Chennai Hospital Uses Indigenous Cell Therapy to Treat Rare Brain Cancer

A 49-year-old patient with a rare and life-threatening form of brain lymphoma has been successfully treated using an indigenous cell therapy at Gleneagles Hospital in Chennai. The patient, identified as Karnan Madhusudhanan, was admitted with persistent headache, giddiness, difficulty walking, and weakness in his left arm. He was diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma, a type of brain cancer that had not responded to chemotherapy and other first-line treatments.

Doctors at the hospital proposed treatment with NexCAR19 (talicabtagene autoleucel), an indigenously developed CAR-T cell therapy. The procedure involved collecting the patient’s immune cells through a process called leukapheresis, modifying them to recognise and attack cancer cells, and then infusing them back into the body. This approach is part of a growing field of immunotherapy that harnesses the patient's own immune system to fight cancer.

Following the infusion, the patient developed several serious complications associated with CAR-T cell therapy, including cytokine release syndrome and neurological issues. A multidisciplinary team of specialists in medical oncology, haematology, infectious diseases, intensive care, and nursing provided round-the-clock care to manage these side effects. The patient, who is from Andhra Pradesh, has since recovered fully and is expected to return to a normal life, according to Dr. V. Arun Ramanan, Clinical Lead and Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at the hospital.

The successful outcome highlights the potential of indigenous medical innovations in treating complex diseases. The hospital officials, including Chief Operating Officer S. Niranjani and CEO R.Y. Bharath Kanth Reddy, emphasised the importance of such therapies in expanding treatment options for patients with limited alternatives.