# CD19

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/cd19/  
OnCo record `cd19` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

CD19 is a marker on B cells and B-cell cancers, and was the target of the first CAR-T therapies ever approved.

## Summary

CD19 is expressed throughout B-cell development and on nearly all B-cell malignancies. Target of tisagenlecleucel, axicabtagene, lisocabtagene, brexucabtagene, obecabtagene (CAR-T), blinatumomab (BiTE), tafasitamab, and loncastuximab tesirine (ADC). CD19 CAR-T is now also used in autoimmune disease.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Tags: car-t-target
- Symbol: CD19
- Class: surface-antigen
- Biology: B-cell co-receptor; loss of CD19 is a common escape mechanism after CAR-T.
- Where found: ALL; DLBCL; Follicular lymphoma; Mantle cell lymphoma; CLL

## Notes

- Lymphoma: The same B-cell lymphomas as CD20, and it appears earlier in B-cell development and stays on after CD20 is lost, which is why it is the second address rather than a duplicate of the first. Also on healthy cells: Normal B cells from the pro-B stage onwards; the Human Protein Atlas reads CD19 as lineage enriched in B cells (173 nTPM). A subset of normal plasma cells keeps it. What the medicine does: CD19 internalises, so it carries all three formats: a naked Fc-engineered antibody (tafasitamab), an antibody-drug conjugate, and the four approved CAR-T products in lymphoma (axicabtagene ciloleucel, tisagenlecleucel, lisocabtagene maraleucel and, in mantle cell lymphoma, brexucabtagene autoleucel). How tumours lose it: Antigen escape after CAR-T is the best-characterised escape route of any lymphoma surface target. Relapse with loss of the epitope follows 10 to 20% of paediatric responses in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and the mechanism is a combination: hemizygous deletions across the CD19 locus, de novo frameshift and missense mutations in exon 2, and selection for an alternatively spliced messenger RNA lacking exon 2 whose truncated protein no longer presents the CAR epitope but still partly rescues the cell (Sotillo 2015). CD19 target evasion also occurs in large B-cell lymphoma after axicabtagene ciloleucel (Plaks 2021); OnCo does not hold a share it can stand behind for lymphoma, because the published series are small and the reported figures do not agree. What that costs the patient: The same B-cell aplasia and hypogammaglobulinaemia as anti-CD20, but deeper and longer after CAR-T, where it can last years and is managed with immunoglobulin replacement. Because CD19 appears earlier in B-cell development than CD20, recovery is slower.

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD19
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD19
- Sotillo et al., Cancer Discov 2015: acquired mutations and alternative splicing of CD19 enable resistance to CART-19: https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-15-1020
- Plaks et al., Blood 2021: CD19 target evasion as a mechanism of relapse after axicabtagene ciloleucel in large B-cell lymphoma: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood.2021010930

