Cancer lettersJul 30, 2019

Using CD8+ T Cell Therapy to Fight Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 1, 2026

Abstract

Adoptive CD8 T cell therapy (ACT) shows promise as a cancer treatment option, particularly with anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy approved for B cell lymphoma.

Immunotherapy activates the host immune system to target cancer cells, potentially offering long-term protection with reduced toxicity compared to traditional treatments.
ACT involves the extraction and expansion of tumor-specific T cells from patients, which are then infused back into the patient.
Engineered T cells can express tumor-specific receptors, such as chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and T cell receptors (TCRs), enhancing their ability to recognize and attack tumors.
While anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy has demonstrated efficacy in treating B cell lymphoma, success in solid tumors remains limited.
The review discusses various ACT approaches, resistance factors within the tumor microenvironment, and immune-related adverse effects.

Simplified

Cancer immunotherapy is a new and promising option for cancer treatment. Unlike traditional chemo- and radiotherapy, immunotherapy actives host immune system to attack malignancies, and this potentially offers long-term protection from recurrence with less toxicity in comparison to conventional chemo- and radiation therapy. In adoptive CD8T cell therapy (ACT), large numbers of tumor-specific T cells are sourced from patients and expanded in vitro and infused back to patients. T cells can be expanded from naturally-induced tumor-specific CD8T cells isolated from tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) or genetically-modified autologous circulating CD8T cells. The engineered T cells expressed tumor-specific antigen receptors including chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and T cell receptors (TCRs), prepared from cultured B and T cell clones, respectively. The most successful ACT, anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy directed against B cell lymphoma, is already approved for use based on evidence of efficacy. Efficacy of solid tumors is not yet forthcoming. This review summarizes current technology developments using ACT in clinical trials. In this review, differences between various ACT approaches are discussed. Furthermore, resistance factors in the tumor microenvironment are also considered, as are immune related adverse effects, critical clinic monitoring parameters and potential mitigation approaches. + + +

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View Full Text ↗

Using CD8+ T Cell Therapy to Fight Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief