Medical Crowdfunding to Access CAR T-Cell Therapy in India

Cancer remains one of the most formidable enemies of our society. Even after great strides in medical science, the World Health Organization stats reveal that India had 1.16 million new cancer cases in 2018 with 784,800 fatalities. In other words, 1 in every 10 Indians develops cancer in a year, and 1 in every 15 Indians passes away. Most of the time, the latter happens because the patient cannot cope with the physical stress that the existing cure methods put them through.

However, the medical fraternity has some good news for us. The CAR T-cell therapy is a new treatment that has a 30–40 percent success rate with lasting remission — thanks to researchers across the globe. It also has no severe or lasting side effects. As impressive as it sounds, though, it is costly and not available in India.

Although, we believe you can join hands with us to fix this problem. Who better than us understands the power of crowdfunding? We, at ketto.org, help people raise funds for causes ranging from medical aid and social change to making a movie or even supporting your favorite local sports team. From 2012 to 2020, we have helped raise ₹1,100 crores from around 2 lakh campaigns, backed by more than 55 lakh donors who believed in their chosen causes.

Before you donate to causes supporting the advancement of CAR T-cell therapy, let us help you understand how CAR T-cell therapy works and how your donations can change the face of cancer treatment in India.

How the Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy works

• Our immune response to cancerous cells

Our body has an immune system that works tirelessly to detect and eliminate anything which might cause harm to it. Our body has a specific type of white blood cells, T-cells, dedicated to eliminating cancer-causing cells.

All cells have specific types of protein particles called antigens on their surface. T-cells have receptors, also made of proteins, on their surfaces designed to latch on exclusively to these characteristic, tumor-specific antigens. It works most of the time, but when it does not, there is trouble. Some cancerous cells are smart enough to modify their antigens so that the T-cell receptors cannot identify them. This results in the person developing cancer.

• How CAR T-cell therapy solves the problem

Just like every dish has a recipe, every protein has a recipe too. The gene sequences in a cell’s DNA contain this recipe. So, if you modify a cell’s DNA to have new gene sequences, it can make new proteins for itself. CAR T-cell therapy precisely does this.

In this therapy, the doctor takes a sample of your T-cells. In the laboratory, they add new sequences into the DNA. These sequences can code for new receptors on the T-cells since receptors are also essentially proteins. These new receptors are more efficient in breaking through the bluff that cancerous antigens create. Thus, they enhance the body’s immunity against cancer.

What side effects can this therapy cause?

This therapy has some side effects, which range from mild to severe:

• Many patients experience symptoms typical of a severe case of flu.
• Some patients also report nausea, dizziness, and loss of physical balance.
• In some severe cases, patients can experience confusion, seizures, and even stroke-like symptoms.

Hence, the doctor may prescribe regular visits to them or even hospital admission. However, the good news is that for most patients, these symptoms are temporary. They can be managed by medication or other procedures. Moreover, researchers are making active progress in reducing these symptoms.

What happens once the sickness is gone?

The modified T-cells newly introduced into the body keep multiplying on their own. They keep fighting cancerous cells, even long after the cancer is gone and the patient starts recovering. Thus, the patient’s remission from the disease is likely to last.

Which types of cancer can this therapy cure?

At present, CAR T-cell therapy is effective against only certain types of blood cancer. Again, it depends on if and how one’s body responds to it. However, it is an active area of research, and it is being studied for its possible application to treat other types of cancer.

Why is CAR T-cell therapy so expensive?

Since it is a new form of cancer treatment, the drugs required for it are not available in the mainstream market. Pharmaceutical companies have to manufacture it, especially for the purpose. Therefore, the cost of making these drugs falls mainly on the people who opt for this treatment. This therapy costs roughly around 3–4 crore INR.

Why is CAR T-cell therapy not available in India?

As we have mentioned, this therapy is a new, experimental mode of treatment for cancer. For it to become mainstream, doctors must believe in it. The patients and their families must be ready to experiment with an entirely unorthodox treatment form. Only then can we create a demand for it in the market, and only then will the pharmaceutical companies be ready to put in the capital to manufacture the drugs for it on a mass scale, which will bring down the cost.

How can you help?

When you donate to any campaign on CAR T-cell therapy, not only do you help monetarily, but you also make the campaign popular. That way, more and more people learn about this effective therapy. A butterfly effect happens — someone gets monetary help with your money, and on the other hand, another person also learns about it and teaches someone else. With more people believing in and supporting a cause, the markets shall be more than willing to make it available to them.

Are you a family member of a patient who needs urgent medical aid? Or are you a donor who believes in causing a change in society with your money? We at ketto.org are on a mission to help people unite for the causes they believe in. Join our community at Ketto — we will be happy to have you!