Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy that modifies T cells to make them efficient at targeting cancer cells.

Chimeric refers to having parts of different origins. In medicine, it contains cells with different genes than the rest of the person, organ, or tissue.

CAR T-cell therapies are tailored to each person by collecting their T cells through a process called apheresis and modifying them in a lab. This process equips the T cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface. These CARs are designed to detect and attach to specific proteins, known as antigens, on the surface of cancer cells. 

The steps of CAR T-cell therapy include: 

1. Collect some of the patient’s blood to gather T cells
2. Make CAR T-cells in the lab by inserting the CAR gene
3. Grow millions of CAR T-cells in a lab
4. Patient receives chemotherapy to make room for modified T-cells in their body
5. Infuse CAR T-cells into the patient
6. CAR T-cells bind to cancer cells and eliminate them