Axicabtagene ciloleucel (brand name: Yescarta) is an FDA-approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy used to treat certain types of large B-cell lymphoma. It is a type of personalized medicine that uses a patient’s own T-cells to fight cancer. During the process, a sample of the patient’s T-cells are collected and sent to a laboratory, where they are genetically modified to create CAR T-cells. These modified cells are then infused back into the patient’s body, where they can recognize and attack cancer cells. Axicabtagene ciloleucel is typically used when other treatments have failed and is available at select treatment centers.
Axicabtagene ciloleucel, sold under the brand name Yescarta, is a medication used for the treatment of large B-cell lymphoma that has failed conventional treatment. It is a type of cellular immunotherapy, which is a treatment that uses a patient's own immune system to fight cancer.
Here's how it works:
- T cells are removed from a person with lymphoma.
- The T cells are then genetically engineered to produce a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that recognizes and binds to a specific protein on the surface of cancer cells, called CD19.
- The engineered T cells are then grown in a laboratory and infused back into the patient.
- Once in the patient's body, the CAR T cells recognize and kill the cancer cells.
Axicabtagene ciloleucel is a very effective treatment for large B-cell lymphoma, but it can also cause serious side effects, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological toxicities. CRS is a condition that can cause fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Neurological toxicities can cause confusion, difficulty speaking, and seizures.