Making CAR T Cells Smarter: A New Way to Tackle Cancer

CAR T cell therapy has already saved many lives by turning a patient’s own immune cells into powerful cancer fighters. But tumors can be clever too. Some cancers escape CAR T cells by showing less of the “target” protein on their surface. When that happens, the CAR T cells struggle to find and attack the tumor.

A team of researchers has found a promising way around this problem. They equipped CAR T cells with an extra boost: a version of a signaling protein called SLP-76 that is attached directly to the cell’s surface. This small change makes the CAR T cells much more sensitive, so they can still recognize and destroy cancer cells even when the target protein is present at very low levels.

In early studies, these enhanced CAR T cells were able to overcome one of the biggest challenges in therapy-tumors that “hide” by lowering their antigens. The technology could make CAR T treatment more reliable, opening the door for better outcomes in patients who currently relapse because their tumors find ways to resist therapy.

For Immunaeon, the message is clear. Breakthroughs like this will only reach their full potential when they start with strong, uncompromised immune cells. By storing your immune cells while they are at their healthiest, Immunaeon ensures that if you ever need access to these next-generation therapies, doctors will have the best possible material to work with.

Rotiroti, M.C., Tousley, A.M., Chu, H. et al. Engineering T cells with a membrane-tethered version of SLP-76 overcomes antigen-low resistance to CAR T cell therapy. Nat Cancer (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-025-01056-4