ACT To Sustain: Adoptive Cell Therapy To Sustain access to non-commercialized genetically modified cell therapies.

Genetically modified cell therapies (GMCT), particularly immune effector cells (IEC) such as chimeric receptor antigen (CAR) T cells, have shown promise in curing cancer and rare diseases after a single treatment course. Following close behind CAR T approvals are GMCT based on hematopoietic stem cells, such as products developed for hemoglobinopathies and other disorders. Academically sponsored GMCT products, often developed in academic centers without industry involvement, face challenges in sustaining access after completion of early phase studies when there is no commercial partner invested in completing registration trials for marketing applications. The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) formed a task force named ACT To Sustain (Adoptive Cell Therapy to Sustain) to address the "valley of death" of academic GMCT products. This paper presents the task force's findings and considerations regarding financial sustainability of academically sponsored GMCT products in the absence of commercial development. We outline case scenarios illustrating barriers to maintaining access to promising GMCT developed by academic centers. The paper also delves into the current state of GMCT development, commercialization, and reimbursement, citing examples of abandoned products, cost estimates associated with GMCT manufacturing and real-world use of cost recovery. We propose potential solutions to address the financial, regulatory, and logistical challenges associated with sustaining access to academically sponsored GMCT products and to ensure that products with promising results do not languish in a "valley of death" due to financial or implementational barriers. The suggestions include aligning US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designations with benefit coverage, allowing for cost recovery of certain products as a covered benefit, and engaging with regulators and policy makers to discuss alternative pathways for academic centers to provide access. We stress the importance of sustainable access to GMCT and call for collaborative efforts to develop regulatory pathways that support access to academically sponsored GMCT products.

Antitumor efficacy and safety of unedited autologous CD5.CAR T cells in relapsed/refractory mature T-cell lymphomas.

ABSTRACT: Despite newer targeted therapies, patients with primary refractory or relapsed (r/r) T-cell lymphoma have a poor prognosis. The development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell platforms to treat T-cell malignancies often requires additional gene modifications to overcome fratricide because of shared T-cell antigens on normal and malignant T cells. We developed a CD5-directed CAR that produces minimal fratricide by downmodulating CD5 protein levels in transduced T cells while retaining strong cytotoxicity against CD5+ malignant cells. In our first-in-human phase 1 study (NCT0308190), second-generation autologous CD5.CAR T cells were manufactured from patients with r/r T-cell malignancies. Here, we report safety and efficacy data from a cohort of patients with mature T-cell lymphoma (TCL). Among the 17 patients with TCL enrolled, CD5 CAR T cells were successfully manufactured for 13 out of 14 attempted lines (93%) and administered to 9 (69%) patients. The overall response rate (complete remission or partial response) was 44%, with complete responses observed in 2 patients. The most common grade 3 or higher adverse events were cytopenias. No grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome or neurologic events occurred. Two patients died during the immediate toxicity evaluation period due to rapidly progressive disease. These results demonstrated that CD5.CAR T cells are safe and can induce clinical responses in patients with r/r CD5-expressing TCLs without eliminating endogenous T cells or increasing infectious complications. More patients and longer follow-up are needed for validation. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT0308190.

Mediport use as an acceptable standard for CAR T cell infusion.

Introduction: Mediport use as a clinical option for the administration of chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR T cell) therapy in patients with B-cell malignancies has yet to be standardized. Concern for mediport dislodgement, cell infiltration, and ineffective therapy delivery to systemic circulation has resulted in variable practice with intravenous administration of CAR T cell therapy. With CAR T cell commercialization, it is important to establish practice standards for CAR T cell delivery. We conducted a study to establish usage patterns of mediports in the clinical setting and provide a standard of care recommendation for mediport use as an acceptable form of access for CAR T cell infusions. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data on mediport use and infiltration rate was collected from a survey across 34 medical centers in the Pediatric Real-World CAR Consortium, capturing 504 CAR T cell infusion routes across 489 patients. Data represents the largest, and to our knowledge sole, report on clinical CAR T cell infusion practice patterns since FDA approval and CAR T cell commercialization in 2017. Results: Across 34 sites, all reported tunneled central venous catheters, including Broviac® and Hickman® catheters, as accepted standard venous options for CAR T cell infusion. Use of mediports as a standard clinical practice was reported in 29 of 34 sites (85%). Of 489 evaluable patients with reported route of CAR T cell infusion, 184 patients were infused using mediports, with no reported incidences of CAR T cell infiltration. Discussion/Conclusion: Based on current clinical practice, mediports are a commonly utilized form of access for CAR T cell therapy administration. These findings support the safe practice of mediport usage as an accepted standard line option for CAR T cell infusion.

Targeted cellular therapy for treatment of relapsed or refractory leukemia.

While the mainstay of treatment for high-risk or relapsed, refractory leukemia has historically revolved around allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT), targeted immunotherapies have emerged as a promising therapeutic option, especially given the poor prognosis of patients who relapse after allo-HSCT. Novel cellular immunotherapies that harness the cytotoxic abilities of the immune system in a targeted manner (often called "adoptive" cell therapy), have changed the way we treat r/r hematologic malignancies and continue to change the treatment landscape given the rapid evolution of these powerful, yet sophisticated precision therapies that often offer a less toxic alternative to conventional salvage therapies. Importantly, adoptive cell therapy can be allo-HSCT-enabling or a therapeutic option for patients in whom transplantation has failed or is contraindicated. A solid understanding of the core concepts of adoptive cell therapy is necessary for stem cell transplant physicians, nurses and ancillary staff given its proximity to the transplant field as well as its inherent complexities that require specific expertise in compliant manufacturing, clinical application, and risk mitigation. Here we will review use of targeted cellular therapy for the treatment of r/r leukemia, focusing on chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T-cells) given the remarkable sustained clinical responses leading to commercial approval for several hematologic indications including leukemia, with brief discussion of other promising investigational cellular immunotherapies and special considerations for sustainability and scalability.

Apoptosis of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Contributes to Bone Marrow Suppression Following Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell (CAR-T) therapy represents a revolutionary treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies. However, its use can result in significant toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome resulting from the release of proinflammatory cytokines upon T cell activation. In addition, patients who develop CRS often experience prolonged cytopenias, and those with the most severe CRS also have the longest delays in full marrow recovery. Although an association between CRS and delayed bone marrow recovery has been established, the precise mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown. This study was conducted to test our hypothesis that delayed bone marrow recovery following CAR-T therapy is caused by elevation of proinflammatory cytokines, leading to apoptosis and depletion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). SCID-beige mice bearing intraperitoneal CD19+ Raji cell tumors were treated with injection of human CD19.28z CAR T cells. Bone marrow was then harvested for analysis by flow cytometry, and HSPCs were isolated for whole-transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing. Complete blood counts and serum cytokine levels were measured as well. A second model was developed in which SCID-beige mice were treated with murine IFN-γ (mIFN-γ), murine IL-6 (mIL-6), or both. Bone marrow was harvested, and flow cytometry assays were conducted to evaluate the degree of apoptosis and proliferation on specific HSPC populations. SCID-beige mice bearing intraperitoneal Raji cell tumors that were treated with CAR-T therapy developed CRS, with elevations of several proinflammatory cytokines, including profound elevation of human IFN-γ. Gene set enrichment analysis of RNA sequencing data revealed that genes associated with apoptosis were significantly upregulated in HSPCs from mice that developed CRS. Endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR)-negative HSCs, a subset of HSCs that is poised for terminal differentiation, was found to be specifically decreased in mice that were treated with CAR T cells. Furthermore, HSPCs were found to have increased levels of apoptosis upon treatment with mIFN-γ and mIL-6, whereas short-term HSCs and multipotent progenitors exhibited increases in proliferation with mIFN-γ treatment alone. The results from this study provide evidence that the elevation of proinflammatory cytokines following CAR-T therapy impacts the bone marrow through a combined mechanism: pluripotent HSCs that are exposed to elevated levels of IFN-γ and IL-6 undergo increased cell death, while more committed progenitor cells become more proliferative in response to elevated IFN-γ. These combined effects lead to depleted stores of repopulating HSCs and ultimately cytopenias. © 2023 American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Three-year results from phase I of ZUMA-4: KTE-X19 in pediatric relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Here we present the 3-year results of ZUMA-4, a phase I/II multicenter study evaluating the safety and efficacy of KTEX19, an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in pediatric/adolescent patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Phase I explored two dose levels and formulations. The primary endpoint was the incidence of dose-limiting toxicities. Thirty-one patients were enrolled; KTE-X19 was administered to 24 patients (median age 13.5 years, range 3-20; median follow-up 36.1 months). No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. All treated patients had grade ≥3 adverse events, commonly hypotension (50%) and anemia (42%). Grade 3 cytokine release syndrome rates were 33% in all treated patients, 75% in patients given the dose of 2×106 CAR T cells/kg, 27% in patients given the dose of 1×106 cells/kg in the 68 mL formulation, and 22% in patients given the dose of 1×106 cells/kg in the 40 mL formulation; the percentages of patients experiencing grade ≥3 neurologic events were 21%, 25%, 27%, and 11% respectively. Overall complete remission rates (including complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery) were 67% in all treated patients, 75% in patients given 2×106 CAR T cells/kg, 64% in patients given 1×106 cells/kg in the 68 mL formulation, and 67% in patients given 1×106 cells/kg in the 40 mL formulation. Overall minimal residual diseasenegativity rates were 100% among responders; 88% of responders underwent subsequent allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. In the 1×106 (40 mL) group (recommended phase II dose), the median duration of remission censored at allogeneic stem-cell transplantation and median overall survival were not reached. Pediatric/adolescent patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia achieved high minimal residual disease-negative remission rates with a manageable safety profile after a single dose of KTE-X19. Phase II of the study is ongoing at the dose of 1×106 CAR T cells/kg in the 40 mL formulation. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02625480.

