Lenalidomide enhances CD23.CAR T cell therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

ABSTRACT: Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-modified T cells are an emerging therapeutic tool for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, in patients with CLL, well-known T-cell defects and the inhibitory properties of the tumor microenvironment (TME) hinder the efficacy of CAR T cells. We explored a novel approach combining CARs with lenalidomide, an immunomodulatory drug that tempers the immunosuppressive activity of the CLL TME. T cells from patients with CLL were engineered to express a CAR specific for CD23, a promising target antigen. Lenalidomide maintained the in vitro effector functions of CD23.CAR⁺ T cells effector functions in terms of antigen-specific cytotoxicity, cytokine release and proliferation. Overall, lenalidomide preserved functional CAR T-CLL cell immune synapses

SUBMITTER: Tettamanti S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9828187 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature