CAR immune cell therapy strategies and advances for lung cancer

Lung cancer, characterized by its high heterogeneity, propensity for metastasis, and insidious progression, stands as one of the most prevalent lethal malignancies worldwide. Current therapeutic approaches encompass surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, with immune checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy now established as one of the standard treatment modalities. Furthermore, novel immunotherapeutic strategies are under investigation for lung cancer treatment. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immune cell therapy, an adoptive cell therapy, has demonstrated effective pathological cell clearance and manageable safety profiles across various diseases including cancers, autoimmune disorders, and infections. This review summarizes preclinical and clinical advancements in CAR-engineered immune cells for lung cancer treatment, highlighting enhancement strategies explored by researchers to achieve effective CAR-T therapy, as well as the research status of CAR-NK and CAR-Macrophage (CAR-M), and emphasizing emerging therapeutic opportunities to improve survival outcomes in lung cancer patients through CAR-based adoptive cell therapies.