Dr. Herrera on the Utility of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Hematologic Cancers

Alex Herrera, MD, a hematologist/oncologist, and an assistant professor in the Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope, discusses the utility of CAR T cells in patients with hematologic cancers.

Thus far, autologous CAR T cells have demonstrated that robust antitumor, as well as durable responses in a sizable minority of patients, can be generated with a cellular therapy, according to Herrera. Additionally, there has been an increase in allogeneic, or off-the-shelf CAR T cells, being studied in clinical trials to examine how they compare with CD19-directed treatments, Herrera says.

Looking forward, there is still more to be learned about the durability of CAR T-cell therapy in patients, and how that correlates with the robustness of the antitumor response, Herrera continues. Allogeneic CAR T cells represent a potential option for patients who are unable to wait for the production of autologous CAR T cells; however, more efforts are underway to further optimize this treatment, Herrera concludes.