Open AccessClinical application of genetically modified T cells in cancer therapy
Author(s) -
Kershaw Michael H,
Westwood Jennifer A,
Slaney Clare Y,
Darcy Phillip K
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
clinical and translational immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.321
H-Index - 34
ISSN - 2050-0068
DOI - 10.1038/cti.2014.7
Subject(s) - adoptive cell transfer , chimeric antigen receptor , immune system , biology , receptor , genetically modified organism , antigen , t cell , immunology , genetic enhancement , cancer research , computational biology , gene , genetics
Immunotherapies are emerging as highly promising approaches for the treatment of cancer. In these approaches, a variety of materials are used to boost immunity against malignant cells. A key component of many of these approaches is functional tumor‐specific T cells, but the existence and activity of sufficient T cells in the immune repertoire is not always the case. Recent methods of generating tumor‐specific T cells include the genetic modification of patient lymphocytes with receptors to endow them with tumor specificity. These T cells are then expanded in vitro followed by infusion of the patient in adoptive cell transfer protocols. Genes used to modify T cells include those encoding T‐cell receptors and chimeric antigen receptors. In this review, we provide an introduction to the field of genetic engineering of T cells followed by details of their use against cancer in the clinic.