Modified Stem Cell Transplant + CAR T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
(CART33 Trial)
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Phase 1
Recruiting
Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania
Must not be taking: Systemic steroids, Immunosuppressants
Disqualifiers: Pregnancy, Hepatitis B/C, HIV, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?The purpose of this study is to provide a new type of treatment for AML. This treatment combines a new type of stem cell transplant along with treatment using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells that have been engineered to recognize and attack your AML cells.
The first treatment is a modified stem cell transplant, using blood-forming stem cells donated from a healthy donor. From the same donor, we will also make CAR T-cells, which are leukemia fighting cells, which will be given to the patient via an infusion into the vein after the transplanted stem cells have started to grow healthy blood cells. The modification of the stem cell transplant means that the healthy bone marrow cells will be "invisible" to the CAR T-cells that are trying to kill the leukemia cells.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial requires that participants do not use systemic steroids or immunosuppressant medications. If you are currently taking these, you would need to stop before joining the trial.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Modified Stem Cell Transplant + CAR T Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia?
Research shows that CD33-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, like CART-33, has demonstrated strong anti-leukemia activity in preclinical studies, effectively killing leukemia cells and prolonging survival in animal models. This suggests potential effectiveness in treating acute myeloid leukemia.
12345What safety data exists for CD33-targeted CAR T-cell therapy in humans?
CD33-targeted CAR T-cell therapy has shown some safety concerns, such as causing chills, fevers, and changes in blood cell levels in a patient with acute myeloid leukemia. Preclinical studies suggest that permanently expressed CD33-specific CAR T-cells could have unacceptable toxicity, but using a temporary version might avoid long-term issues. A gene-edited stem cell product, trem-cel, showed no adverse effects in preclinical studies, supporting its safety in early human trials.
12367What makes the Modified Stem Cell Transplant + CAR T Cells treatment unique for acute myeloid leukemia?
This treatment is unique because it combines a modified stem cell transplant with CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD33, which is a protein found on most acute myeloid leukemia cells. By editing the CD33 gene in stem cells, the therapy aims to target leukemia cells while sparing healthy cells, potentially reducing side effects compared to other treatments.
12358Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adults over 18 with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) that's hard to cure with existing treatments. Candidates must have a suitable stem cell donor, good kidney and liver function, no severe heart or lung issues, and can't be on systemic immunosuppression if they've had a transplant before.Inclusion Criteria
I am 18 years old or older.
Subjects must have a suitable stem cell donor
My AML is not expected to be cured with existing treatments.
+2 more
Exclusion Criteria
Pregnant or lactating (nursing) women
I have severe limitations due to heart problems.
I do not have active hepatitis B, C, or HIV.
+6 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Stem Cell Transplant
Participants receive a modified stem cell transplant using blood-forming stem cells from a healthy donor
1 month
CAR T-Cell Infusion
Participants receive 1-3 infusions of CAR T-cells engineered to attack AML cells
3 months
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
6 months
Long-term Follow-up
Participants are monitored for long-term outcomes such as overall survival and progression-free survival
15 years
Participant Groups
The study tests a new AML treatment combining modified stem cell transplants from donors with CAR T-cell therapy. The CAR T-cells are designed to target leukemia cells without affecting the newly transplanted 'invisible' healthy blood cells.
