Which cutting-edge cancer treatment, jointly developed by IIT-Bombay and Tata Memorial Centre, received DCGI clearance for Phase-1 trials in December 2024?

Correct option is B

Correct Answer: (b) CAR-T cell therapy

Explanation:

• The cutting-edge cancer treatment developed jointly by IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Centre that received regulatory clearance in December 2024 is CAR-T cell therapy.
• This therapy involves genetically engineering a patient’s own T-cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that specifically target cancer cells — giving the immune system a powerful tool to attack malignant cells.

Information Booster:

• The genetically engineered CAR-T therapy developed in India is named NexCAR19.
• NexCAR19 is directed against CD19, a protein commonly found on the surface of B-cell malignancies such as B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) and B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL).
• The therapy is hailed as India’s first home-grown CAR-T therapy and aims to be more accessible and affordable compared with international equivalents.