CAR T-Cell Utility in Hematologic Cancers: Alex Herrera, MD

This content originally appeared on our sister site, OncLive.

OncLive spoke with Alex Herrera, MD, hematologist/oncologist, and assistant professor, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope, about the utility of CAR T cell therapy in hematologic cancers.

Herrera discussed how thus farm autologous CAR T cells have demonstrated a robust and durable antitumor response in a sizable minority of patients. Additionally, allogeneic, or off-the-shelf CAR T cells are being studied in clinical trials to examine how they compare with CD19-directed treatments.

Looking forward, there is still more to be learned about the durability of CAR T-cell therapy in patients, and how that correlates with the robustness of the antitumor response, Herrera continues. Allogeneic CAR T cells represent a potential option for patients who are unable to wait for the production of autologous CAR T cells; however, more efforts are underway to further optimize this treatment, Herrera concludes.