Karolinska University Hospital has, for the first time in Sweden, begun preparations to treat a patient with multiple myeloma using CAR-T cell therapy in routine healthcare - an advanced form of immunotherapy where the patient's own T-cells are programmed to attack cancer cells. The treatment is aimed at patients who no longer respond to previous treatment options and offers new hope for a difficult-to-treat blood cancer.
"I have high hopes for this treatment," says Stephan Mielke , head of operations at Karolinska University Hospital and professor of cell therapy and hematology at the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Karolinska Institutet.
CAR-T therapy has previously been successfully used for other forms of blood cancer, but this is the first time the technique is being used for multiple myeloma in Sweden. The first cells have now been collected from a patient at Karolinska University Hospital and sent to a specialized laboratory where they are modified to specifically target tumor cells.
The process usually takes about six weeks before the cells can be given back to the patient in the form of an infusion.
"This is essentially an incurable cancer. Only allogeneic stem cell transplantation has shown long-term effects in a limited number of patients. There are medications available, but with this new treatment, we hope that patients can achieve long-term remission with few side effects. In clinical trials, CAR T-cells have shown dramatic activity - almost all patients have responded to the treatment," says Stephan Mielke.
CAR-T is a form of cell and gene therapy where the patient's own T-cells are reprogrammed to recognize specific structures on the tumor cells. T-cells function as the body's immunological "defenders," but can normally have difficulty detecting the cancer.
"CAR-T is a living drug. It's like glasses for immune cells, I usually explain it as. This time, it's special glasses that can see multiple myeloma," says Stephan Mielke.
Karolinska University Hospital was the first in Sweden to introduce CAR-T treatment in routine healthcare in 2019, but has so far not used the method for multiple myeloma. This new treatment step confirms the hospital's role as one of Europe's most experienced centers in cell and gene therapy.
The text is a republished press release from Karolinska University Hospital (in Swedish).
Facts: Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a form of blood cancer where plasma cells - a type of white blood cell in the bone marrow - begin to multiply uncontrollably. This can lead to tumor formation and the displacement of healthy blood-forming cells. The disease affects the immune system, blood cell production, and can also damage bones and kidneys.
In Sweden, about 660 people are diagnosed each year. Multiple myeloma is currently incurable, but treatment can slow the disease and alleviate symptoms. CAR-T therapy is now being evaluated as an option for relapse or when other treatments no longer provide sufficient effect.
