Advances in Universal CAR-T Cell Therapy

Front Immunol. 2021 Oct 6:12:744823. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.744823. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy achieved extraordinary achievements results in antitumor treatments, especially against hematological malignancies, where it leads to remarkable, long-term antineoplastic effects with higher target specificity. Nevertheless, some limitations persist in autologous CAR-T cell therapy, such as high costs, long manufacturing periods, and restricted cell sources. The development of a universal CAR-T (UCAR-T) cell therapy is an attractive breakthrough point that may overcome most of these drawbacks. Here, we review the progress and challenges in CAR-T cell therapy, especially focusing on comprehensive comparison in UCAR-T cell therapy to original CAR-T cell therapy. Furthermore, we summarize the developments and concerns about the safety and efficiency of UCAR-T cell therapy. Finally, we address other immune cells, which might be promising candidates as a complement for UCAR-T cells. Through a detailed overview, we describe the current landscape and explore the prospect of UCAR-T cell therapy.

Keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; cellular immunotherapy; chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy; gene editing; universal chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods*
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / trends*
  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Receptors, Chimeric Antigen