CAR-T CELL THERAPY IN LARGE B CELL LYMPHOMA

Abstract

Large B-cell lymphomas (LBCLs) are among the most frequent (about 30%) non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Despite the aggressive behavior of these lymphomas, more than 60% of patients can be cured with first-line chemoimmunotherapy using the R-CHOP regimen. Patients with refractory or relapsing disease show a poor outcome even when treated with second-line therapies. CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are emerging as an efficacious second-line treatment strategy for patients with LBCL. Three CD19-CAR-T-cell products received FDA and EMA approval. The use of CAR-T cell therapy has also been explored for the treatment of high-risk LBCL patients in the first-line setting and for patients with central nervous system involvement. Although CD19-CAR-T therapy has transformed the care of refractory/relapsed LBCL, about 60% of these patients will ultimately progress or relapse following CD19-CAR-T: therefore, it is fundamental to identify predictive criteria of response to CAR-T therapy and to develop salvage therapies for patients relapsing after CD19-CAR-T therapies. Moreover, ongoing clinical trials are evaluating bispecific CAR-T cells targeting both CD19 and CD20 or CD19 and CD22 as a tool to improve the therapeutic efficacy and to reduce the number of refractory/relapsing patients.