Cutting-edge cancer treatment helping Manitobans

A new, cutting-edge type of cancer treatment is now available to patients in Manitoba.

The first clinical trials for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy was approved by Health Canada in 2019. Ever since, clinical hematologist Dr. David Szwajcer has been working to get CAR t-cell therapy treatments to Manitobans.

"It's very satisfying to me, as a clinical lead at CancerCare Manitoba and Shared Health, to be able to provide this therapy to people in Manitoba," said Dr. David Szwajcer, medical director of CancerCare Manitoba's cell therapy laboratory.

Unlike many other types of cancer treatments, often using artificially created molecules or pieces of proteins to fight the disease, CAR T-cell therapy is a novel way of boosting the body's natural defences against certain types of cancer.

The treatment makes use of a patient's existing T cells, a type of naturally occurring white blood cell.

In simple terms, the therapy acts as a military training camp for a patient's T cells.

Blood is taken out of the body, the T cells are "trained" to target and battle cancer, and then the blood is returned to the patient's body, providing them with increased immunity.

CAR T cell therapy is primarily used to help patients battle leukemia and lymphomas, types of cancer previously difficult to treat.

Dr. Szwajcer says the treatment isn't one hundred per cent effective but it will save lives.

"We were able to cure a significantly larger number of people than we would have been able to do five or even 10 years ago, before we had this treatment available," said Szwajcer.

Further advancements are already being developed right here in Manitoba.

Yale Michaels is leading a research team of scientists, students and technicians working on the next generation of cell therapy treatments.

"Being able to have connections with the team leading the treatment of patients is really letting us envision how we'll move that research into the clinic," said Michaels.

Globally, there aren't many research sites capable of studying T cell therapies. Only a handful exist Canada-wide.

Michaels expects T cell therapy technology will follow a path similar to the personal computer: Forty years ago few Canadians had a computer at home, whereas today, most people have a technological device capable of greater computing power in their pocket.

"It's the same thing for CAR T therapies," said Michaels. "Right now there are a limited amount of people that are able to access them, partly because they're quite expensive."

"We're interested in finding ways to make them more affordable, and so more accessible to a wider group of people."