Promising technology to combat acute lymphoblastic leukemia: exploring the effectiveness of CAR-T immunotherapy

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a type of cancer that affects blood and bone marrow cells. It is most common in children and young adults, representing the majority of childhood cancer cases. ALL can be treated with intensive chemotherapy, but this treatment can have significant adverse effects, especially in young patients. In recent years, CAR-T cell immunotherapy has emerged as a promising new approach for the treatment of ALL. CAR-T cells are immune cells modified in the laboratory to specifically attack cancer cells. Studies have shown complete remission rates of up to 90% in patients treated with CAR-T cells. However, this treatment can also have important side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. Despite this, CAR-T cell therapy has shown promising results and may be an effective option for patients with refractory or relapsed ALL. Objective: To discuss ALL, emphasizing the effectiveness of immunotherapy with CAR-T cells as an innovative treatment. Methodology: An integrative literature review was carried out through publications indexed in the Scielo, Google Scholar, PubMed and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases, using the descriptors: CAR-T, Acute Lymphoid Leukemia, Relapse in children and Immunotherapy in LLA. The use of CAR-T cell therapy to treat this disease has been considered a promising approach, with encouraging results in the feasibility and safety of its use, proving to be a powerful and highly selective tool, which allows specific focus in malignant cells.