Long-term follow-up for the development of subsequent malignancies in patients treated with genetically modified IECs.

Subsequent malignancies are well-documented complications in long-term follow-up of cancer patients. Recently, genetically modified immune effector (IE) cells have shown benefit in hematologic malignancies and are being evaluated in clinical trials for solid tumors. Although the short-term complications of IE cells are well described, there is limited literature summarizing long-term follow-up, including subsequent malignancies. We retrospectively reviewed data from 340 patients treated across 27 investigator-initiated pediatric and adult clinical trials at our center. All patients received IE cells genetically modified with γ-retroviral vectors to treat relapsed and/or refractory hematologic or solid malignancies. In a cumulative 1027 years of long-term follow-up, 13 patients (3.8%) developed another cancer with a total of 16 events (4 hematologic malignancies and 12 solid tumors). The 5-year cumulative incidence of a first subsequent malignancy in the recipients of genetically modified IE cells was 3.6% (95% confidence interval, 1.8% to 6.4%). For 11 of the 16 subsequent tumors, biopsies were available, and no sample was transgene positive by polymerase chain reaction. Replication-competent retrovirus testing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was negative in the 13 patients with subsequent malignancies tested. Rates of subsequent malignancy were low and comparable to standard chemotherapy. These results suggest that the administration of IE cells genetically modified with γ retroviral vectors does not increase the risk for subsequent malignancy.

Disease Burden Affects Outcomes in Pediatric and Young Adult B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia After Commercial Tisagenlecleucel: A Pediatric Real-World Chimeric Antigen Receptor Consortium Report.

PURPOSE: Tisagenlecleucel is a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, US Food and Drug Administration-approved for children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA) with relapsed and/or refractory (RR) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The US Food and Drug Administration registration for tisagenlecleucel was based on a complete response (CR) rate of 81%, 12-month overall survival (OS) of 76%, and event-free survival (EFS) of 50%. We report clinical outcomes and analyze covariates of outcomes after commercial tisagenlecleucel. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, multi-institutional study of CAYA with RR B-ALL across 15 US institutions, who underwent leukapheresis shipment to Novartis for commercial tisagenlecleucel. A total of 200 patients were included in an intent-to-treat response analysis, and 185 infused patients were analyzed for survival and toxicity. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analysis demonstrates a 79% morphologic CR rate (95% CI, 72 to 84). The infused cohort had an 85% CR (95% CI, 79 to 89) and 12-month OS of 72% and EFS of 50%, with 335 days of median follow-up. Notably, 48% of patients had low-disease burden (< 5% bone marrow lymphoblasts, no CNS3, or other extramedullary disease), or undetectable disease, pretisagenlecleucel. Univariate and multivariate analyses associate high-disease burden (HB, ≥ 5% bone marrow lymphoblasts, CNS3, or non-CNS extramedullary) with inferior outcomes, with a 12-month OS of 58% and EFS of 31% compared with low-disease burden (OS; 85%, EFS; 70%) and undetectable disease (OS; 95%, EFS; 72%; P < .0001 for OS and EFS). Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity rates were 21% and 7% overall and 35% and 9% in patients with HB, respectively. CONCLUSION: Commercial tisagenlecleucel in CAYA RR B-ALL demonstrates efficacy and tolerability. This first analysis of commercial tisagenlecleucel stratified by disease burden identifies HB preinfusion to associate with inferior OS and EFS and increased toxicity.

T-Cell Therapy for Lymphoma Using Nonengineered Multiantigen-Targeted T Cells Is Safe and Produces Durable Clinical Effects.

