T-cell therapy for solid tumors: Understanding how it works and possible improvement strategies

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has achieved success in hematological malignancies but faces significant challenges in treating solid tumors.

• Solid tumors present unique challenges for CAR-T therapy, including tumor antigen heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
• Barriers to effective T-cell infiltration include immune evasion by suppressive cytokines and regulatory cells, as well as tumor antigen escape.
• Innovative strategies like multi-antigen targeting constructs and armored CAR-T cells may enhance efficacy by addressing these barriers.
• The use of matrix-degrading enzymes and immune checkpoint inhibitors could help overcome physical and immune-mediated resistance.
• Emerging targets such as B7-H3, Claudin 18.2, and MUC1 are being explored to improve patient selection and therapeutic monitoring.

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