New Delhi– A new study has revealed that age-related decline in immune function may significantly impact the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy, one of the most advanced and promising forms of cancer immunotherapy.
CAR-T therapy, or Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy, involves genetically modifying a patient’s T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. However, researchers have found that aging can impair the function of these engineered immune cells, potentially diminishing their cancer-fighting ability.
The study, led by scientists from the University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), focused on how aging affects CAR-T cells at a cellular level.
Using aged mice, researchers discovered that CAR-T cells derived from older individuals showed weakened mitochondrial function, reduced “stemness” (a measure of a cell’s ability to renew itself), and lower antitumor activity. These changes were linked to a decline in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)—a vital molecule for cellular energy production and mitochondrial metabolism.
“CAR-T cells from older individuals are metabolically impaired and significantly less effective,” said Dr. Helen Carrasco Hope, one of the lead authors. “What’s exciting is that we were able to rejuvenate these aged cells by restoring their NAD levels, which revived their antitumor capabilities in preclinical models.”
The findings, published in the journal Nature Cancer, suggest that aging fundamentally alters immune cell function and metabolism. The research team used NAD-boosting compounds currently under clinical investigation for other conditions, indicating that this therapeutic approach may be translatable to human patients.
“Our study marks a major step toward personalized and age-conscious immunotherapy,” said Dr. Nicola Vannini, senior author of the study. “By correcting age-related metabolic defects, we could significantly improve outcomes for a large segment of cancer patients—particularly older adults who are most affected by cancer.”
The researchers emphasized that age should be systematically factored into the development and evaluation of cell-based therapies. As more evidence accumulates showing that aging is a key biological variable—not just a number—it becomes increasingly important to design cancer treatments that are effective across age groups.
The study underscores the need to more accurately model age in preclinical research to ensure that emerging therapies are tailored to reflect the real-world patient population, where older adults represent the majority of cancer cases. (Source: IANS)
