Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma; a review of recent advances

Novel therapeutic options such as adoptive immunotherapy have been progressed drastically for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is a kind of adoptive immunotherapy that has been associated with promising results in hematopoietic malignancies. However, its application is associated with some obstacles in solid tumors, including heterogeneity of tumor antigens, immunosuppressive microenvironment, and serious adverse complications. In recent years, some progress has been made in this regard, and several preclinical and phase I clinical trial studies have been conducted concerning the application of CAR T-cells in solid tumors. This study will review the possibilities of CAR T cell therapy in HCC, the most common primary liver cancer associated with high morbidities and mortality globally.