Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Manufacturing Chimeric Antigen Receptor CAR T Cells for Adoptive Immunotherapy
Published on: December 17, 2019
T cell immunotherapy enhanced by designer biomaterials
Zachary S Dunn1, John Mac1, Pin Wang2
1Mork Family Department of of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Abstract:
Cancer immunotherapy has recently burst onto the center stage of cancer treatment and research. T lymphocyte adoptive cellular transfer (ACT), a form of cancer immunotherapy, has spawned unprecedented complete remissions for terminal patients with certain leukemias and lymphomas. Unfortunately, the successes have been overshadowed by the disappointing clinical results of ACT administered to treat solid tumors, in addition to the toxicities associated with the treatment, a lack of efficacy in a significant proportion of the patient population, and cancer relapse following the treatment. Biomaterials hold the promise of addressing these shortcomings. ACT consists of two main stages - T lymphocyte ex vivo expansion followed by reinfusion into the patient - and biomaterials can improve the efficacy of ACT at both stages. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the use of biomaterials for T lymphocyte adoptive cellular cancer immunotherapy and discuss the challenges at each stage.
Related Concept Videos
Tumor Immunotherapy
Group Design
Factorial Design
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Design Example: Designing a Residential Plumbing System
Design Example: Designing Water Slide
Bernoulli's principle determines the water's velocity along the slide....

