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Schuster, Stephen J.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3376-8978

Mayo Clinic

Abramson Cancer Center

Citations 38

T-cell immunosenescence limits CD19 CAR T-cell function in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Noll, Julia Han , Dersh, Devin , Li, Jiang Yuan, Hemani, Humza , Lavorando, Maya, Bartoszek, Robert, Amses, Kevin R. , Jain, Ankita , Minehart, Janna , Shestov, Max A, Camerini, Elena , Loren, Alison W., Woyach, Jennifer A. , Goronzy, Jorg Josef, Kater, Arnon P. , Porter, David L., Bushman, Frederic D, Levine, Bruce L. , June, Carl H. , Long, Meixiao, Weng, Nan‐ping , Diorio, Caroline, Ramirez-Fernandez, Angel , Paruzzo, Luca , Camerini, Elena , Peters, Fleur S , Huang, Xiao , Woyach, Jennifer A , Kater, Arnon P , Ruella, Marco , Byrd, John C , Schuster, Stephen J , Siegel, Donald L , Levine, Bruce L , June, Carl H , Frey, Noelle V , Cohen, Adam D , Garfall, Alfred L , Long, Meixiao , Maus, Marcela V , Weng, Nan-Ping , Fraietta, Joseph A , Bartoszek, Robert L. , Ho, Matthew , Paruzzo, Luca , Shestov, Max, Loren, Alison W. , Goronzy, Jörg J. , Ruella, Marco , Byrd, John C. , Powell, Daniel J. , Gill, Saar , Porter, David L. , Schuster, Stephen J. , Bushman, Frederic D. , Frey, Noelle V. , Cohen, Adam D. , Garfall, Alfred L. , Diorio, Caroline J.

Blood Journal | August 24, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1182/blood.2025032274 Get It

CD19-directed CAR T-cells (CTL019) can produce durable remissions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but therapeutic success depends on whether autologous T-cells expand, persist, and retain cytotoxic function after manufacturing. Failure of CLL T-cells is often attributed to exhaustion, although many dysfunctional CLL T-cells retain inflammatory cytokine production. We tested whether this paradox reflects immunosenescence, an aging-like program defined by costimulatory loss, DNA damage, inflammatory secretion, repertoire restriction, and proliferative arrest. In response-linked preinfusion CTL019 products, nonresponders and short partial responders had higher senescence and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) programs than the functional-responder group, comprising complete responders and partial responders with transformed disease. These programs were detectable before infusion and became more prominent during manufacture in susceptible products. They tracked with weak in vivo CAR T-cell expansion and were associated with inferior survival. Serum proteomics revealed a circulating, CLL-associated SASP-like inflammatory milieu in nonresponders. Flow cytometry and T-cell receptor (TCR) profiling showed that poor responders carried CD27⁻CD28⁻ and KLRG1⁺ CD8 T-cells at apheresis, lower product CD27, and reduced product TCR diversity. Research-manufactured CAR T-cells from treatment-naïve CLL samples displayed the same state, most prominently in CD4 CAR T-cells, with SA-β-gal, p16, p53, DNA damage, depletion of less-differentiated states, and senescence-enriched transcriptomes. Under repeated CD19 stimulation, CLL-derived products reached a proliferative ceiling, and p53-high products lost cytotoxic reserve. Ibrutinib improved proliferative fitness, attenuated senescence-associated features and SASP output in paired patient and direct-exposure assays, and enhanced CAR T-cell expansion in an ibrutinib-resistant CLL model. Together, these data identify immunosenescence as a measurable and functionally consequential barrier to CAR T-cell efficacy in CLL and a candidate for therapeutic modulation.
Lisocabtagene maraleucel combined with ibrutinib in R/R CLL or SLL: primary results from TRANSCEND CLL 004
Wierda, William G. , Dorritie, Kathleen , Gauthier, Jordan , Nath, Rajneesh, Kipps, Thomas J. , Riedell, Peter A. , Eradat, Herbert A., Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Shah, Nirav N. , Solomon, Scott R., Stephens, Deborah M., Ermann, Daniel A., Arnason, Jon , Deol, Abhinav , Feldman, Tatyana , Ghosh, Monalisa , Tuazon, Sherilyn A., Perna, Serena K., Ou, San-San, Ananthakrishnan, Revathi , Rane, Neha, Papp, Eniko, Ansari, Sahar , Thompson, Ethan G., Okal, Abood, Peiser, Leanne, Chen, Yizhe , Sengupta, Sanhita , Wang, Jixian , Wierda, William G. , Dorritie, Kathleen , Kenderian, Saad S. , Kharfan-Dabaja, Mohamed A , Shah, Nirav N , Deol, Abhinav , Ma, Shuo , Schuster, Stephen J , Gergis, Usama , Vose, Julie , Soumerai, Jacob D , Besien, Koen van , Chen, Yizhe , Sengupta, Sanhita , Ray, Pradipta Ranjan , Siddiqi, Tanya , Kipps, Thomas J , Riedell, Peter A , Nath, Rajneesh , Eradat, Herbert, Stephens, Deborah M. , Andreadis, Charalambos Babis , Ma, Shuo , Schuster, Stephen J. , Vose, Julie M. , Soumerai, Jacob D. , Tuazon, Sherilyn A. , Perna, Serena , Ou, San‐San , Papp, Eniko , Ansari, Sahar, Siddiqi, Tanya

