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Review
. 2024 May 1;16(1):e2024045.
doi: 10.4084/MJHID.2024.045. eCollection 2024.

CAR-T Cells in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Ugo Testa  1 , Elvira Pelosi  1 , Germana Castelli  1 , Alberto Fresa  2   3 , Luca Laurenti  2   3
Affiliations
Review

CAR-T Cells in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Ugo Testa et al. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis. .

Abstract

The treatment outcomes of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have considerably improved with the introduction of targeted therapies based on Bruton kinase inhibitors (BTKIs), venetoclax, and anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. However, despite these consistent improvements, patients who become resistant to these agents have poor outcomes and need new and more efficacious therapeutic strategies. Among these new treatments, a potentially curative approach consists of the use of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, which achieved remarkable success in various B-cell malignancies, including B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHLs) and B-acute lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). However, although CAR-T cells were initially used for the treatment of CLL, their efficacy in CLL patients was lower than in other B-cell malignancies. This review analyses possible mechanisms of these failures, highlighting some recent developments that could offer the perspective of the incorporation of CAR-T cells in treatment protocols for relapsed/refractory CLL patients.

Keywords: CAR-T Cells; CLL relapsed/refractory; CLLia; Chronic Lymphoid Leukemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of Interest.

References

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