Terapias celulares basadas en Linfocitos CAR-T: Nuevas oportunidades en el tratamiento frente al cáncer

Resumen

In the last decades, immunotherapy has witnessed remarkable advancements due to the development of fascinating strategies for cancer treatment, such as checkpoint blockade antibodies and adoptive T cell transfer. In this context, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) emerged as an effort to combine these novel strategies and minimize their individual limitations. Therefore, this present undergraduate thesis examines the role of CAR-T cells as a living drug for cancer treatment. These genetically engineered immune cells are designed to selectively eliminate tumor cells by recognizing a specific antigen on the tumor surface. Throughout this literature review, the latest advancements in CAR-T cell technology are examined, including structure optimization and generations, as well as the manufacturing process for their subsequent clinical application. Gene therapy strategies for introducing the desired CAR gene are also addressed. Additionally, a comprehensive overview of the current state of therapy in clinical applications, both in hematologic cancers and solid tumors, is provided, highlighting the limitations and challenges that need to be addressed to achieve success in each of these contexts. Later, associated side effects are discussed, and a potential suicide gene-based mechanism is proposed to mitigate these toxicities and enhance therapy safety. Finally, various future perspectives are presented that could contribute to improving the identified limitations during the review. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive insight into the use of CAR-T cells in cancer, emphasizing their potential and the need for ongoing research to enhance their efficacy and safety for the benefit of oncology patients.