Physician-Researchers Advance Medical Understanding of CAR-T for Lymphoma

January 22, 2026

Physician-scientists at Hackensack University Medical Center’s John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) — a leading research partner of the NCI-designated Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University, and the best Cancer Center in New Jersey — have published three studies advancing medical understanding of the safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma and large B-cell lymphoma.

Understanding Real-World Outcomes of CAR-T Drugs for Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Andrew Ip, M.D., M.S., chief of Outcomes and Value Care at JTCC, member of the Lymphoma Division at JTCC, published a paper in Blood Advances assessing the real-world outcomes of CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapies in large B-cell lymphoma. The study examined outcomes from the use of three CAR-T drugs — axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel), and lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) — across 624 patients, comparing their efficacy and safety.

“We found that in real-world applications, CD-19 directed CAR-T had very similar efficacy and safety outcomes to what was shown in initial clinical trials for FDA approval,” said Dr. Ip. “Further, we found that axi-cel and liso-cel are preferred treatments for large B-cell lymphoma, which is consistent with our experience in the clinic. We also observed that axi-cel has a lower chance of being out-of-specification for the patient due to manufacturing quality issues and can be manufactured for the patient more quickly than other CAR-T therapies. This is key with respect to patients who need CAR-T as soon as possible and cannot wait an extra one or two weeks for CAR-T cell manufacturing.”

More Research Needed in Burkitt Lymphoma Care

Similarly, Lori A. Leslie, M.D., director of the Indolent Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Programs at JTCC, published research in Blood showing real-world outcomes comparing progression free survival and overall survival in patients with relapsed/refractory Burkitt lymphoma who received CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, including primarily axi-cel, liso-cel, or tisa-cel.

“In the real world study, we found that various available CD19 CAR-T cell therapy did not provide long-term disease control for the majority of patients included with relapsed/refractory Burkitt lymphoma,” said Dr. Leslie. “However, recent preliminary analysis of ZUMA-25 demonstrates more promising early efficacy, highlighting the need for further prospective studies of cellular therapies in patients with Burkitt.”

Study Validates Al-Backed Clinical Decision-Making Tool

In a third paper published in Nature Medicine, Dr. Ip, Dr. Leslie and colleagues studied whether a quantitative model known as InflaMix could accurately predict risk of relapse or death after CAR-T treatment in patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. InflaMix used an algorithm to analyze laboratory and cytokine measures showing inflammation and end-organ function in 688 patients to predict patient risk of poor treatment outcomes.

“We found that InflaMix consistently and reproducibly identified patients with a higher risk of relapse and mortality,” said Dr. Leslie. Dr Ip added, “Our research shows that InflaMix has potential to assist with clinical decision-making for patients considering CAR-T to treat diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.”

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