Could my immune cells become cancer-killing ‘snipers’? Konkuk University Medical Center administers CAR-T for the first time

[Financial News] A personalized immune cell therapy has begun for a blood cancer patient whose disease relapsed despite multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. On the 28th of last month, the Department of Hematology and Oncology at Konkuk University Medical Center administered the CAR-T cell therapy product Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel) for the first time at the hospital to a patient with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
DLBCL is a common aggressive blood cancer, and the likelihood of successful subsequent treatment is known to decline if the disease relapses after first-line treatment or does not respond to treatment. This patient, too, received multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy after being diagnosed with DLBCL, but the disease relapsed and progressed, leading to CAR-T treatment.
CAR-T therapy is a personalized immune cell treatment in which T cells collected from a patient’s blood are genetically modified and multiplied so they selectively attack cancer cells. The treatment proceeded in the following order: T-cell collection (leukapheresis), bridging therapy to suppress disease progression, CAR-T cell manufacture and delivery, lymphodepletion, and administration of Kymriah.
CAR-T therapy requires a high level of expertise at every stage, from cell collection and administration to the management of severe adverse reactions, and can be performed only at institutions with experienced medical staff, specialized facilities, and a multidisciplinary care system. Konkuk University Medical Center carried out the treatment using a specialized care system built around its Department of Hematology and Oncology, with close cooperation among the departments of laboratory medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and health insurance review.
Care after administration is also important. As CAR-T cells become active in the body, adverse reactions such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) may occur. Vital signs, consciousness and neurological status, and blood test results must be closely monitored so that staff can respond promptly.
Kymriah is an advanced cell therapy that can be administered only once per patient over their lifetime, and has been covered by national health insurance since April 1, 2022. Because it is manufactured using cells collected from each individual patient, careful management is required throughout the process, from cell collection and transport to an overseas manufacturing facility through manufacturing and quality control to delivery to a medical institution in South Korea.
Professor Lee Hong-ki of the Department of Hematology and Oncology said, “For patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, CAR-T therapy is an important option that opens up new treatment possibilities,” adding, “Building on our CAR-T treatment system, we will provide advanced cell therapy in a systematic and safe manner to more patients with blood cancers.”
Hospital Director Yoo Kwang-ha said, “The first administration of Kymriah is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates Konkuk University Medical Center’s capacity to provide advanced cell therapy,” adding, “We will continue our support so that we can provide practical help to more patients in the future.”
Konkuk University Medical Center plans to continue operating its CAR-T treatment system reliably while strengthening its specialized treatment infrastructure and clinical capabilities for blood cancer patients.
 


[email protected] Jung Myung-jin, medical correspondent Reporter