Solid tumors and advanced therapies: why science alone will not deliver the cure

Despite remarkable progress in hematologic cancers, advanced therapies (CAR-T, TCR, in vivo CARs, and engineered immune cells) have consistently failed to deliver durable benefit in solid tumors (with the exception of lifileucel and afamitresgene autoleucel). The underlying causes are not purely biological. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is indeed a formidable, multifactorial barrier: a physical and chemical fortress that limits infiltration, perfusion, and persistence. Yet scientific innovation alone cannot solve what is equally a translational and systemic challenge. Capital irrationality, fragmented IP strategies, and the lack of a rational, product-oriented mindset are stalling genuine progress.