Neoantigens in the application of adoptive cell therapy for solid tumors

Neoantigens, also known as tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), represent a current research hotspot in the field of tumor immunology, offering immense potential for cancer treatment. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT), an emerging and rapidly evolving treatment modality, provides novel insights into oncological treatment strategies. Traditional ACT has primarily targeted tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), with chimeric antigen receptor-T cell (CAR-T) therapy demonstrating promising clinical benefits in hematological malignancies, but it exhibits limited efficacy in solid tumors. In contrast to TAAs, neoantigens can be more specifically targeted on tumor cells, which render ACT targeting TSAs an innovative and optimized therapeutic approach. This review commences with an exploration of the sources of neoantigens, elaborates on the identification processes, and subsequently summarizes the preclinical and clinical trials of ACT targeting neoantigens in solid tumors. Ultimately, we also discuss the related challenges and offer prospects for future research in this field.