The International Prognostic Index Is Associated with Outcomes in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma after Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy.

CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have shown excellent activity against relapsed and refractory (R/R) diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). CAR T cell therapy is associated with early toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity. The incidence and severity of these toxicities has been associated in part with baseline disease and patient characteristics, which also may impact overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). However, there are limited data on patient selection and how to better predict toxicities or outcomes. Indexes used in patients with DLBCL, such as the International Prognostic Index (IPI and age-adjusted IPI [aaIPI]) and in transplantation recipients, such as the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), have not been evaluated in this setting. Here we evaluated 4 indices- IPI, aaIPI, HCT-CI, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)-and their associations with early CAR T cell related-toxicities and outcomes. We demonstrated an association between high-risk IPI or aaIPI and inferior PFS in patients with R/R DLBCL treated with CAR T cell therapy. We also found an association between aaIPI and IPI with OS and neurotoxicity, respectively. CCI was not associated with toxicities or outcomes, and owing to the small sample size, we could not draw a conclusion regarding associations with the HCT-CI. Both the IPI and aaIPI are widely used tools that can now provide better information to guide selection of patients who would best benefit from CD19 CAR T cell therapy.

Hematopoietic recovery in patients receiving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for hematologic malignancies.

Factors contributing to hematopoietic recovery following chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy have not been well studied. In an analysis of 83 patients with hematologic malignancies treated with CAR T-cell therapy, we describe patterns of hematopoietic recovery and evaluate potentially associated factors. We included patients who received axicabtagene ciloleucel (n = 30) or tisagenlecleucel (n = 10) for B-cell lymphoma, CD19-28z CAR T therapy for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (NCT01044069; n = 37), or B-cell maturation antigen targeting CAR T cells for multiple myeloma (NCT03070327; n = 6). Patients treated with CAR T cells who had not progressed, died, or received additional chemotherapy had "recovered" (per definition in Materials and methods section) hemoglobin, platelet, neutrophil, and white blood cell counts at rates of 61%, 51%, 33%, and 28% at month 1 postinfusion and 93%, 90%, 80%, and 59% at month 3 postinfusion, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that increasing grade of immune effector cell-associated neurological syndrome (ICANS), baseline cytopenias, CAR construct, and higher peak C-reactive protein or ferritin levels were statistically significantly associated with a lower likelihood of complete count recovery at 1 month; a similar trend was seen for cytokine release syndrome (CRS). After adjustment for baseline cytopenia and CAR construct, grade ≥3 CRS or ICANS remained significantly associated with the absence of complete count recovery at 1 month. Higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and macrophage-derived chemokines, although not statistically significant, were seen patients without complete count recovery at 1 month. This remains to be studied further in larger prospective studies.

Paradigms for Precision Medicine in Epichaperome Cancer Therapy.

Alterations in protein-protein interaction networks are at the core of malignant transformation but have yet to be translated into appropriate diagnostic tools. We make use of the kinetic selectivity properties of an imaging probe to visualize and measure the epichaperome, a pathologic protein-protein interaction network. We are able to assay and image epichaperome networks in cancer and their engagement by inhibitor in patients' tumors at single-lesion resolution in real time, and demonstrate that quantitative evaluation at the level of individual tumors can be used to optimize dose and schedule selection. We thus provide preclinical and clinical evidence in the use of this theranostic platform for precision medicine targeting of the aberrant properties of protein networks.