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Antibodies Proteins made by your immune system to fight infections.
AUTOGRAPH The name given to the clinical trials for Novartis’s investigational CAR-T therapy.
Autoimmune diseases A group of diseases in which a person’s immune system attacks their own body.
B cell A type of white blood cell that helps protect your body by making antibodies. In some diseases, B cells can become overactive or damaged, which is why treatments like CAR-T cell therapy may target them.
CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) A special protein added to your T cells in the lab so they can recognize and attach to certain cells in your body. This change helps your T cells to find and destroy the diseased cells once they are infused back into you.
CAR-T cell Your own immune cells (T cells) that have been modified in a lab to recognize and target harmful B cells.
Cytokines Natural chemical messengers made by immune cells that help them communicate.
Effectiveness/efficacy How well a therapy, treatment, or medicine works.
Infusion When medicine or CAR-T cells are given slowly into a vein through an intravenous (IV) or central line.
Leukapheresis A procedure where some of your white blood cells (T cells) are collected from your blood using a special machine. The rest of your blood is returned to your body. These cells are later genetically modified in the lab to make CAR-T cells.
Lymphodepletion A short course of medicine given before your investigational CAR-T therapy infusion to make space in your immune system and help the new investigational CAR-T cells work better.
Molecule A biological building block that has a specific function in the body.
Monitoring Regular checks, examinations, and visits done by the trial team to follow your health and safety during and after treatment.
Pathogen An organism, e.g., bacteria, virus, or fungus, that can cause an infection.
Phase 2 (clinical trial phase) The stage of a clinical trial where a treatment is given to a larger group of people (often 50–200) to investigate how well it works and to learn more about its safety.
Refractory Describes a disease which is not responding well to treatment.
Safety Whether a therapy, treatment, or medicine has side effects/adverse events, what the side effects are, and how serious they are.
Severe Describes a disease that is very bad or intense, and which has a major impact on daily life.
Side effect (adverse event) An unwanted or unexpected reaction to a medicine or treatment, such as fever, nausea, or tiredness. Some are mild and temporary, while others may need medical care.
Trial team The group of doctors, nurses, coordinators, pharmacists, and other professionals who manage the trial and patient care.
T cell A type of white blood cell that helps your body fight infections and diseases. In investigational CAR-T therapy, your own T cells are collected and changed in a lab so they can better recognize and attack harmful cells.
Tissue A group of cells that combine together to form a bigger structure e.g., an organ, muscle, or tendon.

Novartis Clinical Trials

For more information about Novartis clinical trials for patients and caregivers, please visit our Novartis website

References

Rangel-Peláez C, et al. Front Immunol. 2024;15:1502712.
Merino-Vico A, et al. Eur J Immunol. 2023;53:e2149675.
Merino-Vico A, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2021;23:387.

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Novartis Clinical Trials

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