HCW Biologics Publishes Breakthrough CAR-T Research Demonstrating Enhanced Potency And Persistence

HCW Biologics Inc., a U.S.-based commercial- and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases, cancer, and senescence-associated disorders, announced the results of groundbreaking research published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances on March 13, 2026. 

The study, led by Harris Goldstein, M.D., professor of pediatrics and microbiology & immunology and director of the Einstein-Rockefeller-CUNY-Mount Sinai Center for AIDS Research, along with his team at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, including graduate student Erin Cole, demonstrates a novel approach to manufacturing highly functional CAR-T cells using HCW Biologics’ proprietary multi-cytokine fusion protein reagent, HCW9206.

The study showed that HCW9206 provides a first-in-class, cytokine-scaffold-based platform that enables the production of CAR-T cells with increased potency and functional persistence. Unlike conventional methods that rely on anti-CD3/anti-CD28/IL-2 stimulation, which produce terminally differentiated and short-lived CAR-Ts, HCW9206 synergizes signals from three immune-stimulatory cytokines—IL-7, IL-15, and IL-21—to generate CAR-T cells highly enriched in long-lived T-memory stem cells (Tscm). This approach produces CAR-T populations with both self-renewal capacity and strong effector function, potentially enhancing persistence and therapeutic activity.

Dr. Hing C. Wong, Founder and CEO of HCW Biologics, explained that HCW9206 can deliver synergistic signals from multiple cytokines in a single molecule. In addition to generating memory-like natural killer (NK) cells for cancer therapy, the compound has shown the ability to improve CAR-T cell manufacturing, providing a streamlined and cost-efficient alternative to conventional methods. Experimental models demonstrated that CAR-Ts generated using HCW9206 exhibited enhanced functional activity and persistence after adoptive transfer, addressing a longstanding challenge in the CAR-T field.

The research demonstrated that HCW9206-stimulated CAR-T cells are highly enriched in Tscm cells, with more than 50% of the population in some models, and displayed potent activity in experimental models of both HIV-1 infection and B-cell leukemia. In humanized mouse models using T cells from people living with HIV, HCW9206-generated duoCAR-T cells maintained long-term functional activity, supporting viral suppression and the presence of effector memory T cells capable of immediate immune response. Similarly, CD19-specific CAR-T cells produced using HCW9206 were able to effectively control tumor growth in multiple humanized cancer models, outperforming CAR-T cells manufactured using conventional anti-CD3/anti-CD28/IL-2 methods.

The study also revealed that antigen stimulation of HCW9206-generated CAR-T cells significantly increased expression of SATB1, a gene important for regulating CD8+ T-cell quiescence, stemness, early effector expansion, and long-term persistence. These findings suggest that HCW9206 may create CAR-T products with enhanced longevity and functional capacity.

Overall, the research demonstrates that HCW9206 provides a scalable and improved method for generating CAR-T cells with high Tscm content and durable effector function. The platform has the potential to advance immunotherapies for HIV, cancer, and other diseases, offering a more robust and long-lasting alternative to conventional CAR-T manufacturing approaches.

The study was conducted by researchers from HCW Biologics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Caring Cross, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, including Natalia Valderrama Pena, B.S., Niraj Shrestha, Ph.D., Hing Wong, Ph.D., Sara Lamcaj, Ph.D., Agnes Sydenstricker, B.S., Adilyn Voss, B.S., Christopher Hiner, Ph.D., Jian Hua Zheng, B.S., Ying Xiong, Ph.D., Zhongyu Zhu, Ph.D., Boro Dropulić, Ph.D., and Cheng Cheng Zhang, Ph.D.