T-cell receptor gene therapy – Ready to go viral?

T lymphocytes can be redirected to recognize a tumor target and harnessed to combat cancer by genetic introduction of T-cell receptors of a defined specificity. This approach has recently mediated encouraging clinical responses in patients with cancers previously regarded as incurable. However, despite the great promise, T-cell receptor gene therapy still faces a multitude of obstacles. Identification of epitopes that enable effective targeting of all the cells in a heterogeneous tumor while sparing normal tissues remains perhaps the most demanding challenge.

Source: Molecular Oncology - October 19, 2015 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Terhi Karpanen, Johanna Olweus Tags: Review Source Type: research