Dr Hurwitz on Ongoing Investigations of the Use of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Solid Tumors

Michael Hurwitz, MD, PhD, associate professor, internal medicine (medical oncology), Yale School of Medicine, discusses the ongoing investigation into the use of CAR T-cell therapies in patients with solid tumors, such as kidney cancers.

Hurwitz begins by stating that considerations surrounding the use of CAR T-cell therapy in solid tumors, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC), have been uncertain. The phase 1 COBALT-RCC trial (NCT04438083), which investigated CTX130 allogeneic CRISPR/Cas9–engineered CAR T-cell therapy in patients with advanced clear cell RCC, is currently inactive. However, a new agent with similar attributes to the CAR T-cell product investigated in COBALT-RCC is under development and may improve upon the outcomes seen in COBALT-RCC, Hurwitz begins.

Another trial, the phase 1 TRAVERSE trial (NCT04696731), is ongoing at some sites, he explains. This trial involves off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy, Hurwitz explains. These modified CAR T cells are engineered to evade the recipient's immune response and eliminate the need for personalized CAR T-cell production, offering a faster turnaround that is crucial for individuals with advanced solid tumors, Hurwitz explains. Traditionally, introducing foreign T cells into the body triggers immune responses, which are addressed by removing human leukocyte antigens, so the body does not recognize the T cells as foreign. In these modified CAR T cells, the endogenous T-cell receptors are also removed, ensuring these cells do not perceive the body as foreign, he expands.

Along with the FDA approvals of CAR T cells for patients with hematologic malignancies, their application in solid tumors is evolving, Hurwitz emphasizes. Ongoing preclinical research aims to engineer safe, specific, and effective CAR T cells, he states. 

These innovations with CAR T-cell therapy promise highly targeted, safe cancer treatments for patients with solid tumors, Hurwitz continues. Looking forward, the possibility of synergies between CAR T-cell therapy and other treatments looms, he notes. Although the timing of integrating CAR T-cell therapies into the solid tumor treatment armamentarium is uncertain, combining these products with other agents offers a glimpse into a future where cancer treatment is more effective and personalized. In essence, technological advances in cancer therapy are just beginning to unfold, Hurwitz adds. The future promises innovations and a convergence of technologies to reshape cancer treatment, ushering in an era of hope and healing, he concludes.