What Is CAR T-Cell Therapy for Mesothelioma?
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is an innovative treatment designed to help the body’s immune system fight mesothelioma.
This type of immunotherapy involves adding special receptors to T cells — which are naturally produced by your body to fight cancer — so they can more easily find and destroy mesothelioma cells.
Numerous ongoing clinical trials are exploring how CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma could improve patient survival.
Key Facts on CAR T-Cell Therapy for Mesothelioma
- CAR T-cell therapy is currently being studied to treat pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma, the two most common types of this cancer.
- Chimeric antigen receptor t-cell therapy may be combined with additional treatments like chemotherapy or other immunotherapies for best results.
- Mesothelioma patients lived for nearly 2 years on average when treated with CAR-T cell therapy and Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) in a 2021 study.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved various types of CAR T-cell therapies to treat other cancers. Hopefully, CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma will become another treatment option for this rare cancer.
Download our Free Immunotherapy Guide to learn more about CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma and how we can help you pursue this treatment.
How Does CAR T-Cell Therapy Work to Treat Mesotelioma?
CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma helps modify your body’s T cells to kill cancer.
The immune system produces T cells to help destroy threats like cancer. To do this, the T cells use receptors that attach to antigens, proteins found on the surface of mesothelioma cells.
However, the antigens on mesothelioma cells may not match up with the receptors that your T cells have. As a result, the T cells won’t be able to recognize and destroy cancer.
Through CAR T-cell therapy, doctors can add the right receptors so that T cells can fight mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma CAR T-Cell Therapy Process
Doctors administer CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma using a couple of different steps.
Steps in the process include:
- Getting a basic health examination: Before starting CAR T-cell therapy, doctors will assess your overall health, including organ function, to ensure you’re a good candidate for the treatment.
- Collecting T cells: Doctors take a sample of blood that contains T cells. They then use a process called apheresis to remove T cells from the blood sample. Apheresis will be performed over a few hours at the hospital’s oncology (cancer) department.
- Adding receptors: Once the T cells are extracted, doctors add a gene with the receptor to help them identify and kill mesothelioma cells. Doctors then create a batch of T cells to treat the patient. This process takes about three weeks.
- Providing chemotherapy: A mild dose of a chemotherapy drug like cyclophosphamide may be given before adding the CAR T cells into the body. These medications may help improve the CAR T cells’ ability to kill cancer.
- Administering CAR T cells: Once the CAR T cells are ready, doctors put them back into the patient’s body through an IV, which takes about 10 minutes.
After the CAR T-cell infusion, patients are closely monitored for about 30 days to watch for side effects and ensure the treatment is working. This can include inpatient care or follow-up visits, depending on your response to the treatment.
Contact our team now for help accessing CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma and other top treatments.
Types of CAR T-Cell Therapies for Mesothelioma
Clinical trials are studying several CAR T-cell therapies that could help mesothelioma patients live longer.
Notable types of mesothelioma CAR T-cell therapies include:
- A2B694: This helps T cells target cancer cells with an antigen called mesothelin. In mesothelioma and other cancers that form solid tumors, mesothelin is “overexpressed,” meaning the cells have too many copies of it.
- SynKIR-110: This modifies T cells so they can find mesothelioma cells that are expressing mesothelin. The FDA fast-tracked SynKIR-110 in 2023 due to its potential in helping patients.
- SKM9-2: This allows T cells to identify and destroy mesothelioma cells with a protein called HEG homolog 1.
Other CAR T-cell therapies like Kymriah® (tisagenlecleucel) have also been approved by the FDA in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
“The first approvals of CAR T-cell therapies for treatment of malignancy (cancer) have really led to, in many cases, long-term remissions and even cures of what had previously been incurable malignancies.”
As research on this emerging treatment continues, there’s hope that CAR T-cell therapy approval for mesothelioma is on the horizon, bringing new options to patients.
Who Is Eligible for Mesothelioma CAR-T Cell Therapy?
Several factors determine whether you’re eligible for CAR T-cell therapy.
These include your:
- Mesothelioma stage: CAR T-cell therapies may be available for at any stage of mesothelioma, though doctors will want to make sure late-stage patients can safely tolerate the treatment ahead of time.
