FOXO1 is a master regulator of memory programming in CAR T cells

T cell dysfunction and therapeutic intervention in cancer

Recent advances in immunotherapy have affirmed the curative potential of T cell-based approaches for treating relapsed and refractory cancers. However, the therapeutic efficacy is limited in part owing to the ability of cancers to evade immunosurveillance and adapt to immunological pressure. In this Review, we provide a brief overview of cancer-mediated immunosuppressive mechanisms with a specific focus on the repression of the surveillance and effector function of T cells. We discuss CD8+ T cell exhaustion and functional heterogeneity and describe strategies for targeting the molecular checkpoints that restrict T cell differentiation and effector function to bolster immunotherapeutic effects. We also delineate the emerging contributions of the tumor microenvironment to T cell metabolism and conclude by highlighting discovery-based approaches for developing future cellular therapies. Continued exploration of T cell biology and engineering hold great promise for advancing therapeutic interventions for cancer.

Fueling CARs: metabolic strategies to enhance CAR T-cell therapy

CAR T cells are widely applied for relapsed hematological cancer patients. With six approved cell therapies, for Multiple Myeloma and other B-cell malignancies, new insights emerge. Profound evidence shows that patients who fail CAR T-cell therapy have, aside from antigen escape, a more glycolytic and weakened metabolism in their CAR T cells, accompanied by a short lifespan. Recent advances show that CAR T cells can be metabolically engineered towards oxidative phosphorylation, which increases their longevity via epigenetic and phenotypical changes. In this review we elucidate various strategies to rewire their metabolism, including the design of the CAR construct, co-stimulus choice, genetic modifications of metabolic genes, and pharmacological interventions. We discuss their potential to enhance CAR T-cell functioning and persistence through memory imprinting, thereby improving outcomes. Furthermore, we link the pharmacological treatments with their anti-cancer properties in hematological malignancies to ultimately suggest novel combination strategies.

The Fate(s) of CAR T-Cell Therapy: Navigating the Risks of CAR+ T-Cell Malignancy

The introduction of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy represents a landmark advancement in treating resistant forms of cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. However, concerns about long-term safety have emerged following an FDA investigation into reports of second primary malignancies (SPM) after CAR-T cell treatment. This review offers a thorough examination of how genetically modified T cells might transform into CAR+ SPM. It explores genetic and molecular pathways leading to T-cell lymphomagenesis, the balance between CAR T-cell persistence, stemness, and oncogenic risk, and the trade-off of T-cell exhaustion, which may limit therapy efficacy but potentially reduce lymphomagenesis risk. Significance: An FDA probe into 22 cases of second primary T-cell malignancies following CAR T-cell therapy stresses the need to investigate their origins. Few may arise from preexisting genetic and epigenetic alterations and those introduced during therapeutic engineering. Technological advances, regulatory oversight, and patient monitoring are essential to mitigate potential risks.