Time to abandon CAR-T monotherapy for solid tumors

In recent decades, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has achieved dramatic success in patients with hematological malignancies. However, CAR-T cell therapy failed to effectively treat solid tumors as a monotherapy. By summarizing the challenges of CAR-T cell monotherapy for solid tumors and analyzing the underlying mechanisms of combinatorial strategies to counteract these hurdles, we found that complementary therapeutics are needed to improve the scant and transient responses of CAR-T cell monotherapy in solid tumors. Further data, especially data from multicenter clinical trials regarding efficacy, toxicity, and predictive biomarkers are required before the CAR-T combination therapy can be translated into clinical settings.

Automated summary

CAR-T cell therapy has been successful in treating hematological malignancies, but it has limited efficacy in solid tumors as a monotherapy. Complementary therapeutics are needed to improve the response of CAR-T cell monotherapy in solid tumors. Further data, particularly from multicenter clinical trials, are required before CAR-T combination therapy can be used in clinical settings.