Dimona resident receives innovative treatment with engineered blood cells at Oncology in Soroka

[najmulislam]

Innovative treatment with engineered blood cells – CAR-T given at the Legacy Heritage Oncology Center in Soroka to a Dimona resident

The goal of the groundbreaking treatment is to activate the immune system, attack cancer cells in patients with blood cancer - leukemia and lymphoma - and destroy them.

CAR-T cell therapy is an innovative and groundbreaking treatment for patients with leukemia and B-cell lymphoma, and is currently considered the most advanced treatment for hematological malignancies. The therapy was developed at the Weizmann Institute and later at NCI laboratories and other centers in the United States.

Mercedes Krieff, a 50-year-old resident of Dimona and mother of four, was recently treated at the Legacy Heritage Oncology Center in Soroka. About three years ago, Mercedes fell ill with severe lymphoma involving the liver and bones. She was treated and recovered twice, but the disease returned for the third time. At this point, she was offered the innovative CAR-T treatment.

CAR-T therapy activates the immune system against the tumor and helps identify cancer cells using engineered T cells. These are white blood cells that belong to the patient's immune system and whose main function is to protect the body from viruses, bacteria and the development of tumors. These cells are genetically engineered to "teach" them to recognize tumors, and once the tumor cells have been identified, the T cells destroy them and in many cases lead to a complete recovery. It is possible that in the future this technique can also be used for other cancers, autoimmune diseases and possibly even to treat infections.

The treatment is given in several stages: First, cells from the patient's immune system are collected, including the T-cells. These are sent to a laboratory abroad, where the cells are genetically engineered so that they contain a special receptor for identifying cancer cells. In the laboratory, a large quantity of engineered T-cells are grown, which are returned to Israel, injected back into the patient's body and act against the cancer cells.

A multidisciplinary team at Soroka is prepared for treatment and allows patients to receive it in a professional and safe manner.
The team includes: Dr. Uri Greenbaum, a specialist in hematology and CAR-T therapy, staff from the pharmacy, the blood bank, the infectious diseases unit, the neurology department, and intensive care teams.

Dr. Uri Greenbaum, a hematology specialist at the remove background image Legacy Heritage Oncology Center in Soroka: "The enormous advantage of the treatment is that it is a one-time treatment and can lead to a complete recovery. Before the cells are introduced into the patient, he is given chemotherapy drugs for several days to suppress his own immune system, thus giving priority to the engineered cells to multiply in the body and attack the tumor."

Dr. Itai Levy, Director of the Hematology Unit at the Legacy Heritage Oncology Center in Soroka: "CAR-T therapy has promising results with a cure rate of about 40 percent in lymphoid leukemia patients and 40-50 percent in large B-cell lymphoma patients - in patients who have failed several previous lines of treatment. Patients can be discharged after a two-week hospitalization, during which the patient is monitored and side effects such as fever, low blood oxygen and low blood pressure are treated, which require close monitoring."

Prof. Yitzhak Avital, Director of the Legacy Heritage Oncology Center in Soroka: "The Legacy Center in Soroka is one of the few medical centers in the world and one of the few in Israel that enables this innovative treatment. It is important for us to make the treatments and services that are at the forefront of treating the disease accessible to our patients. The success rates of the treatment speak for themselves, but it is important to remember that the provision of treatment depends on the type of disease, its severity, and other factors that are examined on a case-by-case basis."