Refractory B-cell Lymphoma Research Articles

CD19/CD22 CAR-T Cell Cocktail Therapy Following Autologous Transplantation in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory B-Cell Lymphomas

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT-ASCT) is the standard of care for relapsed or refractory(R/R) B-cell lymphoma. Eligibility for HDT-ASCT is based upon the presence of chemo-sensitive disease to salvage therapy. Patients with a positive PET scan prior to ASCT have a substantially inferior suvival. Furthermore, the outcomes of patients who have progressive disease after salvage treatment is extremely dismal. We hypothesized that, following HSCT, the immunosuppressive microenvironment would be diminished as a result of myeloablative conditioning and that administering CAR-T cell therapy during the hematopoietic reconstitution could eradicate posttransplant residual disease, leading to lower relapse rates after HSCT. Based on our previous work that a dual-targeting CAR T cell cocktail of sequential cell infusions targeting CD19 and CD22 may help overcome antigen escape relapse in B-cell malignancies, we therefore conducted an open-label, single-center, and single-arm pilot study of a treatment comprising the sequential infusion of CD22 and CD19 CAR-T cells following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the treatment in R/R B cell lymphoma patients with residual or progression disease after salvage treatment. Between November 14, 2016 and August 15, 2019, 42 patients underwent BEAM conditioned HDT-ASCT and followed by CAR 19 /22 T cells infusion. The overall response rate was 90.5% (95% CI, 77.4-97.3). At a median follow-up of 13.8 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were not reached. The 12-month PFS rate was 85.7 % (95% CI, 70.9 to 93.3). Grade 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in only 2 (5%) patients. 21% patients experienced any grade of neurotoxicity, 5% was severe Grade 3. All CRS and neurotoxicity were reversible. Beyond its extremely high complete response rates, the durability of remission and low toxicity of the autologous HSCT plus CD19/CD22 CAR-T cell cocktail therapy examined in this study emphasize strong potential of such myeloablative conditioning and dual-targeting approaches for R/R B-cell lymphomas. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

A Phase I Study of CD19-Targeted 19(T2)28z1xx CAR T Cells in Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Malignancies

Background: Autologous CAR T cell therapy targeting the B-cell specific surface antigen CD19 has demonstrated favorable clinical responses in relapsed or refractory (R/B) B-cell lymphomas (BCL). However, despite 40-60% initial complete response (CR) rates, only a subset of patients experience durable remissions, and there is a need to further improve the efficacy of CAR therapies by preventing relapse and attaining a deeper CR. We hypothesized that the redundancy of CD28 and CD3V signaling in a CAR design incorporating all 3 CD3Vimmunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs) might foster counterproductive T cell differentiation and exhaustion, and therefore created a new CD19 CAR construct with calibrated CAR activation potential by mutating 2 of the 3 ITAMs, termed 1XX. In systemic ALL mouse models, 19-28z1XX CAR induced effective tumor eradication at low CAR T cell doses with improved survival compared to conventional 19-28z CAR. Further preclinical studies demonstrated that the enhanced therapeutic benefit resulted from the reduced strength of activation mediated by the 19-28z1XX CAR, achieving a favorable balance of effector and memory functions, thereby enhancing persistence of functional CAR T cells and promoting effective elimination of CD19+ leukemia at lower T cell doses than needed with 19-28z CAR T cells (Feucht J et al. Nat Med 2019). To further improve the persistence of functional CAR T cells, we screened different humanized CD19-directed scFv in the context of a 19-28z1XX CAR design and proved high specificity and functionality of 19-28z1XX CARs containing a novel humanized scFv T2 - termed 19(T2)28z1XX. Study Design and Methods: This study is a single center Phase I clinical trial of 19(T2)28z1XX in patients with R/R B-cell malignancies at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (NCT04464200). Key disease eligibility criteria include R/R diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), high grade BCL, primary mediastinal BCL, indolent BCL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Patients with prior CD19 CAR therapies are eligible as long as expression of CD19 is confirmed. Key exclusion criteria include ongoing immunosuppression such as systemic GvHD therapy and active CNS disease. The study uses a 3+3 dose-escalation design to identify the maximum tolerated dose for BCL. There are 5 planned flat-dose levels. Patients will receive conditioning chemotherapy consisting of 3 days of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide followed by a single infusion of 19(T2)28z1XX CAR T cells. In the dose-escalation phase, patients with DLBCL, high grade BCL, and primary mediastinal BCL are eligible to participate. Once the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) is determined, the study will open to dose expansion phase with two cohorts. Cohort 1 includes DLBCL, high grade BCL and primary mediastinal BCL (i.e. same eligibility criteria as the dose-escalation phase). Cohort 2 will include patients with indolent BCL, CLL, and Richter's transformation. The dose-expansion part of the trial is designed to further characterize the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of 19(T2)28z1XX CAR in multiple indications. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate safety and tolerability and determine the recommended Phase 2 dose of 19(T2)28z1XX. Key secondary objectives include evaluation of 19(T2)28z1XX's efficacy and cellular kinetics. Exploratory objectives include assessment of B cell aplasia, and analysis of serum cytokines. The trial has begun enrollment in August 2020. The investigators are hopeful this study will lead to development of improved CD19 CAR T cell therapy with enhanced efficacy and favorable toxicity profiles with lower infused T cell dose. Disclosures Park: AstraZeneca: Consultancy; Servier: Consultancy, Research Funding; Autolus: Consultancy, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Minverva: Consultancy; Artiva: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Fate Therapeutics: Research Funding; Kite: Consultancy, Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Research Funding; GSK: Consultancy; Intellia: Consultancy; Allogene: Consultancy. Riviere:Fate Therapeutics Inc.: Consultancy, Other: Ownership interest , Research Funding; FloDesign Sonics: Consultancy, Other: Ownership interest; Juno Therapeutics: Other: Ownership interest, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Atara: Research Funding. Palomba:Genentech: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company: Honoraria, Research Funding; Regeneron: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria. Brentjens:BMS: Research Funding; Gracell Therapeutics: Consultancy; Juno Therapeutics (a Bristol Myers Squibb company): Patents & Royalties. Sadelain:Atara: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Fate Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Minerva: Other: Biotechnologies , Patents & Royalties; Mnemo: Patents & Royalties; Takeda: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Cyclophosphamide and fludarabine will be used as conditioning therapy prior to 19(T2)28z1XX CAR T cell administration.

