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Researchers at UCSF have developed a CAR T-cell therapy designed to activate its tumor-targeting machinery only after reaching the brain. Unlike conventional CAR T cells, which are already equipped to recognize and attack tumor cells when infused, this approach uses a two-step system. The cells first detect brevican, a protein found in the brain, which switches on their ability to recognize and attack tumor cells. In mouse models, the treatment eliminated diffuse midline glioma (DMG) tumors, and remained active enough to attack tumors introduced weeks later. The results are still preclinical, by they hope to begin first-in-human clinical trials in early 2027.