New research suggests that radiotherapy for patients with multiple myeloma before receiving CAR-T cell therapy appears to be safe and does not affect the efficacy of CAR-T cells

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 /--- In a new study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center found that radiotherapy for patients waiting for multiple myeloma made by CAR-T cells was safe and did not disrupt CAR-T cell therapy, the results of which were presented at the annual meeting of the Virtual American Society of Radiological Oncology on October 27, 2020.
cells during cell division, pictured from the NIH.
The study found that in patients who received radiotherapy 34 days or less before infusion of BCMA CAR-T cells (i.e., CAR-T cells targeting BCMA antigens), their rates of severe cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurotoxicity (two common side effects of cytotherapy) and hematological toxicity were no worse than those who did not receive radiotherapy.
radiotherapy for relapsed/recurring multiple myeloma is commonly used to relieve bone pain associated with the disease, however, the possible effects on patients and CAR-T cell therapy are not fully understood.
these new findings suggest that radiotherapy appears to be a safe treatment option before patients receive CAR-T cell infusions, which provides more support for future studies that combine radiotherapy with cell therapy.
The most important finding of this study is that radiotherapy does not appear to increase the risk of CRS or neurotoxicity," said Dr. Shwetha Manjunath, a radiation oncologist at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
these patients receive radiation safely, and this does not affect the efficacy of CAR-T cells or the occurrence of toxic side effects.
"CAR-T, collectively known as the chilay antigen-insular (CAR) T-cell therapy, is a research treatment pioneered by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
genetically modified T-cells collected from the patients themselves to find and destroy cancer cells in the patient's body.
these genetically modified T-cells, or CAR-T cells, were poured back into the patient, the newly built CAR-T cells multiplyed and attacked cancer cells.
BCMA CAR-T cells they developed targeted cells that express BCMA, which is highly expressed in myeloma.
study, a retrospective analysis of a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center and Novarma, assessed the medical records of 25 patients treated with BCMA CAR-T cells and divided them into three groups.
group of patients received radiotherapy 34 days or less before infusion of these BCMA CAR-T cells after their T cells were collected for use in BCMA CAR-T cell manufacturing.
group of patients received radiotherapy within a year of BCMA CAR-T cell infusion.
third group of patients did not receive radiotherapy within a year of BCMA CAR-T cell infusion.
of the four patients who were waiting for radiotherapy while waiting for BCMA CAR-T cells to be produced showed CRS, gastrointestinal, infectious, liver-related or neurological toxic side effects higher than level 3.
CRS is a toxic side effect that includes varying degrees of flu-like symptoms, accompanied by high fever, nausea and muscle pain, and may require intensive care.
the risk of level 4 blood toxic side effects was also lower in these patients.
3 out of 8 patients with a history of radiotherapy had CRS level 3 or higher.
5 out of 13 patients who did not receive any radiotherapy had CRS level 3 or higher.
radiotherapy status was not associated with a decrease in total or no progressed survival.
2019, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, published at the annual meeting of the American Society of Radiological Oncology, have shown that radiotherapy does not affect the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and may reduce side effects in these patients.
, "Our results suggest potential synergies between radiotherapy and BCMA CAR-T cell therapy, which has been reported in other literature," said Manjunath.
future clinical trials combining radiotherapy and BCMA CAR-T cells may further optimize the safety and long-term efficacy of this new cell therapy.
" (Bioon.com) Reference: 1.Penn Study supports use of radiation before CAR therapy for multiple myeloma May Potential For Side Effects of CAR T Therapy in Non-Hodgkin's Lyoma