Immunotherapy-related cognitive impairment after CAR T cell therapy in mice

Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer treatment for many tumor types, yet their cognitive effects remain incompletely understood. In this cutting-edge study, Geraghty A. et al. show in mouse models that CAR T cell therapy for both CNS and non-CNS cancers impairs cognitive function and triggers a CNS immune response, characterized by disruption of CNS homeostasis and white-matter microglial activation, leading to disrupted oligodendroglial homeostasis and impaired hippocampal neurogenesis. In mice, microglial depletion or CCR3 blockade rescued oligodendroglial deficits and improved performance on attention tests after CAR T therapy.