Science Highlights
Published on March 31, 2026
Anti-mesothelin CAR-T therapy with biogenic selenium nanoparticles against TNBC
by Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
Hosseini M, Shahosseini Z, Meymandi ARP, et al. Biogenic Selenium Nanoparticles Potentiate Anti-Mesothelin CAR-T Cell Therapy in a Syngeneic TNBC Model. Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. 2026; (doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2026.01.018).
While an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) limits the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immunotherapy in solid tumors, lab experiments suggest the treatment could advance by leveraging the power of nanoparticles. Researchers produced anti-mesothelin CAR-T cells to test in an immunocompetent murine model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Mice were randomized to CAR-T monotherapy; CAR-T plus biogenic selenium nanoparticles (bSeNPs), to enhance therapeutic response via their known immunomodulatory and pro-apoptotic properties; or to control groups. The results shed light on the potential of anti-mesothelin CAR-T cells for TNBC, as evidenced by strong in vitro cytotoxicity, antigen-specific proliferation, and cytokine production. Both CAR-T alone and with bSeNPs significantly curbed tumor growth compared with controls in vivo, but the combination group saw greater consistency in improved tumor control. Evidence also indicated that bSeNPs may favorably modulate the TME and thereby enhance CAR-T cell function, with gene expression analysis revealing reduced expression of PD-L1, TGF-ß1, and IL-10 and enhanced pro-apoptotic signaling in the CAR-T + bSeNP arm.
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Transplantation and Cellular Therapy