Why in News
Results from a new clinical trial shed light on the performance of infusions of immune-calming regulatory T cells for children with type 1 diabetes.
The trial shows that a single dose of the cells can transfer over efficiently in children.
But does not show signs of preserving insulin-releasing cells in the pancreas.
Highlighting the need for further research.
Researchers have theorized that supporting regulatory T cell activity – or even infusing these cells – could treat autoimmune disorders.
What is T cell and T cell therapies
T cells are a type of white blood cell that play a crucial role in the immune system's fight against infections.
They are like the army of the immune system, specifically targeting and eliminating infected cells or abnormal cells like cancer cells.
T Cells:
Function: T cells identify and destroy infected cells or cancer cells by recognizing specific proteins on their surface called antigens.
Types: There are different types of T cells, each with a specific role:
Cytotoxic T cells (killer T cells): These directly kill infected or cancerous cells.
Helper T cells: These cells don't directly kill but help other immune system cells function properly.
Memory T cells: These "remember" past encounters with antigens and can launch a quicker response upon future exposure.
T Cell Therapies:
T cell therapies are a type of immunotherapy for cancer treatment.
They harness the power of a patient's own T cells to fight cancer.
T cell extraction: Blood is drawn from the patient, and T cells are extracted.
Engineering: In a lab, the T cells are genetically modified to better recognize and attack cancer cells.
A common method is CAR T-cell therapy, where a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is introduced into the T cells.
This CAR helps the T cells specifically target cancer cells.
The modified T cells are grown in large numbers in the lab.
The engineered T cells are infused back into the patient's bloodstream.
The modified T cells then attack the cancer cells throughout the body.
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