IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Mechanical softness: paving the road of CAR T therapy

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Video Summary

The speaker described research on using mechanical softness to improve CAR-T therapy. Cells respond to both chemical and mechanical signals, and softness is a key property of stem-like cells. In their lab, T cells were activated and cultured in 3D fibrin gels, then engineered with CARs, producing “3D CAR-T” cells that expanded well and acquired stem cell-like features. The mechanism involves mechanical signaling through integrin β2, leading to YAP degradation via 14-3-3ζ, release of MAFG, and activation of stemness genes like SOX2 and TCF1. At the same time, focal adhesion kinase and ERK promote proliferation. These soft CAR-T cells showed better expansion, tumor infiltration, persistence, and anti-tumor activity in solid tumor models such as colorectal cancer, glioblastoma, and pancreatic cancer. The speaker suggested this softness-based approach could offer a low-cost, highly effective next generation of CAR-T therapy.

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Date April 18, 2026 9:45 AM - 10:03 AM

Room 153C

Session A New Era in Interdisciplinary Immunotherapy, Sponsored by the Chinese Soc. for Immunol. (CSI)

Speaker Bo Huang

Track Translational and Interventional Immunology (TI)

Year 2026

Keywords

CAR-T therapy

mechanical softness

3D fibrin gels

stemness genes

solid tumor immunotherapy

April 18, 2026 9:45 AM - 10:03 AM

153C

A New Era in Interdisciplinary Immunotherapy, Sponsored by the Chinese Soc. for Immunol. (CSI)

Bo Huang

Translational and Interventional Immunology (TI)

2026