Naive-like T cells in CAR-T for lymphoma: what do clinicians think?

A large analysis of samples pooled from several anti-CD19 CAR-T studies in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma has been published. A high proportion of naive-like and stem cell memory T cells (CCR7+CD45RA+) in the product before infusion correlated with a better and more durable clinical response. This is a correlation, not proven causality: the analysis does not show that these cells themselves produce the result. What shall we discuss: — Could the cell phenotype of the product become a biomarker for clinical decisions, or is it still just a research finding? — What else might explain the association (patient characteristics, prior therapy, tumor burden, manufacturing conditions), and how can it be separated from the composition of the product itself? — Should manufacturers deliberately enrich products for such cells, and what risks do you see? For USMLE and clinical practice, it is useful to be able to explain why CD19 is the target in B-cell lymphomas and how naive, memory and effector T cells differ. Full article: drasiiavinograd.com/blog/car-t-naive-like-t-cells-and-lymphoma-outcome Source: Nature Medicine nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04707-w