The Highest Mountain: T-Cell Technology

Citation

McIntosh B & Fascia M (2014) The Highest Mountain: T-Cell Technology. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 20 (6), pp. 281-285. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjhc.2014.20.6.281

Abstract
T-lymphocytes (T-cell) therapy offers a treatment for cancers. Developing this technology in the future provides the opportunity to revolutionise treatment and to make cancer a chronic condition. T-cells in themselves are a type of lymphocytes (itself a type of white blood cell) that play a central role in cell mediated immunity. They can be distinguished from other lymphocytes, such as B-cells and natural killer cells (NK cells), by the presence of a T-cell receptor (TCR) on the cell surface. T-cells have the capacity to destroy diseased cells, but tumours present a considerable challenge that reduces their impact. As cancer cells are frequently ‘invisible’ to the immune system, and they create an environment that suppresses T-cell activity., genetic engineering of T-cells can be used therapeutically to overcome these challenges. T-cells can be taken from the blood of cancer patients and then modified to recognise and destroy cancer-specific antigens.

Keywords
Cancer; Leukaemia; T-cells; Immunosuppression; T-cell receptor; TCR

Journal
British Journal of Healthcare Management: Volume 20, Issue 6