Dr. Brentjens Discusses the Future of CAR T-Cell Therapy

Renier J. Brentjens, MD, PhD, associate professor, chief, Cellular Therapeutics Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the future of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.

The field of CAR T-cell therapy research is at a turning point, Brentjens says. One of the biggest questions currently is the ability to extrapolate this technology to a broader array of cancers. Brentjens says that it is doable, but it will be a highly complex path to get to that point.

Until now, CAR T-cell therapy has only been tested in patients with hematologic malignancies. Brentjens asks whether it is worth taking the time away from the continual progress being made in hematology to expand the reach of CAR T technology to solid tumors. The success of CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumors may reduce or eliminate the need for chemotherapy, and may offer a more targeted immune therapy for patients with incurable diseases.

Brentjens says that the field is about 5 to 10 years away from knowing the answers to these questions.