Pembrolizumab Monotherapy in Relapsed or Refractory Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma (PMBCL): 3-Year Follow-up of the Keynote-170 Study

Pembrolizumab Monotherapy in Relapsed or Refractory Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma (PMBCL): 3-Year Follow-up of the Keynote-170 Study

Phase I Dose-Escalation Trial of CD19/CD20 Bispecific Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cells for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Lymphomas and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Background: Single-input anti-CD19 CAR T-cells have demonstrated clinical efficacy for relapsed or refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Despite excellent response rates, over 50% of CD19 CAR T-cell recipients relapse. Preclinical data show engineering of bispecific anti-CD19/CD20 CAR T-cells via lentiviral transduction effectively targets tumor cells and overcomes antigen escape (Zah E et al., Cancer Immunol Res, 2016). Based on these promising preclinical results and the limitations of single-input anti-CD19 CARs, we investigated the bispecific anti-CD19/CD20 CAR naïve/memory T-cells in a phase I dose-escalation clinical trial for patients with R/R NHL/CLL (NCT04007029). Methods: This trial includes patients who have measurable disease after 2 lines of therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), and after 3 lines of therapy for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), CLL and small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL). Eligible participants received lymphodepleting chemotherapy with fludarabine 30 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 for three days, followed by anti-CD19/CD20 CAR T-cell infusion. The CAR T-cell infusion will be given with standard "3+3" dose escalation to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), with a dose range of 5 x 107 to 6 x 108 CAR-positive cells per patient. Results: To date, three patients received treatment on cohort 1 with 5 x 107 CD19/CD20 CAR T-cells for R/R MCL, FL and PMBCL, with an average age of 49.3 (range, 29-60) and a mean of 3.7 prior regimens (range, 3-4). All 3 patients' lymphomas were CD19+/CD20+ on tissue biopsy prior to CAR infusion and all 3 received bridging chemotherapy. The infusion was well tolerated and no major infusion reactions occurred. Peak expansion was noted on day 14. No dose limiting toxicities were identified. The maximum grade CRS was 1 and there was no ICANS. At the 6.0-month cutoff date, 2 of the 3 patients remain in ongoing complete remission. Unfortunately, one patient developed progressive disease 0.5 months after CAR infusion, yet remains alive after treatment with immunotherapy. Both of the responders continue to demonstrate ongoing CAR T-cell persistence and B-cell aplasia by 3.0 and 6.0-month follow up, respectively. Conclusions: Here we demonstrate impressive responses in 2 of 3 patients at the 5 x 107 CD19/CD20 CAR T-cell dosages. Bispecific CD19/CD20 CAR T-cell therapy appears to be safe and effective in patients with R/R NHL and CLL and obviates the challenges with the single antigen directed CARs by decreasing risk of target antigen loss and expression downregulation. A longer follow up period is required to determine the impact of modifying naïve/memory T cells and the durability of response. The trial continues to enroll patients and additional clinical and translational data are being collected on the initial patient cohort. Disclosures Timmerman: Corvus: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Marker Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Bluebird Bio: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Immune Design: Honoraria; Celldex Therapeutics: Consultancy; Valor: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; BMS: Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Genmab: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Chen:Kalthera Therapeutics: Other: Co-founder; Notch Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gritstone Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Larson:BMS, Bioline, Celgene, Juno, Janssen: Research Funding; TORL Biotherapeutics: Current equity holder in private company.

