Effect of intensive training on immune system cells in elite female weightlifters

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of intense weightlifting training on lymphocyte and natural killer cell subgroups, which are the major cells of the immune system, in elite female weightlifters. METHODS: A total of 20 elite female weightlifters were evaluated using flow cytometry before training (pre-T), immediately after training (post-T), and after a 120-min rest period (rest-T). RESULTS: Post-T and rest-T showed significant decreases in helper T (Th) and cytotoxic T compared with pre-T (p=0.045, p<0.001 and p=0.05, p<0.001, respectively). B and natural killer cells were higher in post-T and rest-T than in pre-T. The increase in B cells was significant in pre-T/rest-T (p<0.001) but not in pre-T/post-T (p=0.122). Intense training significantly increased natural killer cells in both post-T and rest-T (p<0.001). CD56bright and CD56dim natural killer cell subgroups were significantly lower in post-T and rest-T than in pre-T (p=0.005, p=0.006 and p<0.001, p=0.004, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study shows that intense weightlifting alters peripheral lymphocyte and natural killer subgroup ratios, being the first investigation in this field.

The effect of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis on the interaction between CD19+B cells and CD4+T cells in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract Background The defect of B cell self-tolerance and the continuous antigen presentation by T cells (TCs) mediated by autoreactive B cells (BCs) play a key role in the occurrence and development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis negatively regulates the immune response of TCs after activation and maintains immune tolerance. However, the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis on the interaction between CD19+B/CD4+TCs in the peripheral blood of patients with SLE has not been studied in detail. Methods PD-1/PD-L1 and Ki-67 levels in peripheral blood (PB) of 50 SLE patients and 41 healthy controls (HCs) were detected through flow cytometry, and then the expression of PD-1+/−cells and PD-L1+/−cells Ki-67 was further analyzed. CD19+B/CD4+TCs were separated for cell culture and the supernatant was collected to determine proliferation and differentiation of TCs. IL-10 and IFN-γ secretion in the supernatant was also determined using ELISA. Results The PD-1, PD-L1, and Ki-67 levels on CD19+B/CD4+TCs in patients with SLE were higher than HCs. In CD19+B/CD4+TCs of SLE patients, the proliferative activity of PD-L1+ cells was higher than that of PD-L1− cells, and the proliferative activity of PD-1+ cells was higher than that of PD-1− cells. In the system co-culturing CD19+B/CD4+TCs from HCs/SLE patients, activated BCs promoted TCs proliferation and PD-L1 expression among TCs. Addition of anti-PD-L1 to co-culture system restored the proliferation of TCs, and inhibited IL-10/IFN-γ level. The addition of anti-PD-L1 to co-culture system also restored Tfh and downregulated Treg in HCs. Conclusions Axis of PD-1/PD-L1 on CD19+B/CD4+TCs in PB of SLE patients is abnormal, and cell proliferation is abnormal. In CD19+B/CD4+TCs of SLE patients, the proliferative activity of PD-L1+ and PD-1+ cells compared with PD-L1− and PD-1− cells in SLE patients, respectively. CD19+B/CD4+TCs in SLE patients can interact through PD-1/PD-L1.

Progress of ibrutinib combined with CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell in treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a clonal malignant disease of B lymphocytes (T lymphocytes are rare) and usually occurs in elderly people. CLL has a highly variable clinical course, with a median survival of 35 to 63 months. In the era of immunochemotherapy, the survival of CLL patients has improved significantly, but most patients still have primary drug resistance and relapse after the treatment. The emergence of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor has completely changed the treatment mode of CLL, making the treatment of CLL into the era of targeted therapy. Ibrutinib combined with CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell has good efficacy and can improve the prognosis of patients.

