scholarly journals Immunologic treatment strategies in mantle cell lymphoma: checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, and bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) molecules

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 6-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua C. Pritchett ◽  
Stephen M. Ansell
BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e026644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Luisa Schubert ◽  
Anita Schmitt ◽  
Leopold Sellner ◽  
Brigitte Neuber ◽  
Joachim Kunz ◽  
...  

IntroductionChimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells spark hope for patients with CD19+ B cell neoplasia, including relapsed or refractory (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or r/r non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Published studies have mostly used second-generation CARs with 4-1BB or CD28 as costimulatory domains. Preclinical results of third-generation CARs incorporating both elements have shown superiority concerning longevity and proliferation. The University Hospital of Heidelberg is the first institution to run an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) CAR T cell trial (Heidelberg Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell Trial number 1 [HD-CAR-1]) in Germany with third-generation CD19-directed CAR T cells.Methods and analysisAdult patients with r/r ALL (stratum I), r/r NHL including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma or mantle cell lymphoma (stratum II) as well as paediatric patients with r/r ALL (stratum III) will be treated with autologous T-lymphocytes transduced by third-generation RV-SFG.CD19.CD28.4-1BB zeta retroviral vector (CD19.CAR T cells). The main purpose of this study is to evaluate safety and feasibility of escalating CD19.CAR T cell doses (1–20×106transduced cells/m2) after lymphodepletion with fludarabine (flu) and cyclophosphamide (cyc). Patients will be monitored for cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity, i.e. CAR-T-cell-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES) and/or other toxicities (primary objectives). Secondary objectives include evaluation ofin vivofunction and survival of CD19.CAR T cells and assessment of CD19.CAR T cell antitumour efficacy.HD-CAR-1 as a prospective, monocentric trial aims to make CAR T cell therapy accessible to patients in Europe. Currently, HD-CAR-1 is the first and only CAR T cell IIT in Germany. A third-generation Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) grade retroviral vector, a broad spectrum of NHL, treatment of paediatric and adult ALL patients and inclusion of patients even after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) make this trial unique.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval and approvals from the local and federal competent authorities were granted. Trial results will be reported via peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences and scientific meetings.Trial registration numberEudra CT 2016-004808-60;NCT03676504; Pre-results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 312-323
Author(s):  
Romeo G. Mihăilă

Background: Patients with refractory or relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma have a poor prognosis with the current standard of care. Objective: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (CAR T-cells) are functionally reprogrammed lymphocytes, which are able to recognize and kill tumor cells. The aim of this study is to make progress in this area. Method: A mini-review was achieved using the articles published in Web of Science and PubMed in the last year and the new patents were made in this field. Results: The responses to CAR T-cell products axicabtagene ciloleucel and tisagenlecleucel are promising; the objective response rate can reach up to 83%, and the complete response rate ranges between 40 and 58%. About half of the patients may have serious side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. Current and future developments include the improvement of CAR T-cell expansion and polyfunctionality, the combined use of CAR T-cells with a fusion protein between interferon and an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, with checkpoint inhibitors or small molecule sensitizers that have apoptotic-regulatory effects. Furthermore, the use of IL-12-expressing CAR T-cells, an improved technology for the production of CAR T-cells based on targeted nucleases, the widespread use of allogeneic CAR T-cells or universal CAR T-cells obtained from genetically engineered healthy donor T-cells are future developments actively considered. Conclusion: CAR T-cell therapy significantly improved the outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The advances in CAR T-cells production technology will improve the results and enable the expansion of this new immunotherapy.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1229
Author(s):  
Ali Hosseini Rad S. M. ◽  
Joshua Colin Halpin ◽  
Mojtaba Mollaei ◽  
Samuel W. J. Smith Bell ◽  
Nattiya Hirankarn ◽  
...  

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized adoptive cell therapy with impressive therapeutic outcomes of >80% complete remission (CR) rates in some haematological malignancies. Despite this, CAR T cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumours has invariably been unsuccessful in the clinic. Immunosuppressive factors and metabolic stresses in the tumour microenvironment (TME) result in the dysfunction and exhaustion of CAR T cells. A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of the mitochondrial and metabolic state of CAR T cells prior to infusion into patients. The different T cell subtypes utilise distinct metabolic pathways to fulfil their energy demands associated with their function. The reprogramming of CAR T cell metabolism is a viable approach to manufacture CAR T cells with superior antitumour functions and increased longevity, whilst also facilitating their adaptation to the nutrient restricted TME. This review discusses the mitochondrial and metabolic state of T cells, and describes the potential of the latest metabolic interventions to maximise CAR T cell efficacy for solid tumours.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248973
Author(s):  
Nami Iwamoto ◽  
Bhavik Patel ◽  
Kaimei Song ◽  
Rosemarie Mason ◽  
Sara Bolivar-Wagers ◽  
...  

