The Landscape of Adoptive Cellular Therapies in Ovarian Cancer

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) is a subset of immunotherapy that offers a compelling personalised alternative to immune checkpoint inhibition. However, there are challenges to be overcome in the use of ACT in solid organ malignancies and their investigation is currently in the early stages. In this review, we aim to discuss the benefits and challenges of available modalities of ACT in ovarian cancer, presenting the results of clinical trials and the rationale for upcoming studies. ABSTRACT: Ovarian cancers are typically poorly immunogenic and have demonstrated disappointing responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Adoptive cellular therapy (ACT) offers an alternative method of harnessing the immune system that has shown promise, especially with the success of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in haematologic malignancies. So far, ACT has led to modest results in the treatment of solid organ malignancies. This review explores the possibility of ACT as an effective alternative or additional treatment to current standards of care in ovarian cancer. We will highlight the potential of ACTs, such as CAR-T, T-cell receptor therapy (TCR-T), tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and cell-based vaccines, whilst also discussing their challenges. We will present clinical studies for these approaches in the treatment of immunologically ‘cold’ ovarian cancer and consider the rationale for future research.