CAR T cell-based immunotherapy and radiation therapy: potential, promises and risks

Lusine Hovhannisyan; Carsten Riether; Daniel M Aebersold; Michaela Medová; Yitzhak Zimmer

doi:10.1186/s12943-023-01775-1

CAR T cell-based immunotherapy and radiation therapy: potential, promises and risks

Mol Cancer. 2023 May 12;22(1):82. doi: 10.1186/s12943-023-01775-1.

Authors

Lusine Hovhannisyan^{1

2

3}, Carsten Riether⁴, Daniel M Aebersold^{1

2}, Michaela Medová^{1

2}, Yitzhak Zimmer^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Freiburgstrasse 8, Bern, 3008, Switzerland.
² Department for Biomedical Research, Radiation Oncology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, Bern, 3008, Switzerland.
³ Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, 3010, Switzerland.
⁵ Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Freiburgstrasse 8, Bern, 3008, Switzerland. yitzhak.zimmer@insel.ch.
⁶ Department for Biomedical Research, Radiation Oncology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, Bern, 3008, Switzerland. yitzhak.zimmer@insel.ch.

Abstract

CAR T cell-based therapies have revolutionized the treatment of hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma within the last years. In contrast to the success in hematological cancers, the treatment of solid tumors with CAR T cells is still a major challenge in the field and attempts to overcome these hurdles have not been successful yet. Radiation therapy is used for management of various malignancies for decades and its therapeutic role ranges from local therapy to a priming agent in cancer immunotherapy. Combinations of radiation with immune checkpoint inhibitors have already proven successful in clinical trials. Therefore, a combination of radiation therapy may have the potential to overcome the current limitations of CAR T cell therapy in solid tumor entities. So far, only limited research was conducted in the area of CAR T cells and radiation. In this review we will discuss the potential and risks of such a combination in the treatment of cancer patients.

Keywords: CAR T cell therapy; Immunotherapy; Radiation therapy.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Hematologic Neoplasms* / etiology
Humans
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, Adoptive / adverse effects
Neoplasms* / etiology
Neoplasms* / radiotherapy
Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
T-Lymphocytes

Substances

Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell