CD19/CD20 Bispecific Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) in Naive/Memory T Cells for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

To address antigen escape and loss of T-cell functionality, we report a phase I clinical trial (NCT04007029) evaluating autologous naive and memory T (TN/MEM) cells engineered to express a bispecific anti-CD19/CD20 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR; CART19/20) for patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with safety as the primary endpoint. Ten patients were treated with 36 × 106 to 165 × 106 CART19/20 cells. No patient experienced neurotoxicity of any grade or over grade 1 cytokine release syndrome. One case of dose-limiting toxicity (persistent cytopenia) was observed. Nine of 10 patients achieved objective response [90% overall response rate (ORR)], with seven achieving complete remission [70% complete responses (CR) rate]. One patient relapsed after 18 months in CR but returned to CR after receiving a second dose of CART19/20 cells. Median progression-free survival was 18 months and median overall survival was not reached with a 17-month median follow-up. In conclusion, CART19/20 TN/MEM cells are safe and effective in patients with relapsed/refractory NHL, with durable responses achieved at low dosage levels. SIGNIFICANCE: Autologous CD19/CD20 bispecific CAR-T cell therapy generated from TN/MEM cells for patients with NHL is safe (no neurotoxicity, maximum grade 1 cytokine release syndrome) and demonstrates strong efficacy (90% ORR, 70% CR rate) in a first-in-human, phase I dose-escalation trial. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 517.

Pushing myelination - developmental regulation of myosin expression drives oligodendrocyte morphological differentiation.

Oligodendrocytes are the central nervous system myelin-forming cells providing axonal electrical insulation and higher-order neuronal circuitry. The mechanical forces driving the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells into myelinating oligodendrocytes are largely unknown, but likely require the spatiotemporal regulation of the architecture and dynamics of the actin and actomyosin cytoskeletons. In this study, we analyzed the expression pattern of myosin motors during oligodendrocyte development. We report that oligodendrocyte differentiation is regulated by the synchronized expression and non-uniform distribution of several members of the myosin network, particularly non-muscle myosins 2B and 2C, which potentially operate as nanomechanical modulators of cell tension and myelin membrane expansion at different cell stages.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.