Low Level Donor Chimerism of CD19 CAR-T Cells Returned to Complete Donor Chimerism in Patients with Relapse After Allo-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant.

PurposeTo investigate the donor chimerism changes and curative effects associated with the use of autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) presenting with a low donor chimerism level and relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT).MethodsNine patients with B-ALL showing low donor chimerism level and relapse after allo-HSCT were enrolled. Patients 1–3 received CD19 CAR-T cell therapy using cells derived from autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (comprising a mixture of patient and original donor cells) as their donors could not provide PBMCs. Samples from the other six patients (Patients A–F) were investigated only in vitro. The changes in the degree of donor chimerism, function of the CD19 CAR-T cells and T cells in all nine patients were analyzed in vitro. The therapeutic effects and adverse events (AEs) were also evaluated in Patients 1–3.ResultsThe CAR-T cells and T cells in all nine patients showed complete donor chimerism restoration following a 12-day culture period in vitro. These CD19 CAR-T cells demonstrated strong cytotoxicity towards Nalm 6 cells in vitro except in patients 3 and D. In the latter patients, the absolute numbers of all subsets, especially the CD8 + T-cell absolute numbers in peripheral blood were very low. Patients 3 and D showed relatively short durations from transplant to recurrence and received chemotherapy after relapse. In the patients receiving CD19 CAR-T cell therapy, the most commonly observed AE was grade 1 to 2 cytokine release syndrome. None of the cases showed acute graft-versus-host disease during treatment. Patients 1 and 2 achieved complete response with complete restoration of donor chimerism. Patient 3, who received the same CD19 CAR-T cell therapy, did not respond to this therapy.ConclusionCD19 CAR-T cells derived from patients relapsed after allo-HSCT with a low level of donor chimerism were effective for salvage therapy and could restore to complete donor chimerism after 12 days’ culture in vitro.Trial RegistrationHumanized CD19 CAR-T cell therapy for relapse or refractory B-cell lymphoma or acute B lymphocytic leukemia, ChiCTR1800019622, Registered 24 November 2018, http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.

Abstract IA15: CARs and armored CARs: Improving CAR T-cell therapy for cancer

Abstract Significant progress has been made in the field of cancer cell therapy over the last 2 decades. Specifically, a patient's own T cells may be genetically engineered to express an artificial T-cell receptor, termed a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), which, when expressed in a T cell, can alter the specificity of the T cell. A CAR consists of a binding domain, typically derived from a monoclonal antibody, fused to T-cell signaling domains including a co-stimulatory domain, CD28 or 4-1BB, fused to a distal CD3 zeta chain cytoplasmic signaling domain. CAR T cells targeted to the CD19 antigen, expressed on most B-cell malignancies, have demonstrated the greatest clinical efficacy, and commercial CAR T-cell products have recently been FDA approved in the treatment of relapsed and refractory B-cell lymphomas as well as B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Similarly, CAR T cells targeting the BCMA antigen, expressed on most multiple myeloma tumor cells, have demonstrated impressive antitumor responses in relapsed and refractory disease in both early-phase clinical trials as well as ongoing registration trials. While response rates in the context of CAR T cells targeted to CD19 and BCMA have been impressive, unfortunately the durability of response in some patients is limited and others fail to respond to treatment entirely. The complete list of etiologies responsible for treatment failures remains to be fully defined. Likely causes for treatment failures include the loss of target antigen expression by the tumor, limited persistence of CAR T cells in vivo, and suppression of CAR T cells in the context of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. While this list is likely incomplete, investigators in the CAR T cell field are working on designing next-generation CAR T cells that could address these current limitations. Armored CAR T cells are CAR T cells further modified to enhance persistence and cytotoxicity. Specifically, CAR T cells may be modified to express or secrete biologically active cytokines or ligands designed to modulate the tumor microenvironment and recruit endogenous antitumor immune effectors to enhance the antitumor immune response. Examples of armored CAR T cells include cytokine-secreting CAR T cells (IL-12, IL-18), co-stimulatory ligand-expressing CAR T cells (4-1BBL, CD40L), CAR T cells that secrete single-fragment-length antibodies (scFvs) targeted to immune checkpoint receptors (PD-1), and CAR T cells that express dominant negative chimeric receptors (Fas, TGF-B). Preclinical studies in the context of these armored CAR T cells have demonstrated markedly enhanced antitumor activity in mice when compared to T cells modified to express the CAR alone. Outcomes of planned and ongoing early-stage clinical trials are pending but may markedly change the field in the foreseeable future. Citation Format: Renier J. Brentjens. CARs and armored CARs: Improving CAR T-cell therapy for cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Meeting: Advances in Malignant Lymphoma; 2020 Aug 17-19. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Blood Cancer Discov 2020;1(3_Suppl):Abstract nr IA15.

