CAR-T cells and other cellular therapies for solid tumors: Current challenges and emerging solutions

Abstract

Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have transformed adoptive cellular therapy, yielding remarkable clinical outcomes in hematological malignancies, whereas its efficacy in solid tumors remains severely limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, antigen heterogeneity, and on-target/off-tumor toxicities. To address these challenges, this article reviewed the principal biological and translational barriers hindering solid tumor treatment, examining advanced modalities such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, engineered T-cell receptors, and novel CAR expressing immune cells based on a comprehensive literature search across PubMed and Scopus.