“this is what the riddell donation will enable us to do.”
calgary researchers hope to improve manufacture of car t-cells
hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide have already benefited from such immunotherapy, said mahoney, but researchers in calgary will seek to improve on it.
one of those strategies is to enhance the manufacture of car t-cells, he said.
“this will enable us to manufacture to much higher standards than what we have now, to a clinical grade and for different types of immuno-manufacturing,” said mahoney.
clinical trials that follow will inform further clinical trials, he said.
the physician who treated mclachlan noted the woman’s cells were sent to the u.s. to be modified for use.
“if we can do it here locally, things can be done more quickly, whereas if you send it to a company in the u.s. where those cells can be stuck in customs — it’s actually happened,” said shafey.
with more funding, more patients should be treated in calgary rather than being sent elsewhere, which was more of a reality a few short years ago, she said.
“i remember this one woman who i told she’d likely die from her tumour,” said shafey.
“she went to the u.s. (for car t-cell therapy) and is still alive today.”