OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR CAR T-CELL THERAPY IN CANCER

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel therapeutic T-cell engineering option, where T-cells obtained from a patient’s blood are engineered ex vivo to express specific tumour antigen receptors. The highly selective nature of CAR T-cell therapy has led to a revolution in cancer treatment. The use of CAR T-cell therapy has been successful in treating haematological malignancies and there is also a growing interest in using CAR T-cell therapy to target solid tumours. However, there are notable challenges with CAR T-cell therapy, including non-sustained responses, antigen escape, and life-threatening adverse effects. Studies are underway to improve the safety of CAR T-cell therapy by limiting their expression, producing switchable CAR T-cells, and producing genetically engineered T-cells that are equipped with genes to reduce adverse effects.