review of cancer immunotherapy: application of chimeric antigen receptor t cells and programmed death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 antibodies

Cancer immunotherapy strategies based on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transduced T cells or antibodies against immune checkpoints, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death 1 (PD-1), achieved significant successes from bench to clinic in the past 2 years. CARs are artificial engineered receptors that can specifically target tumor cell surface antigen, activate T cell and further enhance T cell function, independent of major histocompatibility complex. CAR T cells have shown promising outcomes in cancers, especially in hematologic malignancies. CTLA-4 and PD-1 are two important immune checkpoints negatively regulating T cell activation. Clinical benefits of CTLA-4/PD-1 antibodies are significant in melanoma and other solid tumors. PD-1 is predicted to have fewer side effects and greater antitumor activity than CTLA-4. In this review, we will summarize current immunotherapies based on CAR T cells and PD-1.