CAR T-Cell Therapy

When your child has cancer or a blood disease that comes back after treatment, you may fear the worst. At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, your child has access to advanced options, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. This treatment helps more patients with advanced cancer to achieve remissions, allowing these children to reclaim their well-being.

CHLA is one of the first and largest pediatric CAR T-cell therapy programs in the country. We helped pioneer this treatment and continue expanding its possibilities through clinical trials. Our experts consistently deliver safe therapy, helping us maintain excellent cure rates for difficult-to-treat pediatric conditions.

CAR T-cell Therapy: Why Choose Us

CHLA’s nationally recognized cellular therapy experts helped develop CAR T-cell therapy through early clinical trials before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the therapy. Today, it’s available only in select programs nationwide.

As early adopters, we offer a level of expertise that few centers can match. These are some of the reasons that children and families with the most complicated and difficult-to-treat cancers turn to us. Meet our team.

Our program, part of CHLA’s renowned Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, offers:

Recognition of excellence: CHLA has been recognized by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy since 2002. Accreditation shows that we hold ourselves to the highest CAR T-cell therapy safety and care standards.
Coordination: We excel in treating the complex cancers and blood diseases for which CAR T-cell therapy is an option. Our capabilities mean that your child receives CAR T-cell therapy at the appropriate point in the care journey. In the future, in some cases, CAR T-cell therapy may be the first treatment a child receives.
Exceptional inpatient care experience: Some children receiving CAR T-cell therapy stay in the hospital after treatment in our transplant unit. Children receive care from an award-winning nursing team that specializes in the unique needs of cellular therapy patients. And we offer services, such as art therapy and music therapy, to relieve stress and pass the time.
Ongoing care: Our team develops lasting relationships with children and their families through years of follow-up care. These visits are frequent at first, helping us detect the early signs of complications. If you do not live in the L.A. area, you may be able to receive follow-up care through virtual visits after the initial close monitoring period. CHLA specialists coordinate in-person care with your local oncologist.

What Is Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy?

T-cells are a type of white blood cell that supports the body’s natural ability to fight disease (immune system). In CAR T-cell therapy, we modify a sample of your child’s T-cells in a lab. During treatment, we return the cells to your child’s bloodstream. The modified T-cells identify specific proteins on the surface of diseased cells and attack them.

CAR T-cell therapy is one of many sophisticated options available through our renowned Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Center.

Conditions We Treat Using CAR T-cell Therapy

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL)
Neuroblastoma