PURPOSE: Patients with relapsed lymphomas often fail salvage therapies including high-dose chemotherapy and mono-antigen-specific T-cell therapies, highlighting the need for nontoxic, novel treatments. To that end, we clinically tested an autologous T-cell product that targets multiple tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) expressed by lymphomas with the intent of treating disease and preventing immune escape. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We expanded polyclonal T cells reactive to five TAAs: PRAME, SSX2, MAGEA4, SURVIVIN, and NY-ESO-1. Products were administered to 32 patients with Hodgkin lymphomas (n = 14) or non-Hodgkin lymphomas (n = 18) in a two-part phase I clinical trial, where the objective of the first phase was to establish the safety of targeting all five TAAs (fixed dose, 0.5 × 107 cells/m2) simultaneously and the second stage was to establish the maximum tolerated dose. Patients had received a median of three prior lines of therapy and either were at high risk for relapse (adjuvant arm, n = 17) or had chemorefractory disease (n = 15) at enrollment. RESULTS: Infusions were safe with no dose-limiting toxicities observed in either the antigen- or dose-escalation phases. Although the maximum tolerated dose was not reached, the maximum tested dose at which efficacy was observed (two infusions, 2 × 107 cells/m2) was determined as the recommended phase II dose. Of the patients with chemorefractory lymphomas, two (of seven) with Hodgkin lymphomas and four (of eight) with non-Hodgkin lymphomas achieved durable complete remissions (> 3 years). CONCLUSION: T cells targeting five TAAs and administered at doses of up to two infusions of 2 × 107 cells/m2 are well-tolerated by patients with lymphoma both as adjuvant and to treat chemorefractory lymphoma. Preliminary indicators of antilymphoma activity were seen in the chemorefractory cohort across both antigen- and dose-escalation phases.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells for mature B-cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has changed the landscape of immunotherapy for B-cell malignancies, including mature B-cell lymphomas. Although two CD19 CAR T-cell products have been commercially approved to treat relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas, outcomes in these patients remain inferior to those of patients with B-cell leukemia, regardless of therapy. Recent clinical studies and preclinical reports suggest that certain characteristics, such as the suppressive lymphoma tumor microenvironment and inferior endogenous T-cell fitness, may contribute to discrepant responses in these patients. In addition, these studies revealed that limited CAR T-cell persistence and tumor antigen escape, which also impact B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, may play a more prominent role in lymphoma. Multiple promising strategies to overcome these barriers have advanced to clinical trials. In this review, we assess CAR T-cell therapies for pediatric relapsed/refractory mature B-cell lymphomas, potential obstacles diminishing antitumor activity and limiting CAR T-cell persistence, and current strategies to overcome these obstacles.

Defining the Inflammatory Plasma Proteome in Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) histopathology is characterized by rare malignant Reed-Sternberg cells among an inflammatory infiltrate. We hypothesized that characteristics of inflammation in pediatric HL lesions would be reflected by the levels of inflammatory cytokines or chemokines in pre-therapy plasma of children with HL. The study objectives were to better define the inflammatory pre-therapy plasma proteome and identify plasma biomarkers associated with extent of disease and clinical outcomes in pediatric HL. Pre-therapy plasma samples were obtained from pediatric subjects with newly diagnosed HL and healthy pediatric controls. Plasma concentrations of 135 cytokines/chemokines were measured with the Luminex platform. Associations between protein concentration and disease characteristics were determined using multivariate permutation tests with false discovery control. Fifty-six subjects with HL (mean age: 13 years, range 3-18) and 47 controls were analyzed. The cytokine/chemokine profiles of subjects with HL were distinct from controls, and unique cytokines/chemokines were associated with high-risk disease (IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-8) and slow early response (CCL13, IFN-λ1, IL-8). TNFSF10 was significantly elevated among those who ultimately relapsed and was significantly associated with worse event-free survival. These biomarkers could be incorporated into biologically based risk stratification to optimize outcomes and minimize toxicities in pediatric HL.

Replacing CAR-T cell resistance with persistence by changing a single residue.

Sustained persistence of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells is a key characteristic associated with long-term remission in patients with hematologic malignancies. Attempts to uncover mechanisms that enhance persistence and thus functionality will have a substantial impact in broadening application of CAR-T cell therapy, especially for solid tumors. In this issue of the JCI, Guedan et al. describe a promising strategy to limit T cell exhaustion and improve persistence by changing a single amino acid in the costimulatory domain of CD28. The authors demonstrated that this single amino acid substitution in CD28-based mesothelin CAR-T cells results in improved persistence and functionality in a xenograft model of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, reciprocal alteration of the same residue in inducible costimulator-containing (ICOS-containing) CAR-T cells resulted in limited antitumor activity and persistence. These findings suggest that simple alterations in the costimulatory domain may enhance CAR-T cell persistence, warranting future evaluation in other CD28-costimulatory CARs in an effort to improve durable antitumor effects.

