In CAR-T cell therapy, immune cells are collected from your blood, modified in the lab so that they can recognize cancer cells, and returned to you via an infusion. The cells remain in your body and continue to work there. In gene therapy, blood stem cells are collected, modified in the lab, and returned to your body to correct a genetic defect.

Both procedures are complex. Several weeks elapse between cell collection and reinfusion while the cells are being prepared. After the infusion, you will remain in the hospital or nearby for monitoring. And both procedures can cause side effects, for which our center has a dedicated team.

That depends on the disease, your previous treatments, and your overall health. CAR-T cell therapies are approved in Europe for certain forms of lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma, usually when other treatments have not been effective enough or the disease has returned. Gene therapy is approved for severe forms of beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease. These therapies are being tested in clinical trials for other conditions.

Our interdisciplinary conference will determine whether a particular therapy is suitable for you. This also includes assessing whether your overall health allows for the treatment.

CAR-T cell therapy uses your own T cells—white blood cells that recognize pathogens and abnormal cells in the body. In the laboratory, these cells are equipped with an additional receptor called the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). This receptor allows them to recognize a specific marker on the surface of cancer cells and attack those cells. Before the infusion, you’ll receive a short course of chemotherapy to make room in your body for the new cells. Afterward, the modified cells multiply in your body.

Gene therapy for thalassemia and sickle cell disease targets the blood stem cells from which red blood cells are formed. After being modified in the laboratory, these cells once again produce more functional hemoglobin. Chemotherapy is required beforehand to ensure that the modified stem cells can proliferate in the bone marrow.

Cytokine release syndrome is a typical side effect of CAR-T cell therapy. It occurs when the activated immune cells release signaling molecules and usually manifests as a fever, sometimes accompanied by a drop in blood pressure or shortness of breath. Less commonly, side effects affect the nervous system, such as confusion, speech difficulties, or seizures. Both of these typically occur primarily in the first few days and weeks after the infusion, which is why you will be closely monitored during this time. In addition, blood counts may remain low for weeks to months, which increases the risk of infection.

In gene therapy, the focus is on the consequences of the preparatory chemotherapy, including infections, a tendency to bleed, and possible infertility.

The center has a dedicated team for these side effects, the Immuno Task Force. This team assesses your risk in advance and treats side effects early on. Before treatment begins, the doctors will discuss these matters with you in detail.