Brain Fog After Cancer Cure? Here's the Truth
CAR-T cell therapy, a powerful type of cancer immunotherapy, has transformed treatment outcomes for patients with aggressive cancers. However, new research from Stanford University suggests it may also cause mild cognitive side effects, often described as “brain fog”—including forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
What Is CAR-T Cell Therapy?
CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell) therapy involves taking a patient’s own T cells—immune cells that help fight infections—modifying them in a lab to better recognise and attack cancer cells, and then returning them to the patient’s bloodstream. This targeted approach has shown remarkable success in treating certain types of cancer, including blood cancers.
Cognitive Side Effects: Not Just from Chemotherapy
While chemotherapy has long been known to cause cognitive issues, this new study reveals that CAR-T therapy can lead to similar problems, even when the cancer is not located in the brain and without the use of chemotherapy. Patients may experience memory lapses, difficulty focusing, or a general sense of mental fatigue.
What Did the Study Find?
The research, published in the journal Cell, involved mouse models with different types of cancer, some in the brain, some that spread to the brain, and others located completely outside the brain. The mice underwent cognitive tests before and after receiving CAR-T treatment.
Key findings include:
- Mice developed mild cognitive impairment after CAR-T therapy, regardless of whether the cancer was in the brain.
- The only exception was mice with bone cancer that triggered minimal immune system activation beyond the intended cancer-fighting response.
- These effects were not caused by cancer itself, but by the immune response triggered by CAR-T cells.
The Role of Brain Immune Cells
The researchers also explored potential treatments to reduce or reverse these cognitive effects. Medications that reduce brain inflammation or support brain health may help patients recover more fully from the mental fog associated with CAR-T therapy.
A Common Mechanism with Other Conditions
The researchers also explored potential treatments to reduce or reverse these cognitive effects. Medications that reduce brain inflammation or support brain health may help patients recover more fully from the mental fog associated with CAR-T therapy.
Hope for Managing the Side Effects
The researchers also explored potential treatments to reduce or reverse these cognitive effects. Medications that reduce brain inflammation or support brain health may help patients recover more fully from the mental fog associated with CAR-T therapy.
Conclusion
“CAR-T therapy is giving many patients a second chance at life,” said Dr. Michelle Monje, a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Stanford Medicine and lead author of the study. “But we also need to understand and manage its long-term side effects, including this newly identified form of cognitive impairment.”
Further research is ongoing to develop therapies that protect or restore brain function in cancer survivors undergoing CAR-T treatment, ensuring a better quality of life after recovery.
Source: Inputs from various media Sources
Priya Bairagi
Reviewed by Dr Aarti Nehra (MBBS, MMST)
I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.