Efficacy analysis of blinatumomab in treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of blinatumomab in treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).Methods:The data of 8 patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL treated with blinatumomab in Shanghai Zhaxin Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from September 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and their clinical characteristics, overall survival, lymphocyte subsets, cytokines, tandem transplantation and adverse reactions were analyzed.Results:The median follow-up time of 8 patients was 143 d (range: 41-534 d). Five of the 8 patients were alive; among them, 4 of 6 patients assessed to be in minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative complete remission (CR) and 1 of 2 patients assessed to be in non-remission at the time of belintuzumab discontinuation were alive. The median duration of treatment with belintuzumab was 28 d (10-56 d), and it was 23 d (10-56 d) for patients with MRD-positive at baseline and 28 d (25-31 d) for the 4 non-remission patients. Six patients achieved MRD-negative CR after treatment, of which 4 were assessed as MRD-positive at baseline and 2 were assessed as non-remission at baseline. All 4 patients with MRD-positive CR achieved MRD-negative CR after treatment with belintuzumab, including 1 patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph +) ALL bridged to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 1 patient with Ph + ALL and 1 patient with Ph - ALL received sequential allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and had persistent MRD-negative CR. Two of the 4 non-remission patients achieved MRD-negative CR after treatment with belintuzumab, including 1 patient with Ph + ALL bridged to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 1 patient with Ph - ALL received sequential allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the 2 patients had persistent MRD-negative CR. Leukocyte counts and neutrophils decreased in both MRD-positive CR and non-remission patients after receiving belintumomab. The proportion and absolute number of CD3 + T and CD3 + CD8 + T lymphocytes in patients with MRD-positive CR were higher than those in patients without remission, and both decreased after drug administration. Median interleukin-6 (46.23, 1.42 pg/ml), interleukin-8 (17.85, 2.10 pg/ml), interleukin-10 (7.43, 1.49 pg/ml) and interferon-γ (11.82, 0.39 pg/ml) levels were elevated in MRD-positive CR and non-remission patients at week 3 of treatment. Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome occurred in 1 case with clinical manifestations of fever, which improved after drug suspension. Three cases developed infections, 2 of which were pulmonary and 1 of which was upper respiratory tract infection. No immune effector cell-associated neurotoxic syndrome was observed. Conclusions:Belintumomab is effective for MRD clearance in relapsed/refractory B-ALL with manageable adverse reactions, providing an effective therapeutic option for bridging hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to prolong the survival of patients.

Construction and functional identification of CD19-CAR vector based on PiggyBac transposable system / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：开发基于PiggyBac（PB）转座系统的电转染CAR-T细胞制备方法并鉴定其体外抗肿瘤功能。方法：采用健康人外周血单个核细胞（PBMC）制备T细胞，通过分子克隆技术将CD19基因克隆到PB质粒（转座子）中后经电转染法将转座子和转座酶质粒导入激活的T细胞中，并测定其转染效率，最后运用流式细胞术及荧光素酶发光实验评估其对人Burkitt's淋巴瘤Raji细胞的杀伤能力。结果：电转染制备的CD19 CAR-T细胞转染效率较高（>60%），呈剂量依赖性，且CAR-T细胞相对于Pan-T细胞对Raji细胞杀伤能力显著（P<0.05）。结论：开发的PB转座系统的电转染方法可行，在体外对肿瘤细胞具有显著的杀伤能力，具备临床运用于CD19 CAR-T细胞制备的潜力。

Autologous Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cells immunotherapy in relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis / Imunoterapia de CAR T-Cells Anti-CD19 no tratamento de leucemia linfoblástica aguda refratária/recidivante. Revisão sistemática e metanálise

Introduction: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most prevalent malignancy in children; however, when the neoplasm becomes refractory/relapses (R/R) the cure possibilities are practically null. Objectives: To analyze the Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CAR) T-Cells immunotherapy efficacy in the treatment of R/R ALL, providing evidence about the efficacy and safety of the therapy for the analyzed group. Methods: The study consisted of a systematic review and meta-analysis based on the analysis of indexed articles. The searches were carried out with the terms: "acute lymphoblastic leukemia", "CAR T", and "CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor". Results: Only 18 of the 94 articles obtained initially met the inclusion criteria and were selected for review, totaling 637 patients. Thus, it was observed in the responses that approximately 81% of the patients achieved a Complete Response; 7% did not respond; the neoplasm relapsed in 17% of the cases; and 6.1% of the patients died. The main side effects found were Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), Severe Cytokine Release Syndrome, and Neurotoxicity, present in 36.3%, 29%, and 24% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Anti-CD19 CAR T-Cells immunotherapy is an effective therapy, capable of producing high rates of complete remission in R/R ALL treatment. [au]

