Immunotherapy for pediatric solid tumors: overcoming biological barriers through rational multimodal combinations - PubMed
5 hours ago
- #Pediatric Oncology
- #Solid Tumors
- #Immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy for pediatric solid tumors faces challenges like low tumor mutational burden, sparse neoantigens, and immunosuppressive microenvironments.
- Anti-GD2 monoclonal antibodies have improved survival in high-risk neuroblastoma, with antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific T cell engagers targeting GD2, B7-H3, and GPC2 expanding applications.
- CAR T cell therapies show feasibility with advanced engineering strategies, including cytokine armoring and bispecific constructs, to overcome barriers like poor tumor infiltration and antigen escape.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors are ineffective as monotherapy in unselected populations but induce durable responses in subsets like mismatch repair-deficient and hypermutated tumors.
- Emerging platforms, such as oncolytic virotherapy, NK cell engagers, and neoantigen vaccines, aim to convert immunologically cold tumors into treatment-responsive phenotypes, pointing toward future combination immunotherapy tailored to pediatric cancers.