Chimeric Antigen Receptor Modified T Cells for B Cell Malignancies: An Advance in Cellular Therapy

Jie Wang, Michael Klichinsky and Stephen J Schuster

Department of General Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, USA

^*Correspondance to: Jie Wang 

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Abstract:

CD19 directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) modified T cells have recently shown dramatic results in the treatment of relapsed and refractory B cell malignancies. CARs endow autologous T cells with antibody-like specificity and are capable of redirecting them to target tumor antigens and kill tumor cells. Investigational CD19 directed CARs have gained breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA and may represent the beginning of a paradigm shift in the field of cellular therapies. By redirecting the patient’s own T cells to tumor cells, CAR modified T cells harness the power of cellular immunity resulting in prolonged remissions in many patients with refractory disease, while avoiding the risks of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In this review, we address CAR T cell design and function, discuss the clinical experience in CD19 directed CAR T cell therapy, and summarize the efficacy of CD19 CAR T cells for the treatment of different B cell malignancies. CAR T cell therapy addresses several areas of unmet clinical need in the treatment of B cell malignancies in the current era, and represents an important advance in the field of cellular therapies.

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Cite the Article:

Wang J, Klichinsky M, Schuster SJ. Chimeric Antigen Receptor Modified T Cells for B Cell Malignancies: An Advance in Cellular Therapy. Clin Oncol. 2016; 1: 1129.