Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40246581›Full record

ArticleJournal for immunotherapy of cancer2025

T-bet overexpression enhances CAR T cell effector functions and antigen sensitivity.

Jennifer M Cimons, Kole R DeGolier, Samuel D Burciaga, Michael C Yarnell, Amanda J Novak, Amalia M Rivera-Reyes, M Eric Kohler, Terry J Fry

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing 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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. CD4Cancer biology & medicine · 2026
    Review
  4. Review
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  6. Article
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

8 authors.

Jennifer M CimonsPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8111-8697
Kole R DeGolierPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Samuel D BurciagaPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Michael C YarnellPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Amanda J NovakPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-8780-7395
Amalia M Rivera-ReyesPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
M Eric KohlerPediatrics Hematolgy/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1181-0418
Terry J FryUniversity of Colorado Denver Children's Hospital Colorado Research Institute, Aurora, Colorado, USA TERRY.FRY@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundT cells modified to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) are successful against B-lineage malignancies but fail to induce durable remissions in up to half of patients and have shown limited efficacy against other types of cancer. Strategies to improve CAR T cell potency and responses to low antigen densities without inducing CAR T cell dysfunction or limiting persistence are necessary to expand durability of remissions.

methodsWe overexpressed T-bet in human and mouse CAR T cells to mimic exposure to signal 3 cytokines during T cell priming to promote T helper cell 1 (Th1) polarization of CD4+CAR T cells with the goal of enhancing antitumor activity. Using human CAR T cells and xenograft models we interrogated the impact of T-bet overexpression on CAR T cell antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. We also used a syngeneic murine CAR T cell model to study the impact of T-bet overexpression on long-term persistence and secondary responses to tumor rechallenge.

resultsT-bet overexpression reduced expression of the Th2 cytokine interleukin 4 and promoted polyfunctional production of Th1-associated cytokines in response to CAR stimulation. T-bet overexpression enhanced some effector functions in vitro but did not improve CAR T cell-mediated control of leukemia expressing high levels of antigen in vivo. T-bet overexpression also improved effector function of murine CD19 CAR T cells with no impairment to the persistence or ability of persistent CAR T cells to re-expand and clear a secondary leukemia challenge. Finally, T-bet overexpression promoted enhanced in vitro function against leukemia expressing low levels of CD19, which translated to improved control of CD19lo leukemia in vivo by human C19 CAR T cells containing a 4-1BB costimulatory domain.

conclusionsTogether, our data demonstrate that T-bet overexpression induces a reduction in Th2 cytokine production, an increase in polyfunctional Th1 cytokine production and enhances 4-1BB CAR T cell activity against cancers expressing low levels of target antigen without promoting a loss in functional CAR T cell persistence.

Indexed as

Immunotherapy, AdoptiveReceptors, Chimeric AntigenT-Box Domain ProteinsAnimalsCell Line, TumorHumansMiceT-bet Transcription FactorXenograft Model Antitumor AssaysReceptors, Chimeric AntigenT-bet Transcription FactorT-Box Domain ProteinsAdoptive cell therapy - ACTChimeric antigen receptor - CAR

Identifiers

PMID40246581
PMCPMC12007057

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Registered trials

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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.