Cancer treatment has advanced with the introduction of a new therapy that uses anti-CD19 CAR-engineered double-negative T cells (RJMty19) to target relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. This innovative approach aims to overcome the limitations of traditional autologous CAR-T cell therapies, which are often expensive, time-consuming, and inaccessible to many patients.
A research team led by Dr. Wenbin Qian from the Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine and Dr. Liming Yang from Wyze Biotech Co. Ltd, and colleagues have carried out a first phase in humans. 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this innovative treatment. His work is published in the peer-reviewed journal eClinicalMedicine.
The study enrolled a small group of patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma who had undergone multiple prior lines of therapy. These patients received a single dose of RJMty19 after undergoing lymphodepleting chemotherapy. The researchers evaluated different dose levels to determine the optimal dose. Surprisingly, the trial found no dose-limiting toxicities, indicating a favorable safety profile.
In terms of efficacy, the highest dosage level demonstrated impressive results. Dr. Yang highlighted the importance of these findings: “Our results demonstrate that CD19-CAR-DNT cells appear to be well tolerated and have promising antitumor activity in patients with LBCL. Further studies of this product with a larger sample size are warranted.”
Notably, the study reported an overall positive response, with significant benefits seen at higher doses. Patients receiving the highest doses showed the most significant benefits, and all patients at these levels achieved disease control and objective responses. This dose-dependent efficacy is a crucial finding that underlines the potential of RJMty19 as a viable treatment option for patients with large B-cell lymphoma.
The researchers noted that the most common adverse effects of the treatment were hematologic toxicities, including reductions in certain blood cell counts, which are manageable and expected with such therapies. Importantly, there were no severe cases of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), which are often concerns with CAR-T therapies.
Dr. Yang emphasized the potential impact of his work: “This Phase 1 trial is a critical step in providing an accessible and effective treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma. “The promising results warrant further investigation in larger clinical trials.”
The study findings suggest that RJMty19 could revolutionize the landscape of large B-cell lymphoma treatment by providing a more accessible and potentially more effective option than current therapies. As researchers move forward with larger trials, the oncology community eagerly awaits further validation of these promising results.
In conclusion, this research by Dr. Qian and Dr. Yang and other experts offers hope to patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, highlighting the potential of CD19-CAR-DNT cells as a new frontier in cancer immunotherapy. The study paves the way for future advances and underlines the importance of innovative approaches in the fight against cancer.
MAGAZINE REFERENCE
Xibin Xiao, Hui Liu, Xi Qiu, Panpan Chen, Xian Li, Dan Wang, Guangrong Song, Yu Cheng, Liming Yang and Wenbin Qian. “CD19-CAR-DNT (RJMty19) cells in patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma: a first-in-human phase 1 study”. eClinicalMedicine, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102516
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Liming Yang is co-founder and president of Wyze Biotech Co., Ltd, a China-based clinical-stage company focused on the development and commercialization of novel commercially available allogeneic DNT (double T negative) cell immunotherapies. There are now five first-in-class, first-in-human Phase I/II clinical trials for treating hematological malignancies and autoimmune diseases in China and have demonstrated its promising safety and efficacy profile. Dr. Yang has published more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and is the inventor of more than 10 patent applications in the field of DNT technology.
April 28, 2024
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