Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40033372›Full record

ArticleExperimental hematology & oncology2025

CD28 is superior to 4-1BB costimulation in generating CAR-NK cells for tumor immunotherapy.

Pengchao Zhang, Xuejia Feng, Xiangyun Niu, Zhongming Liu, Minghui Li, Maoxuan Liu, Dehong Yan, Guizhong Zhang, Xiaochun Wan

Abstract readLetter
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental hematology & oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Pengchao ZhangCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Xuejia FengCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Xiangyun NiuCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Zhongming LiuCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Minghui LiCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Maoxuan LiuCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Dehong YanCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China.
Guizhong ZhangCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China. gz.zhang@siat.ac.cn.
Xiaochun WanCenter for Protein and Cell-based Drugs, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, People's Republic of China. xc.wan@siat.ac.cn.

Funding

Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation 2023A1515030028National Key R&D Program of China 2019YFA0906100Shenzhen Basic Science Research Project JCYJ20220818100806015Shenzhen Medical Research Fund D2401018
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK therapy holds great potential for tumor treatment, but current CAR designs are primarily optimized for T cells, raising concerns about their suitability for NK cells. This study compared two dominant CAR designs used in T cells-CD28-CD3ζ (28z) and 4-1BB-CD3ζ (BBz)-and found that CD28 costimulation offers superior functionality in NK cells. 28z CAR-NK cells exhibited significantly better activation, cytotoxicity, and in vivo anti-tumor efficacy than BBz CAR-NK cells, with similar persistence and tumor infiltration. 28z CAR more effectively recruited the ZAP70 kinase and upregulated multiple key factors involved in immune activation, potentially augmenting CAR-NK cell function. MAP3K8, a kinase involved in inflammation and the MAPK signaling pathway, was identified as a critical mediator in enhancing 28z CAR-NK cell function. Silencing or inhibiting MAP3K8 impaired the anti-tumor activity of 28z CAR-NK cells, while its overexpression substantially improved the function of BBz CAR-NK cells. These findings provide new insights into how CD28 costimulation boosts CAR-NK cell efficacy, supporting its use into NK cell-specific CARs for cancer immunotherapy, and highlight MAP3K8 as a potential target for optimizing BBz CAR-NK cell therapy.

Indexed as

4-1BBCAR-NKCD28MAP3K8Transcriptomics

Identifiers

PMID40033372
PMCPMC11874623

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.