Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) has been named as one of a very small number of centres in the UK to offer a revolutionary new cancer treatment, widely regarded as the most exciting cancer treatment development in decades.<\/p>\n
MFT will be able to offer the ground-breaking treatment to children and adults and is unique in this regard. Within MFT, the treatment will be delivered in Royal Manchester Children\u2019s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary.<\/p>\n
CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy is a personalised medicine used to treat patients with certain types of leukaemia and lymphoma. It is a highly complex new type of immunotherapy which involves collecting and using the patients\u2019 own immune cells to target their cancer in a process which is completed over a number of weeks.<\/p>\n
Sir Michael Deegan CBE, Chief Executive of MFT, said; \u201cThis new personalised therapy will deliver huge benefits to cancer patients and we are very proud to be leading the way nationally at MFT by being able to offer this revolutionary CAR-T treatment for both children and adults at the Royal Manchester Children\u2019s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary. This is a significant advancement in the treatment of cancer, offering new hope to patients when other treatment options have failed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Robert Wynn, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist and Director of Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Programme, at the Royal Manchester Children\u2019s Hospital said: \u201cWe are delighted to continue to provide this ground-breaking treatment to this group of patients, which offers new hope to children and families.<\/p>\n
\u201cGene-modified T-Cell Therapy for leukaemia is a remarkable advance, offering personalised treatment, and joins the many gene therapies we are developing and hope to provide at Royal Manchester Children\u2019s Hospital. Gene therapy is a rapidly developing method of treating rare diseases and we are committed to building upon our strong background of providing these treatment options to our patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Eleni Tholouli, Consultant Haematologist and Director of the Adult Stem Cell Transplant Unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary said: \u201cOur teams are committed to providing comprehensive, safe and patient centred care of the highest quality, so we are thrilled to offer this state-of-the-art treatment to our adult patients in Manchester and beyond. Offering this ground-breaking new therapy is a significant milestone in our fight against cancer. This one-time treatment uses the patient\u2019s own immune cells, allowing us to create a powerful medicine tailored to an individual\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both hospitals can provide the treatment with immediate effect, with Manchester Royal Infirmary being the first centre in the UK to offer this treatment to young adults with leukaemia.<\/p>\n