Investigators aim to increase CAR T-cell research and extend its reach: A new initiative by the National Cancer Institute could help this life-saving treatment reach more patients with advanced cancers.

Investigators aim to increase CAR T-cell research and extend its reach: A new initiative by the National Cancer Institute could help this life-saving treatment reach more patients with advanced cancers.

Radiation Therapy for Refractory High-grade B-cell Lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 Rearrangements

High-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangement (HGBL-DH/TH) is an aggressive disease with inferior outcomes. We sought to evaluate the efficacy of radiation therapy (RT) for patients with HGBL-DH/TH treated for gross disease. We identified 80 patients treated with RT between 2013-2019 for refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients with CNS disease were excluded. Eligible patients had fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed HGBL-DH/TH with gross disease at the time of RT (defined as positron emission tomography-computed tomography [PET-CT] five-point scale [5PS] of 4-5 or progression on CT). RT intent was palliative (disease excluded from the field), salvage (all known disease encompassed), or bridging (RT prior to chimeric antigen receptor [CAR] T-cell therapy). Progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) were defined from the last day of RT. LC was defined as the absence of in-field recurrence and censored at the time of last follow up, out of field progression, or death. The in-field overall response rate (ORR) was defined as combined partial response (PR) and complete response (CR) within the RT field. We identified 27 HGBL-DH/TH patients. The median age was 63.5; 78% had primary refractory disease after frontline chemotherapy. The median number of systemic therapies (ST) prior to RT was 2 (range [R] 1-4). Intent of RT was palliative in 33% (n = 9), salvage in 59% (n = 14) and bridging in 15% (n = 4). The median RT dose was 42.5 Gy (R 8-60); 59% received a dose of ≥ 40 Gy (n = 16). Concurrent ST was given to 37% (n = 10). ST after RT was administered to 48% (n = 13); 37% (n = 10) received CAR T-cell therapy after RT. The median follow-up was 12.1 months. There were 20 recurrences (74%) and 18 deaths (67%, all due to lymphoma). The 1-year PFS and OS rates were 22.2% and 32.2% respectively. LC evaluation was possible for 25 patients. While the initial in-field ORR was 88% (CR, n = 12, PR, n = 10), the 1-year LC rate was only 43.8% with 11 in-field recurrences in total, either in the absence (n = 2) or presence of out of field progression (n = 9). LC was not impacted by RT doses of ≥40 Gy (p = 0.62); the median RT dose for patients with local failure was 46.7 Gy (R 24-60). There was no difference in PFS according to RT intent (p = 0.56), RT dose ≥ 40 Gy (p = 0.57), receipt of concurrent ST (p = 0.14), or receipt of ST after RT (p = 0.34). Similarly, OS was not impacted by these factors. However, patients that received CAR T-cell therapy after RT had a trend towards improved PFS (p = 0.07) and superior OS (p = 0.04). Patients with refractory HGBL-DH/TH have a poor prognosis. While initial in-field ORRs are high, even with RT doses ≥40 Gy, in and out-of-field progression is common. CAR T-cell therapy can be effective in this population. RT with a short, hypofractionated course may be a useful tool to permit disease temporization while CAR T-cell therapy is pursued.

The Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein Livin Confers Resistance to Fas-Mediated Immune Cytotoxicity in Refractory Lymphoma.

