is provided. While CAR-T therapy is not considered a cure for myeloma, it has produced deep and long-lasting remissions for many people, even after other treatments have stopped working. It's always worth having a detailed conversation with your oncologist about whether this option fits your specific situation and treatment goals.
August 17
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