Encyclopedia of Cancer

2009 Edition
| Editors: Manfred Schwab

Chimeric Antigen Receptor on T Cells

  • Laurence J. N. Cooper
  • Sourindra N. Maiti
Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-47648-1_1092

Synonyms

CAR

Definition

A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) consists of an extracellular antigen-binding exodomain, typically derived from a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) of a monoclonal antibody (mAb), a spacer (such as an antibody Fc region), a transmembrane region, and one or more intracellular signaling endodomains, which can be genetically introduced into hematopoietic cells, such as T cells, to redirect specificity for a desired cell-surface antigen.

Characteristics

Background on Manipulating T-Cell Responses to Cancer

Adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T cells in mouse models can function as potent anti-cancer biological agents leading to elimination of established malignancies. Continued advances in tumor immunology support the premise and promise for  adoptive immunotherapyas a treatment for human malignancies. Yet, infusion of tumor-specific T cells has only been partially successful in clinical oncology trials. Indeed, most of these trials demonstrate the safety and...

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References

  1. 1.
    Eshhar Z, Waks T, Bendavid A et al. (2001) Functional expression of chimeric receptor genes in human T cells. J Immunol Methods 248(1–2):67–76PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Rossig C, Brenner MK (2003) Chimeric T-cell receptors for the targeting of cancer cells. Acta Haematol 110(203):154–159PubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Cooper L, Topp MS, Serrano LM et al. (2003) T-cell clones can be rendered specific for CD19: toward the selective augmentation of the graft-versus-B-lineage leukemia effect. Blood 101:1637–1644PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Morgan RA, Dudley ME, Wunderlich JR et al. (2006) Cancer regression in patients after transfer of genetically engineered lymphocytes. Science 314:126–129PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Park JR, Digiusto DL, Slovak M et al. (2007) Adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor re-directed cytolytic T lymphocyte clones in patients with neuroblastoma. Mol Ther 15(4):825–833PubMedGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Laurence J. N. Cooper
    • 1
  • Sourindra N. Maiti
    • 1
  1. 1.Division of Pediatrics, Department of ImmunologyM.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUSA