Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UCSI University, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  • 5 Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Front Immunol, 2024;15:1484535.
PMID: 39450176 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1484535

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct malignancy of the nasopharynx and is consistently associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Its unique anatomical location and complex aetiology often result in advanced-stage disease at first diagnosis. While radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy have been the mainstays of treatment, they often fail to prevent tumour recurrence and metastasis, leading to high rates of treatment failure and mortality. Recent advancement in cell-based therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, have shown great promise in hematological malignancies and are now being investigated for NPC. However, challenges such as targeting specific tumour antigens, limited T cell persistence and proliferation, and managing treatment-related toxicities must be addressed. Extensive research is needed to enhance the effectiveness and safety of these therapies, paving the way for their integration into standard clinical practice for better management of NPC and a better quality of life for human health.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.