FIGURE 1.

The antitumor mechanism of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) T‐cell therapy. (A) The T‐cell receptor (TCR) recognizes intracellular and extracellular tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs) depending on presentation of MHC; but often expression of MHC downregulated by tumor cells in order to escape from killer T cells. (B) However, CAR‐T cells are able to recognize the specific TAAs in a MHC‐independent manner. Next, T cells were activated by phosphorylation of immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based activation motif (ITAM) followed by enhanced cytotoxicity, T‐cell proliferation, as well as secretion of cytokines (such as IL‐2, IL‐4, IFN‐γ, IL‐12, and TNF). Interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) recruit and reinforce functions of macrophages and NK cells. The activated CAR‐T and T cells creates cytotoxicity through production and secretion of granzyme and perforin, as well as through induction of the death receptor pathway (such as Fas/Fas‐L).