## Connected records

- biomarkers: [CD19 expression (CD19-positive)](https://onco.cc/biomarkers/cd19-expression/)
- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [Burkitt lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/burkitt-lymphoma/), [Childhood cancers (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/childhood-cancers/), [Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/cll/), [Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/dlbcl/), [Follicular lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/follicular-lymphoma/), [High-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children (high-risk B-ALL and T-ALL)](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-paediatric-high-risk/), [HIV-associated (AIDS-related) lymphomas](https://onco.cc/cancers/hiv-associated-lymphoma/), [Infant acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (KMT2A-rearranged, under one year)](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-infant/), [Mantle cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/mantle-cell-lymphoma/), [Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/), [Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph-like or BCR::ABL1-like ALL)](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-ph-like/), [Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children (Ph-positive ALL)](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-paediatric-ph-positive/), [Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD)](https://onco.cc/cancers/post-transplant-lymphoproliferative-disorder/), [Primary CNS lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/primary-cns-lymphoma/), [Primary mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/primary-mediastinal-b-cell-lymphoma/), [Relapsed and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-paediatric-relapsed/), [Relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/cll-relapsed/), [Richter transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/richter-transformation-cll/), [Standard-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-paediatric-standard-risk/), [Waldenström macroglobulinaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/waldenstrom/)
- drugs: [AT101](https://onco.cc/drugs/at101/), [Axicabtagene ciloleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/axicabtagene-ciloleucel/), [AZD0120](https://onco.cc/drugs/azd0120/), [AZD0486](https://onco.cc/drugs/azd0486/), [Blinatumomab](https://onco.cc/drugs/blinatumomab/), [Brexucabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/brexucabtagene-autoleucel/), [CD19 t-haNK](https://onco.cc/drugs/cd19-t-hank/), [CRC01](https://onco.cc/drugs/crc01/), [CTX112](https://onco.cc/drugs/ctx112/), [Englumafusp alfa](https://onco.cc/drugs/englumafusp-alfa/), [GC012F](https://onco.cc/drugs/gc012f/), [Inaticabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/inaticabtagene-autoleucel/), [JNJ-90014496](https://onco.cc/drugs/jnj-90014496/), [Lisocabtagene maraleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/lisocabtagene-maraleucel/), [Loncastuximab tesirine](https://onco.cc/drugs/zynlonta/), [MK-1045](https://onco.cc/drugs/mk-1045/), [Obecabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/obecabtagene-autoleucel/), [Relmacabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/relmacabtagene-autoleucel/), [Rondecabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/rondecabtagene-autoleucel/), [Tafasitamab](https://onco.cc/drugs/tafasitamab/), [Talicabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/talicabtagene-autoleucel/), [TBI-1501](https://onco.cc/drugs/tbi-1501/), [TC011](https://onco.cc/drugs/tc011/), [Tisagenlecleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/tisagenlecleucel/), [Varnimcabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/varnimcabtagene-autoleucel/), [Zamtocabtagene autoleucel](https://onco.cc/drugs/zamtocabtagene-autoleucel/)
- companies: [Allogene Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/allogene/), [Capstan Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/capstan-therapeutics/), [Caribou Biosciences](https://onco.cc/companies/caribou/), [Cellogen Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/cellogen/), [Century Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/century-therapeutics/), [Cullinan Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/cullinan-therapeutics/), [Fate Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/fate-therapeutics/), [Iksuda Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/iksuda-therapeutics/), [Immuneel Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/immuneel/), [ImmunoACT](https://onco.cc/companies/immunoact/), [Imugene](https://onco.cc/companies/imugene/), [Janux Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/janux-therapeutics/), [Kelonia Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/kelonia-therapeutics/), [Kernal Biologics](https://onco.cc/companies/kernal-biologics/), [Lyell Immunopharma](https://onco.cc/companies/lyell-immunopharma/), [MorphoSys (Novartis)](https://onco.cc/companies/morphosys/), [Nkarta](https://onco.cc/companies/nkarta/), [Orna Therapeutics (Eli Lilly)](https://onco.cc/companies/orna-therapeutics/), [Poseida Therapeutics](https://onco.cc/companies/poseida-therapeutics/), [Sana Biotechnology](https://onco.cc/companies/sana-biotechnology/), [Umoja Biopharma](https://onco.cc/companies/umoja-biopharma/)
