Researchers:
- Prof Alex McLellan
- Sarah Saunderson (Research Fellow)
- Amy Dunn (Technician)
CAR-T cell therapy
CAR-T cell therapy is a treatment which utilises cells from a patient's own immune system. T-Cells are part of the immune system which responds to specific pathogens they're targeted to. They can be removed from the blood of a patient and grown in a laboratory.
Genes for a special antigen receptor that binds specifically to the patient's tumour is then added to the T-Cells, making them chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. These CAR T cells can then be infused back into a patient's blood. The chimeric antigen receptor, specific to the patient's tumour, then binds to the tumour, allowing the T-cells to respond to the tumour as if it were a pathogen.
Enhancing CAR T cell therapy effects
Work in the McLellan group is focusing on the addition of different genes of interest (GOI) which can be added to the CAR cassette to enhance both T cell memory and survival.
