Hematology

This review addresses the basics of CAR T-cell design and reviews data from published clinical studies in leukemia.

 

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T cells), engineered from individual patients to specifically target tumor-associated antigens, have shown extraordinary promise in the management of B-cell malignancies. Moreover, CAR T cells are being developed for a myriad of other hematologic malignancies. First-generation CAR T cells demonstrated only modest efficacy because of inadequate activation, persistence, and proliferation, but the addition of one (second-generation) or more (third-generation) costimulatory molecules has produced a marked improvement in efficacy. Clinical trials are recruiting patients with leukemia, and CARs are being tested for patients with a large variety of both solid and liquid tumors. It seems likely that CAR T-cell therapy will become an established option in the near future for patients with B-cell malignancies. Significant questions remain about optimal timing for administration, product preparation, and CAR design to optimize response across malignancy types. This review addresses the basics of CAR T-cell design and reviews data from published clinical studies in leukemia. It also contains commentary on the prospects of this promising new therapeutic strategy.

 

Via Krishan Maggon