Role of CAR-T-Based Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Liver cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumors worldwide, with a high rate of morbidity and death. The intricacy and variety of liver cancer mean that while there are an increasing number of therapeutic options—such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, etc.—the effectiveness of these approaches is not always optimal. This is despite advances in medical technology. A low long-term survival rate and the possibility of metastasis and recurrence persist for many individuals following therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy has great potential for application in liver cancer treatment due to its highly targeted nature, potent and long-lasting anti-tumor effects, and high degree of personalization. In this paper, the basic structure and mechanism of action of CAR-T are firstly introduced. Then, it summarizes the application of CAR-T therapy in liver cancer by targeting different targets in liver cancer, such as Glypican-3 (GPC3), Recombinant Mucin 1 (MUC1), and NKG2D, respectively. Finally, the limitations of current CAR-T therapies and future research directions are discussed.