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: CD33KO-HSPC followed by CART33Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
All subjects will receive CD33KO-HSPC, followed by 1-3 CART-33 infusions
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of PennsylvaniaLead Sponsor
References
CD33-directed immunotherapy with third-generation chimeric antigen receptor T cells and gemtuzumab ozogamicin in intact and CD33-edited acute myeloid leukemia and hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. [2022]Immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), have revolutionized the treatment of cancer, especially of lymphoid malignancies. The application of targeted immunotherapy to patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been limited in particular by the lack of a tumor-specific target antigen. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO), an ADC targeting CD33, is the only approved immunotherapeutic agent in AML. In our study, we introduce a CD33-directed third-generation CAR T-cell product (3G.CAR33-T) for the treatment of patients with AML. 3G.CAR33-T cells could be expanded up to the end-of-culture, that is, 17 days after transduction, and displayed significant cytokine secretion and robust cytotoxic activity when incubated with CD33-positive cells including cell lines, drug-resistant cells, primary blasts as well as normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). When compared to second-generation CAR33-T cells, 3G.CAR33-T cells exhibited higher viability, increased proliferation and stronger cytotoxicity. Also, GO exerted strong antileukemia activity against CD33-positive AML cells. Upon genomic deletion of CD33 in HSPCs, 3G.CAR33-T cells and GO preferentially killed wildtype leukemia cells, while sparing CD33-deficient HSPCs. Our data provide evidence for the applicability of CD33-targeted immunotherapies in AML and its potential implementation in CD33 genome-edited stem cell transplantation approaches.
41BB-based and CD28-based CD123-redirected T-cells ablate human normal hematopoiesis in vivo. [2021]Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematopoietic malignancy which is biologically, phenotypically and genetically very heterogeneous. Outcome of patients with AML remains dismal, highlighting the need for improved, less toxic therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) immunotherapies for patients with refractory or relapse (R/R) AML are challenging because of the absence of a universal pan-AML target antigen and the shared expression of target antigens with normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), which may lead to life-threating on-target/off-tumor cytotoxicity. CD33-redirected and CD123-redirected CARTs for AML are in advanced preclinical and clinical development, and they exhibit robust antileukemic activity. However, preclinical and clinical controversy exists on whether such CARTs are myeloablative.
CD33-specific chimeric antigen receptor T cells exhibit potent preclinical activity against human acute myeloid leukemia. [2022]Patients with chemo-refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a dismal prognosis. Chimeric antigen receptor T (CART) cell therapy has produced exciting results in CD19+ malignancies and may overcome many of the limitations of conventional leukemia therapies. We developed CART cells to target CD33 (CART33) using the anti-CD33 single chain variable fragment used in gemtuzumab ozogamicin (clone My96) and tested the activity and toxicity of these cells. CART33 exhibited significant effector functions in vitro and resulted in eradication of leukemia and prolonged survival in AML xenografts. CART33 also resulted in human lineage cytopenias and reduction of myeloid progenitors in xenograft models of hematopoietic toxicity, suggesting that permanently expressed CD33-specific CART cells would have unacceptable toxicity. To enhance the viability of CART33 as an option for AML, we designed a transiently expressed mRNA anti-CD33 CAR. Gene transfer was carried out by electroporation into T cells and resulted in high-level expression with potent but self-limited activity against AML. Thus our preclinical studies show potent activity of CART33 and indicate that transient expression of anti-CD33 CAR by RNA modification could be used in patients to avoid long-term myelosuppression. CART33 therapy could be used alone or as part of a preparative regimen prior to allogeneic transplantation in refractory AML.
Preclinical targeting of human acute myeloid leukemia and myeloablation using chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells. [2021]Many patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are incurable with chemotherapy and may benefit from novel approaches. One such approach involves the transfer of T cells engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) for a specific cell-surface antigen. This strategy depends upon preferential expression of the target on tumor cells. To date, the lack of AML-specific surface markers has impeded development of such CAR-based approaches. CD123, the transmembrane α chain of the interleukin-3 receptor, is expressed in the majority of AML cells but is also expressed in many normal hematopoietic cells. Here, we show that CD123 is a good target for AML-directed CAR therapy, because its expression increases over time in vivo even in initially CD123(dim) populations, and that human CD123-redirected T cells (CART123) eradicate primary AML in immunodeficient mice. CART123 also eradicated normal human myelopoiesis, a surprising finding because anti-CD123 antibody-based strategies have been reportedly well tolerated. Because AML is likely preceded by clonal evolution in "preleukemic" hematopoietic stem cells, our observations support CART123 as a viable AML therapy, suggest that CART123-based myeloablation may be used as a novel conditioning regimen for hematopoietic cell transplantation, and raise concerns for the use of CART123 without such a rescue strategy.
