Austrian CAR-T cell therapy is a highly promising treatment option for around one fifth of patients in Austria who suffer from diffuse large cell lymphoma or childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) up to the age of 25 every year.
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Update for referring doctors
Kick-off meeting of the Austrian CAR-T Cell Network
The Austrian CAR-T Cell Network presented itself to the public for the first time at a symposium for scientists, doctors and patients on February 13, 2020. Six large cell therapy centers have joined forces to advance both routine care and science in the field of cellular therapies against malignant diseases. This enables comprehensive care for the Austrian population as well as an improvement of Austria as a clinical-scientific location.
Inquiries either at car-t@meduniwien.ac.at or to the individual centers in Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Linz and Innsbruck. "
In addition to " MedUni Vienna, " MedUni Graz, " Innsbruck Medical University, " Ordensklinikum Linz (Barmherzige Schwestern Elisabethinen), " St. Anna Children's Hospital, " Salzburg University Hospital and " Kepler University Hospital are also involved in the Austrian CAR-T network.
Medical background
In CAR T-cell therapy, a specific protein on the surface of the tumour is recognized by previously modified T-cells. The docking of the genetically armed patient's own cells triggers the destruction of the tumor cell. This mechanism is used in this therapy and, in addition to the previous standard therapy (chemotherapy), opens up a new treatment option for patients, even in almost hopeless cases.
This is because the survival rate after standard therapy is currently only 20 percent after around 2 years. With CAR-T cell therapy, overall survival could be doubled to over 40 percent. This was also published in studies in the top journal "New England Journal of Medicine" in 2017 and 2019.