Inherited genes could help make CAR T therapies safer and more effective Analysis of two pivotal Yescarta clinical trials revealed that patients' germline DNA influences both toxicity risk and CAR T expansion, opening new opportunities for smarter cell therapy design. Written byBree Foster, PhD

Inherited genes could help make CAR T therapies safer and more effective Analysis of two pivotal Yescarta clinical trials revealed that patients' germline DNA influences both toxicity risk and CAR T expansion, opening new opportunities for smarter cell therapy design. Written byBree Foster, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/inherited-genes-could-help-make-car-t-therapies-safer-and-more-effective-17405?utm_campaign=DDN_Newsletter_Dose&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--OP0iwRY17IhELkfD401G13cRlpE8GxfwbTQ8wqGXvvgUo5oiJu7-Z3VXYca-mtRDx2tjtgr9LiPQMG2YAJFVBBE0nlg&_hsmi=444660716&utm_content=444660716&utm_source=hs_email Since the first CAR T therapy won approval in 2017, these engineered immune cells have transformed treatment for several blood cancers. However, despite promising responses in many patients, CAR T remains unpredictable. Some patients experience severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurotoxicity, while others tolerate treatment well. Likewise, the extent to which CAR T cells expand after infusion, a key driver of therapeutic success, varies widely between individuals. In a study published in Science Immunology, investigators analyzed whole-genome sequencing data from patients enrolled in Kite Pharma's pivotal ZUMA-1 and ZUMA-7 clinical trials of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), marketed as Yescarta. Their findings suggest that inherited genetic variants can shape both the safety and performance of CAR T therapy, offering new ways to predict toxicity and engineer improved cell therapies.