Dr. Hammers on Challenges With CAR T-Cell Therapy in RCC

Hans Hammers, MD, PhD, associate professor of internal medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses the challenges with CAR T-cell therapy in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

The introduction of CAR T cells has been practice changing in hematologic malignancies. More success has been seen in leukemia compared with solid tumors like RCC, says Hammers. In leukemia, CAR T-cell therapy typically depletes B cells, but a similar antigen target is not as easy to find in solid tumors. Approaches that increase the specificity of tumor cells and the resistance to the tumor microenvironment may be the key to utilizing CAR T cells more effectively in solid tumors.

Hammers is hopeful that present developments in other diseases will shed light on kidney cancer treatment in the near future.