Anti-Tumor Effects of Chimeric Receptor Engineered Human T Cells Directed to Tumor Stroma

Adoptive T-cell immunotherapy for solid tumors though promising has shown limited efficacy in clinical studies. The hindrance to achieving an objective and durable therapeutic response is, in part, mediated by the dynamic nature of the tumor and its complex microenvironment. Tumor-directed therapies fail to eliminate components of the microenvironment, which can reinstate a tumorigenic milieu and contribute to recurrence. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most preponderant cell type in the microenvironment, contribute to desmoplasia, tumor growth and therapeutic resistance.