Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Tumor Immunotherapy

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Hyperactive basolateral amygdala mediates comorbid anxiety in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Journal of neuroinflammation·2026

Same author

A covalent molecular glue hijacks the E3 ligase MKRN2 to degrade the ribosomal protein RPS7 and induce synthetic lethality in p53-deficient NSCLC cells.

British journal of pharmacology·2026

Same author

Retraction: Short-term early exposure to thirdhand cigarette smoke increases lung cancer incidence in mice.

Clinical science (London, England : 1979)·2026

Same author

Simultaneous removal of fluoride and disinfection by-product precursors through Zr salt enhanced coagulation.

Journal of environmental sciences (China)·2026

Same author

Genetic variations and their interaction with thirdhand smoke exposure on anxiety and memory in Collaborative Cross mice.

Environment international·2026

Same author

A Bayesian network meta-analysis: evaluating the efficacy and safety of targeted therapies in metastatic or advanced radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Frontiers in oncology·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 8, 2026

A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy

A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy

Published on: February 21, 2025

Masked Chimeric Antigen Receptor for Tumor-Specific Activation.

Xiaolu Han¹, Paul D Bryson², Yifan Zhao³

¹Genetic, Molecular & Cellular Biology Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.

Molecular Therapy : the Journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy

|January 28, 2017

Summary

Engineered T (CAR-T) cells offer potent cancer immunotherapy but can cause toxicities. A novel masked CAR (mCAR) design uses a tumor-specific protease-cleavable shield to enhance safety by enabling CAR-T cell targeting only at the tumor site.

More Related Videos

A Real-time Potency Assay for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting Solid and Hematological Cancer Cells

A Real-time Potency Assay for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting Solid and Hematological Cancer Cells

Published on: November 12, 2019

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Published on: January 3, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 8, 2026

A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy

A Nonviral Approach to Generate Transient Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Using mRNA for Cancer Immunotherapy

Published on: February 21, 2025

A Real-time Potency Assay for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting Solid and Hematological Cancer Cells

A Real-time Potency Assay for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Targeting Solid and Hematological Cancer Cells

Published on: November 12, 2019

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Generation of Human Chimeric Antigen Receptor Regulatory T Cells

Published on: January 3, 2025

Area of Science:

Oncology
Immunology
Biotechnology

Background:

Adoptive cellular therapy using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T (CAR-T) cells is a significant advancement in cancer immunotherapy.
CAR-T cells target tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) for potent antitumor activity.
A major limitation is "on-target off-tumor" toxicity due to TAAs expressed on healthy tissues, restricting clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a safer CAR-T cell therapy by minimizing "on-target off-tumor" toxicities.
To design a masked CAR (mCAR) that is selectively activated in the tumor microenvironment.
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the novel mCAR system.

Main Methods:

Engineered an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-specific masked CAR (mCAR) with a protease-sensitive linker and masking peptide.
Assessed mCAR binding and activation in vitro with and without tumor-associated proteases.
Evaluated the in vivo antitumor efficacy and safety of mCAR-T cells compared to unmasked CAR-T cells.

Main Results:

The mCAR demonstrated significantly reduced antigen binding and activation in the absence of specific proteases.
Protease treatment restored normal CAR-T cell binding and activity, mimicking tumor microenvironment conditions.
mCAR-T cells exhibited comparable antitumor efficacy to conventional CAR-T cells in vivo with an improved safety profile.

Conclusions:

The developed masked CAR (mCAR) system effectively enhances the safety of CAR-T cell therapy.
Protease-mediated masking and unmasking provides a mechanism for tumor-specific CAR-T cell activation.
This strategy holds promise for targeting broadly expressed antigens and improving CAR-T cell therapy applications.