| Although the ever-increasing number of cancer patients pose substantial challenges
worldwide, finding a treatment with the highest response rate and the lowest number of side effects
is still undergoing research. Compared to chemotherapy, the relatively low side effects of cancer
immunotherapy have provided ample opportunity for immunotherapy to become a promising
approach for patients with malignancy. However, the clinical translation of immune-based therapies
requires robust anti-tumoral immune responses. Immune checkpoints have substantial roles in the
induction of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and tolerance against tumor antigens.
Identifying and targeting these inhibitory axes, which can be established between tumor cells and
tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, can facilitate the development of anti-tumoral immune responses.
Bispecific T-cell engagers, which can attract lymphocytes to the tumor microenvironment, have also
paved the road for immunological-based tumor elimination. The development of CAR-T cells and
their gene editing have brought ample opportunity to recognize tumor antigens, independent from
immune checkpoints and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Indeed, there have been
remarkable advances in developing various CAR-T cells to target tumoral cells. Knockout of immune
checkpoints via gene editing in CAR-T cells might be designated for a breakthrough for patients
with malignancy. In the midst of this fast progress in cancer immunotherapies, there is a need to
provide up-to-date information regarding immune checkpoints, bispecific T-cell engagers, and CAR-T
cells. Therefore, this review aims to provide recent findings of immune checkpoints, bispecific T-cell
engagers, and CAR-T cells in cancer immunotherapy and discuss the pertained clinical trials. |