"CAR-T cell therapy requires extracting a patient's immune cells for genetic modification outside the body before reinfusing them," noted Li Zonghai, founder of CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings. "The production process for this type of 'living drug' cannot be standardized on a large scale like that of traditional drugs, leading to a single treatment cost exceeding one million yuan."
However, the in vivo CAR-T approach does not require cell extraction, but instead involves injecting a vector, such as a virus or lipid nanoparticle, carrying the CAR gene directly into the patient, according to the experts. This process "re-engineers" the T cells within the patient's body, enabling them to recognize and attack cancer cells, they noted.
