Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies for lymphoma

Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2018 Jan;15(1):31-46. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2017.128. Epub 2017 Aug 31.

Abstract

New therapies are needed for patients with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphomas that are resistant to standard therapies. Indeed, unresponsiveness to standard chemotherapy and relapse after autologous stem-cell transplantation are indicators of an especially poor prognosis. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are emerging as a novel treatment modality for these patients. Clinical trial data have demonstrated the potent activity of anti-CD19 CAR T cells against multiple subtypes of B-cell lymphoma, including diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma, mantle-cell lymphoma, and marginal-zone lymphoma. Importantly, anti-CD19 CAR T cells have impressive activity against chemotherapy-refractory lymphoma, inducing durable complete remissions lasting >2 years in some patients with refractory DLBCL. CAR-T-cell therapies are, however, associated with potentially fatal toxicities, including cytokine-release syndrome and neurological toxicities. CAR T cells with novel target antigens, including CD20, CD22, and κ-light chain for B-cell lymphomas, and CD30 for Hodgkin and T-cell lymphomas, are currently being investigated in clinical trials. Centrally manufactured CAR T cells are also being tested in industry-sponsored multicentre clinical trials, and will probably soon become a standard therapy. Herein, we review the clinical efficacy and toxicity of CAR-T-cell therapies for lymphoma, and discuss their limitations and future directions with regard to toxicity management, CAR designs and CAR-T-cell phenotypes, conditioning regimens, and combination therapies.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, CD19 / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods*
  • Ki-1 Antigen / immunology
  • Lymphoma / therapy*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / immunology*
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antigens, CD19
  • CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor
  • Ki-1 Antigen
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell