Dominant-negative transforming growth factor-β receptor-armoured mesothelin-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells slow tumour growth in a mouse model of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a major cause of death among all gynaecological cancers. Although surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy have yielded successful outcomes, the 5-year survival rate remains < 30%. Adoptive immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, has demonstrated improved survival in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with manageable toxicity. We explored CAR T-cell therapy in a preclinical mouse model of ovarian cancer. Second-generation CAR T cells were developed targeting mesothelin (MSLN), which is abundantly expressed in ovarian cancer. Cytotoxicity experiments were performed to verify the lethality of CAR T cells on target cells via flow cytometry. The in vivo antitumour activity of MSLN CAR T cells was also verified using a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model with human tumour-derived cells. We also evaluated the potency of CAR T cells directed to MSLN following co-expression of a dominant-negative transforming growth factor-β receptor type II (dnTGFβRII). Our data demonstrate that anti-MSLN CAR T cells specifically eliminate MSLN-expressing target cells in an MSLN density-dependent manner. This preclinical research promises an effective treatment strategy to improve outcomes for ovarian cancer, with the potential for prolonging survival while minimizing risk of on-target off-tumour toxicity.

Ciltacabtagene autoleucel for the treatment of multiple myeloma

While treatment options for multiple myeloma (MM) are continuing to expand, this disease remains one characterized by requiring multiple lines of therapy, with generally decreasing effectiveness of each subsequent line. The development of B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has proven an exception to this rule. In the trial that led to approval of the BCMA CAR T-cell therapy ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), deep and durable response rates were observed in heavily pretreated patients. In this review we summarize the available clinical trial data for cilta-cel, including discussion on notable adverse events, as well as discuss ongoing studies that are likely to lead to paradigm changes in the management of MM. In addition, we discuss the issues that currently surround the real-world utilization of cilta-cel.

Biological causes of immunogenic cancer cell death (ICD) and anti-tumor therapy; Combination of Oncolytic virus-based immunotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy for ICD induction

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a promising and rapidly expanding therapeutic option for a wide range of human malignancies. Despite the ongoing progress of CAR T-cell therapy in hematologic malignancies, the application of this therapeutic strategy in solid tumors has encountered several challenges due to antigen heterogeneity, suboptimal CAR T-cell trafficking, and the immunosuppressive features of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Oncolytic virotherapy is a novel cancer therapy that employs competent or genetically modified oncolytic viruses (OVs) to preferentially proliferate in tumor cells. OVs in combination with CAR T-cells are promising candidates for overcoming the current drawbacks of CAR T-cell application in tumors through triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD) in cancer cells. ICD is a type of cellular death in which danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and tumor-specific antigens are released, leading to the stimulation of potent anti-cancer immunity. In the present review, we discuss the biological causes of ICD, different types of ICD, and the synergistic combination of OVs and CAR T-cells to reach potent tumor-specific immunity.

The Landscape Of Alpha Fetoprotein In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Where Are We?

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and has been acknowledged as a leading cause of death among cirrhosis patients. Difficulties in early diagnosis and heterogeneity are obstacles to effective treatment, especially for advanced HCC. Liver transplantation (LT) is considered the best therapy for HCC. Although many biomarkers are being proposed, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which was identified over 60 years ago, remains the most utilized. Recently, much hope has been placed in the immunogenicity of AFP to develop novel therapies, such as AFP vaccines and AFP-specific adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT). This review summarizes the performance of AFP as a biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis, as well as its correlation with molecular classes. In addition, the role of AFP in LT is also described. Finally, we highlight the mechanism and application prospects of two immune therapies (AFP vaccine and ACT) for HCC. In general, our review points out the prevalence of AFP in HCC, accompanied by some controversies and novel directions for future research.

Patient Perspectives on Health-Related Quality of Life in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with Car T-Cell Therapy: A Qualitative Study

Introduction

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy offers a potentially curative option for patients with relapsed and refractory hematologic malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Patient-reported experiences with CAR T therapy are limited and have not been well characterized. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore patient descriptions of key domains of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in DLBCL patients treated with CAR T therapy.

Methods

A targeted literature review was initially conducted to inform the development of the interview guide comprising predetermined open-ended questions. Two focus groups were conducted with a total of 18 patients with DLBCL identified from patient advisory boards. Focus group sessions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. MAXQDA 18.2.0 qualitative data analysis software was utilized to facilitate a constant-comparative coding process to identify key concepts.

Results

Eight domain impairments (social functioning, emotional functioning, fatigue, physical functioning, cognitive functioning, role functioning, sleep, and pain/discomfort) were identified from the qualitative analysis and endorsed by DLBCL patients treated with CAR T. Compared with before CAR T therapy, patients reported increased impairment in every domain during or immediately after CAR T therapy. This impairment improved for each domain 6 months after CAR T therapy except for pain/discomfort. Compared with before CAR T therapy, improvement in impairment for each domain was observed 6 months after CAR T therapy except for fatigue, sleep, and pain/discomfort.

Conclusion

This study provides meaningful information regarding the impact of CAR T therapy on HRQoL in patients with DLBCL throughout their treatment journey. Health care professionals and investigators can utilize these data in examining existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures that are used in DLBCL clinical trials and to better understand the needs of DLBCL survivors.