CAR-T cells for cancer immunotherapy

Adoptive immunotherapy expressing synthetic chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) on T cells through in vitro modifications represents a new and innovative strategy in cancer treatment. This new approach enables T cells to recognize and bind tumor antigens via a single-chain variable fragment recognition domain, circumventing the restriction of major histocompatibility complex. This review summarized the structure/design of CAR-T cells and the evolution process this technology went through, displaying the theoretical foundation for CAR-T therapy, the marketed products and the latest preclinical and clinical research progress. Finally, we provided perspectives on this technology's development and potential future applications, especially for treating hematological malignant and solid tumors.& COPY; 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.