Death receptor Fas-mediated apoptosis not only eliminates nonspecific and autoreactive B cells but also plays a major role in antitumor immunity. However, the possible mechanisms underlying impairment of Fas-mediated induction of apoptosis during lymphomagenesis remain unknown. In this study, we employed our developed syngeneic lymphoma model to demonstrate that downregulation of Fas is required for both lymphoma development and lymphoma cell survival to evade immune cytotoxicity. CD40 signal activation significantly restored Fas expression and thereby induced apoptosis after Fas ligand treatment in both mouse and human lymphoma cells. Nevertheless, certain human lymphoma cell lines were found to be resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis, with Livin (melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis protein; ML-IAP) identified as a driver of such resistance. High expression of Livin and low expression of Fas were associated with poor prognosis in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Livin expression was tightly driven by bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) proteins BRD4 and BRD2, suggesting that Livin expression is epigenetically regulated in refractory lymphoma cells to protect them from Fas-mediated apoptosis. Accordingly, the combination of CD40-mediated Fas restoration with targeting of the BET proteins-Livin axis may serve as a promising immunotherapeutic strategy for refractory B-cell lymphoma. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings yield insights into identifying risk factors in refractory lymphoma and provide a promising therapy for tumors resistant to Fas-mediated antitumor immunity. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/80/20/4439/F1.large.jpg.

Efficacy and safety of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells in the treatment of 11 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma: a single-center study.

BackgroundNo effective treatment exist for patients with relapsed and refractory B-cell lymphoma, until the advent of anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the factors affecting the efficacy of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell and the adverse reactions of the therapy.MethodsWe recruited 11 patients with relapsed and refractory B-cell lymphoma. The number of anti-CD19 CAR T-cells, proliferation, and adverse reactions were recorded in detail, to explore the relationship between the factors affecting the efficacy of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell and the long-term survival of patients.ResultsThe 11 patients in our study had a total overall response rate of 100%, after receiving anti-CD19 CAR T-cells. The median follow-up was 253 days (range, 130–1,017 days). The median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were not reached. After 3 months of treatment, the complete remission (CR) rate was 63.6% (7/11). As of December 7, 2019, 5 patients had maintained CR for a period exceeding 1 year, including 2 patients who had maintained CR for more than 1,000 days. The patients who received 3 or 4 lines of chemotherapy were more likely to have sustained remission than the patients who received <2 or >4 lines of chemotherapy. Each of the 4 patients in the study who had diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) progression all had high myc protein expression (positive incidence: 30–80%). The incidence of Grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was 36.4% (4/11), and Grade 3 CAR T-cell-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES) was experienced by 1 patient. The occurrence of adverse reactions was not significantly related to the infusion dose, peak amplification time, or maximum copy amount. The immunoglobulin levels of the four patients who died showed a significant downward trend. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) appeared to be associated with the occurrence of CRS and CRES.ConclusionsAnti-CD19 CAR T-cell treatment is a new therapy for patients with relapsed and refractory B-cell lymphoma. Among the small sample size in this study, it demonstrated high efficiency and safety.

Biomaterials in Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Process Development.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has transformed the cancer treatment landscape, utilizing ex vivo modified autologous T cells to treat relapsed or refractory B-cell leukemias and lymphomas. However, the therapy's broader impact has been limited, in part, by a complicated, lengthy, and expensive production process. Accordingly, as CAR T-cell therapies are further advanced to treat other cancers, continual innovation in cell manufacturing will be critical to their successful clinical implementation. In this Account, we describe our research efforts using biomaterials to improve the three fundamental steps in CAR T-cell manufacturing: (1) isolation, (2) activation, and (3) genetic modification.Recognizing that clinical T-cell isolation reagents have high cost and supply constraints, we developed a synthetic DNA aptamer and complementary reversal agent technology that isolates label-free CD8+ T cells with high purity and yield from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Encouragingly, CAR T cells manufactured from both antibody- and aptamer-isolated T cells were comparable in therapeutic potency. Discovery and design of other T-cell specific aptamers and corresponding reversal reagents could fully realize the potential of this approach, enabling inexpensive isolation of multiple distinct T-cell populations in a single isolation step.Current ex vivo T-cell activation materials do not accurately mimic in situ T-cell activation by antigen presenting cells (APCs). They cause unequal CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell expansion, necessitating separate production of CD4+ and CD8+ CAR T cells for therapies that call for balanced infusion compositions. To address these shortcomings, we designed a panel of biodegradable cell-templated silica microparticles with supported lipid bilayers that display stimulatory ligands for T-cell activation. High membrane fluidity, elongated shape, and rough surface topography, all properties of endogenous APCs, were found to be favorable parameters for activation, promoting unbiased and efficient CD4/CD8 T-cell expansion while not terminally differentiating the cells.Viral and electroporation-based gene delivery systems have various drawbacks. Viral vectors are expensive and have limited cargo sizes, whereas electroporation is highly cytotoxic. Thus, low-cost nonviral platforms that transfect T cells with low cytotoxicity and high efficiency are needed for CAR gene delivery. Our group thus synthesized a panel of cationic polymers with different architectures and evaluated their T-cell transfection ability. We identified a comb-shaped polymer formulation that transfected primary T cells with low cytotoxicity, although transfection efficiency was low compared to conventional methods. Analysis of intracellular and extracellular barriers to transfection revealed low uptake of polyplexes and high endosomal pH in T cells, alluding to biological and polymer properties that could be further improved.These innovations represent just a few recent developments in the biomaterials field for addressing CAR T-cell production needs. Together, these technologies and their future advancement will pave the way for economical and straightforward CAR T-cell manufacturing.

