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Open Access 01-10-2019 | Tumor Lysis Syndrome | Focussed Research Review

Conventional CARs versus modular CARs

Authors: Anja Feldmann, Claudia Arndt, Stefanie Koristka, Nicole Berndt, Ralf Bergmann, Michael P. Bachmann

Published in: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy | Issue 10/2019

Abstract

The clinical application of immune effector cells genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has shown impressive results including complete remissions of certain malignant hematological diseases. However, their application can also cause severe side effects such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). One limitation of currently applied CAR T cells is their lack of regulation. Especially, an emergency shutdown of CAR T cells in case of life-threatening side effects is missing. Moreover, targeting of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) that are not only expressed on tumor cells but also on vital tissues requires the possibility of a switch allowing to repeatedly turn the activity of CAR T cells on and off. Here we summarize the development of a modular CAR variant termed universal CAR (UniCAR) system that promises to overcome these limitations of conventional CARs.

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Title: Conventional CARs versus modular CARs
Authors: Anja Feldmann
Claudia Arndt
Stefanie Koristka
Nicole Berndt
Ralf Bergmann
Michael P. Bachmann
Publication date: 01-10-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keyword: Tumor Lysis Syndrome
Published in: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy / Issue 10/2019
Print ISSN: 0340-7004
Electronic ISSN: 1432-0851
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-019-02399-5

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