Language
English
Publication Date
11-21-2025
Journal
iScience
DOI
10.1016/j.isci.2025.113680
PMID
41210973
PMCID
PMC12589891
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
10-6-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
CAR T cell (CART) therapy holds promise for cancer treatment, but heterogeneity among products limits clinical effectiveness, making systematic profiling essential to identify predictors of success. Recently, a phase 1 clinical trial investigated whether a constitutively active IL-7 receptor (C7R) could safely improve the function and persistence of GD2-directed CARTs (GD2.CARTs) in pediatric patients with high-grade CNS tumors. We analyzed infusion products from trial participants using a custom-designed 33-color full spectrum flow cytometry (FSFC) panel combined with an image-based tumor killing assay to characterize CART products and evaluate the impact of C7R on GD2.CART performance. Patient-specific variations in T cell composition were linked to therapeutic success, with C7R co-expression enhancing the functional phenotype of GD2.CARTs compared to CAR-only products. Unsupervised clustering identified CD8+ T cells associated with clinical responses, marked by activation, infiltration, resilience, and cytotoxicity. Our FSFC-based profiling approach reveals determinants of CART efficacy and supports strategies to optimize adoptive immunotherapy.
Keywords
Health sciences, Immunology, Laboratory medicine, Medicine, Oncology
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Schulenberg, Sarah; Farrera-Sal, Martí; Loeser, Michelle; et al., "Multi-parametric Profiling of Il-7-Augmented GD2.CART Products in a Phase 1 Clinical Trial" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Students Publications. 6342.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/6342