Application of pixantrone in a III line of treatment as a bridge therapy to allotransplantation of stem cells

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas are the most common group among all lymphomas. Despite the effectiveness of the I line therapy in 10–40% of patients, the possibility of relapse should be taken into account. The anthracycline antibiotics used in the II line therapy carry a high risk of cardiac complications. In patients with refractory or recurrent disease, emergency treatment is used, aiming for the transplantation of hematopoietic cells. If the II line therapy fails, the prognosis is bad. A new chance for patients with refractory or recurrent B-cell lymphoma is pixantrone dimaleate, a drug structurally related to anthracyclines with a significantly lower cardiotoxic potential. The paper presents a case of a 65-year-old patient with relapsing DLBCL lymphoma, after two treatment lines: R-CHOP and R-DHAP, and after autologous transplantation of stem cells, in which the use of pixantrone in the treatment of recurrence allowed to achieve remission and prepare the patient for the allo-HSCT procedure.

CAR T-Cell Therapy for B-Cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Clinical Trials and Real-World Experiences.

Chimeric antigen receptor-modified (CAR) T cells targeting CD19 have revolutionized the treatment of relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas, and their use has increased the cure rate for these cancers from 10 to 40%. Two second-generation anti-CD19 CAR T-cell products, axicabtagene ciloleucel and tisagenlecleucel, have been approved for use in patients, and the approval of a third product, lisocabtagene maraleucel, is expected in 2020. The commercial availability of the first two products has facilitated the development of real-world experience in treating relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas, shed light on anti-CD19 CAR T-cell products' feasibility in trial-ineligible patients, and raised the need for strategies to mitigate the adverse effects associated with anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, such as cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, and cytopenia. In addition, promising clinical data supporting the use of anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy in patients with indolent B-cell lymphomas or chronic lymphocytic leukemia have recently become available, breaking the paradigm that these conditions are not curable. Multiple clinical CAR T-cell therapy-based trials are ongoing. These include studies comparing CAR T-cell therapy to autologous stem cell transplantation or investigating their use at earlier stages of disease, novel combinations, and novel constructs. Here we provide a thorough review on the use of the anti-CD19 CAR T-cell products axicabtagene ciloleucel, tisagenlecleucel and lisocabtagene maraleucel in patients with indolent or aggressive B-cell lymphoma or with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and present novel CAR T cell-based approaches currently under investigation in these disease settings.

Phase Ib trial combining rapid determination of drug-drug interaction (DDI) followed by a dose finding period to assess safety and preliminary efficacy of fimepinostat plus venetoclax in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

8056 Background: Fimepinostat (F), a dual inhibitor of PI3K (α, β, δ) and HDACs type 1/2, causes suppression of MYC levels (Shulman et al., 2017). A pooled analysis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) pts treated with F in two Ph 1/2 trials revealed an objective response rate in evaluable/ITT MYC-altered DLBCL pts of 29%/23%, respectively (Landsburg et al., 2018). Based on compelling preclinical activity of F in combination with venetoclax (V) (a Bcl2 inhibitor), we initiated a Ph 1b/2 study of F + V in pts with relapsed or refractory (R/R) DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL), with or without MYC alteration. V is metabolized primarily by CYP3A, and preclinical studies showed that F may inhibit CYP3A4 (IC50 of 13.58 and 0.28 µM for midazolam and testosterone, respectively), suggesting F could cause DDI with V. Methods: Cohorts of patients received increasing dose levels of F administered on a 5-days-on/2-days-off (5/2) schedule in combination with daily V in 21-day cycles (Cohort 1: F 30 mg QD 5/2 + V 400 mg QD; Cohort 2: F 60 mg QD, 5/2 + V 400 mg QD; Cohort 3: F 60 mg QD 5/2 + V 800 mg QD). A potential DDI was assessed during Cycle 0 (Table), where PK for V (10 mg) monotherapy was compared to that for V (10 mg) in the presence of F. Patient PK samples were collected, analyzed and reviewed in &lt; 10 days to determine the final ramp-up dose level of V. Results: As of 1-Feb-2020, 16 pts have been enrolled in 2 dose cohorts. Intensive PK analysis of 13 pts showed only mild (≤ 2-fold) to no increase in V exposure in the presence of F. In Cohort 1 (n = 6), the mean AUC increased 1.6-fold, and mean Cmax by 1.5-fold. In Cohort 2 (n = 7), no increase in mean AUC (0.9-fold) or Cmax (1.0-fold) was observed. Accordingly, all pts ramped up V to 100% of the target dose (400 mg) upon entering Cycle 1; rapid escalation of V was well tolerated. DLT was observed in 1 pt (Grade 3 diarrhea) in Cohort 2. Overall, 75% of TEAEs have been mild or moderate (Grade 1/2), and most were of limited duration. 11 pts (69%) experienced SAEs; 4 pts (25%) had SAEs considered related to either F or V. Conclusions: Real-time PK evaluation showed that F had only a mild to no DDI with V. F + V is well tolerated at clinically active dose levels, and evaluation of higher dose-level cohorts was ongoing. Enrollment in Cohort 2 remains on-going. Clinical trial information: NCT01742988 . [Table: see text]

