FAQ: What are CAR T-cells?

CAR T-cells are a type of immune cell engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface. These CARs are synthetic proteins designed to recognize and bind to specific antigens present on cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapy involves the collection of a patient’s T-cells, genetic modification in the laboratory to express CARs, and then infusing the engineered CAR T-cells back into the patient. Once inside the body, CAR T-cells can recognize and attack cancer cells that express the targeted antigen, enhancing the body’s immune response against cancer.