Australia has developed a new method to purify cancer CAR-T immunotherapy preparations

Source: Medical Network

Medical Network News, October 28, the University of South Australia issued a communiqué a few days ago, stating that the researchers of the university have cooperated with a biotherapy company to develop a new method based on microfluidic technology to purify cancer CAR-T immunotherapy preparations. Reduce treatment costs and side effects.

CAR-T immunotherapy for cancer refers to the extraction of cancer patients' own immune T cells and then bioengineering, so that they can recognize and attack specific cancer cells, and then return them to the patient for treatment. This is an emerging anti-cancer therapy that has been placed high expectations by the research and development community in recent years.

Mona Elsmari, who participated in the purification study of the above preparation, said that CAR-T immunotherapy has achieved positive results in the treatment of leukemia and other blood cancers. Some teams are studying its use in the treatment of solid tumors, but the potential of this therapy Not yet fully realized.

According to her, in addition to the high cost, the problems affecting the application of this therapy are that the impurities in CAR-T preparations are difficult to remove. These impurities include dead cells and antifreezes such as dimethyl sulfoxide. The dead cells may cause serious side effects to patients. Antifreeze can cause allergic reactions in some patients and produce toxic side effects.

The communiqué stated that the new method developed this time can remove more than 70% of the dead cells in CAR-T preparations within 30 minutes, and can also remove more than 90% of dimethyl sulfoxide, which is not harmful to the quality and function of immune cells. influences. This achievement can reduce the cost and side effects of CAR-T immunotherapy, thereby benefiting patients.