Chimeric antigen receptor-T cells have spearheaded the field of adoptive cell therapy and have shown remarkable results in treating hematological neoplasia. Because of the different biology of solid tumors compared to hematological tumors, response rates of CAR-T cells could not be transferred to solid entities yet. CAR engineering has added co-stimulatory domains, transgenic cytokines and switch receptors to improve performance and persistence in a hostile tumor microenvironment, but because of the inherent cell type limitations of CAR-T cells, including HLA incompatibility, toxicities (cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity) and high costs due to the logistically challenging preparation process for autologous cells, the use of alternative immune cells is gaining traction. NK cells and γδ T cells that do not need HLA compatibility or macrophages and dendritic cells with additional properties such as phagocytosis or antigen presentation are increasingly seen as cellular vehicles with potential for application. As these cells possess distinct properties, clinicians and researchers need a thorough understanding of their peculiarities and commonalities. This review will compare these different cell types and their specific modes of action seen upon CAR activation.
Institute(s)Unit for Clinical Pharmacology (KKG-EKLiP)
GrantsMonika Kutzner Foundation Ernst Jung Stiftung Wilhelm-Sander-Stiftung German Cancer Aid (AvantCAR.de) Else Kroner-Fresenius-Stiftung (IOLIN) Horizon 2020 program of the European Union Melanoma Research Alliance Elite Network of Bavaria Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Institutional Strategy LMUexcellent of LMU Munich (within the framework of the German Excellence Initiative) Bavarian Ministry for Economical Affairs Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung Bruno and Helene Joster Foundation Bavarian Research Foundation Hector Foundation Deutsche JoseCarreras Leukamie Stiftung Fritz-Bender Foundation SFB-TRR European Research Council Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF)