CAR-T cell therapy neurotoxic complications predicted by Simple blood test
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Overview
According to a recent study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, a quick blood test could help doctors determine which patients are more likely to experience neurotoxic side effects in the days and weeks following CAR-T cell therapy.
Analyzing blood samples from patients before, during and after CAR-T cell therapy, the researchers found that levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) are higher in patients who go on to develop neurotoxic complications. High levels of the protein are present even before therapy begins, and those levels remain elevated throughout treatment and up to a month afterward.
The research, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, could help doctors anticipate these life-threatening side effects and allow them to begin giving treatments that can reduce the neurotoxic effects early during a patient's treatment. It also opens the door to developing ways to prevent the side effects or reduce their risk before CAR-T cell therapy begins.
A general marker of damage to neurons, the NfL protein has been used to measure or monitor the severity of several neurologic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis.
Ref:
Omar H. Butt et al,Assessment of Pretreatment and Posttreatment Evolution of Neurofilament Light Chain Levels in Patients Who Develop Immune Effector Cell–Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome,JAMA Oncology, DOI: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.3738
Speakers
Isra Zaman
B.Sc Life Sciences, M.Sc Biotechnology, B.Ed
Isra Zaman is a Life Science graduate from Daulat Ram College, Delhi University, and a postgraduate in Biotechnology from Amity University. She has a flair for writing, and her roles at Medicaldialogues include that of a Sr. content writer and a medical correspondent. Her news pieces cover recent discoveries and updates from the health and medicine sector. She can be reached at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.
