STINGwt CAR-T cells

STINGwt CAR-T cells are chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that retain the endogenous, wild-type Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) protein. In the context of cancer immunotherapy research, particularly for solid tumors like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), these cells serve as a baseline or control to study the impact of T cell-intrinsic STING activation. Research indicates that while STING agonists (such as diABZI) can inflame the tumor microenvironment to enhance anti-tumor immunity, they may also trigger STING-mediated apoptosis or functional exhaustion in the CAR-T cells themselves. Consequently, STINGwt CAR-T cells are often compared against STING-ablated (KO) CAR-T cells to demonstrate that removing STING from the T cells prevents agonist-induced toxicity, thereby enhancing therapeutic synergy with STING-targeting small molecules.

Other names

Wild-type STING CAR-T cellsSTING-competent CAR-T cellsSTING-expressing CAR-T cells