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ASCO GI 2022 | CAR-T cells versus SPEAR T-cells to treat solid tumors

David S. Hong, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, explains how (Specific Peptide Enhanced Affinity Receptor) SPEAR T-cells are functioanlly distinct from CAR-T cells. CAR-T cells are T-cells engineered to target naturally occuring antigens on cancer cells whereas TCRs can only bind with MHC proteins. CAR-T cells have not been highly effective in treating solid tumors, such as in those expressing HER2. The targeting of antigens such as HER2 is associated with off-target toxicities due to the expression of such antigens on normal tissue. On the other hand, the targets of TCRs are specifically restricted to tumor cells and are almost never expressed on normal tissue, ultimatley reducing off-target toxicites and enhancing patient outcome. Dr. Hong emphasizes that although cellular therapy has shown success only in blood cancers to date, the development and improvement of cellular therapy with TCRs for solid tumors will be continuous. This interview took place at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.