EBV Specific Cytokine Secreting TCR-T Cells in the Treatment of EBV-Positive Metastatic/Refractory Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections is known to be a high-risk factor to induce cervical cancers. To date, EBV-related nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is still a major concern in east Asia, especially in China. Concurrent therapies for NPC have limited response rate and high chance of relapse. However, EBV-induced cancers provided an ideal target for T cell-based immunotherapy due to the non-self origins. Engineered T cells bearing a TCR (TCR-T) that can specifically recognize the presented EBV-epitope become a viable approach to treat this type of cancer. Though engineered T therapies have been well-recognized in hematological cancers, solid cancer treatment has been a major hurdle due to the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. Cytokine seemed to represent the ideal candidate for tumor immunotherapy, due to its ability to activate both innate (NK cells) and adaptive immunities. therefore, TCR-T cells armed with a cytokine -secretion element could further enhance the efficacy of TCR-T in solid cancers.