Analysis on poor efficacy factors in the treatment of recurrent/refractory B-cell lymphoma with CD19 CAR-T cells

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the efficacy of CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells in the treatment of patients with relapsed refractory B cell lymphoma and to provide evidence for further improvement of CAR-T efficacy. Methods: A total of 34 patients with relapsed and refractory B-cell lymphoma were recruited from the Department of Hematology of Tianjin First Central Hospital from February 2017 to January 2019. All patients received CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. These patients were evaluated for efficacy, factors with poor efficacyand adverse effects. Results: The overall response rate was 58.8% (20/34) and the complete remission rate was 41.2% (14/34) after infusion of CD19 CAR-T cells in 34 patients with relapsed refractory B cell lymphoma. According to the efficacy of CAR-T cells, patients were divided into two groups, 20 in the effective group and 14 in the poorly effective group. The median am ount of CD19 CAR-T cell infusions in these two groups were 8.6 (5.0-12.7)×10(6)/kg and 9.7 (5.8-15.0) × 10(6)/kg, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.654). The percentage of CD19 CAR-T cells in the effective group and the poorly treated group was 10.28% (3.92%-44.16%) and 4.05% (0.92%-28.63%), respectively.The effective group had a higher proportion of CAR-T cells than the poorly treated group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.371).The presence of massive mass was an unfavorable factor affecting the efficacy of CD19 CAR-T cells and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). Logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that the characteristics of massive tumors were still independent prognostic factors for poor efficacy of CD19 CAR-T cells (P=0.005, OR=0.039). Of all 34 patients, there were 70.6% (24/34) who showed varying degrees of adverse reactions after the infusion of CD19 CAR-T cells, mainly cytokines release syndrome (CRS). The median time of occurrence of fever was on the third day after infusion (0-11th) day. 16 patients were with grade 1 CRS, 7 with grade 2, and 1 with grade 3. After glucocorticoids and support treatment, they all showed improvements. Conclusions: CD19 CAR-T cell therapy has achieved a certain effect in CD19(+)B cell lymphoma, but has poor efficacy on some patients. Large mass tumors may be an adverse factors to CAR-T cell treatment.

Efficacy and safety of pixantrone for the treatment of multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas.

Few treatment options exist for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who fail first- and second-line therapies. Pixantrone is a novel aza-anthracenedione agent with reduced potential for cardiotoxicity but maintained anti-tumour activity relative to anthracyclines. The current retrospective, observational, real-life study was undertaken in 79 patients who received pixantrone monotherapy for multiply R/R aggressive B-cell NHL in Spain and Italy. Before pixantrone, patients had received a median of 3 prior therapies and 84.6% of them were refractory to the last regimen. Median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 2.8months (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-3.6) and median overall survival (mOS) was 4.0months (95%CI 5.6-7.9), with an objective response rate (ORR) of 29% (complete remission [CR]: 13.2%, partial remission [PR]: 15.2%). Patients receiving ≥2 cycles of pixantrone showed mPFS and mOS of 3.1 and 6.0months, respectively, and an ORR of 36.8% (CR: 17.5%, PR: 19.3%). Overall, 63.3% of patients reported ≥1 adverse event (AE), most commonly haematological AEs. One patient developed grade 2 sinus tachycardia. Pixantrone was effective and well tolerated in a real-world population of multiply R/R patients with aggressive B-cell NHL, many of whom had very poor prognostic factors.