Introdução: A Leucemia Linfoblástica Aguda (LLA) é a neoplasia maligna mais prevalente em crianças; entretanto, quando se torna refratária/recidivante (R/R) as possibilidades de cura são praticamente nulas. Objetivos: Analisar a eficácia da imunoterapia de Receptores de Antígenos Quiméricos anti-CD19 no tratamento da LLA R/R, fornecendo evidências sobre a efetividade e segurança da terapia para o grupo analisado. Métodos: O estudo consistiu em uma revisão sistemática e metanálise baseada em artigos indexados. As pesquisas foram realizadas com os termos: "acute lymphoblastic leukemia", "CAR T", and "CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor". Resultados: Dos 94 artigos obtidos, apenas 18 atenderam inicialmente aos critérios de inclusão e foram selecionados para revisão, totalizando 637 pacientes. Assim, observou-se nas respostas que aproximadamente 81% dos pacientes obtiveram resposta completa; 7% não responderam; a neoplasia recidivou em 17% dos casos; e 6,1% dos pacientes morreram. Os principais efeitos colaterais encontrados foram síndrome de liberação de citocinas, síndrome de liberação grave de citocinas e neurotoxicidade, presentes em 36,3%, 29% e 24% dos pacientes, respectivamente. Conclusão: A imunoterapia com células CAR T anti-CD19 é uma terapia eficaz, sendo capaz de produzir altas taxas de remissão completa no tratamento de LLA R / R. [au]

Preclinical characterization and comparison between CD3/CD19 bispecific and novel CD3/CD19/CD20 trispecific antibodies against B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: targeted immunotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 医学前沿

The CD19-targeting bispecific T-cell engager blinatumomab has shown remarkable efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, several studies showed that blinatumomab has a short plasma half-life due to its low molecular weight, and thus its clinical use is limited. Furthermore, multiple trials have shown that approximately 30% of blinatumomab-relapsed cases are characterized by CD19 negative leukemic cells. Here, we design and characterize two novel antibodies, A-319 and A-2019. Blinatumomab and A-319 are CD3/CD19 bispecific antibodies with different molecular sizes and structures, and A-2019 is a novel CD3/CD19/CD20 trispecific antibody with an additional anti-CD20 function. Our in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments demonstrated that A-319 and A-2019 are potent antitumor agents and capable of recruiting CD3 positive T cells, enhancing T-cell function, mediating B-cell depletion, and eventually inhibiting tumor growth in Raji xenograft models. The two molecules are complementary in terms of efficacy and specificity profile. The activity of A-319 demonstrated superior to that of A-2019, whereas A-2019 has an additional capability to target CD20 in cells missing CD19, suggesting its potential function against CD19 weak or negative CD20 positive leukemic cells.

