Cancer immunotherapeutics: transforming T-cells to superior cancer killers

The evolution of cancer treatment has marked a significant shift from traditional therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to more targeted T-cell-based therapies. The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and gene-editing techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 has revolutionized cancer immunotherapy. Currently, adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapies, such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, are giving promising results in melanoma and leukemia, respectively. Challenges occur to infiltrating solid tumors due to their dense stromal network, and abnormal vasculature has become a barrier. Hence, focusing on these strategies to modify cancer vasculature, immune suppression, and chemokines are major goals of current ACTs. The present review provides insight into the emerging cancer immune therapeutics, their advantages, and limitations. Emphasis is given to the recently discovered “superior” T-cells. These cells exhibit a unique ability to recognize multiple cancer-associated proteins effectively, making TIL therapy the future of cancer management.