Impact of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and monoclonal antibodies on outcome post-CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy: an EPICOVIDEHA survey.

Patients with previous CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy have a prolonged vulnerability to viral infections. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a great impact and has previously been shown to cause high mortality in this population. Until now, real-world data on the impact of vaccination and treatment on patients with COVID-19 after CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy are lacking. Therefore, this multicenter, retrospective study was conducted with data from the EPICOVIDEHA survey. Sixty-four patients were identified. The overall mortality caused by COVID-19 was 31%. Patients infected with the Omicron variant had a significantly lower risk of death due to COVID-19 compared with patients infected with previous variants (7% vs 58% [P = .012]). Twenty-six patients were vaccinated at the time of the COVID-19 diagnosis. Two vaccinations showed a marked but unsignificant reduction in the risk of COVID-19-caused mortality (33.3% vs 14.2% [P = .379]). In addition, the course of the disease appears milder with less frequent intensive care unit admissions (39% vs 14% [P = .054]) and a shorter duration of hospitalization (7 vs 27.5 days [P = .022]). Of the available treatment options, only monoclonal antibodies seemed to be effective at reducing mortality from 32% to 0% (P = .036). We conclude that survival rates of CAR T-cell recipients with COVID-19 improved over time and that the combination of prior vaccination and monoclonal antibody treatment significantly reduces their risk of death. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04733729.

Effective Reduction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Levels Using a Tailor-Made Oligonucleotide-Based RNA Inhibitor.

In only two years, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a devastating effect on public health all over the world and caused irreparable economic damage across all countries. Due to the limited therapeutic management of COVID-19 and the lack of tailor-made antiviral agents, finding new methods to combat this viral illness is now a priority. Herein, we report on a specific oligonucleotide-based RNA inhibitor targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It displayed remarkable spontaneous cellular uptake, >94% efficiency in reducing RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) RNA levels in transfected lung cell lines, and >98% efficiency in reducing SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in samples from patients hospitalized with COVID-19 following a single application.

Effectiveness, Adverse Events, and Immune Response Following Double Vaccination with BNT162b2 in Staff at the National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC).

Vaccination remains the leading strategy against COVID-19 worldwide. BNT162b2 is among the first licensed vaccines with high effectiveness. However, the role of antibody and cell immunity response monitoring after vaccination remains unclear. We conducted a 6-month prospective study involving the employees of NCCC in Slovakia, who were tested for IgG antibody and cell immune responses after double vaccination with BNT162b2. IgG antibodies were detected at 3, 7, and 26 weeks, respectively. At 6 months, blood samples were tested by two different interferon-γ release assays to determine responses to spike protein antigen and nucleocapsid protein antigen of the novel coronavirus. Results were stratified by gender and body mass index (BMI). Statistical significance was set at p = 0.05. The medical records of 94 respondents (71 females) were analyzed. The mean age was 40.2 years and the mean BMI was 26.4 kg/m2. At 6 months after double vaccination, effectiveness was 97.9%. The side effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine were similar after both doses, with no serious adverse events or new safety signals recorded. The IgG index declined rapidly (p < 0.0001), and 42.6% of subjects had positive and 57.4% borderline or negative immune cell response at 6 months (p < 0.0001). Both T cell activation and IgG counts were lower in morbidly obese patients when compared to some other BMI categories. This study confirmed an acceptable toxicity profile and the high efficacy of BNT162b2 despite a rapid decline of IgG level and negative cell-mediated immunity response in most subjects. An individualized approach to vaccination could be considered in morbidly obese individuals.

Effective Reduction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Levels Using a Tailor-Made Oligonucleotide-Based RNA Inhibitor

In only two years, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a devastating effect on public health all over the world and caused irreparable economic damage across all countries. Due to the limited therapeutic management of COVID-19 and the lack of tailor-made antiviral agents, finding new methods to combat this viral illness is now a priority. Herein, we report on a specific oligonucleotide-based RNA inhibitor targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It displayed remarkable spontaneous cellular uptake, >94% efficiency in reducing RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) RNA levels in transfected lung cell lines, and >98% efficiency in reducing SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in samples from patients hospitalized with COVID-19 following a single application.