Tumor-killing effects of CD19 and CD22 bi-specific CAR-T cells on tumor cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：设计并制备一种分别靶向B细胞表面抗原CD19和CD22的CAR-T细胞，检测其对肿瘤细胞的体内外杀伤效果。方法：将含有人源化 CD19 ScFv的二代CAR分子和带有CD3ε链作为共刺激结构域的CD22 ScFv CAR分子以P2A自剪切肽连接，序列连接于慢病毒载体pLTR-CMV-MCS中，以HEK-293T细胞包装相应的慢病毒载体，感染健康志愿者提供的T细胞制备CAR-19-22-T细胞，同时以相同二代结构分别构建单靶向CAR-T细胞作为参照。构建表达荧光素酶、CD19和/或CD22的前列腺癌3M细胞（靶细胞）。将各种CAR-T细胞与靶细胞共同培养，采用荧光素酶化学发光法和ELISA法检测其对靶细胞的杀伤能力和细胞因子的分泌水平。通过尾静脉注射Raji-Luc细胞构建NOD-SCID免疫缺陷小鼠白血病模型，分别注射各组CAR-T细胞进行治疗并评估其疗效。结果：培养7 d的CAR-19-22-T细胞的CAR-19表达率为13.7%，CAR-22表达率为14.3%。CAR-19-22-T细胞在10∶1效靶比时，对3M-CD19-Luc、3M-CD22-Luc和3M-CD19-CD22-Luc细胞的杀伤率均显著高于T细胞[（78.1±14.4）% vs （11.1±4.3）%、（46.7±10.7）% vs （12.4±2.7）%、（90.5±4.3）% vs （14.3±3.7）%，均P<0.01]；与3M-CD19-Luc、3M-CD22-Luc、3M-CD19-CD22-Luc靶细胞共培养后，CAR-19-22-T细胞IFN-γ、TNF-α和IL-2水平均显著低于CAR-19-T和CAR-22-T细胞（P<0.05或P<0.01）。CAR-19-22-T细胞对移植Raji-Luc细胞模型小鼠治疗效果明显，其生存期显著长于T细胞组（P<0.01），与CAR-19-T组和CAR-22-T组荷瘤小鼠比较差异均无统计学意义（均P>0.05）。结论：成功设计并制备了一种双靶点CAR-19-22-T细胞，其能够有效杀伤表达CD19和/或CD22抗原的肿瘤细胞，对Raji-Luc细胞的白血病模型小鼠有显著的治疗效果。

Successful treatment of CD 19 targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells in 2 children with isolated testicular recurrence of acute B lymphoblastic leukemia and literature review / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

This study reports the diagnosis and treatment of 2 children with isolated testicular recurrence (ITR) of acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) treated with CD 19 targeted chimeric antigen receptor T (CD 19 CAR-T) cells in May and December 2019 in the Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children′s Hospital of Soochow University, and explores the efficacy of CD 19 CAR-T cells therapy versus conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy through literature review.Both cases were diagnosed as B-ALL by the morphologic, immunologic, cytogenetic and molecular biology methods.ITR was diagnosed by testicular biopsy at 60 months and 38 months after initial diagnosis in 2 cases, respectively.After infusion of CD 19 CAR-T cells at 7.0×10 6/kg and 1.5×10 7/kg, respectively for 7-10 days, testicular leukemia cell infiltration disappeared and complete remission was obtained.Among them, case 2 developed cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-related neurotoxicity syndrome after treatment, which was improved after drug intervention.It is suggested that CD 19 CAR-T cells are effective in the treatment of ITR in children, which may be an alternative to orchiectomy or local radiotherapy for ITR in children with B-ALL.

Efficiency of Rituximab in treating children with refractory nephrotic syndrome / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To assess the efficacy of Rituximab (RTX) in treating children with refractory nephro-tic syndrome.Methods:A retrospective study was carried out.Twenty-two children diagnosed with refractory nephrotic syndrome in the Department of Nephrology of Wuhan Children′s Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from November 2018 to November 2020 were included in the study.All patients were treated with RTX.Patients with CD 19+ B lymphocytes≥1% total lymphocytes in peripheral blood were supplemented with one dose of RTX (375 mg/m 2), and each patient received 3-4 doses of RTX on average.The patients were treated with Mycophenolate mofetil after early discontinuation of calcineurin inhibitors (CNI). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the proteinuria relapse-free rate and the incidence of frequently recurrent nephrotic syndrome or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome in children after RTX treatment.The relapse times before and after using RTX were analyzed by the Wilcoxon signed rank test.Besides, the body mass indexes (BMI) and height of children before and after RTX treatment were compared by the rank sum test. Results:Of 22 patients studied, 20 patients accomplished the therapeutic protocol.One-year and two-year proteinuria relapse-free survival rates were 85% and 40%, respectively.The recurrence rate was reduced under the discontinuation of CNI.Compared with those before RTX treatment, the BMI and height of all children were significantly improved at 1 year and 2 years after RTX treatment (all P<0.05). However, no significant improvement was observed between 1 or 2 years after RTX treatment (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The use of RTX can effectively reduce the recurrence rate of refractory nephrotic syndrome even when hormones and other immunosuppressants are discontinued.At the same time, RTX can significantly improve the BMI and height of children.RTX is safe and effective for treatment of refractory nephrotic syndrome.

