Question

Discuss how you might craft a CAR T cell to target virallt infected cells. Discuss what you would target and what you anticipate the adverse outcomes might be.

Answer 1

The process begins by collecting blood from the patient . During this process, T cells are separated and removed from the blood and the remaining blood is returned to the body. This procedure is called leukapheresis or apheresis and is similar to the process of giving certain types of blood donations. T cells, which are a type of white blood cell of the immune system, are the body’s primary killing cells. They protect the body by destroying abnormal cells, including cancers.

Sometimes, however, T cells don’t recognize virus infected cells or cannot fully destroy all of them in the body. To improve the virus infected cells-killing ability of T cells, the next step is to genetically alter them.

This is done in a special laboratory. The altered T cells now have special receptors on their surface. These new receptors, called chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), allow the T cells to better recognize infected cells, become activated, and kill their target. These altered T cells are now called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. The CAR T cells are then grown in a special laboratory until millions are produced.

Next, the patient receives a brief course of chemotherapy, which improves the chance that the new CAR T cells will be accepted and not attacked by the immune system when returned to the body.

Finally, the CAR T cells are delivered back into the patient through an infusion into the patient’s bloodstream. Once in the body, the CAR T cells continue to multiply.

The CAR T cells attach to a specific structure, called an antigen (most commonly a protein called CD19), on the surface of the targeted cancer cells. Once attached, the T cells become activated and release toxins that kill the virus infected cells.

The CAR T cells remain in the body for a long time after the infusion, helping to fight viral infections if it returns and keep the patient in remission.

T-cell therapy can lead to a short-lived but severe reaction called cytokine release syndrome, or CRS. ... Cytokines are proteins that immune cells release when they attack an infection. Symptoms include a high fever, nausea, chills, headache, rash, and trouble breathing.