Fig. 1: CARP T cells enhance the antitumor efficacy of CARMz T cells.

a CARP T, CARMz T, a mixture of CARMz T and CARP T and control CAR19z T cells cytotoxicity against HeLa-GL cells were measured at various E:T ratios. Data are presented as mean ± SD (N = 3 independent experiments). p Values (CAR19z T vs. CARP T = 0.115, CAR19z T vs. CARMz T = 2.903E−04, CARMz T + CARP T vs. CARMz T = 4.92E−13). b The production of IL-2 and IFN-γ by CARP T, CARMz T, a mixture of CARMz T and CARP T and control CAR19z T cells. Data are presented as mean ± SD (N = 3 biological samples). p Values (CAR19z T vs. CARP T = IL2: 0.757, IFN-γ: 0.360, CAR19z T vs. CARMz T = IL2: 5.795E−08, IFN-γ: 0.044, CARMz T + CARP T vs. CARMz T = IL2: 1.035E−07, IFN-γ: 6.386E−04). c–f NSI mice bearing HeLa-GL tumors (5 × 10⁵, established for 14 days) were infused with CARP T, CARMz T, a mixture of CARMz T and CARP T or CAR19z T cells (2.5 × 10⁶). c Tumor volumes were monitored on the indicated days. Individual tumor responses to CAR-T cell injection are shown with spider plots below. Data are presented as mean ± SD (N = 4 mice per group). p Values (CAR19z T vs. CARP T = 0.999, CAR19z T vs. CARMz T = 4.282E−10, CARMz T + CARP T vs. CARMz T = 1.915E−06). d Tumor weights were measured after mouse euthanasia. p Values (CAR19z T vs. CARP T = 0.897, CAR19z T vs. CARMz T = 0.025, CARMz T + CARP T vs. CARMz T = 0.004). e Representative phenotype of CARMz T, CARMz T from a mixture of CARMz T and CARP T and control CAR19z T cells (gated on CD3⁺GFP⁺ cells) within tumors. f Proportions of Tcm (central memory T, CD45RO⁺CCR7⁺) and Tscm (stem cell memory T, CD45RO⁻CCR7⁺) cells in (e). p Values (CARMz T + CARP T vs. CARMz T = Tcm: 3.799E−04, Tscm: 5.043E−04). Data of d and f are presented as mean ± SEM (N = 4 mice per group). p Values of a and c were calculated by two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. p Values of b, d, and f were calculated by one-way ANOVA with Sidak’s post hoc test. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, and ***p < 0.001.