Cellular immunotherapies use your body’s immune cells to fight diseases. The way they work is complex, but they have the potential to treat many conditions, such as cancer and autoimmune conditions. Cellular immunotherapies are also called cellular therapies or cell therapies. Types of cellular therapy include:
- CAR T-cell therapy
- Tumour infiltrating lymphocyte therapy
- Gene therapy
- Bone marrow transplants
- Autologous stem cell transplants.
UCLH is the UK’s largest specialist centre for treating people with cellular therapy. We offer expert medical and nursing care and provide access to a range of clinical trials. We are at the forefront of pioneering new treatments. We use approved treatments and clinical trials to provide the best possible care. We are committed to supporting and guiding you through every step of your treatment.
When using cellular therapies, we usually collect your immune cells from your blood. For some types of cancer, we collect the cells when we remove your cancer during surgery. Once collected, we grow and/or modify the immune cells to recognise and attack either cancer cells or the cells responsible for your autoimmune condition. Before reinfusing the modified cells, we give you chemotherapy to prepare your body. After chemotherapy, we infuse the immune cells back into your body, where they work to fight the cancer or the cells which cause your autoimmune condition. We are also researching how healthy donor cells can be used in clinical trials.
The Adult Cell Therapy Unit works with the Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Unit at UCLH. The TYA Unit provides specialised services for people aged 13 to 19 years. Through this partnership, young people get tailored care and access to the newest and most advanced cellular therapy treatments.
These web pages offer an overview of the expert care you can expect at UCLH. We will introduce you to the healthcare professionals involved in your care.
While the UCLH team manages your care, some of your care and tests may be at your referring or local hospital. We work closely with your local healthcare team to make sure you have your tests and treatments as soon as possible.
- Blood cancers (including lymphoma, leukaemia and myeloma)
- Solid tumours (including sarcoma, ovarian cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer and some types of liver cancer)
- Autoimmune conditions (including lupus, myositis and multiple sclerosis)
A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) will provide you personalised care and support throughout your treatment.
If you have cancer, the Macmillan Support and Information Service offers valuable support and advice to you and your friends, family and carers. They also have a support group for people who have had CAR T-cell therapy and another for people who have blood cancer. They are located on the ground floor of the UCH Macmillan Cancer Centre.
If you have an autoimmune condition, we have rheumatology and neurology specialists who can support you.
By providing this personalised, comprehensive care we can make sure we can meet your unique needs.
In the first few weeks following cellular therapy, the UCLH team will closely monitor you. You will have a combination of telephone appointments and assessments at the clinic. While you need to have some of your blood tests and assessments at UCLH, you can have many at your local hospital. Over time, we aim to reduce the number of assessments and tests you have.
We will give you the contact details for your CNS and trials team. We will also give you an emergency out-of-hours telephone hotline for any urgent concerns.
A CNS-will keep in contact with you for up to 15 years after your treatment. This ongoing support makes sure that you continue to get care, monitoring and advice when you need it.
Patient contact
Address
Clinic location:
University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
Outpatient clinic
Ground Floor
Huntley Street
London, WC1E 6AG
Inpatient care:
Grafton Way Building
Inpatient wards: GWB L02 East, L02 North, L03 East, L03 North, L04 East
1 Grafton Way
London
WC1E 6AS
University College Hospital
Inpatient ward: T16
235 Euston Road
NW1 2BU
Other referral information
For standard of care cellular therapy products, please contact:
Cellular therapy administration team
Department of Haematology, UCLH
3rd Floor West
250 Euston Road
London, NW1 2PG
Tel: 020 3447 7386
Email: uclh.cartadmin@nhs.net
For cellular therapy clinical trials, please contact:
Cancer Clinical Trials Unit
1st Floor East
250 Euston Road
London, NW1 2PG
Tel: 07974 088606
Email: uclh.car-ttrials@nhs.net