The whole process management principles of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for lymphoma at Peking University Cancer Hospital / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell has achieved excellent efficacy in hematological tumors, especially for lymphoma. Many products have been approved to market all over the world, and 2 products targeting CD19 have been approved to treat relapsed and refractory large B-cell lymphoma in China. The current experiences of using CAR-T cells come from previous clinical studies. How to use CAR-T cells in a standardized and rationalized way is still a challenge faced by our clinicians. Based on the CAR-T cell treatment experiences from Peking University Cancer Hospital and the latest research progresses in CAR-T in China and abroad, this article will elaborate on patient screening, peripheral blood mononuclear cell collection, bridging treatment, lymphocyte depletion chemotherapy, CAR-T cell infusion, the monitoring and treatment of adverse events after infusion, and long-term follow-up after infusion, in order to guide clinicians to better use CAR-T cell and to bring maximum benefits to patients.

Expression and activity identification of bispecific antibody targeting PD-1/CD19 / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective: To construct and purify the recombinant bispecific antibody (BsAb) targeting PD-1 and CD19 and evaluate its activity. Methods: With pCAR1 plasmid as the vector, the eukaryotic expression vector of anti-PD-1/CD19 BsAb was constructed by molecular cloning technology, and then transfected into mammalian cell line CHO-S by PEI reagent for transiently expressing antibody. The BsAb was purified by Affinity chromatography and then identified by SDS-PAGE and WB. The blocking activity of BsAb on PD-1/PD-L1 in vitro was detected by Luciferase reporter gene assay. The activity of antibody (BsAb)-dependent cell (PBMC)-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in vitro was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) cytotoxicity assay. Results: The double plasmid eukaryotic expression vector pCAR1-19X3 was successfully constructed, and anti-PD-1/CD19 BsAb was successfully expressed in CHO-S cells, named pCAR1-19X3-TY. pCAR1-19X3-TY could effectively block the binding of PD-1 to its ligand PD-L1 in vitro, and the EC50 based on the dose-response curve was 0.306 μg/ml. ADCC results showed that pCAR1-19X3-TY could mediate the cytotoxicity of PBMC against Raji cells, and the curve showed a linear upward trend; when the effect/target ratio was 50∶1, the target cell lysis rate of pCAR1-19X3-TY was (38.9±0.3)%, which was not significantly different from that of the positive treatment group (46.7±4.9)% (P>0.05), but significantly higher than that of the negative control group (1.2±0.1)% (P<0.05). Conclusion: The recombinant anti-PD-1/CD19 BsAb can effectively block the binding of PD-1 and PD-L1 and activate PBMC mediated cytotoxicity against Raji cells. pCAR1-19X3-TY has the potential application value in the treatment of B-cell malignant tumor.

Preclinical study of suicide gene as a safety switch to control CAR-T cell cytotoxicity / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective: To investigate whether AP1903, a small-molecule chemical inducer, can terminate the cytotoxicity of CD19CAR-T cells over-expressing iCasp9 suicide gene in vivo and in vitro. Methods: CD19CAR-T cells over-expressing iCasp9 (iCasp9-CD19CAR-T) were constructed and co-incubated with AP1903. Then, the cell phenotype and apoptosis were detected by Flow cytometry, and the iCasp9/CID suicide gene system was verified on K562 and T cells, respectively. The cytotoxicity of iCasp9-CD19CAR-T cells was detected in vivo (survival rate of NCG mice bearing Raji cell transplanted xenograft) and in vitro (cell killing function was detected by Flow cytometry) under the administration of AP1903. Results: Compared with CD19CAR-T cells, iCasp9-CD19CAR-T cells showed in significant difference in proliferation, phenotype and cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo (all P>0.05). At 2 h after AP1903 administration, the apoptosis rates of K562 and T cells co-expressing iCasp9 and CD19CAR were (33.8±0.9)% and (27.95±0.35)%, respectively; and at 24 h after AP1903 administration, the apoptosis rates reached 100% in both cell lines. The in vitro cytotoxicity of iCasp9-CD19CAR-T cells induced by AP1903 was significantly lower than that without AP1903 treatment (P<0.01); the 60-day survival rate of mice bearing Raji cell transplanted tumor treated with AP1903-induced iCasp9-CD19CAR-T cells was also significantly lower than those treated with iCasp9-CD19CAR-T cells alone (P<0.01). Conclusion: AP1903 can effectively terminate the cytotoxicity of CD19CAR-T cells over-expressing iCasp9 suicide gene in vitro and in vivo.

Establishment of a simple and efficient platform for car-t cell generation and expansion: from lentiviral production to in vivo studies

ABSTRACT Introduction: Adoptive transfer of T cells expressing a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) has shown impressive response rates for the treatment of CD19 + B-cell malignancies in numerous clinical trials. The CAR molecule, which recognizes cell-surface tumor-associated antigen independently of human leukocyte antigen (HLA), is composed by one or more signaling molecules to activate genetically modified T cells for killing, proliferation, and cytokine production. Objectives: In order to make this treatment available for a larger number of patients, we developed a simple and efficient platform to generate and expand CAR-T cells. Methods: Our approach is based on a lentiviral vector composed by a second-generation CAR that signals through a 41BB and CD3-ζ endodomain. Conclusions: In this work, we show a high-level production of the lentiviral vector, which was successfully used to generate CAR-T cells. The CAR-T cells produced were highly cytotoxic and specific against CD19+ cells in vitro and in vivo, being able to fully control disease progression in a xenograft B-cell lymphoma mouse model. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of producing CAR-T cells in an academic context and can serve as a paradigm for similar institutions. Nevertheless, the results presented may contribute favoring the translation of the research to the clinical practice.

Different sites of extranodal involvement may affect the survival of patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma after chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy / 医学前沿

Factors associated with complete and durable remissions after anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r NHL) have not been well characterized. In this study, we found that the different sites of extranodal involvement may affect response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with r/r NHL treated with anti-CD19 CAR-T cells. In a cohort of 32 treated patients, 12 (37.5%) and 8 (25%) patients exhibited soft tissue lymphoma and bone marrow (BM) infiltrations, respectively, and 13 (41%) patients exhibited infiltration at other sites. The factors that may affect prognosis were identified through multivariable analysis. As an independent risk factor, soft tissue infiltration was the only factor significantly correlated with adverse prognosis (P < 0.05), whereas other factors did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, the site of extranodal tumor infiltration significantly and negatively affected OS and PFS in patients with r/r NHL treated with anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy. PFS and OS in patients with BM involvement were not significantly different from those of patients with lymph node involvement alone. Thus, anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy may improve the prognosis of patients with BM infiltration.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy: a promising treatment modality for relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma / 医学前沿

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct histological type of B-cell lymphoma with a poor prognosis. Several agents, such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, and inhibitors of B cell lymphoma-2 and Bruton's tyrosine kinase have shown efficacy for relapsed or refractory (r/r) MCL but often have short-term responses. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as a novel treatment modality for r/r non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, long-term safety and tolerability associated with CAR T-cell therapy are not defined well, especially in MCL. In this report, we described a 70-year-old patient with r/r MCL with 48-month duration of follow-up who achieved long-term remission after CAR T-cell therapy. CAR T-cell-related toxicities were also mild and tolerated well even in this elderly patient. This report suggested that CAR T-cell therapy is a promising treatment modality for patients with MCL, who are generally elderly and have comorbid conditions.

