Redirected T Cell Cytotoxicity in Cancer Therapy

Bispecific antibodies that recruit and redirect T cells to attack tumor cells have tremendous potential for the treatment of various malignancies. In general, this class of therapeutics, known as CD3 bispecifics, promotes tumor cell killing by cross-linking a CD3 component of the T cell receptor complex with a tumor-associated antigen on the surface of the target cell. Importantly, this mechanism does not rely on a cognate interaction between the T cell receptor and a peptide: HLA complex, thereby circumventing HLA (human leukocyte antigen) restriction. Hence, CD3 bispecifics may find a key role in addressing tumors with low neoantigen content and/or low inflammation, and this class of therapeutics may productively combine with checkpoint blockade. A wide array of formats and optimization approaches has been developed, and a wave of CD3 bispecifics is proceeding into human clinical trials for a range of indications, with promising signs of therapeutic activity.