CAR-CIK vs. CAR-T: benchmarking novel cytokine-induced killer cells as solid tumor immunotherapy in ErbB2+ rhabdomyosarcoma.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

CAR-T cell therapy, though successful in hematologic malignancies, faces challenges in solid tumors due to limitations of autologous T cells. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells can be given safely across allogeneic barriers and constitute alternative effector cells generated from healthy donors. CIK cells are a heterogenous population of predominantly T cells with a mixed natural killer (NK) phenotype and combine non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity with potent anti-tumor capacity of the adaptive immune system. Here, we characterize and compare efficacy, phenotypic subpopulations and modes of action of CAR-CIK cells and conventional CAR-T cells from same-donor samples in ErbB2+ rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS).

Methods

To benchmark CAR-CIK against conventional CAR-T cells, ef

SUBMITTER: Moser LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11831232 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature