E V O L V E.

CAR-T is a novel, personalised treatment that is currently revolutionising cancer treatment.  Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy uses the body's own T-cells to recognise and kill cancerous cells. The individual's autologous T-cells are taken from a patient's blood sample (via an apheresis machine) and are genetically modified in vitro so that heterodimeric proteins known as chimeric antigen receptors are expressed on the surface of the T-cell, forming CAR T-cells. Once these cells are cultured to millions in number, they are infused back into the patient - the new receptor will be able to directly bind to a specific tumour cell receptor (i.e. tumour markers, which differ massively from normal body cell receptors) to facilitate their death. To insert the gene that codes for the CAR protein, virus' with modified plasmids tend to be used as a vector. Virus' invade cells, incorporating their own viral DNA into the cell's DNA using enzymes such as i...

I undertook a Mock Supervision with Nick Morrell who is a BHF Professor of Cardiopulmonary Medicine. Thus it was fitting that the topic we were set beforehand to research was heavily intertwined with pulmonary function.