Achieving a functional cure is an important goal in the development of HIV therapy. Eliciting HIV-specific cellular immune responses has not been sufficient to achieve durable removal of HIV-infected cells due to the restriction on effective immune responses by mutation and establishment of latent reservoirs. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are an avenue to potentially develop more potent redirected cellular responses against infected T cells. We developed and tested a range of HIV- and SIV-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell reagents based on Env-binding proteins. In general, SHIV/SIV CAR T cells showed potent viral suppression in vitro, and adding additional CAR molecules in the same transduction resulted in more potent viral suppression than single CAR transduction. Importantly, the primary determinant of virus suppression potency by CAR was the accessibility to the Env epitope, and not the neutralization potency of the binding moiety. However, upon transduction of autologous T cells followed by infusion in vivo, none of these CAR T cells impacted either acquisition as a test of prevention, or viremia as a test of treatment. Our study illustrates limitations of the CAR T cells as possible antiviral therapeutics.


Vaccines ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anusha Thadi ◽  
Marian Khalili ◽  
William Morano ◽  
Scott Richard ◽  
Steven Katz ◽  
...  

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is an advanced stage malignancy largely refractory to modern therapy. Intraperitoneal (IP) immunotherapy offers a novel approach for the control of regional disease of the peritoneal cavity by breaking immune tolerance. These strategies include heightening T-cell response and vaccine induction of anti-cancer memory against tumor-associated antigens. Early investigations with chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells), vaccine-based therapies, dendritic cells (DCs) in combination with pro-inflammatory cytokines and natural killer cells (NKs), adoptive cell transfer, and immune checkpoint inhibitors represent significant advances in the treatment of PM. IP delivery of CAR-T cells has shown demonstrable suppression of tumors expressing carcinoembryonic antigen. This response was enhanced when IP injected CAR-T cells were combined with anti-PD-L1 or anti-Gr1. Similarly, CAR-T cells against folate receptor α expressing tumors improved T-cell tumor localization and survival when combined with CD137 co-stimulatory signaling. Moreover, IP immunotherapy with catumaxomab, a trifunctional antibody approved in Europe, targets epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and has shown considerable promise with control of malignant ascites. Herein, we discuss immunologic approaches under investigation for treatment of PM.


Author(s):  
Khaled A. Al-Utaibi ◽  
Alessandro Nutini ◽  
Ayesha Sohail ◽  
Robia Arif ◽  
Sümeyye Tunc ◽  
...  

Background: CAR-T cells are chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells; they are target-specific engineered cells on tumor cells and produce T cell-mediated antitumor responses. CAR-T cell therapy is the “first-line” therapy in immunotherapy for the treatment of highly clonal neoplasms such as lymphoma and leukemia. This adoptive therapy is currently being studied and tested even in the case of solid tumors such as osteosarcoma since, precisely for this type of tumor, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors remained disappointing. Although CAR-T is a promising therapeutic technique, there are therapeutic limits linked to the persistence of these cells and to the tumor’s immune escape. CAR-T cell engineering techniques are allowed to express interleukin IL-36, and seem to be much more efficient in antitumoral action. IL-36 is involved in the long-term antitumor action, allowing CAR-T cells to be more efficient in their antitumor action due to a “cross-talk” action between the “IL-36/dendritic cells” axis and the adaptive immunity. Methods: This analysis makes the model useful for evaluating cell dynamics in the case of tumor relapses or specific understanding of the action of CAR-T cells in certain types of tumor. The model proposed here seeks to quantify the action and interaction between the three fundamental elements of this antitumor activity induced by this type of adoptive immunotherapy: IL-36, “armored” CAR-T cells (i.e., engineered to produce IL-36) and the tumor cell population, focusing exclusively on the action of this interleukin and on the antitumor consequences of the so modified CAR-T cells. Mathematical model was developed and numerical simulations were carried out during this research. The development of the model with stability analysis by conditions of Routh–Hurwitz shows how IL-36 makes CAR-T cells more efficient and persistent over time and more effective in the antitumoral treatment, making therapy more effective against the “solid tumor”. Findings: Primary malignant bone tumors are quite rare (about 3% of all tumors) and the vast majority consist of osteosarcomas and Ewing’s sarcoma and, approximately, the 20% of patients undergo metastasis situations that is the most likely cause of death. Interpretation: In bone tumor like osteosarcoma, there is a variation of the cellular mechanical characteristics that can influence the efficacy of chemotherapy and increase the metastatic capacity; an approach related to adoptive immunotherapy with CAR-T cells may be a possible solution because this type of therapy is not influenced by the biomechanics of cancer cells which show peculiar characteristics.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e034629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip George ◽  
Nathaniel Dasyam ◽  
Giulia Giunti ◽  
Brigitta Mester ◽  
Evelyn Bauer ◽  
...  

