CXCR4-modification boosts CAR-T cell efficacy by improving tumor tracking and bone marrow homing in B cell malignancies

Hematological malignancies of B-cell origin are characterized by frequent expressions of CXCR4 and CXCL12. The CXCR4-CXCL12 axis facilitates the metastasis of B-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma (MM). It is also a pivotal regulator in the migration and bone marrow homing of T-cells. Herein, we hypothesized that engineering CAR-T cells to overexpress CXCR4 could utilize CXCR4-CXCL12 axis to enhance their therapeutic efficacy by increasing tumor tracking and bone marrow accumulation.