A label-free and real-time method for evaluating cytotoxicity of CD19 CAR-T cells / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveUsing Chromium-51 release assay, lactate dehydrogenase release assayand other methods to detect the cytotoxicity of CD19 CAR-T cells is cumbersome, with low repeatability and poor stability. This study aims to establish a label-free and real-time method for detectingspecific cytotoxicity of CD19 CAR-T cells.MethodsIn order to establish target cell models for cytotoxic assay of CD19 CAR-T cells by using Real Time Cellular Analysis (RTCA) system,the adherent human breast cancer cells were infected with lentiviral vectors encoding CD19. CD19 expression on the transduced cells was detected by flow cytometry. The cellsexpressing CD19 stably werethen sorted by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS).With such cells as target cells, CD19 CAR-T cells and BCMA CAR-T cells as effector cells, RTCAsystem was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells against target cells.ResultsMDA-MB-231 and SKBR3cells with stable expression CD19were obtained in this study.The results of flow cytometry showed that positive expression rate of CD19 in MDA-MB-231/CD19 cells and SKBR3/CD19 monoclonal cells were 99.03% and 98.91%,respectively.RTCA results showed that with MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231/CD19 cells as target cells,CD19 CAR-T cells showed significant cytotoxicity to MDA-MB-231/CD19 cellsat the effector-target ratio of 5∶1, 1∶1 and 1∶5,but not to MDA-MB-231 cells. With SKBR3 and SKBR3/CD19 cells as target cells, CD19 CAR-T cells showed significant cytotoxicity to SKBR3/CD19 cellsat the effector-target ratio of 5∶1and 1∶1. When the effector-target ratio was 1∶5, there was no obvious cytotoxicity.The data of MDA-MB-231/CD19 or SKBR3/CD19 as target cells and CD19 CAR-T as effector cells were analyzed separately, showing that when the number of target cells was the same, the cytotoxicity detected by RTCA increased as the number of CD19 CAR-T cells increased.The cytotoxic assays of CD19 CAR-T cells showed specificity and dose-response relationship of CD19 CAR-T cytotoxicity against the target cells.ConclusionThis study established a method for evaluating cytotoxicity of CD19 CAR-T cells that is real-time, label-free, simple and convenient.

Effect of CD20/CD19 bi-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell on B lymphocyte tumor / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective: To design and prepare a novel bi-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell targeting both CD20 and CD19 antigen on B lymphocyte surface, and to detect its killing effect on B lymphocyte tumors as well as its treatment efficacy on immunodeficiency B-NSG mouse with leukemia. Methods: Bi-specific CAR molecule of CD20 (human originated)/CD19 (murine originated) scFv was constructed and packaged into lentiviral vector in 293 cells, and then transfected into T lymphocytes from healthy donors to prepare BiCAR-T cells. K562-CD19-GFP cells (with positive CD19 expression), K562-CD20-GFP cells (with positive CD20 expression) and Nalm6-Luc-GFP cells expressing luciferase were constructed as target cells. After being co-incubated with above mentioned targets cells, the cytotoxic effects of BiCAR-T cells on target cells were evaluated via LDH release assay, and the secretion of IFN-γ by BiCAR-T cells was evaluated by ELISA. Nalm6-Luc-GFP cells were used to construct the mouse model of leukemia and BiCAR-T cells were transfused via tail veins; the treatment efficacy of BiCAR-T cells on tumor bearing mice was evaluated with small animal imaging method. Results: After 7 days’incubation, the BiCAR-T cells originated from healthy donors amplified about 20-50 times with a positive rate of 10%~92%, indicating successful preparation of BiCAR-T cells. Under an effector∶target ratio of 10∶1, the killing rates of BiCAR-T cells against Nalm-6, K562-CD19-GFP and K562-CD20-GFP cells were significantly higher than that of control cells [(76.7±7.4)% vs (8.7±2.4)%, (93.3±5.2)% vs (46.7±6.2)%, (51.0±0.8) vs (30.7±0.5)%, all P<0.01]. Compared with control group, BiCAR-T cells co-incubated with Nalm-6 cells also secreted significantly more IFN- γ [(872.7±7.7) vs (101.0±5.3) pg/ml, P<0.01). Animal experiment showed that BiCAR-T cells had significant efficacy on B-NSG mice with leukemia; NSG leukemia mice treated with BiCAR-T cells all lived up to 70 days (till they were mercy killed) and leukemia cells disappeared at about 50 days, while the mice in PBS and T lymphocytes group all died at (19±3) d and (20±1) d, respectively. Conclusion: Bi-specific CAR molecules expressing CD19 and CD20 were successfully designed and BiCAR-T cells were successfully prepared. The BiCAR-T cells can effectively kill CD19 and/or CD20 tumor cells and secret large amounts of IFN-γ after co-incubation with target cells, exerting significant treatment efficacy on B-NSG immunodeficiency mouse with leukemia.

