Chimeric Antigen Receptors: The Future of Cancer Immunotherapy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15173/m.v1i26.948Abstract
Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are currently the most widely
used cancer treatment modalities. Although these therapies have successfully
been used to treat various cancers, they are accompanied by significant
limitations. Cancer immunotherapy, an emerging field of study named the
breakthrough of the year in 2013 is offering hope for an era of new anticancer
modalities.1 In addition to serving as a safeguard against infectious
disease, the immune system also prevents and delays tumour development..
Scientists have developed various immunotherapeutic treatments, each
targeting different aspects of the immune system. One therapy involves
genetically engineering T lymphocytes with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs)
that enhance the ability of T-cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. CART-
cell therapy has been highly effective in several clinical trials, eliminating
detectable tumour mass in several patients with B-cell malignancies and
solid tumours.2 This article will provide background into the field of cancer
immunotherapy, the structure and function of CARs, and recent developments
in CAR-T-cell therapy.
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