Researchers Identify Protein That May Limit CAR T-Cell Therapy Effectiveness
CAR T-cell therapy reprograms a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. While the treatment has shown success against certain blood cancers, the engineered cells often become less effective as they develop an "exhausted" state.
Researchers have identified a protein called NFIL3 as a major contributor to this exhaustion. When NFIL3 was disabled in CAR T cells, the cells maintained their cancer-fighting capabilities longer. In animal models, these modified cells controlled tumors more effectively than standard CAR T cells.
The findings suggest that targeting NFIL3 could improve how long CAR T therapies remain active, potentially expanding their usefulness for a broader range of cancers.