Welcome to Medivizor!

You're browsing our sample library. Feel free to continue browsing. You can also sign up for free to receive medical information specific to your situation.

Posted by on Apr 25, 2020 in Leukemia | 0 comments

In a nutshell

This study aimed to investigate if a hemopoietic stem cell transplant should be carried out after chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  

This study concluded that this treatment path led to high event-free survival in these patients.  

Some background

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is a treatment that uses a patient's own immune system cells to attack cancer. The cells are removed from a patient, modified in the lab, and re-injected into the patient. CAR-T has achieved high complete remission (CR – all signs of cancer gone) in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). 

Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) is where the cells of a donor are transplanted into the patient to replace healthy cells killed during cancer treatment. Allo-HSCT can be used to sustain remission for ALL patients.  

It was unknown if allo-HSCT would be safe and effective if carried out after CAR-T treatment in patients with B-ALL. 

Methods & findings

This study involved 52 patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL. All patients underwent allo-HSCT after CR from CAR-T. The average time from CAR-T treatment to allo-HSCT was 50 days. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) with total body irradiation/fludarabine-based or busulfan/fludarabine-based regimens were used before allo-HSCT. This is a treatment to get rid of cancer cells. Patients were followed for an average of 334 days.  

Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) can happen when the transplanted cells attack the body of the patient. This can lead to a failure of allo-HSCT. 23.1% experienced medium to serious short-term GVHD and 5.8% of patients experienced severe short-term GVHD. 16 patients experienced long-term GVHD.  

The one-year overall survival rate was 87.7%. The one-year survival rate without complications from the disease was 73%. The one-year relapse rate was 24.7%. 

The bottom line

This study concluded that in patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL, allo-HSCT after CAR-T therapy led to good outcomes.

The fine print

This study had a short follow-up period. Long term studies are needed.  

Published By :

British Journal of Haematology

Date :

Mar 29, 2020

Original Title :

Chimeric antigens receptor T cell therapy as a bridge to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for refractory/ relapsed B-cell acute lymphomalastic leukemia.

click here to get personalized updates