The CA19-9 glycan is a viable target for CAR T cell therapy in pancreatic and other solid tumors

The authors investigate the potential of targeting the CA19-9 glycan for CAR T cell therapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and other solid tumors, addressing the challenge of finding tumor-specific cell-surface targets. They designed and tested 14 CAR constructs, ultimately identifying one, AbLIFT15.28z, that demonstrated effective T cell expansion and specific anti-tumor activity against CA19-9-expressing cancers in various pre-clinical models. The study supports the clinical development of CA19-9 CAR T cells for treating gastrointestinal cancers.