- trials: [A Phase 3 Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Tafasitamab Plus Lenalidomide and Rituximab Compared to Placebo Plus Lenalidomide and Rituximab in Pa](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04680052/), [CAR-T-19 Injection in the Treatment of CD19-positive Relapsed/Refractory B-ALL](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06179524/), [Clinical Trial of CNCT19 Cell Injection in the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia](https://onco.cc/trials/nct04684147/), [COG AALL1731](https://onco.cc/trials/aall1731/), [D-ALBA (GIMEMA LAL2116)](https://onco.cc/trials/d-alba/), [ECOG-ACRIN E1910](https://onco.cc/trials/e1910/), [ELARA](https://onco.cc/trials/elara/), [ELIANA](https://onco.cc/trials/eliana/), [FELIX](https://onco.cc/trials/felix/), [GT719 Injection for the Treatment of Recurrent/Refractory CD19 Positive Adult B-cell Malignancies](https://onco.cc/trials/nct06948981/), [IMAGINE (varnimcabtagene autoleucel, Immuneel)](https://onco.cc/trials/imagine-varnimcabtagene/), [JULIET](https://onco.cc/trials/juliet/), [Phase 1/2 Study of CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CD19 CAR-T; PL001) for Relapsed or Refractory B-cell Lymphoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05326243/), [RELIANCE](https://onco.cc/trials/reliance/), [Study of Allo-QuadCAR01-T, an Allogeneic CAR-T Targeting CD19/CD20, in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Malignancies](https://onco.cc/trials/nct07284433/), [Talicabtagene autoleucel (NexCAR19) phase 1/2](https://onco.cc/trials/talicel-phase-1-2/), [TOWER](https://onco.cc/trials/tower/), [TRANSCEND CLL 004](https://onco.cc/trials/transcend-cll-004/), [TRANSCEND NHL 001](https://onco.cc/trials/transcend-nhl-001/), [TRANSFORM](https://onco.cc/trials/transform/)
- pairings: [Blinatumomab added to frontline chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/pairings/blinatumomab-frontline-consolidation/)
- terms: [Antigen](https://onco.cc/terms/antigen/), [Antigen escape (antigen loss, lineage switch)](https://onco.cc/terms/antigen-escape/), [Antigen escape: how a lymphoma loses the thing the drug was aimed at](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-bio-antigen-escape/), [B cell](https://onco.cc/terms/b-cell/), [Lymphoma (tissue type)](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-type/), [What it costs to aim at a lineage antigen](https://onco.cc/terms/lymphoma-bio-lineage-antigen-cost/)
- key papers: [Axicabtagene ciloleucel in relapsed or refractory indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (ZUMA-5): a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 trial](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-zuma-5-axi-cel-indolent-lymphoma-lancet-oncol-2022/), [Children's Oncology Group AALL1731: blinatumomab added to chemotherapy for children with standard-risk B-cell ALL](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-aall1731-blinatumomab-children-nejm-2025/), [ECOG-ACRIN E1910: adding blinatumomab to chemotherapy for adults with B-cell ALL already in MRD-negative remission](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-e1910-blinatumomab-mrd-negative-all-nejm-2024/), [ELIANA: the global trial that made tisagenlecleucel the first approved CAR-T therapy for children and young adults with relapsed ALL](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-eliana-tisagenlecleucel-nejm-2018/), [Expression of immunoglobulin-T-cell receptor chimeric molecules as functional receptors with antibody-type specificity](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-gross-eshhar-chimeric-receptor-pnas-1989/), [JULIET: tisagenlecleucel for adults with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-juliet-tisagenlecleucel-dlbcl-nejm-2019/), [Lisocabtagene maraleucel for patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphomas (TRANSCEND NHL 001): a multicentre seamless design study](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-transcend-nhl-001-liso-cel-lancet-2020/), [Maude 2014: CD19 CAR-T cells produce complete remission in 27 of 30 children and adults with relapsed ALL](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-maude-ctl019-all-nejm-2014/), [Second-line tisagenlecleucel or standard care in aggressive B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-belinda-tisagenlecleucel-second-line-nejm-2022/), [Tafasitamab, lenalidomide, and rituximab in relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (inMIND): a global, phase 3, randomised controlled trial](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-inmind-tafasitamab-lenalidomide-rituximab-follicular-lancet-2026/), [Tisagenlecleucel in adult relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma: the phase 2 ELARA trial](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-elara-tisagenlecleucel-follicular-nat-med-2022/), [TRANSFORM: liso-cel CAR-T versus salvage chemotherapy and transplant in early-relapsing large B-cell lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-transform-liso-cel-lancet-2022/), [UCART19: the first gene-edited, donor-derived CAR-T cells in children and adults with relapsed B-cell ALL](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ucart19-allogeneic-car-t-lancet-2020/), [ZUMA-1: axicabtagene ciloleucel for refractory large B-cell lymphoma, the first CAR-T approved for lymphoma](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-zuma-1-axi-cel-nejm-2017/), [ZUMA-2: brexu-cel CAR-T for mantle cell lymphoma that has failed BTK inhibitors](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-zuma-2-brexu-cel-mantle-cell-nejm-2020/), [ZUMA-7: axi-cel CAR-T instead of salvage chemotherapy and transplant for large B-cell lymphoma that relapses early](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-zuma-7-axi-cel-second-line-nejm-2022/)
- roadmaps: [Lymphoma roadmap: from a jaw tumour in Uganda and the first human cancer virus to gene-expression subtypes, PET-adapted chemotherapy, CAR-T cells, bispecific antibodies and the genetics-directed trials now recruiting](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/lymphoma-roadmap/)
- technologies: [Allogeneic (off-the-shelf) cell therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/allogeneic-cell-therapy/), [Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/adc/), [CAR-T cell therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/car-t/), [T-cell engagers (bispecific)](https://onco.cc/technologies/t-cell-engager/)
- people: [Carl H. June](https://onco.cc/people/carl-june/), [Christopher R. Flowers](https://onco.cc/people/christopher-flowers/), [David L. Porter](https://onco.cc/people/david-porter/), [Elias Jabbour](https://onco.cc/people/elias-jabbour/), [Emily Whitehead](https://onco.cc/people/emily-whitehead/), [Frederick L. Locke](https://onco.cc/people/frederick-locke/), [Hasmukh Jain](https://onco.cc/people/jain-hasmukh/), [Jae H. Park](https://onco.cc/people/jae-park/), [Jason R. Westin](https://onco.cc/people/jason-westin/), [Katayoun Rezvani](https://onco.cc/people/katy-rezvani/), [Mark R. Litzow](https://onco.cc/people/mark-litzow/), [Michael L. Wang](https://onco.cc/people/michael-wang/), [Michel Sadelain](https://onco.cc/people/michel-sadelain/), [Nicola Gökbuget](https://onco.cc/people/nicola-gokbuget/), [Nirali N. Shah](https://onco.cc/people/nirali-shah/), [Polina Stepensky](https://onco.cc/people/polina-stepensky/), [Rachel E. Rau](https://onco.cc/people/rachel-rau/), [Rahul Purwar](https://onco.cc/people/purwar-rahul/), [Renier J. Brentjens](https://onco.cc/people/renier-brentjens/), [Sattva S. Neelapu](https://onco.cc/people/sattva-neelapu/), [Stanley R. Riddell](https://onco.cc/people/stanley-riddell/), [Stephan A. Grupp](https://onco.cc/people/stephan-grupp/), [Stephen J. Schuster](https://onco.cc/people/stephen-schuster/), [Sumit Gupta](https://onco.cc/people/sumit-gupta/), [Waseem Qasim](https://onco.cc/people/waseem-qasim/), [Zelig Eshhar](https://onco.cc/people/zelig-eshhar/)
- ideas: [Hospital-based CAR-T manufacturing at cost through a public network](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-fund-public-car-t-manufacturing/), [Hospital-made CAR-T under one shared regulatory master file](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-reg-point-of-care-cart-network/), [In vivo CAR-T as a vial on the shelf: a cost and access trial in lymphoma](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-reg-in-vivo-cart-off-the-shelf-vial/), [In vivo CAR-T manufactured and priced like a generic biologic](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-moon-in-vivo-cart-generic-price/), [Non-profit, open-licence lentiviral vectors and producer cell lines for CAR-T](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-reg-open-source-lentiviral-vectors/), [Non-viral CAR-T (transposon or CRISPR knock-in) as the default manufacturing route](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-reg-non-viral-cart-manufacturing/), [Plan the second CAR-T target before the first one is lost](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio1-adaptive-car-antigen-switch/)
- institutions: [Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer](https://onco.cc/institutions/actrec/), [Children's Hospital of Philadelphia](https://onco.cc/institutions/chop/), [Chinese PLA General Hospital](https://onco.cc/institutions/pla-general-hospital/), [Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children](https://onco.cc/institutions/great-ormond-street/), [Hadassah Medical Center](https://onco.cc/institutions/hadassah/), [Hospital Clínic de Barcelona / IDIBAPS](https://onco.cc/institutions/hospital-clinic-barcelona/), [Indian Institute of Technology Bombay](https://onco.cc/institutions/iit-bombay/), [Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College](https://onco.cc/institutions/union-hospital-wuhan/)
- pathways: [Complement in cancer](https://onco.cc/pathways/complement-in-cancer/), [Resistance routes: how a blocked pathway comes back](https://onco.cc/pathways/resistance-routes-map/), [T-cell exhaustion](https://onco.cc/pathways/t-cell-exhaustion/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/cd19.json