CRISPR/Cas9 revitalizes adoptive T-cell therapy for cancer immunotherapy.

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy has gained attention as the supreme therapeutic modality for the treatment of various malignancies. Adoptive T-cell therapy (ACT) is one of the most distinctive modalities of this therapeutic approach, which seeks to harness the potential of combating cancer cells by using autologous or allogenic tumor-specific T-cells. However, a plethora of circumstances must be optimized to produce functional, durable, and efficient T-cells. Recently, the potential of ACT has been further realized by the introduction of novel gene-editing platforms such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system; this technique has been utilized to create T-cells furnished with recombinant T-cell receptor (TCR) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that have precise tumor antigen recognition, minimal side effects and treatment-related toxicities, robust proliferation and cytotoxicity, and nominal exhaustion. Here, we aim to review and categorize the recent breakthroughs of genetically modified TCR/CAR T-cells through CRISPR/Cas9 technology and address the pearls and pitfalls of each method. In addition, we investigate the latest ongoing clinical trials that are applying CRISPR-associated TCR/CAR T-cells for the treatment of cancers.

• Authors: Sasan Ghaffari, Nastaran Khalili, Nima Rezaei
• Journal: Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR (J Exp Clin Cancer Res) Vol. 40 Issue 1 Pg. 269 (Aug 26 2021) ISSN: 1756-9966 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 34446084 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: © 2021. The Author(s).

Chemical References

• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell

Topics

• CRISPR-Cas Systems
• Gene Editing (methods)
• Humans
• Immunotherapy, Adoptive (methods)
• Neoplasms (immunology, therapy)
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell (immunology)
• T-Lymphocytes (immunology)