Epidemiology and Patterns of Leukemia in Northern Saudi Arabia

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the patterns of leukemia in Northern Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This was a retrospective descriptive study conducted in King Khalid hospital, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) including records of leukemia from 2008 to 2016. Results: The overall Crude Incidence Rate (CIR) of leukemia was 7.45 per 100.000 person-year, including patients diagnosed with different patterns of leukemia in Northern Saudi Arabia. The mean age of patients was 45.4 years with a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 107 years old. Around 43 (59%) were males and 30 (41%) were females. Conclusion: The incidence rates of leukemia are relatively higher in Northern Saudi Arabia, with an increase of all subtype.

In vitro and in vivo cytotoxic activity of humanized CD19 CAR-T cells against Raji cell line / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the different functions of humanized and murinized CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells against Raji cell line in vitro and in vivo.@*Methods@#Peripheral blood samples were collected from eight patients with lymphoma who were going to receive CD19 CAR-T cell therapy and used for the preparation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) as well as humanized and murinized CAR-T cells. Cell proliferation and cytotoxicity were detected with CCK-8 and LDH assays, respectively. A tumor-bearing mouse model was established by injecting BALB/c female nude mice with fluorescent Raji cells. Changes in tumor volume in these mice were observed by in vivo imaging technology. The transfection efficiency and amount of CAR-T cells in the mice were detected with flow cytometry.@*Results@#No statistical difference in transfection efficiency was found between humanized and murinized CAR-T cells, nor in cell proliferation at 24 h of culture in vitro(P=0.104). The proliferation of humanized CAR-T cells showed a significant increase compared with that of murinized CAR-T cells at 48 h of culture (P=0.009). Similarly, the cytotoxicity of the two types of CAR-T cells against Raji cells showed no significant difference at 24 h at any effector/target (E/T) ratio (1∶1 or 4∶1), and that of humanized CAR-T cells was higher than that of murinized CAR-T cells at both E/T ratios at 48 h (E/T ratio=1∶1, P=0.005; E/T ratio=4∶1, P=0.008). Moreover, the cytotoxicity of CAR-T cells was higher than that of PBMC in any case. Tumor volumes in mice were reduced 14 d after humanized or murinized CAR-T cell therapy, while the mice in the PBMC control group suffered tumor progression. Tumor volume began to increase in mice 21 d after murinized CAR-T cell therapy, while no significant change was observed in the mice treated with humanized CAR-T cells. All of the mice died 25 d after murinized CAR-T cell therapy, while the deaths among those under humanized CAR-T cell therapy occurred on 31 d. The proportion of CAR-T cells in mice reached the peak 7 d after receiving humanized or murinized CAR-T cell therapy, while that in the humanized group was significantly higher than that in the murinized group at any time point (P4 d=0.001, P7 d=0.000, P14 d=0.003). Murinized CAR-T cells became undetectable on 21 d, while humanized CAR-T cells on 35 d. The maximum survival time for mice in the PBMC and murinized and humanized CAR-T cell groups was 20 d, 25 d and 53 d, respectively.@*Conclusions@#Compared with murinized CD19 CAR-T cells, humanized CD19 CAR-T cells showed stronger proliferation potential and cytotoxicity and remained in vivo detectable for a longer period of time. This study indicated that humanized CD19 CAR-T cells were superior to murinized CD19 CAR-T cells for the treatment of B cell lymphoma.