Using body’s defenses against cancer

Context: A study from Northwestern University in Chicago, published in the
November issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, has gained attention
for discovering that white blood cells activated by severe COVID-19 demonstrate
cancer-fighting abilities. Researchers showed that the spread of cancer, also
known as metastasis, could be slowed by a specialised type of white blood cell
called induced non-classical monocytes (I-NCMs). These cells can be generated
through severe infections like COVID-19 or by using certain chemicals. Once
activated, I-NCMs can leave blood vessels and migrate to tumours, where they
launch an attack on cancer cells.

Key points

·       Potential
of immunotherapy: The University research showed that injecting a
specific type of white blood cell, I-NCMs, into mice was effective in combating
cancer metastasis. I-NCMs are derived from monocytes which circulate in the
bloodstream. When these are exposed to certain bacterial or viral infections or
chemicals, a small number of these monocytes transform into I-NCMs.

Ø  Monocytes – Monocytes are
involved with fighting off infections, immune regulation and repairing damaged
tissue.

·       CAR-T
Cell Therapy: CAR-T cell therapy, also known as chimeric antigen
receptor T-cell therapy, is a type of immunotherapy that uses a patient's own
immune system to fight cancer.

Significance - CAR T-cell
therapy has been approved for leukaemias (cancers arising from the cells that
produce white blood cells) and lymphomas (arising from the lymphatic system).

Procedure - Procedure: It
is a complex and personalised treatment process that involves:

Ø  Collecting T cells: T cells, a type
of white blood cell that helps fight infection, are extracted from the
patient's blood through a process known as Apheresis.

Ø  Genetic
Engineering: In the laboratory, the T cells are genetically modified to express a
special protein called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) on their surface.

Ø  Expansion: The engineered
T cells are multiplied in large numbers in the lab.

Ø  Infusion: The expanded
CAR-T cells are then infused back into the patient's bloodstream, where they
can identify and attack cancer cells that express the targeted antigen.

·       Development
in India: NexCAR19, an indigenously developed therapy for B-cell cancers, has been
collaboratively developed by ImmunoACT, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
(IIT-B), and Tata Memorial Hospital.