Adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) is a new era for cancer treatment, involving infusion of autologous lymphocytes. Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) on the surface of T cells are emerging as a novel therapeutic that is giving other direction to T-cell specificity and precision medicine. T cells are engineered modification to recognize specific target antigen and are co-stimulated with intracellular signal to increase the T cell response. CAR-T cells have impressive involvement in outcome on hematological malignancies; however severe toxicities as cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity are a challenge to face. Solid tumors have heterogeneous antigens and tumor microenvironment that hinder CAR-T cell efficacy and increase the risk of on-target/off-tumor. Novel strategies to increase CAR-Ts specificity, safety and efficacy are ongoing in clinical trials to improve clinical outcomes in hematological and solid malignances.
Keywords: Adaptive immune system; Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR); Hematological malignancies; Solid tumors; Target antigen.