title: T Cell Engineering.
abstract: T cells are a new and promising antigen-specific therapeutic option for the treatment of malignant diseases. To achieve antigen specificity against tumor antigens, T cells can be manipulated by gene transfer to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). CAR-expressing T cells are called redirected T cells. CARs are composed of an extracellular antibody-derived antigen recognition domain, a transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmatic signal domain. Therefore, redirected T cells combine the exchangeable specificity of an antibody with the cytotoxic machinery of a T cell. Early clinical trials with redirected T cells targeting cluster of differentiation (CD) 19 have shown impressive results in CD19-positive hematological cancers. However, for solid cancers only limited clinical experience exists and new and innovative concepts have to be developed to overcome tumor-mediated immune suppression. Herein, we describe the general design of a CAR, the function of the different domains and the different strategies to produce redirected T cells. Furthermore, we summarize and discuss the preclinical and clinical data indicating the tremendous potential of redirected T cells to become a mainstay of cancer immunotherapy.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pircher
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schirrmann
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Petrausch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D060846:Cell Engineering; D006801:Humans; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007167:Immunotherapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell