Medical technology3 min read
CAR T-cell therapy
CAR-T
In CAR T-cell therapy, a patient’s own T cells are collected, engineered in the lab to make a receptor that helps them find cancer cells, and returned. The FDA approved the first one in 2017; all approved CAR T therapies so far are for blood cancers.
The first therapy was approved in 2017 for children and young people with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, then other therapies were approved for adults with blood cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The National Cancer Institute (2025) lists seven FDA-approved therapies.
The treatment may cause a serious side effect called cytokine release syndrome, which can be fatal in rare cases, and neurological symptoms including confusion, severe drowsiness and speech disturbance. In solid tumours, progress has lagged behind blood cancers, and its use there is still experimental.
- In widespread clinical use
- Approved for specific uses
- In clinical trials
- Preclinical
- Concept
Therapies approved by the FDA for specific types of blood cancer since 2017, and experimental in solid tumours.
- Blood cancers (leukaemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma)Approved for specific uses
First approval in 2017; the National Cancer Institute lists seven approved therapies.1
- Solid tumoursIn clinical trials
Status last checked: · What the maturity levels mean
What is it?
The patient's T cells are modified in the laboratory to make a protein called CAR that helps them attach to specific proteins on cancer cells.
How does it work?
Manufacturing begins by collecting the patient's blood and separating the T cells, then modifying them in the laboratory, then returning them to the patient.
Where is it used today?
The FDA approved the first therapy in 2017 for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, then other therapies for adults with blood cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
The uses of two of them have been expanded so they can be used earlier in the treatment plan.
Limits and risks
It may cause cytokine release syndrome, which can be fatal in rare cases.
It may cause neurological symptoms including confusion, severe drowsiness and speech disturbance.
Progress has lagged in solid tumours, and use there is still experimental.
Common questions
Questions for your doctor
- Do my cancer type and stage fall within the approved uses of CAR-T therapy?
- How are serious side effects monitored after treatment?
References
- 1National Cancer Institute (NIH). CAR T Cells: Engineering Patients' Immune Cells to Treat Their Cancers. www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/car-t-cellsHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-08
- 2U.S. FDA. FDA approves tisagenlecleucel for B-cell ALL and tocilizumab for cytokine release syndrome. www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-tisagenlecleucel-b-cell-all-and-tocilizumab-cytokine-release-syndromeHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-08
- 3National Cancer Institute (NIH). T-cell Transfer Therapy. www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/t-cell-transfer-therapyHealth agencies & guidelines · Accessed 2026-10-08
Review status: Edited content · Last updated:
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Educational content only — no diagnosis, and no substitute for a clinician.