Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has transformed the treatment landscape for hematological malignancies. However, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) remains a common and potentially severe toxicity, significantly affecting patient safety and requiring intensive clinical management. This review provides a focused synthesis on the role of cytokines in CRS after CAR T cell therapy, integrating recent mechanistic insights with clinical implications. We delineate the cellular and molecular pathways involving key cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon
