Enhanced CAR T-cell therapy may improve treatment options for patients with B-cell blood cancers

The team also used a faster process to collect, prepare and return the cells to the patient in just six days. This resulted in positive outcomes with minimal side effects for the patients.

"It has been suggested that fresh cell infusions are preferable, and we were able to show feasibility of rapid manufacturing time and infusion of the fresh cells," said lead senior co-author Lapo Alinari, MD, PhD, associate professor of hematology and member of the LHM Program at Ohio State. "This resulted in meaningful clinical activity with minimal side effects in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and remission in mantle cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma."

How does CAR T-cell therapy work?

CAR T-cell therapy removes cancer-fighting T cells from the patient's immune system, modifies those cells in a lab to strengthen their ability to kill cancer cells, and returns the cells to the patient via an infusion.

The cell therapy typically targets the CD19 protein that plays a large role in B-cell blood cancers. In previous animal studies, scientists at other institutions developed a CAR-T-cell therapy that also targeted two additional proteins-CD20 and CD22-and it showed increased effectiveness.

"Even though CAR T-cell therapy has revolutionized therapy for patients with B-cell blood cancers with high rates of remission, many patients will relapse after CAR T-cell therapy, and often within the first year," said Vasu. "Patients are then left with limited treatment options."

Eighteen patients with a median age of 64 were enrolled in the clinical trial, and 16 were treated with the OX-40 protein to enhance the CAR T-cell process. All enrolled patients had previously received a median of three types of therapy before receiving the enhanced cell therapy.

"While our trial showed encouraging outcomes for patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated with our enhanced CAR T-cells, more research in larger patient groups is needed," said senior co-author Marcos de Lima, MD, professor of hematology at Ohio State.

Source:

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

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