Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cell Therapy for Adult Patients With Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies represent a new paradigm in targeted cancer therapy. T cells play a key role in immune surveillance, but tumors have developed multiple mechanisms for evading that surveillance. CAR T-cell technology aims to enhance the innate ability of the body to fight foreign invaders, and in this way, effectively fight cancer and potentially reduce the number of treatments required. In fact, many patients have had long-lasting clinical responses to therapy with a single treatment. The journey to receiving CAR T-cell therapy involves a number of steps prior to infusion, including an initial consultation and workup, apheresis, bridging therapy, and lymphodepletion. Patients are then closely monitored after infusion. Successful treatment requires collaboration between the patient, caregivers, and the multidisciplinary team. Here we discuss the biology of CAR T-cell technology, clinical trial data, and the path to accessing this revolutionary and potentially curative treatment.