CAR T Academy

Learn about the immune system and the role it plays in hematologic malignancies, review an overview of CAR T cell therapy and the mechanism in which it may be used to treat hematologic malignancies, and review several target antigens that are being leveraged for CAR T cell therapy.

Learn about the patient cell therapy journey focusing on patient identification, apheresis, bridging therapy, lymphodepleting therapy, CAR T cell infusion and post infusion monitoring and long term follow up.

Learn about the patient journey through the CAR T cell therapy process and key considerations for each candidate, including patient evaluation; select considerations around CAR T cell infusion; factors that may be associated with poor outcomes and toxicities; and how bridging therapy and prior treatments might affect CAR T therapy.

Learn about leukapheresis and cell transport and the importance of apheresis and its different types, processes, and potential adverse events. Includes clinical assessments prior to leukapheresis, patient education pre- and post-collection, technical considerations, and information on scheduling and shipping.

Learn about the role of bridging therapy, its coordination and delivery, and various bridging therapy options; the purpose of lymphodepleting (LD) chemotherapy and its impact on the immune system; the LD regimens used in CAR T cell trials; the potential for toxicity; and how LD chemotherapy is delivered.

Learn about shipment from manufacturing facility to treatment site, product storage, preparing the patient for treatment, pretreatment considerations, product preparation for infusion, line setup and infusion, sites and infusion, risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for infusion, and team coordination.

Learn about serious and life-threatening adverse reactions that can follow CAR T cell therapy: the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and signs and symptoms of CRS and NT; CRS and NT recognition and management; macrophage activation syndrome; ASTCT consensus grading and management for CRS and NT; and ICE scoring for NT.

ASTCT, American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy; CRS, cytokine release syndrome; ICE, immune effector cell–associated encephalopathy; NT, neurologic toxicity.

Learn about the need for long-term follow-up, transfer back to the referring provider, the physiologic effects of post-CAR T cell therapy, cytopenias, infections, hypogammaglobulinemia, secondary malignancies, late neurologic toxicities, fatigue, infertility, restaging scans, managing relapse, psychosocial effects of CAR T cell therapy and strategies for its management, logistical considerations for CAR T cell therapy, and patient registry and data capture.

Learn about the institutional infrastructure of CAR T cell programs; determining program oversight; programs within and separate from a blood and marrow transplant program; program establishment, operations, and roles; and logistical considerations.

Learn about outpatient monitoring for CAR T cell therapy: administration considerations, post-infusion monitoring, and caregiver involvement.

In this high-level overview of CAR T cell therapy for practitioners at non-CAR T cell treatment centers, learn about the mechanism of action, process, and manufacturing methods; the patient journey; and potential areas of collaboration between CAR T cell treatment centers and non-treatment centers. The module addresses considerations for treatment, patient identification, leukapheresis, bridging therapy, considerations of care settings, adverse effects, and long-term monitoring.

Review a patient history with management questions. Learn about eligibility criteria for CAR T cell therapy; pre-infusion management; delivery of LD chemotherapy; CAR T cell infusion; and post-infusion management, including inpatient vs outpatient monitoring. Track acute toxicities and learn about CRS recognition, ASTCT consensus grading and management of CRS and NT, ICE scoring for NT, post-infusion toxicities, and hypogammaglobulinemia.

This is a high-level overview of CAR T cell therapy for specialists managing patients with Autoimmune Diseases. Learn about the mechanism of action, process, and manufacturing methods; the patient journey and necessary areas of collaboration between CAR T cell treatment centers and other specialists (such as Rheumatologists, Nephrologists, and Neurologists). The module addresses considerations for patient identification, leukapheresis, bridging therapy, care settings, adverse effects, and long-term monitoring.