A new genetic analysis of Kite Pharma’s Yescarta CAR-T trial cohorts identified patient DNA signatures linked to toxicity risk and pointed to specific mutations that may predict severe adverse events. Researchers led by Mark Leick at Massachusetts General Hospital published results in Science Immunology using data from the Zuma-1 and Zuma-7 trials of axi-cel. The team spotlighted STXBP2 mutations in Zuma-1 patients as associated with toxicity, and it is exploring how patient ancestry-related DNA modifications may influence CAR-T behavior. The findings could guide future CAR-T engineering and patient selection strategies aimed at reducing cytokine-release syndrome-like toxicities without compromising efficacy.