Naive-Like T Cells Linked to CAR T Durability

Higher proportions of less-differentiated T cells were associated with longer progression-free survival in a 783-patient lymphoma analysis

November 4, 2026
3 min

The Medicine Maker

Objective:

Assess whether CAR T cell product characteristics are associated with outcomes in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Approach:

Primary analysis: Researchers analyzed product characteristics and clinical outcomes in 580 patients treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel); median follow-up was 41.9 months.
Validation and cell profiling: Findings were assessed in an independent cohort of 203 patients treated with axi-cel-based therapies or brexucabtagene autoleucel. Additional product analysis included 116 patients.

Key Findings:

A higher proportion of CCR7- and CD45RA-positive naive-like T cells was most strongly associated with longer progression-free survival.
The highest-proportion group had a 54% lower relative hazard of progression or death than the lowest-proportion group; ongoing response rates were 59.3% versus 29.2%.
The association remained significant after adjustment for tumor burden, systemic inflammation, and CAR T cell expansion, and was independent of tumor microenvironment characteristics in a 112-patient subset.
A CD8 T cell population with naive-like features and low PD-1, LAG-3, and TIGIT expression was associated with longer progression-free survival.
More prior treatment lines were associated with lower naive-like T cell proportions in both starting material and final products. Final-product proportions were more strongly associated with outcomes.
No increase in cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity severity was observed in the group with the highest naive-like T cell proportions.

Interpretation:

The study found associations between naive-like T cell content in CAR T cell products and clinical outcomes; it does not establish that changing product composition causes improved outcomes.

Limitations:

The analysis establishes associations rather than causation.
The findings may not extend to all CAR T platforms; the analysis focused on CD28-based products in patients with lymphoma.

Conclusion:

The authors state that further studies are needed to determine whether modifying CAR T cell product composition can directly improve clinical outcomes.