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Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells

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Developments in T Cell Based Cancer Immunotherapies

Part of the book series: Cancer Drug Discovery and Development ((CDD&D))

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Abstract

Recent advances in cellular engineering techniques coupled with modern chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) now permit the efficient targeting and killing of malignant cells using patients’ own T cells. Freedom from MHC restriction by relying most commonly on single chain variable fragments of monoclonal antibodies for antigen recognition rather than T cell receptors expands the list of potential targets. Unlike small molecule inhibitors, the targets of CAR T cells are not required to play a critical function in the tumor cell. CAR targets must be extracellular and ideally should have limited expression on normal, vital tissues. By incorporating primary and co-stimulatory domains, CAR T cells possess a substantial proliferative capacity allowing for small cell doses, which reduces the manufacturing burden. This therapeutic approach allows a potent yet customized in vivo response. The potential of CAR T cells to contribute to the overall treatment of cancer is exemplified by the impressive clinical responses with predominantly reversible toxicities seen in early phase clinical trials targeting the B-cell antigen, CD19, in B-lineage hematologic malignancies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Building 10 – Hatfield CRC, Room 1-3750, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1104, USA

    Daniel W. Lee

  2. Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Alan S. Wayne

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  1. Daniel W. Lee
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  2. Alan S. Wayne
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Correspondence to Daniel W. Lee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Melanoma & Cancer Immunotherapy, National Tumor Institute Fondazione G., Naples, Italy

    Paolo A. Ascierto

  2. Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    David F. Stroncek

  3. Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, BETHESDA, Maryland, USA

    Ena Wang

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Lee, D.W., Wayne, A.S. (2015). Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells. In: Ascierto, P., Stroncek, D., Wang, E. (eds) Developments in T Cell Based Cancer Immunotherapies. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21167-1_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21167-1_12

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21166-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21167-1

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