Cell therapies can boost your child’s own immune system to help it recognize and kill cancer cells. OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is a leader in offering cell therapies for treatment of children and young adults.

Our team includes doctors, advanced practice providers, nurses, dietitians, social workers and other specialists working together to care for your child and family.

• We’ve done thousands of cell therapy procedures.
• Doernbecher is nationally ranked as one of the top children’s hospitals for cancer care.
• We offer the most advanced cell therapies available. Our team was one of the first in the U.S. to offer chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapies, a breakthrough treatment for a type of leukemia.
• We are committed to the highest quality of care. We are accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.
• Our doctors and scientists are part of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, which is doing innovative work in the field of immunotherapy for cancer.

Understanding cell therapies

There are many types of cell therapies. One we offer for children is CAR T-cell therapy. This treatment harnesses the immune system to kill cancer cells. Gene therapy can replace a missing or defective gene in the blood or immune system.

These specialized treatments are available only at top medical centers with the expertise to do them. We are the only pediatric center in Oregon offering cell therapies.

How CAR T-cell therapy works

Your child’s T cells — a type of white blood cell — are collected from their body and genetically modified to:

• Recognize a specific type of cancer cell to destroy it, or
• Carry a new gene to replace a missing or defective gene.

The T cells are then put back into your child’s bloodstream through an IV.

What to expect

At your child’s first appointment, we’ll talk with you about whether CAR T-cell therapy might be the best option for your child. The process includes:

• T cell collection (leukapheresis) through an IV. This takes three to six hours.
• Modifying the cells at a lab. This takes three to four weeks.
• Chemotherapy to prepare your child’s body to accept the cells back. This takes about four days.
• Return of the modified T cells. This IV infusion takes 30 minutes.
• Monitoring closely for side effects. Your child will need to stay near Doernbecher for at least four weeks so we can monitor and treat any side effects quickly.