Frontiers in Oncology (Jun 2021)

Short-Interval Sequential CAR-T Cell Infusion May Enhance Prior CAR-T Cell Expansion to Augment Anti-Lymphoma Response in B-NHL

  • Yuan Meng,
  • Biping Deng,
  • Luan Rong,
  • Chuo Li,
  • Weiliang Song,
  • Zhuojun Ling,
  • Jinlong Xu,
  • Jiajia Duan,
  • Zelin Wang,
  • Alex H. Chang,
  • Xiaoming Feng,
  • Xiujuan Xiong,
  • Xiaoli Chen,
  • Jing Pan,
  • Jing Pan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2021.640166
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy emerges as a new treatment for refractory or relapsed (r/r) B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL); however, the overall response rate (ORR) of which in the B-NHL patients is much lower compared to the patients with r/r B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). We previously confirmed that sequential infusions of CD20 and CD22 CAR-T cells significantly improved the prognosis of the B-NHL patients, while some advanced patients still progressed to death during these CAR-T cell treatments. In this study, we showed that timely sequential administration of the second CAR-T cells could enhance expansion of prior CAR-T cells with stronger tumor-killing capacity in vitro and in vivo. We further conducted compassionate treatments on two advanced B-NHL patients with short-interval sequential infusions of CD19/22/20 CAR-T cells. Disease progression was observed in both patients after primary CAR-T cell infusion but robust re-expansion of prior CAR-T cells and anti-tumor effects was induced by infusion of a secondary CAR-T cells. These results indicate sequential infusions of CAR-T cells with a short interval may improve therapeutic efficacy in the B-NHL patients by promoting expansion of prior CAR-T cells.

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