Dr. Abid on Challenges With CAR T-Cell Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Muhammad Bilal Abid, MD, MRCP, assistant professor of medicine in the Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Infectious Diseases at the Medical College of Wisconsin, discusses challenges with CAR-T cell therapy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

COVID-19 has caused many disruptions in the administration of CAR T-cell therapy​, says Abid. As such, several considerations need to be taken into account.

To mitigate the risk of severe cytokine release syndrome, ​CAR T-cell therapy should be brought to a temporary halt​, Abid explains. Doing so will prevent dysfunctional T cells and an elevation of inflammatory cytokines.

After stopping CAR T-cell therapy, it is critical to closely monitor patients, Abid concludes.