Oncolytic virus enhanced CAR T cell therapy in killing solid tumors

Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710061 Xi’an, China

^* Wen Cao: 3120315125@stu.xjtu.edu.cn

Abstract

The application of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells has received considerable attention lately, particularly in hematological malignancies. However, whether these altered T cells are therapeutically efficient in treating solid tumors remains unclear. There are some main challenges faced by CAR-T in the setting of solid cancers: identification, trafficking, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The effectiveness of CAR T cells relies heavily on their ability to migrate and infiltrate these tumors. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are unique in their ability to selectively invade and eradicate cancerous tissue. Additionally, OVs stimulate the body’s innate immune response and activate tumor-targeted adaptive immune responses, further enhancing their effectiveness in combating cancer. As a result, they exert an influence on T cell movement inside the TME and the performance of effector cells. This review examines the ramifications of incorporating OVs and CAR T cells for solid tumor therapy, while also considering the most recent findings. Furthermore, the integration of OVs with CAR T cells has shown the ability to increase the cytotoxicity of CAR T cells towards solid tumor cells. Thus, combining OVs and CAR T cell treatment may prove to be a potent tactic in combating T cell metastasis and invasion in solid tumours. Additionally, this approach exhibits vast potential for application.