- Mesothelioma cell type: Epithelioid mesothelioma expresses the antigen mesothelin at very high levels, while sarcomatoid mesothelioma does not. You may not qualify for CAR T-cell therapy targeting mesothelin if you’ve been diagnosed with the sarcomatoid cell type.
- Overall health: CAR T-cell therapy can potentially cause serious side effects, so you should be in good overall health in order to receive the treatment.
A mesothelioma oncologist (cancer doctor) can help determine if CAR T-cell therapy could be right for you.
Use our Free Doctor Match to get help connecting with mesothelioma specialists in your area.
The Role of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Mesothelioma Treatment
CAR T-cell therapy can be an important part of mesothelioma treatment, especially when combined with other therapies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma can be used with:
- Chemotherapy: Doctors may use chemotherapy before administering CAR T-cell therapy to make the latter treatment more effective.
- Other immunotherapies: A 2021 study published in Cancer Discovery noted that combining CAR T cell therapy with another immunotherapy, Keytruda, helped malignant pleural mesothelioma patients live longer.
- Radiation therapy: Patients can receive radiotherapy (which uses high-powered beams of energy to damage cancer cells) prior to CAR T-cell therapy.
- Surgery: CAR T-cell therapy can be administered before surgery to shrink tumors or after surgery to target any remaining cancer cells.
- Targeted therapies: These medications kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue and may be used before CAR T-cell therapy.
Doctors may also be able to provide CAR T-cell therapy when other treatments don’t work or if the patient experiences a recurrence (where the cancer comes back despite earlier therapies).
CAR T-Cell Therapy Success Rate and Mesothelioma Prognosis
Recent and ongoing trials reveal that CAR T-cell therapy has shown promise in treating mesothelioma, helping improve prognosis (overall health outlook) in patients.
CAR T-Cell Therapy Survival Rates & Life Expectancy
Mesothelioma prognosis is measured using survival rates (percentage of patients living a set time period following treatment) and life expectancy (average life span after treatment).
A 2021 study in Cancer Discovery found that pleural mesothelioma patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy and Keytruda had a 1-year survival rate of 83%. This is almost double the average 1-year survival rate for mesothelioma, which is 43.7%.
Additionally, this study noted that the overall mesothelioma life expectancy of these patients was 23.9 months. In comparison, the average life expectancy of pleural mesothelioma is 18 months.
Some patients in the study also achieved mesothelioma remission, where signs and symptoms of the cancer disappear. For example, one patient was in complete remission for over 2 years after receiving CAR T-cell therapy and Keytruda.
Call (866) 608-8933 for help finding trials testing CAR T-cell therapies for mesothelioma and other treatments that could improve your life expectancy.
Mesothelioma CAR T-Cell Therapy Side Effects
While CAR T-cell therapy can be a powerful treatment for mesothelioma, it may also cause side effects.
One of the most notable side effects is cytokine release syndrome (CRS). This occurs when the immune system overreacts to an immunotherapy drug, and it can cause nausea, fatigue, and a fever.
Other side effects of CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma can include:
- Allergic reactions
- Chills
- Confusion or agitation
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Muscle or joint pain
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Seizures
- Shaking or tremors
- Trouble speaking
Always make sure to see a specialist promptly if you are experiencing severe side effects after undergoing CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma.
Clinical Trials on CAR T-Cell Therapy for Mesothelioma
Clinical trials are studying how CAR T-cell therapy can help mesothelioma patients live longer.
Ongoing CAR T-cell cancer research studies include:
- BASECAMP-1 study: Researchers are studying how cancer cells lose the human leukocyte antigen (which helps them hide from the immune system) and how to store a patient’s T cells for use in future treatment. This study is expected to be finished in 2026. Patients can join if they have mesothelioma that’s unresectable (not surgically treatable).
- EVEREST-2 study: This is testing a CAR T-cell therapy called A2B694, which targets mesothelin in mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, and other cancers. It is currently recruiting patients and is expected to have results in 2029.