Anti-CD33 chimeric antigen receptor targeting of acute myeloid leukemia. [2021]Current therapies for acute myeloid leukemia are associated with high failure and relapse rates. Adoptive immunotherapies, which have shown promise in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, have the potential to target acute myeloid leukemia through pathways that are distinct and complementary to current approaches. Here, we describe the development of a novel adoptive immunotherapy specific for this disease. We generated a second generation CD33-specific chimeric antigen receptor capable of redirecting cytolytic effector T cells against leukemic cells. CD33 is expressed in approximately 90% of acute myeloid leukemia cases and has demonstrated utility as a target of therapeutic antibodies. Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells efficiently killed leukemia cell lines and primary tumor cells in vitro. The anti-leukemia effect was CD33-specific, mediated through T-cell effector functions, and displayed tumor lysis at effector:target ratios as low as 1:20. Furthermore, the CD33-redirected T cells were effective in vivo, preventing the development of leukemia after prophylactic administration and delaying the progression of established disease in mice. These data provide pre-clinical validation of the effectiveness of a second-generation anti-CD33 chimeric antigen receptor therapy for acute myeloid leukemia, and support its continued development as a clinical therapeutic.
Development of a gene edited next-generation hematopoietic cell transplant to enable acute myeloid leukemia treatment by solving off-tumor toxicity. [2023]Immunotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been challenging because the lack of tumor-specific antigens results in "on-target, off-tumor" toxicity. To unlock the full potential of AML therapies, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to genetically ablate the myeloid protein CD33 from healthy donor hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), creating tremtelectogene empogeditemcel (trem-cel). Trem-cel is a HSPC transplant product designed to provide a reconstituted hematopoietic compartment that is resistant to anti-CD33 drug cytotoxicity. Here, we describe preclinical studies and process development of clinical-scale manufacturing of trem-cel. Preclinical data showed proof-of-concept with loss of CD33 surface protein and no impact on myeloid cell differentiation or function. At clinical scale, trem-cel could be manufactured reproducibly, routinely achieving >70% CD33 editing with no effect on cell viability, differentiation, and function. Trem-cel pharmacology studies using mouse xenograft models showed long-term engraftment, multilineage differentiation, and persistence of gene editing. Toxicology assessment revealed no adverse findings, and no significant or reproducible off-target editing events. Importantly, CD33-knockout myeloid cells were resistant to the CD33-targeted agent gemtuzumab ozogamicin in vitro and in vivo. These studies supported the initiation of the first-in-human, multicenter clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of trem-cel in patients with AML (NCT04849910).
Treatment of CD33-directed chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells in one patient with relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia. [2021]We conducted a clinical trial to assess the feasibility and efficacy of CD33-directed chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells (CART-33) for the treatment of refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A 41-year-old male patient with AML was enrolled and received a total of 1.12 × 10(9) autologous CART-33 cells, of which ~38% were transduced with CAR. The CART-33 infusion alone induced rigorous chills and fevers; drastic fluctuations of his preexisting pancytopenia; elevated serum cytokine levels, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ; slight transient hyperbilirubinemia within 2 weeks; a subsequent intermittent moderate fever; and reversed fluctuation of the pancytopenia. A marked decrease of blasts in the bone marrow was observed on examination 2 weeks after therapy, and there was a gradual increase until florid disease progression occurred at 9 weeks after the cell infusion. These observations warrant further research on CART-33 treatment in refractory AML and may spur efforts to extend the CART-33-induced tumor burden to the preparation of other intensive strategies, such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This study is registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01864902.
Acute myeloid leukemia therapeutics: CARs in the driver's seat. [2021]Acute myeloid leukemia remains a difficult disease to cure and novel therapeutic approaches are needed. To this end, we developed CD123 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) redirected T cells which exhibited potent antileukemic activity. We discuss what we learned during the development of CD123 CARs and future directions for this immunotherapy.