ASCO is the largest and most powerful association of cancer doctors in the world. It has just named Car-T Cells “Discovery of the year in oncology”, the development of a tailor-made treatment, which is capable of overcoming certain end-stage blood cancers. Mostly children. The story of a real miracle, as medicine does not know very often.
For several years now, we have been talking about a revolutionary new technique: Car-T cells. A strange name to define tailor-made medicine, designed by the genius of man.
We know that the failure in the treatment of cancer is that of immunity cells which lose their fight against the enemy, the cancer cell which is a hyper-organized terrorist cell which no longer respects anything inside the body. Isolated at the beginning, hidden in the immensity of the body and the confidentiality of the organ which saw it being born and which it wants to destroy.
When they regroup, these terrorists first form islands of destruction – metastases – then take power and, as they have no finality, cause death …
In the case of blood cancers, we try to kill all the cells – healthy and sick – with chemotherapy, then to repopulate with healthy cells, which is called a bone marrow transplant. But when the troops are often disorganized and when they are shooting at each other, it is atomic war and its consequence destruction.
The Car-T cell technique is ambitious and unique!
To put it simply, to make Car-T Cells, we take a soldier cell from the patient, not yet contaminated; we change its internal structure by adding weapons of mass destruction. Making a simple docile first class, an elite element of the GIGN, motivated by combat and above all capable of reproducing at very high speed, when he will be in the combat zone as long as it is not won. A fight to the death, but where hope has changed sides.
Simple in theory; incredibly complex to actually do.
We can compare the manufacture of this cell to haute couture by the unit, worthy of the greatest houses.
It takes three months to transform a simple soldier into an elite unit. Only in the United States and for a minimum of 500,000 euros today.
But the result is up to the task: in a few days, when this treatment works, a desperate case goes from palliative resuscitation to recovery.
Positive and negative
It is, in front of the multiplication of cases of cure, that the experts of the very serious ASCO, American Society of Cancer and Oncology, attributed to Car-T Cells, the very sought-after title of discovery of the year.
No doubt also to raise awareness of several facts. Positive but also … negative
Positive
The reasoning for the development of these cells was initially made only for a very specific form of leukemia, one of the deadliest blood cancers. The following studies have looked at other types of leukemia. Tests have started since last year in most cancers of the blood, which are referred to as liquid tumors. It is likely that the reasoning will apply fairly quickly to solid tumors … that is, most cancers.
Negative
The cost. As long as it concerns very rare cases, solidarity knows how to organize itself. You have certainly read, in recent years, cases of appeals for donations to save a child and give him the benefit of a mysterious treatment in the United States. This is what happened with the Car-T Cells in the beginning. Then the Health Insurance has put its hand in the pocket. Especially since our Minister of Health, Agnès Buzin, is a very high level professor of Onco Hematology and she saw – she was present until last year in these congresses – the hopes and the confirmation of this new technique in his specialty. She knows the issues and weaknesses better than anyone.
But if the number of patients eligible for this treatment is increasing in the proportions predicted by specialists, that’s a whole different story.
Two tracks, however.
The most classic: requesting a significant effort from manufacturers by creating competition which is already in the process of being established.
The most original: going from haute couture to ready-to-wear! Maybe not as effective, but the project is on the way. CarT-Cells made in large numbers from a cell that is not specific but close to that of patients. Probably less efficient but much cheaper.
And finally as always remains a question: side effects. In the short term they exist, they are important but in most cases under control. Remember that this is a prescription in desperate cases. In the long term, we do not yet know them.
To know more :
CAR T-cells… The explanations of a “Miracle at ASH”
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