- Mesothelin-targeted CAR T-cell study: Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center will infuse CAR T cells with immune checkpoint inhibitors (another type of immunotherapy). They are hoping this combination will make CAR T-cell therapy more potent.
- STAR-101 study: Doctors are studying SynKIR-110 for use in treating mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, and more in this phase 1 trial. Like A2B694, SynKIR-110 will target mesothelin-expressing cancer cells.
More clinical trials testing CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma are likely on the horizon as doctors continue to study this new treatment.
“There are researchers who are now testing whether or not CAR T cells administered directly into a mesothelioma tumor could have some more dramatic effect than trying to give them intravenously. I think that kind of research holds great promise, but it’s very preliminary.”
If you meet the specific criteria outlined in a CAR T-cell therapy trial, you may be able to receive this treatment.
How Much Does Mesothelioma CAR T-Cell Therapy Cost?
CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma is currently only available in clinical trials, which cost nothing to join.
That said, you could face many other significant expenses related to your mesothelioma diagnosis. Medical costs for testing and treatment can easily exceed $400,000. You could also face travel bills, loss of income, and other unexpected financial burdens.
However, you may qualify for financial compensation to help pay for your mesothelioma treatment. Download our Free Immunotherapy Guide now to learn more.
What Happens if Mesothelioma CAR T-Cell Therapy Fails?
If mesothelioma CAR T-cell therapy fails or you experience significant side effects due to treatment toxicity, your doctor can determine next steps to help you.
While mesothelioma is very aggressive, you may still have options even if CAR T-cell therapy is not right for you.
Standard treatments, palliative (pain-relieving) care, and other new therapies being tested in clinical trials are all options that can help you manage mesothelioma if CAR T-cell therapy isn’t a good fit.
Learn if CAR T-Cell Therapy Is Right for You
CAR T-cell therapy is a groundbreaking option for treating mesothelioma and other types of cancers.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer specialist can determine if CAR T-cell therapy is a good fit with your current treatment plan.
You can also reach out to Mesothelioma Hope for personalized guidance and support.
Our Patient Advocates are standing by to help you:
- Connect with experienced mesothelioma doctors
- Find and enroll in clinical trials at no cost to you
- Pursue compensation for treatment and other expenses
Call (866) 608-8933 or download our Free Immunotherapy Guide now to get started.
CAR T-Cell Therapy for Mesothelioma FAQs
What are CAR T cells for mesothelioma?
CAR T cells for mesothelioma are specially modified T cells that can more easily kill cancer cells.
These cells have been given chimeric antigen receptors (CARS) in a lab that can bind to antigens, specific proteins found on cancer cell surfaces.
The body normally makes T cells as part of its immune response but without the special receptors, it’s harder for them to kill mesothelioma cells.
What is the best immunotherapy for mesothelioma?
CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma is one of the best new immunotherapy treatments currently being studied in clinical trials. This therapeutic option helps the body’s T cells more easily destroy mesothelioma tumor cells.
Contact our team now for help finding the best type of mesothelioma immunotherapy for your diagnosis.
What is the survival rate of CAR T-cell therapy?
Mesothelioma patients have encouraging survival rates when treated with CAR T-cell therapy.
A 2021 Cancer Discovery report noted that the 1-year survival rate was 83% in pleural mesothelioma patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy and the immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda®.
How long does CAR T-cell therapy take to work?
It only takes a couple of weeks for mesothelioma CAR T-cell therapy to work. Doctors found that CAR T-cell therapy of solid tumors reduced a pleural mesothelioma patient’s tumors by nearly 30% in just one month.
Each patient is different, though. If you’re concerned that CAR T-cell therapy isn’t working in your case, speak with your mesothelioma doctor.
Can you die from CAR T-cell therapy?
You are very unlikely to die from mesothelioma CAR T-cell therapy.
Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a potentially fatal side effect of CAR T-cell therapy. However, your mesothelioma doctor will closely monitor any side effects that you develop and work to address them before severe complications develop.
In a 2021 Cancer Discovery study, no mesothelioma patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy experienced severe CRS. CAR T-cell therapy death rates are incredibly low, with most fatalities stemming from cancer recurrence or infections — not the treatment itself.
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