The growing world of CAR T cell trials: a systematic review

In recent years, cancer treatment involving adoptive cell therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified patient’s immune cells has attracted growing interest. Using gene transfer techniques, the patient’s T cells are modified ex vivo with a CAR which redirects the T cells toward the cancer cells through an antibody-derived binding domain. The T cells are activated by the CAR primary signaling and costimulatory domains. Such “second generation” CAR T cells induced complete remission of B cell malignancies in the long-term. In this fast-moving field with a growing number of engineered T cell products, we list about 100 currently ongoing trials here that involve CAR T cells targeting hematopoietic malignancies and solid cancer. Major challenges in the further development of the therapy are briefly discussed.