ATG5-mediated inducible autophagy sustains CAR-T cell durability under solid tumor stress

Autophagy functions as a context-dependent stress adaptation pathway in T cells; however, its role in sustaining chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell function within solid tumor environments remains insufficiently defined. In this study, we investigated whether ATG5-mediated autophagy regulation contributes to CAR-T cell functional durability under tumor-associated stress conditions. ATG5 overexpression (OE) CAR-T cells did not increase basal autophagy activity but instead selectively enhanced autophagy flux in response to inducible stimuli. Under tumor-mimicking immunosuppressive conditions, ATG5 OE CAR-T cells maintained cytotoxic activity during prolonged antigen exposure and exhibited preserved effector cytokine production together with reduced oxidative stress. Consistent with these in vitro findings, ATG5 OE CAR-T cells exhibited enhanced antitumor efficacy in vivo under IR-preconditioned settings, characterized by improved tumor control and survival, which was associated with sustained effector function of tumor-infiltrating CAR-T cells. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that reinforcing inducible autophagy capacity through ATG5 promotes the maintenance of CAR-T cell function under tumor-associated challenges, highlighting a targeted strategy to enhance CAR-T cell persistence in solid tumor immunotherapy.