Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026
08:32
Isolating Malignant and Non-Malignant B Cells from lck:eGFP Zebrafish
Published on: February 22, 2019
7.5K
Toxicities associated with immunotherapies for hematologic malignancies.
Mark B Leick1, Marcela V Maus1
1Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Best Practice & Research. Clinical Haematology
|June 19, 2018
Summary
Immunotherapy, including CAR T-cell therapy, offers hope for refractory cancers, but managing its unique toxicities is crucial for patients and healthcare providers. This review details toxicities of novel immunotherapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Hematology
Background:
- Immunotherapy represents a significant advancement for cancers resistant to conventional treatments.
- Hematologic malignancies have been at the forefront of adopting novel cell-based immunotherapies.
- Durable remissions have been observed in some patients receiving these advanced therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of the toxicities associated with novel cancer immunotherapies.
- To highlight the management challenges posed by these new treatment-related toxicities.
- To inform healthcare professionals about the side effects of revolutionary cancer treatments.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on cancer immunotherapy.
- Analysis of toxicities associated with T-cell-engaging therapies.
- Focus on bispecific T cell engagers, checkpoint inhibitors, and CAR T-cells.
Main Results:
- Novel immunotherapies, while effective, present unique toxicity profiles.
- Management of these toxicities requires a multidisciplinary approach.
- Understanding these side effects is essential for safe and effective patient care.
Conclusions:
- Immunotherapy, particularly cell-based approaches like CAR T-cells, has transformed cancer treatment, especially for hematologic malignancies.
- Recognizing and managing the associated toxicities is paramount for successful patient outcomes.
- Ongoing research and clinical vigilance are necessary to optimize the use of these powerful agents.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
2.0K
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.
2.0K
01:26Toxic Reactions: Overview
2.1K
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
2.1K
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
24.2K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
24.2K
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
21.7K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
21.7K
02:02Responses to Salt Stress
14.6K
Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.
14.6K
02:24Comparative Excretory Systems
26.7K
Animals have evolved different strategies for excretion, the removal of waste from the body. Most waste must be dissolved in water to be excreted, so an animal’s excretory strategy directly affects its water balance.
26.7K