About this Research Topic
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a revolutionary novel therapy in cancer treatment, especially in which CD19 have generated exciting results in leukemia and lymphoma. However, there are several barriers to effective CAR-T cell therapy such as modest anti-tumor activities, antigen escape, restricted trafficking, limited tumor infiltration, tumor lysis syndrome, off-tumor target toxicity, as well as labor-intensity and high cost. Besides, the broad applicability of these cells for solid cancer is limited by the paucity of truly tumor-specific target antigens. Furthermore, a complex workforce is required to develop and implement these treatments.
Although CAR-T cell transfer has made great success in hematological malignancies, it has only shown a limited effect on solid tumors. The major hurdles include the poor persistence of infused cells derived from ex vivo activation/expansion and repeated antigen encountered after re-infusion, insufficient eradication capacity and dysfunction in T cells.
In order to overcome these significant challenges, innovative strategies and approaches to engineer more powerful CAR-T cells with improved anti-tumor activity and decreased toxicity are necessary. Furthermore, many areas are still to be explored providing new opportunities for more effective and safer future therapies in solid tumor.
In this Research Topic, we would like to discuss new innovations or observation in CAR-T cell engineering to improve its clinical potential in solid tumors and the strategies to overcome limitations of CAR-T cell therapy. We welcome submissions of Original Research articles and Reviews focusing on new engineering strategies. The subtopics covered in this Research Topic are, but not limited to:
• Strategies to overcome the limitations of CAR-T cell therapy including Antigen escape, On-target off-tumor effects, CAR-T cell trafficking and tumor infiltration, etc.
• New engineering strategies that can improve the clinical efficacy of CAR-T cells in immunosuppressive microenvironment and CAR-T cell-associated toxicities in solid tumors.
• A novel CAR-T platform that has the ability to increase the persistence of CAR-T cells in solid tumors.
• A new biochemical strategies to enhance insufficient eradication capacity and dysfunction for CAR-T cell treatment.
• New targets that can be used for CAR-T cell therapy.
• New CAR-T cells with a less differentiated phenotype which can improve efficacy significantly.
• Improved engineering methods that allow CAR-T cell therapies targeting antigen escape or inherent genetic properties.
Although CAR-T cell transfer has made great success in hematological malignancies, it has only shown a limited effect on solid tumors. The major hurdles include the poor persistence of infused cells derived from ex vivo activation/expansion and repeated antigen encountered after re-infusion, insufficient eradication capacity and dysfunction in T cells.
In order to overcome these significant challenges, innovative strategies and approaches to engineer more powerful CAR-T cells with improved anti-tumor activity and decreased toxicity are necessary. Furthermore, many areas are still to be explored providing new opportunities for more effective and safer future therapies in solid tumor.
In this Research Topic, we would like to discuss new innovations or observation in CAR-T cell engineering to improve its clinical potential in solid tumors and the strategies to overcome limitations of CAR-T cell therapy. We welcome submissions of Original Research articles and Reviews focusing on new engineering strategies. The subtopics covered in this Research Topic are, but not limited to:
• Strategies to overcome the limitations of CAR-T cell therapy including Antigen escape, On-target off-tumor effects, CAR-T cell trafficking and tumor infiltration, etc.
• New engineering strategies that can improve the clinical efficacy of CAR-T cells in immunosuppressive microenvironment and CAR-T cell-associated toxicities in solid tumors.
• A novel CAR-T platform that has the ability to increase the persistence of CAR-T cells in solid tumors.
• A new biochemical strategies to enhance insufficient eradication capacity and dysfunction for CAR-T cell treatment.
• New targets that can be used for CAR-T cell therapy.
• New CAR-T cells with a less differentiated phenotype which can improve efficacy significantly.
• Improved engineering methods that allow CAR-T cell therapies targeting antigen escape or inherent genetic properties.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
