Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) administration here has claimed to have achieved a medical milestone by performing CAR T-Cell therapy on a blood cancer patient.
This advanced treatment makes the hospital the first in the state to offer this revolutionary therapy.
According to Dr Akshay Lahoti, the 22-year-old patient, a resident of Guna, has been undergoing treatment with this therapy.
“The patient is suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and has been undergoing treatment in the hospital for several months,” he said. Dr Lahoti added that the patient had also gone through bone marrow transplant in March 2024 but the disease relapsed.
“We are keeping our fingers crossed and are confident of a positive outcome. It is the only advanced treatment left for the patient to get rid of the disease. We believe that the patient would be discharged in 10 days,” he added.
The doctors said that CAR T-Cell therapy, which could cost up to Rs 4 crore abroad, was conducted under the supervision of the department of clinical hematology, transfusion medicine and bone marrow transplant departments.
The procedure is a result of collaborative efforts between IIT Mumbai and Tata Memorial Hospital. Dr Akshay Lahoti also expressed gratitude for support from Fortis Hospital’s Dr Rahul Bhargava, Government Cancer Hospital’s Dr Sudhir Kataria and other experts, including Dr Preeti Malpani, Dr Prachi Chaudhary, Dr Sumit Shukla and Dr Ashok Yadav. Cardiologist Dr AD Bhatnagar and Dr Ashutosh Tripathi were also part of the team during the therapy.
What is CAR T-Cell therapy?
Dr Sudhir Kataria and Dr Akshay Lahoti explained that CAR T-cell therapy involved extracting white blood cells through apheresis. T-cells were separated and genetically modified using viral vectors to create CAR T-cells. These engineered cells were reintroduced into the patient’s body, where they targeted and destroyed cancer cells by identifying specific proteins on their surface. The therapy offers hope for a cancer-free life.
Benefits of CAR T-Cell therapy
- No HLA matching required: Broadens the therapy’s application.
- Effective across T-Cell types: Works with both CD4 and CD8 T cells.
- Broad target range: Targets cancer cell proteins, carbohydrates and glycolipids.
- Rapid T-Cell generation: Produces tumour-specific T- Cells quickly.
- Reduced autoimmunity: Minimal risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
- One-time infusion: Provides a lasting impact from a single infusion.
