Phase 1 Trial of P-PSMA-101 CAR-T Cells in Patients with Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC).
This phase 1 trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of P-PSMA-101, a TSCM-rich CAR-T therapy targeting PSMA in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, showing manageable toxicity, a 21% PSA decline, durable responses exceeding 12 months, and informing future CAR-T strategies.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have potential in solid tumors. A higher proportion of stem cell-like memory T cells (TSCM) in CAR-T products could enhance engraftment, persistence, and prolong immune activity. This phase 1 trial (NCT04249947) evaluated the safety and efficacy of P-PSMA-101, an autologous TSCM-rich bone tropic CAR-T therapy targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate carcinoma (mCRPC) patients. Secondary endpoints included objective response rate, PSA response, radiographic progression-free survival (PFS). P-PSMA-101 was produced from leukapheresis using the piggyBac® DNA transposon-based platform, which integrates a multi-cistronic transgene encoding an iCasp9 safety switch in addition to the CAR, generating TSCM-rich CAR-T cells. Among 33 treated patients, 18% (n=6) had dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 61% (n=20), with Grade ≥ 3 CRS in 9% (n=3). Activation of the iCasp9-based safety switch was required in 24% (n=8) of cases including one fatal toxicity, and successful resolution in the other seven. P-PSMA-101 yielded ≥50% PSA decline in 21% (n=7) of patients. Among 13 RECIST evaluable patients, one partial response was observed. Stable disease occurred in 61% (n=20), with 21% (n=7) maintaining stability for ≥3 months. Two patients' remissions exceeded 12 months characterized by PSA declines > 90%, corroborated by pharmacokinetic, biomarker, and PSMA-PET imaging data. Robust expansion of P-PSMA-101 CAR T cells resulted in toxicity but also durable responses in patients with mCRPC. Future trials of CAR T may be informed by the results with this nonviral engineering, TSCM cell-enriched approach.
- Discussion
29
- 10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.08.017
- Oct 22, 2020
- American Journal of Kidney Diseases
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53
- 10.1016/s1470-2045(21)00353-3
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- The Lancet Oncology
CAR T-cell therapy for solid tumours
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5
- 10.1182/blood-2020-139051
- Nov 5, 2020
- Blood
Safety and Antitumor Effects of CD19-Specific Autologous Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Modified T (CAR-T) Cells Expressing the Inducible Caspase 9 Safety Switch (iC9-CAR19 T Cells) in Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)
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- Nov 3, 2025
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primary analysis of Phase ib trial of duvelisib for cytokine release syndrome prophylaxis in patients undergoing chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy for non-hodgkins lymphoma
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56
- 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.03.007
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- Molecular Therapy. Methods & Clinical Development
Promoter usage regulating the surface density of CAR molecules may modulate the kinetics of CAR-T cells in vivo
- Abstract
83
- 10.1182/blood-2018-99-111419
- Nov 29, 2018
- Blood
Efficacy and Safety of P-Bcma-101 CAR-T Cells in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory (r/r) Multiple Myeloma (MM)
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1
- 10.1158/1538-7445.am2024-3993
- Mar 22, 2024
- Cancer Research
On-target off-tumor toxicity, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) are severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that are frequently associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Current efforts to manage such therapy-related toxicities involve incorporation of an inducible suicide agent within CAR constructs, such as iCaspase-9 or herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase that can be selectively activated to produce toxic effects within CAR T cells and attenuate their activity. However, while activation of these agents helps to mitigate or overcome such unwarranted toxicities, the therapeutic benefit of CAR T cells anti-tumor activity is also compromised. Therefore, to continue maintenance of CAR T cells’ therapeutic function while minimizing irAEs, an ideal safety switch should 1) rapidly inhibit the activation and proliferation of CAR T cells exposed to the target antigen, 2) reversibly inhibit activity without inducing CAR T cell elimination and 3) be clinically translatable for safe application in patients. Our laboratory investigated one such safety switch to inhibit CAR T-cell activity while maintaining their therapeutic function. We showed that incorporating a mutant variant of c-KIT D816V (KITv) in the intracellular domain of mesothelin-targeting second-generation CAR T cells (M28z-KITv) improved efficacy in solid tumors with low antigen, or an immunosuppressive environment. Herein, we evaluate the use of Dasatinib, a clinically available multitarget (BCR, SRC, c-KIT) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), as a tunable safety switch to reversibly inhibit M28z-KITv CAR T-cell functional activity. In cohorts of mice established with lung adenocarcinoma, daily administration of Dasatinib starting on day 1 or day 3 after CAR T-cell administration stabilized tumor growth, which otherwise continued to regress in untreated mice, indicating inhibition of CAR T-cell functional activity. Upon discontinuation of Dasatinib, tumors regressed, indicating reversal of CAR T-cell functional activity. In an experiment conducted to investigate functional persistence of CAR T cells upon long-term exposure to Dasatinib (1 month), we noted uninhibited activity of CAR T cells to rechallenged tumors. Dasatinib, thus may act as a tunable safety switch to regulate M28z-KITv CAR T-cell activity without compromising its therapeutic function. Citation Format: Kyohei Misawa, Meriem Taleb, Srijita Banerjee, William-Ray Vista, Navin K. Chintala, Prasad S. Adusumilli. A tunable safety switch for solid tumor CAR T-cell therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3993.
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- Nov 3, 2025
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CD7 chimeric antigen receptor T cells for relapsed/refractory T-cell lymphomas: Single-arm, open-label, phase I study
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- 10.1182/blood-2022-155886
- Nov 15, 2022
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Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) Is Not Required for CAR-T Cell Efficacy in Aggressive Large B-NHL
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- 10.1182/blood-2025-8012
- Nov 3, 2025
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Incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), infections and cardiovascular events across different chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy products in large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL): A nationwide analysis
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- 10.1182/blood-2025-2372
- Nov 3, 2025
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CLL-1 chimeric antigen receptor T-cells for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A phase 1 clinical trial
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- 10.1182/blood-2023-185236
- Nov 28, 2023
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A Multi-Omic Single-Cell Landscape of Cytokine Release Syndrome in Multiple Myeloma Patients after Anti-BCMA CAR-T Cell Therapy
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- 10.1182/blood-2025-2397
- Nov 3, 2025
- Blood
Real-time interleukin-6 (IL-6) kinetics predict cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in patients receiving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for Relapsed/Refractory B-cell malignancies
- Abstract
1
- 10.1182/blood-2021-146801
- Nov 5, 2021
- Blood
Auto Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Combined with Another Target Humanized CAR-T Cells for Refractory/Relapsed B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma after Failure of Murinized CD19-CAR-T Therapy
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11
- 10.1111/bjh.17397
- Mar 13, 2021
- British journal of haematology
B-cell maturation antigen chimeric antigen receptor T-cell re-expansion in a patient with myeloma following salvage programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor-based combination therapy.