Preclinical and clinical studies of CAR-NK-cell therapies for malignancies

Front Immunol. 2022 Oct 24:13:992232. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.992232. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

The development of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, a specific type of immunotherapy, in recent decades was a fantastic breakthrough for the treatment of hematological malignancies. However, difficulties in collecting normal T cells from patients and the time cost of manufacturing CAR-T cells have limited the application of CAR-T-cell therapy. In addition, the termination of related clinical trials on universal CAR-T cell therapy has made further research more difficult. Natural killer (NK) cells have drawn great attention in recent years. Chimeric antigen receptor-NK (CAR-NK) cell therapy is a promising strategy in the treatment of malignant tumors because of its lack of potential for causing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In this review, we will address the advances in and achievements of CAR-NK cell therapy.

Keywords: T cells; chimeric antigen receptor; immunotherapy; malignancies; natural killer cells.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive
  • Killer Cells, Natural
  • Neoplasms*
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen*

Substances

  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen