President Launched India’s 1st Home-grown gene therapy for cancer

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, launched India's first home-grown gene therapy for cancer at IIT Bombay. The President announced the launch of India's first gene therapy, called "CAR-T cell therapy," which is accessible and affordable, providing new hope in the battle against cancer.

• The President highlighted that CAR-T cell therapy is one of the most exceptional advancements in medical science. 
• It has been available in developed nations for some time, but it is costly and out of reach for most patients worldwide. She was pleased to note that the therapy being launched is the world's most affordable CAR-T cell therapy.
• The President also stated that it is an example of the 'Make in India' initiative, demonstrating the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat.' 
• India's first CAR-T cell therapy was developed through a collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and Tata Memorial Hospital, along with industry partner ImmunoACT.
• In the development of CAR-T cell therapy, partnerships have been formed with an eminent institution from another field and industry to serve humanity.
• This achievement has been made possible by the focus IIT Bombay has placed on research and development over the last three decades.

Gene therapy 

• Gene therapy is a medical treatment that aims to cure diseases or enhance your body's ability to combat diseases by replacing a defective gene or introducing a new one. Gene therapy has the potential to treat various diseases including cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart disease, diabetes, hemophilia and AIDS.

CAR T-cell

• CAR T-cell therapy is a type of treatment that involves modifying a patient's T cells, which are a type of immune system cell, in a laboratory so that they can recognize and attack cancer cells. 
• First, T cells are extracted from the patient's blood. Then, a special receptor that binds to a specific protein on the patient's cancer cells, called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), is added to the T cells in the laboratory. 
• The CAR T cells are then grown in large quantities in the laboratory and infused back into the patient's body. CAR T-cell therapy is mainly used to treat some types of blood cancers, but it is also being studied for other types of cancer treatment. It is also known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.