Background/Objectives: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is a novel form of adoptive cellular immunotherapy that involves modifying autologous T cells to recognize and target tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) on malignant cells, independent of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) restriction. Although CAR-T therapy has shown remarkable success in treating hematologic malignancies, its efficacy in solid tumors remains limited, largely due to the lack of tumor-specific antigens and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. This review aims to explore the rationale for continuing the development of adoptive cellular therapies in head and neck cancer (HNC), offering insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with this heterogeneous group of malignancies.Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review using the PubMed database to identify relevant studies on the application of CAR-T cell therapy in the management of HNC.Results: HNC presented numerous barriers to CAR-T cell infiltration, primarily due to the unique characteristics of its tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME in HNC is notably immunosuppressive, with a lymphocytic infiltrate predominantly composed of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and natural killer (NK) cells. These immune cells typically exhibit low expression of the CD16 receptor, which plays a crucial role in mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), thereby limiting the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy.Conclusions: This comprehensive review suggests a potential clinical applicability of CAR-T therapy in HNC management.
背景/目的：嵌合抗原受体T细胞（CAR-T）疗法是一种新型的过继性细胞免疫治疗方法，通过改造自体T细胞使其能够识别并靶向恶性细胞上的肿瘤相关抗原（TAAs），且不受主要组织相容性复合体（MHC）限制。尽管CAR-T疗法在治疗血液系统恶性肿瘤方面取得了显著成功，但在实体瘤中的疗效仍然有限，这主要归因于肿瘤特异性抗原的缺乏以及肿瘤微环境的复杂性。本综述旨在探讨在头颈癌（HNC）中继续开发过继性细胞疗法的理论基础，并对这一异质性恶性肿瘤群体相关的诊断和治疗挑战提供见解。方法：我们通过PubMed数据库进行了全面的文献综述，以确定关于CAR-T细胞疗法在头颈癌治疗中应用的相关研究。结果：头颈癌对CAR-T细胞浸润存在诸多障碍，这主要归因于其肿瘤微环境（TME）的独特特性。头颈癌的肿瘤微环境具有显著的免疫抑制性，其淋巴细胞浸润主要由调节性T细胞（Tregs）和自然杀伤（NK）细胞组成。这些免疫细胞通常表现出CD16受体的低表达，而CD16受体在介导抗体依赖性细胞毒性（ADCC）中起着关键作用，从而限制了CAR-T细胞疗法的有效性。结论：本综述表明CAR-T疗法在头颈癌治疗中具有潜在的临床应用前景。
CAR-Based Cell Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer: A Comprehensive Review on Clinical Applicability
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家