European Myeloma Network perspective on CAR T-Cell therapies for multiple myeloma

Abstract

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells (CAR-T) have dramatically changed the treatment landscape of B-cell malignancies, providing a potential cure for relapsed/refractory patients. Long-term responses in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non Hodgkin lymphomas have encouraged further development in myeloma. In particular, B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted CAR-T have established very promising results in heavily pre-treated patients. Moreover, CAR-T targeting other antigens (i.e., SLAMF7 and CD44v6) are currently under investigation. However, none of these current autologous therapies have been approved, and despite high overall response rates across studies, main issues such as long-term outcome, toxicities, treatment resistance, and management of complications limit as yet their widespread use. Here, we critically review the most important pre-clinical and clinical findings, recent advances in CAR-T against myeloma, as well as discoveries in the biology of a still incurable disease, that, all together, will further improve safety and efficacy in relapsed/refractory patients, urgently in need of novel treatment options.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04244656.

Figure 1.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) are designer proteins that redirect T cells towards a defined surface antigen on tumor cells. The CAR construct contains four essential components. The extracellular antigen recognition domain consists of a single chain variable fragment (scFv) commonly derived from the variable domains of the heavy and light chains (VH and VL) of monoclonal antibodies joined by a linker to provide flexibility and solubility and therefore improve antigen recognition and binding capacity. The hinge or spacer moiety based on Ig- (IgG1 or IgG4), CD8- or CD28-derived domains, provides flexibility, stability and the suitable length for optimal access to the target antigen. The transmembrane domain links the extracellular and intracellular domains of the CAR. It is based on CD3ζ, CD4, CD8α, CD28 or ICOS moieties, influences CAR stability and signaling and may also be involved in immune synapse arrangement. The last components of the CAR construct are the intracellular signaling domains. The activation domain is typically derived from the CD3ζ moiety of the T-cell receptor (first generation CAR), whereas co-stimulatory domains are derived from CD28, 4-1BB, OX40, CD27, or ICOS (second and third generation CAR). Co-stimulation results in intracellular signals that further optimize T-cell function, persistence and proliferation. Through additional genetic modifications, so called “armored” CAR T cells (CAR-T) (fourth generation CAR) secrete cytokines or express ligands to bolster CAR-T function or to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Taken together, the molecular fine-tuning of pre-existing CAR components can greatly improve cellular migration, foster expansion and persistence of the CART and decrease toxicity.

Figure 2.

Overview of current multi-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T-cell approaches. Multi-targeting may be a mean to improve efficacy of CAR-T. Three major methods could be exploited: OR-gate (tandem) CAR-T: consist of the expression of two different CAR on the same T cell; dual-target CAR-T: consist of encoding two different target specific single-chain variable fragment antibodies on same CAR protein using a single vector; CARpool: involves production of two separate single target CAR-T products infused together or sequentially.