RAS question
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) in CAR-T therapy is designed to recognize:
Correct answer: (A) Specific antigens on cancer cells.
In CAR-T therapy, the chimeric antigen receptor is designed to recognise specific antigens or proteins on cancer cells.
Explanation
CAR-T therapy works by changing a patient's T cells in the laboratory so that they can attack cancer cells. The National Cancer Institute explains that the gene for a special receptor, called a chimeric antigen receptor or CAR, is added to the T cells so that the receptor binds to a certain protein on the patient's cancer cells. CAR-T therapy therefore targets a specific antigen on cancer cells, not a general infection-causing organism or every cell in the body. CD19 is a common target in B-cell cancers, including NexCAR19, India's first indigenous CAR-T therapy, which targets CD19 and is cited at about Rs 30-40 lakh compared with over USD 400,000 abroad.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Bacteria are not CAR-T targets; CAR-T modifies T cells to bind cancer-cell proteins, not to treat bacterial infections.
- (C) CAR is not meant to recognise all body cells, because the therapy depends on binding a specific cancer-cell antigen or protein.
- (D) Viruses are not the primary CAR-T target; the receptor is engineered for cancer-cell targets, not primarily for viral infections.
Concept
CAR-T therapy belongs to the biotechnology and immunotherapy part of Science and Technology, especially engineered cell-based cancer treatment. It recurs in RAS because Indian examples such as NexCAR19 connect a core biological mechanism with affordable indigenous health technology.