【Health News】 Seoul National University Hospital is providing a new treatment opportunity to pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients in need of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through its own CAR-T treatment.
In particular, CAR-T treatment is providing new hope for patients with risk factors corresponding to the indications for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, such as recurrence, refractoriness, and highest risk group.
Seoul National University Hospital (Director Kim Young-tae) provides CAR-T treatment to patients eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through donations from Lee Kun-hee’s Pediatric Cancer and Rare Disease Overcoming Project, and is conducting clinical research to improve treatment outcomes and replace hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. revealed.
Seoul National University Hospital plans to expand this research into a multi-center study and manufacture and supply its self-produced CAR-T treatment to other hospitals free of charge, so it is expected that patients will be able to continue treatment at existing hospitals.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer, with approximately 200 new cases occurring every year in Korea. Although the survival rate has improved with conventional anticancer treatment, the survival rate for patients who relapse or are refractory to treatment is still low at 10-30%, making hematopoietic stem cell transplantation an important treatment option.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a treatment that involves administering hematopoietic stem cells from a healthy donor after high-dose anticancer drugs or whole-body radiation therapy. Although it has better results compared to existing anticancer treatments, there is a high risk of recurrence when transplanted in a positive state for residual microscopic leukemia, and the toxicity of the treatment itself reduces lung function. , it can lead to serious complications such as permanent hair loss and permanent infertility, and can greatly reduce the quality of life.
To address these unmet medical needs, Seoul National University Hospital is producing and providing CAR-T treatments that open new possibilities by minimizing the side effects of leukemia treatment to patients eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
CAR-T treatment is an innovative method that genetically manipulates immune cells (T cells) in the patient’s blood to target only cancer cells and do not affect healthy normal cells.
In particular, CAR-T treatment has been proven to improve the survival rate to about 60% in patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Existing commercial CAR-T treatment was a method of sending patient blood overseas, producing it, and transporting it back to Korea for treatment, which was time-consuming and expensive, but Seoul National University Hospital utilized its own GMP production facility to provide CAR-T treatment to the hospital. We have established a system that can shorten treatment time and reduce costs by producing it in-house.
Seoul National University Hospital began clinical research by successfully administering CAR-T to its first patient in April 2022, and has been providing treatment benefits to more patients since donation support began last April. To date, all eight patients who have received CAR-T treatment with donations have been completely cured of leukemia and are continuing their daily lives without any particular complications.
Starting next year, Seoul National University Hospital plans to conduct multi-center research in cooperation with major hospitals such as Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, and provide treatment benefits by supplying self-produced CAR-T treatments to approximately 50 patients. am.
In particular, CAR-T research at Seoul National University Hospital does not stop at simply producing and administering treatments, but is also making an important contribution to revitalizing clinical trials led by domestic researchers.
Seoul National University Hospital’s CAR-T development, production, and clinical trial platform is expected to serve as an important stepping stone for strengthening competitiveness in the global market in the future by activating clinical trials of domestically developed CAR-T treatments.
Professor Kang Hyeong-jin, Department of Pediatrics and Head of the Pediatric Cancer Division of the Pediatric Cancer and Rare Disease Division, said, “Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the last treatment available for leukemia patients with a very high risk of recurrence, but the treatment results are not yet satisfactory and there is a problem of serious side effects.” He said.
He continued, “Through CAR-T clinical research, CAR-T is administered first before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to completely eliminate leukemia cells and then proceed with transplantation, thereby improving treatment outcomes or, if possible, replacing transplantation so that patients can live without major complications for the rest of their lives.” “It means a lot to provide this opportunity,” he said, adding, “I hope that many patients will be able to benefit from CAR-T treatment through the donation of the late Chairman Lee Kun-hee.”