IntroductionAutologous T-cells transduced to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) directed against CD19 elicit high response rates in relapsed or refractory (r/r) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). However, r/r B-NHL remissions are durable in fewer than half of recipients of second-generation CAR T-cells. Third-generation (3G) CARs employ two costimulatory domains, resulting in improved CAR T-cell efficacy in vitro and in animal models in vivo. This investigator-initiated, phase I dose escalation trial, termed ENABLE, will investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of WZTL-002, comprising autologous T-cells expressing a 3G anti-CD19 CAR incorporating the intracellular signalling domains of CD28 and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) for the treatment of r/r B-NHL.Methods and analysisEligible participants will be adults with r/r B-NHL including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and its variants, follicular lymphoma, transformed follicular lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma. Participants must have satisfactory organ function, and lack other curative options. Autologous T-cells will be obtained by leukapheresis. Following WZTL-002 manufacture and product release, participants will receive lymphodepleting chemotherapy comprising intravenous fludarabine and cyclophosphamide. A single dose of WZTL-002 will be administered intravenously 2 days later. Targeted assessments for cytokine release syndrome and immune cell effector-associated neurotoxicity syndrome, graded by the American Society Transplantation and Cellular Therapy criteria, will be made. A modified 3+3 dose escalation scheme is planned starting at 5×104 CAR T-cells/kg with a maximum dose of 1×106 CAR T-cells/kg. The primary outcome of this trial is safety of WZTL-002. Secondary outcomes include feasibility of WZTL-002 manufacture and preliminary measures of efficacy.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for the study was granted by the New Zealand Health and Disability Ethics Committee (reference 19/STH/69) on 23 June 2019 for Protocol V.1.2. Trial results will be reported in a peer-reviewed journal, and results presented at scientific conferences or meetings.Trial registration numberNCT04049513


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (17) ◽  
pp. 1938-1950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirali N. Shah ◽  
Steven L. Highfill ◽  
Haneen Shalabi ◽  
Bonnie Yates ◽  
Jianjian Jin ◽  
...  

PURPOSE Patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia who experience relapse after or are resistant to CD19-targeted immunotherapies have limited treatment options. Targeting CD22, an alternative B-cell antigen, represents an alternate strategy. We report outcomes on the largest patient cohort treated with CD22 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a single-center, phase I, 3 + 3 dose-escalation trial with a large expansion cohort that tested CD22-targeted CAR T cells for children and young adults with relapsed/refractory CD22+ malignancies. Primary objectives were to assess the safety, toxicity, and feasibility. Secondary objectives included efficacy, CD22 CAR T-cell persistence, and cytokine profiling. RESULTS Fifty-eight participants were infused; 51 (87.9%) after prior CD19-targeted therapy. Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 50 participants (86.2%) and was grade 1-2 in 45 (90%). Symptoms of neurotoxicity were minimal and transient. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis–like manifestations were seen in 19/58 (32.8%) of subjects, prompting utilization of anakinra. CD4/CD8 T-cell selection of the apheresis product improved CAR T-cell manufacturing feasibility as well as heightened inflammatory toxicities, leading to dose de-escalation. The complete remission rate was 70%. The median overall survival was 13.4 months (95% CI, 7.7 to 20.3 months). Among those who achieved a complete response, the median relapse-free survival was 6.0 months (95% CI, 4.1 to 6.5 months). Thirteen participants proceeded to stem-cell transplantation. CONCLUSION In the largest experience of CD22 CAR T-cells to our knowledge, we provide novel information on the impact of manufacturing changes on clinical outcomes and report on unique CD22 CAR T-cell toxicities and toxicity mitigation strategies. The remission induction rate supports further development of CD22 CAR T cells as a therapeutic option in patients resistant to CD19-targeted immunotherapy.


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