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Haas AR, Golden RJ, Litzky LA, Engels B, Zhao L, Xu F, Taraszka JA, Ramones M, Granda B, Chang WJ, Jadlowsky J, Shea KM, Runkle A, Chew A, Dowd E, Gonzalez V, Chen F, Liu X, Fang C, Jiang S, Davis MM, Sheppard NC, Zhao Y, Fraietta JA, Lacey SF, Plesa G, Melenhorst JJ, Mansfield K, Brogdon JL, Young RM, Albelda SM, June CH, Tanyi JL. Two cases of severe pulmonary toxicity from highly active mesothelin-directed CAR T cells. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2309-2325. [PMID: 37312454 PMCID: PMC10422001 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple clinical studies have treated mesothelin (MSLN)-positive solid tumors by administering MSLN-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Although these products are generally safe, efficacy is limited. Therefore, we generated and characterized a potent, fully human anti-MSLN CAR. In a phase 1 dose-escalation study of patients with solid tumors, we observed two cases of severe pulmonary toxicity following intravenous infusion of this product in the high-dose cohort (1-3 × 108 T cells per m2). Both patients demonstrated progressive hypoxemia within 48 h of infusion with clinical and laboratory findings consistent with cytokine release syndrome. One patient ultimately progressed to grade 5 respiratory failure. An autopsy revealed acute lung injury, extensive T cell infiltration, and accumulation of CAR T cells in the lungs. RNA and protein detection techniques confirmed low levels of MSLN expression by benign pulmonary epithelial cells in affected lung and lung samples obtained from other inflammatory or fibrotic conditions, indicating that pulmonary pneumocyte and not pleural expression of mesothelin may lead to dose-limiting toxicity. We suggest patient enrollment criteria and dosing regimens of MSLN-directed therapies consider the possibility of dynamic expression of mesothelin in benign lung with a special concern for patients with underlying inflammatory or fibrotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Haas
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Ryan J Golden
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Leslie A Litzky
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Boris Engels
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Linlin Zhao
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fangmin Xu
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John A Taraszka
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Melissa Ramones
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Brian Granda
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Wan-Jung Chang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julie Jadlowsky
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kim-Marie Shea
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Adam Runkle
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Anne Chew
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Emily Dowd
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Vanessa Gonzalez
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Fang Chen
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chongyun Fang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shuguang Jiang
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Megan M Davis
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Neil C Sheppard
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yangbing Zhao
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joseph A Fraietta
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Simon F Lacey
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Gabriela Plesa
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - J Joseph Melenhorst
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Keith Mansfield
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Regina M Young
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Steven M Albelda
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Carl H June
- Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Janos L Tanyi
- Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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