Third-generation anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cells incorporating a TLR2 domain for relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma: a phase I clinical trial protocol (ENABLE)

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...

Hematologic Toxicities of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CART) therapy remains a novel approach for the treatment of relapsed, refractory B-cell Lymphoma. Complications of CAR T-cell therapy including cytopenias, infections, cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity require aggressive supportive care. The objective of this study was to characterize the incidence of cytopenias and the utilization of growth factor and transfusion support following CAR T-cell therapy. This retrospective, single center study included 38 patients with relapsed, refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), who received CD19 directed CAR T-cell therapy, axicabtagene ciloleucel, as standard of care for the treatment relapsed NHL between January, 2018 and October, 2019. Cytopenias included 34% grade 4 thrombocytopenia (13/38), 76% grade ≥3 anemia (29/38), and 92% grade 4 neutropenia (35/38). Thirty-four percent (13/38) of patients required platelet transfusion support, 76% of patients (29/38) required RBC transfusions, 92% (35/38) of patients became neutropenic and 81.6% (31/38) received growth factor support. Twenty-nine percent of patients were found to have recurrent neutropenia status post recovery of their initial onset. The median initial onset occurred on day +8 (0-+14) and lasted a median of 5 days (0-85 days) with a median ANC nadir of too few cells to count (0-490). The median onset for a 2nd occurrence of neutropenia occurred on day +21 (D+12- D+28) which lasted 1 day (1-11 days) with a nadir of 430 cells/mm³ (0-480). Sixteen percent of patients experienced a 3rd occurrence on day +35 (D+25-+52), lasting a median of 3.5 days (1-19 days) with a median nadir of 335 cells/mm³ (270-440). One patient had a 4th occurrence on day +28 with a nadir of 220 cells/mm³. The etiology of recurrent neutropenia described is unclear. Multiple factors may contribute including bridging therapy, infection, steroids, CRS, and growth factor support. More is data is needed to identify risk factors for recurrent neutropenia.

Resource Utilization and Factors Prolonging Hospitalization for Patients with Refractory and Relapsed B-Cell Lymphoma Receiving Axicabtagene Ciloleucel (Axi-cel)

Introduction Use of Axi-cel in patients with refractory and relapsed (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (BCL) is associated with significant inpatient and outpatient resource utilization, which has not been systematically evaluated. We characterized resources used around Axi-cel and identified factors that lead to longer hospitalization during the first 100 of therapy. Methods We reviewed medical records of consecutive adult patients with R/R large BCL treated with Axi-cel at our center from May 2018 to June 2019. Resource utilization data were collected across 3 time points and sorted into categories that reflect inpatient and outpatient resources (Table 1). We evaluated the number of days alive and out-of-hospital through Day 100 from cell infusion (DAOH100), as a surrogate for institutional resource utilization and to identify factors leading to prolonged hospitalization. Results Axi-cel was used in 27 patients with R/R BCL; 18 were male (67%) with median age 63 years (IQR 48-68), median IPI 2 (IQR 2-3), 20 (74%) had ECOG PS The median length of stay for the initial hospitalization was 13 (IQR 9-16) and through Day 100 was 16 (IQR 12-30). Eight (30%) patients required ICU admission for a median of 2.5 (IQR 1-9.8), while vasopressors, mechanical ventilation and dialysis were used in 6 (22%), 3 (11%) and 2 (7%) patients respectively. Patients had a median of 5 (IQR 3-7) outpatient clinic visits through Day 100. The median number of radiological studies and cardiac/neurological evaluation through Day 100 were 6 (IQR 4-11) and 1 (IQR 0-6) respectively. Pharmaceutical resources are summarized in Table 1. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and CAR-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES) were seen in 22 (82%) and 20 (74%) patients, with ≥ Grade 2 CRS (Lee, et al) and CRES (CARTOX-10) in 16 (59%) and 13 (48%) patients respectively. By Day 100, 24 (89%) patients were alive and 4 (15%) had disease progression. The median DAOH100 were 84 (IQR 69-88). DAOH100 were higher in patients with favorable ECOG PS ( Conclusion In this single institutional experience of using Axi-cel therapy for R/R BCL, we demonstrated utilization of substantial resources in terms of hospitalization, ICU stay, diagnostic studies and pharmaceutical products. Patients with favorable PS and no or minimal CRES spend a higher number of at home (alive and out-of-hospital), in first 100 of Axi-cel therapy.

Correction: Transient stabilization, rather than inhibition, of MYC amplifies extrinsic apoptosis and therapeutic responses in refractory B-cell lymphoma.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.