About this Research Topic
With the development of therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment, genetically modifying T cells, including chimeric antigen receptor T(CAR-T) cells, CAR-engineered natural killer (CAR-NK) cells, as well as T cell receptor engineered T cell (TCR-T), showed remarkable efficacy for the treatment of several cancers compared with traditional cancer therapy, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, etc. For instance, CD19 CAR-T cells showed remarkable efficacy for the treatment of B-cell malignancies and have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
Although we have sufficient knowledge and achievement of CAR-T therapy, we have a broad prospect and corresponding clinical challenges in CAR-NK and TCR-T therapies. The development of genetically modifying T cells against T-cell malignancies seems more challenging due to the similarities between the normal, malignant, and therapeutic T cells, which could result in T cell fratricide, T cell aplasia, and contamination of genetically modifying T cell products with malignant T cells.
To sum up, Anti-cancer therapy has seen a revolution in the past few decades. Novel concepts and discoveries from preclinical and clinical studies have accelerated the shift from autologous to allogeneic therapy. With more clinical insight, we envisage that innate and innate-like CAR-based approaches may transform into a central tool in the treatment of cancer patients in the future.
This Research Topic is designed to invite and encourage correlative studies about CAR-NK and TCR-T in cancer therapy. In particular, the topics can be focused in, but not restricted to some aspects still in debate, such as overcoming antigen escape, on-target off-tumor effects, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and neurotoxicity.
• Novel engineering strategy that can improve the clinical efficacy of genetically modified T cells.
• Improved engineering methods to enhance the function of NK cells.
• Novel targets can be used for genetically CAR-NK cell therapy.
• Novel therapeutic strategies or other methods targeting tumor microenvironment to inhibit or overcome the physical barriers of tumors.
• Neoantigens derived from somatic mutations that were directed against the identification of high-avidity T cell receptors (TCRs).
• Improvement of promoting the stability and persistence of K562 cell line.
Although we have sufficient knowledge and achievement of CAR-T therapy, we have a broad prospect and corresponding clinical challenges in CAR-NK and TCR-T therapies. The development of genetically modifying T cells against T-cell malignancies seems more challenging due to the similarities between the normal, malignant, and therapeutic T cells, which could result in T cell fratricide, T cell aplasia, and contamination of genetically modifying T cell products with malignant T cells.
To sum up, Anti-cancer therapy has seen a revolution in the past few decades. Novel concepts and discoveries from preclinical and clinical studies have accelerated the shift from autologous to allogeneic therapy. With more clinical insight, we envisage that innate and innate-like CAR-based approaches may transform into a central tool in the treatment of cancer patients in the future.
This Research Topic is designed to invite and encourage correlative studies about CAR-NK and TCR-T in cancer therapy. In particular, the topics can be focused in, but not restricted to some aspects still in debate, such as overcoming antigen escape, on-target off-tumor effects, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and neurotoxicity.
• Novel engineering strategy that can improve the clinical efficacy of genetically modified T cells.
• Improved engineering methods to enhance the function of NK cells.
• Novel targets can be used for genetically CAR-NK cell therapy.
• Novel therapeutic strategies or other methods targeting tumor microenvironment to inhibit or overcome the physical barriers of tumors.
• Neoantigens derived from somatic mutations that were directed against the identification of high-avidity T cell receptors (TCRs).
• Improvement of promoting the stability and persistence of K562 cell line.
Keywords: Genetically Modifying T Cells Therapy, Immunology Treatment, Natural Killer (NK) Cells, T Cell Receptor Engineered T Cell (TCR-T), Cancer Therapy
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