Chimeric antigen receptor-transduced T cell therapy against glioblastoma

Abstract

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of malignant tumor with a poor prognosis due to its exceptionally rapid growth and intense surrounding tissue infiltration. Long-term survival is unlikely, even with multidisciplinary therapies combining chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. The emergence of new treatments is, therefore, eagerly awaited. Chimeric antigen receptor gene-transduced T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy is an adoptive cell therapy that gives T cells the antibody-like capability of recognizing a surface antigen. CAR-T cells explicitly recognize antigens expressed by target malignant cells in a non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted manner and launch a powerful attack on malignant cells. CAR-T cell therapy is becoming a promising approach for the treatment of glioblastoma. Here, we review the fundamentals of CAR-T cell therapy, advancement of its clinical application for hematological malignancies, and the scientific breakthroughs achieved with it in the treatment of glioblastoma in preclinical models and clinical trials.