CAR-T cells directed toward PD-L1 demonstrate potent, antigen-specific activity against cholangiocarcinoma: A proof of concept study
. Cytotoxicity was abrogated in PD-L1 knockout cells, confirming target specificity. PD-L1 CAR-T cells significantly reduced tumor cell viability within multicellular spheroids. Gemcitabine pretreatment upregulated PD-L1 expression and enhanced CAR-T-mediated cytotoxicity. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of second-generation PD-L1 CAR-T cells, demonstrating preclinical efficacy and specificity, and validating a therapeutic strategy that targets the tumor microenvironment for these challenging cancers.
Authors
- Julia Driscoll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4535-8463)
- Piyush Gondaliya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3590-5785)
- Irene K. Yan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0593-5027)
- Tushar Patel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7021-9532)
- Adil Ali Sayyed (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5860-7890)
- Dylan A. Zinn
- Yan Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1394-4452)
- Yaqing Qie
- Parthvi B. Patel
- Shuhua Li
- Hong Qin
Institutions
- Jacksonville College (US)
- Mayo Clinic in Florida (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Molecular Therapy Oncology
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omton.2026.201209
- Primary Topic
- CAR-T cell therapy research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research