Two manufacturing advances promise to address CAR‑T scalability: a dextran‑based nanoparticle platform shown to enhance CAR‑T production efficiency, and industry uptake of real‑time metabolic cell monitoring in cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing workflows. The dextran nanoparticle technology reportedly increases yield and functionality of produced CAR‑T cells, improving cost and throughput metrics in preclinical studies. Separately, process‑analytical technologies for real‑time metabolic monitoring—highlighted by PHCNA commentary—are enabling earlier intervention in complex CGT runs, improving batch consistency and reducing out‑of‑specification risk. Together, these process and material innovations target two key bottlenecks: cell yield and in‑process visibility. Why it matters: scaling CAR‑T and other autologous cell therapies hinges on both biologics that boost cell expansion and instrumented manufacturing that detects and corrects process drift in real time; combined, these could lower cost and shorten time‑to‑release.