Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40910564›Full record

ArticleOncoimmunology2025

Divergent on-target off-tumor effects by CAR T and CAR NK cells suggest different efficacy and safety of cell therapies.

Katharina Schindler-Wnek, Anika Stahringer, Nadine Heimer, Ulrike Koehl, Stephan Fricke, Dominik Schmiedel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Oncoimmunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing 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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Anti-BCMA CAR-NK Cells Reveal Enhanced Cytolytic and Secretory Responses Against Myeloma Cells.APMIS : acta pathologica, microbiologica, et immunologica Scandinavica · 2026
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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

6 authors.

Katharina Schindler-WnekDepartment for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.
Anika StahringerDepartment for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.
Nadine HeimerDepartment for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.
Ulrike KoehlDepartment for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.
Stephan FrickeDepartment for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.
Dominik SchmiedelDepartment for Cell and Gene Therapy Development, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

CAR-based cell therapies have shown clinical success in treating various cancers, with CAR T cell therapies entering the clinical route and CAR NK cell therapies being evaluated in early-stage clinical trials. A key challenge is the presence of tumor-associated antigens on healthy cells, risking on-target off-tumor toxicities. Our comparative analysis of CAR T and CAR NK cells targeting the multiple myeloma-associated antigens BCMA, SLAMF7, and CD38 revealed that antigen density on target cells significantly modulates CAR NK cell activation and cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic potential of CAR NK cells was comparable to that of CAR T cells when targeting BCMA and CD38, but notable differences were observed in SLAMF7-directed CAR cells. While CAR sensitivity was similar in both cell types, CAR NK cell activity was balanced by inhibitory receptors like KIRs and NKG2A. This balance allows effective tumor control while potentially reducing on-target off-tumor effects on healthy cells with low antigen expression. Consequently, CAR NK cells offer greater flexibility in target antigen selection, potentially expanding the range of targetable antigens for cancer immunotherapy.

Indexed as

Immunotherapy, AdoptiveKiller Cells, NaturalMultiple MyelomaReceptors, Chimeric AntigenAntigens, NeoplasmB-Cell Maturation AntigenCell Line, TumorCytotoxicity, ImmunologicHumansLymphocyte ActivationSignaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule FamilyAntigens, NeoplasmB-Cell Maturation AntigenReceptors, Chimeric AntigenSignaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule FamilySLAMF7 protein, humanCAR NK cellsCAR T cellsimmunotherapyon-target off-tumor cytotoxicity

Identifiers

PMID40910564
PMCPMC12416173

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.