Removing CD5 Gene Improves CAR-T Expansion, Antitumor Capabilities

Deleting the CD5 gene from CAR T-cells improved their expansion, durability, and tumor-killing capabilities, according to a preclinical study led by Marco Ruella, MD, an assistant professor of Hematology-Oncology, whose research at Penn Medicine was inspired by Carl June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy. Researchers plan to evaluate this CD5 “knockout” approach in a clinical trial of patients with T-cell lymphoma.