Immunometabolic determinants of long-term response in leukemia patients receiving CD19 CAR T cell therapy

L Lior Goldberg E Eric R. Haas J Jiaqi Wu B Bryan Garcia R Ryan Urak V Vibhuti Vyas R Ruby Espinosa T Tamara Munoz S Shirley Bierkatz K Khyatiben V. Pathak N Nathaniel P. Hansen P Patrick Pirrotte J Jyotsana Singhal J James L. Figarola R Ricardo Zerda Noriega Z Zhuo Li D Dasol Wi E Erin Tanaka R Ramon Klein Geltink M Min-Hsuan Chen X Xiwei Wu J Jamie R. Wagner J Jinny Paul M Mary C. Clark (City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA) D Dat Ngo I Ibrahim Aldoss S Stephen J. Forman (City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA) X Xiuli Wang (State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Abstract Although most patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) receiving CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy achieve remission, loss of CAR T cell functionality and subsequent relapse remains an unmet therapeutic need. Herein, we apply an integrative approach to study the immunometabolism of pre- and post-infusion CD19-CAR T cells of patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL. Pre-infusion CAR T cells of long-term responders (LTR) have increased oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, and pentose phosphate pathway activities, higher mitochondrial mass, tighter cristae, and lower mTOR expression compared to products of short-term responders. Post-infusion CAR T cells in bone marrow (BM) of LTR have high immunometabolic plasticity and mTOR-pS6 expression supported by the BM microenvironment. Transient inhibition of mTOR during manufacture induces metabolic reprogramming and enhances anti-tumor activity of CAR T cells. Our findings provide insight into immunometabolic determinants of long-term response and suggest a therapeutic strategy to improve long-term remission.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 17, Issue 1
Published February 20, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (28)

L

Lior Goldberg

E

Eric R. Haas

J

Jiaqi Wu

B

Bryan Garcia

R

Ryan Urak

V

Vibhuti Vyas

R

Ruby Espinosa

T

Tamara Munoz

S

Shirley Bierkatz

K

Khyatiben V. Pathak

N

Nathaniel P. Hansen

P

Patrick Pirrotte

J

Jyotsana Singhal

J

James L. Figarola

R

Ricardo Zerda Noriega

Z

Zhuo Li

D

Dasol Wi

E

Erin Tanaka

R

Ramon Klein Geltink

M

Min-Hsuan Chen

X

Xiwei Wu

J

Jamie R. Wagner

J

Jinny Paul

M

Mary C. Clark

City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA

D

Dat Ngo

I

Ibrahim Aldoss

S

Stephen J. Forman

City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA

X

Xiuli Wang

State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences