What You Need To Know
The cellular therapy experts from Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) — part of the National Cancer Institute-designated Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center — are now offering CAR T-cell therapy at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Patients with hematologic malignancies have access to this innovative treatment option closer to home.
World-Class CAR T Expertise
JTCC’s CAR T program is the largest in New Jersey and among the leading programs of only 100-150 in the U.S., performing more than 100 CAR T procedures per year. For almost a decade, JTCC’s cancer experts have participated in many of the clinical trials that led to the FDA approval of currently available CAR T therapies. The expansion of the program to Jersey Shore University Medical Center brings this world-class expertise to south and central New Jersey residents.
How CAR T-Cell Therapy Works
CAR T involves removing T-cells from the patient’s blood through apheresis. The cells are genetically modified in the lab to recognize and attach to specific targets on cancer cells and multiplied to larger quantities. The modified T-cells are then returned to the patient, where they can find, bind to and destroy cancer cells.
Benefits of CAR T at Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- A second- or later treatment option for patients with recurrent or refractory cancers
- More durable results and longer-lasting remission for some patients
- A “one-and-done” treatment that delivers curative or progression-free survival benefits
- Convenient access to advanced care for patients, eliminating the need to travel far from home
How to Refer a Patient
To refer a patient or to learn more, contact JTCC Patient Intake at 551-996-1234.
Meet our Physicians
Michele L. Donato, M.D., FACP, CPE, MBA
Dr. Michele Donato is chief of the Adult Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Program at John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore Medical Center. — one of the region’s largest stem cell transplant and cellular therapy programs. Board certified in medical oncology, Dr. Donato’s current research focuses on the use of stem cell transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma and preventing recurrence in patients with leukemia and lymphoma.
Sukhdeep Kaur, M.D.
Dr. Sukhdeep Kaur is a hematologist-oncologist at John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore Medical Center. She specializes in stem cell transplantation—including allogeneic transplants (from a donor) and autologous ("self") transplants—for blood cancers and blood diseases. She also oversees the use of cellular therapies in patients, including CAR T-cell therapy—an innovative treatment which trains a patient's white blood cells (called T cells) to find and destroy cancer cells. John Theurer Cancer Center was the first center in New Jersey to establish a CAR T-cell therapy program.