T-Cell Receptor Stimulation Enhances the Expansion and Function of CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing T Cells.

PURPOSE: Current protocols for CD19 chimeric antigen receptor-expressing T cells (CD19.CAR-T cells) require recipients to tolerate preinfusion cytoreductive chemotherapy, and the presence of sufficient target antigen on normal or malignant B cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated whether additional stimulation of CD19.CAR-T cells through their native receptors can substitute for cytoreductive chemotherapy, inducing expansion and functional persistence of CD19.CAR-T even in patients in remission of B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. We infused a low dose of CD19.CAR-modified virus-specific T cells (CD19.CAR-VST) without prior cytoreductive chemotherapy into 8 patients after allogeneic stem cell transplant. RESULTS: Absent virus reactivation, we saw no CD19.CAR-VST expansion. In contrast, in patients with viral reactivation, up to 30,000-fold expansion of CD19.CAR-VSTs was observed, with depletion of CD19+ B cells. Five patients remain in remission at 42-60+ months. CONCLUSIONS: Dual T-cell receptor and CAR stimulation can thus potentiate effector cell expansion and CAR-target cell killing, even when infusing low numbers of effector cells without cytoreduction.

A strategy to protect off-the-shelf cell therapy products using virus-specific T-cells engineered to eliminate alloreactive T-cells.

BACKGROUND: The use of "off-the-shelf" cellular therapy products derived from healthy donors addresses many of the challenges associated with customized cell products. However, the potential of allogeneic cell products to produce graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and their likely rejection by host alloreactive T-cells are major barriers to their clinical safety and efficacy. We have developed a molecule that when expressed in T-cells, can eliminate alloreactive T-cells and hence can be used to protect cell therapy products from allospecific rejection. Further, expression of this molecule in virus-specific T-cells (VSTs) should virtually eliminate the potential for recipients to develop GVHD. METHODS: To generate a molecule that can mediate killing of cognate alloreactive T-cells, we fused beta-2 microglobulin (B2M), a universal component of all human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules, to the cytolytic endodomain of the T cell receptor ζ chain, to create a chimeric HLA accessory receptor (CHAR). To determine if CHAR-modified human VSTs could eliminate alloreactive T-cells, we co-cultured them with allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and assessed proliferation of PBMC-derived alloreactive T-cells and the survival of CHAR-modified VSTs by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The CHAR was able to transport HLA molecules to the cell surface of Daudi cells, that lack HLA class I expression due to defective B2M expression, illustrating its ability to complex with human HLA class I molecules. Furthermore, VSTs expressing CHAR were protected from allospecific elimination in co-cultures with allogeneic PBMCs compared to unmodified VSTs, and mediated killing of alloreactive T-cells. Unexpectedly, CHAR-modified VSTs eliminated not only alloreactive HLA class I restricted CD8 T-cells, but also alloreactive CD4 T-cells. This beneficial effect resulted from non-specific elimination of activated T-cells. Of note, we confirmed that CHAR-modified VSTs did not affect pathogen-specific T-cells which are essential for protective immunity. CONCLUSIONS: Human T-cells can be genetically modified to eliminate alloreactive T-cells, providing a unique strategy to protect off-the-shelf cell therapy products. Allogeneic cell therapies have already proved effective in treating viral infections in the stem cell transplant setting, and have potential in other fields such as regenerative medicine. A strategy to prevent allograft rejection would greatly increase their efficacy and commercial viability.

Are we there yet? The never-ending quest for an Epstein-Barr virus vaccine.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is estimated to infect a large part of the population and is associated with a variety of human tumors; therefore, EBV is an important target for vaccine development. In this issue of the JCI, Rühl et al. developed a promising heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy for EBV-associated malignancies and symptomatic primary infection. The authors show that two prime-boost regimens, using either dendritic cells or an adenovirus approach targeting nuclear antigen EBNA1 followed by a modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) booster, induced significant T cell-mediated, EBV-specific immune control and Ab production. These findings suggest that administration of heterologous prime-boost vaccinations targeting EBNA1 may result in potent CD4+ and CD8+ T cell-mediated EBV immune control and may be a promising clinical approach.