Next-generation "armored" CAR T cell therapy shows promising results in lymphoma patients

New strategy adds a cytokine to make CAR T cells more effective 

To combat these challenges, a team led by June, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, developed a new, "armored" CAR T cell product called huCART19-IL18. Like most other CAR T cell products for lymphoma, it targets a surface antigen called CD19. However, this version was further modified to secrete interleukin 18 (IL18), a pro-inflammatory cytokine capable of enhancing the immune system, by recruiting additional immune cells to support the engineered T cells. In doing so, it further protects the CAR T cells and promotes their ability to attack the cancer cells, June explained.

This study represents a significant development in the ongoing evolution of CAR T cell therapy, as the first time a cytokine-enhanced CAR T has been tested in patients with blood cancer. By analyzing blood samples from patients after they received treatment, the research team found strong evidence indicating that adding IL18 to the CAR T cells contributed to the robust response rates.

Driving research forward

"We know that bringing this type of new therapy from the lab bench to the patient bedside is only possible at a place like Penn Medicine, thanks to our courageous patients and the teamwork between our scientific and clinical teams," Svoboda said. "With the biopsies and cytokine data from this trial, we've gained a wealth of information about patients relapsing after CAR T cell therapy that could help researchers better understand the science of CAR T cell therapy relapse in general."

Source:

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

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