Articles related to IMMUNOTHERAPY

CAR T-cell therapy has changed the treatment paradigm for relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell NHL. The approach has seen strong response rates and durable remission in those whose disease has progressed despite multiple prior treatments. This review outlines current indications for CAR T-cell therapy, major toxicities, novel CARs under investigation, CARs for various hematologic malignancies, and future directions.

In an interim look at the SKYSCRAPER-01 study, investigators found tiragolumab plus atezolizumab didn’t meaningfully slow tumor progression compared to atezolizumab alone in patients with advanced, newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tiragolumab has now fallen short in two phase 3 lung cancer trials, having already missed its study objectives in advanced SCLC earlier this year.

A phase II study of durvalumab alone or combined with the anti-CD73 monoclonal antibody oleclumab or anti-NKG2A monoclonal antibody monalizumab as consolidation therapy in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC and no progression after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. With a median follow-up of 11.5 months, both combinations increased ORR and prolonged PFS versus durvalumab alone. Safety was similar across arms with no new or significant safety signals identified with either combination.

Perelman School of Medicine’s David Teachey, MD, reviews outcomes and implications from two recent Children’s Oncology Group trials and describes current research with daratumumab and CAR T-cell therapy.

The authors analyzed the immune cell infiltrates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and colorectal cancers and identified a subset of CD4 Th cells that appear to be directly involved in the anti-tumor immune response.

Phase 1 trial using an autologous CAR-T cell therapy that targets the oncofetal antigen Claudin-6 (CLDN6) — and CARVac (BioNTech), a CLDN6-encoding mRNA-based vaccine designed to enhance CAR T-cell activity. Data show encouraging clinical activity for an investigational CAR T-cell therapy alone or in combination with an amplifying mRNA vaccine for patients with solid tumors.