Emerging Methodologies in Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Immunotherapy

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editor

Sunil Raikar

Emory University

Dr. Raikar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Division of Hematology, Oncology and BMT at Emory University School of Medicine. He is a physician-scientist with a research focus in cellular immunotherapy, with a primary interest in developing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for T-cell malignancies. Dr. Raikar received his MD degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2009, where he also did his pediatric internship and residency. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in 2016. During his fellowship, he created novel chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) using lamprey-derived variable lymphocyte receptors to target T-cell malignancies under the mentorship of H. Trent Spencer, PhD, Director of the Cell and Gene Therapy Program at Emory University. He is now a junior faculty member at Emory University and was recently awarded a NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) through the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Collection Overview

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been a revolutionary breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy, with two products (KYMRIAH® and YESCARTA®) having received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in recent years. In this form of immunotherapy, T cells are genetically engineered to express receptors that can identify target antigens on tumor cells with the specificity of a monoclonal antibody. While CAR T-cell therapy has been extremely successful in targeting B-cell malignancies, challenges remain in utilizing this technology to target other cancers, especially solid tumors. In this collection, we will look at newer methods and approaches being used to advance this innovative technology. Areas that will be highlighted include 1) strategies to improve clinical manufacturing of CAR T cells, 2) methods being used to study the effects of tumor microenvironment (TME) on the efficacy of CAR T cells, especially in the setting of solid tumors, 3) advances in genetic engineering techniques to improve CAR expression in different immune cell subtypes, 4) innovative CAR structural designs and 5) systems being developed to assess toxicities associated with CAR-based technologies. Articles published in this collection will give valuable insight into the emerging methodologies being utilized in this groundbreaking field.