Blood Journal | July 28, 2026 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: No issue available | Pages: No page available

10.1182/blood.2026033565 Get It

Patients in the liso-cel plus ibrutinib cohort of the phase 1/2, open-label TRANSCEND CLL 004 study had relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and received liso-cel (50×106 [dose level (DL)1] or 100×106 [DL2] chimeric antigen receptor-positive T cells) with concurrent ibrutinib from enrollment through 90 days after liso-cel infusion or longer per investigator discretion. Primary end point was complete response/remission (CR)/CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi) by investigator assessment. Among 56 patients who received ibrutinib plus liso-cel (DL1, n=5; DL2, n=51), median (range) age was 64.5 years (44‒77), 98% had high-risk cytogenetics, 55% had progression on Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor and venetoclax failure, and median (range) number of prior therapies was 5 (1‒13). Median (range) follow-up was 24.8 months (3.1‒51.8). At DL2, CR/CRi rate was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 31‒60) and overall response rate was 86% (95% CI, 74‒94). Median (95% CI) duration of response was not reached (NR; 28.7‒NR) for patients with CR/CRi and 41.4 months (23.3‒NR) for all responders. Median (95% CI) progression-free survival was 31.4 months (20.1‒NR). In DL1+DL2, most common grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) were neutropenia (52%) and anemia (41%). Cytokine release syndrome was reported in 80% of patients (grade 3, 4%; no grade 4/5), and neurological events in 41% (grade 3/4, 11%; no grade 5). Ibrutinib-related TEAEs were reported in 68% of patients (grade 3/4, 43%; no grade 5). Liso-cel plus ibrutinib demonstrated notable efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL with predictable and manageable safety. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03331198; NCT03435796.
A newly identified role for IL-5 in regulating CART-associated toxicity and efficacy
Carturan, Alberto , Stewart, Carli M. , Lee, Andrew S. , Goldberg, Sophia , DeFranco, Grace , Pajarillo, Raymone , Tan, Melody T. , Liu, Shan , Nason, Siena, Stewart, Carli , Paruzzo, Luca , Kimball, Brooke , Guruprasad, Puneeth , Siegler, Elizabeth L. , Zhang, Yunlin , Patel, Ruchi P. , Stella, Federico , Porazzi, Patrizia , Schuster, Stephen J. , Ruella, Marco , Kenderian, Saad S.

Blood | December 5, 2025 | Volume: 146 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 808-808

10.1182/blood-2025-808 Get It

Abstract Background: CD19-directed CART cell (CART19) therapy has transformed the treatment of B-cell malignancies but is limited by life-threatening toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), as well as low durable remission rates. Our understanding of the pathogenesis of CART-associated toxicities is limited, and although current treatments are effective, refractory cases remain challenging. Methods and Results: To investigate CRS/ICANS pathogenesis and identify new therapeutic targets, we analyzed plasma cytokine kinetics within the first month of CART19 cell therapy in 25 relapsed/refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) and 14 r/r follicular lymphoma (FL) patients (NCT02030834). In this cohort, 22 (88%) patients developed any-grade CRS (73% LBCL, 27% FL) and 4 (16%) developed any-grade ICANS (50% LBCL, 50% FL). Across 30 analyzed cytokines, IL-5 emerged as the second most enriched cytokine based on the median peak-to-baseline (Day 0) ratio in patients who experienced CRS vs. those who did not. The IL-5 ratio was 6.6-fold higher (p<0.05) and 11.9-fold higher (p=0.093) in patients who experienced CRS or ICANS, respectively. Moreover, IL-5 was elevated in patients experiencing CRS on Days 1 and 2 (p<0.05). Prompted by our results, we evaluated the effect of IL-5 neutralization with a monoclonal antibody (mAb) on CART-associated toxicity in a patient-derived B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) xenograft model. After engraftment (average of 110 human CD19+ cells/µL peripheral blood), NSG mice were randomized based on tumor burden and treated with 3.5×10⁶ CART19 plus either IL-5 mAb or IgG control (10 mg/kg, weekly), or no treatment. Mice receiving IL-5 mAb showed reduced weight loss (p<0.005, Days 13–16) and neuroscore (p<0.05, Day 15), as assessed by a daily, blinded 18-point assessment, vs. the IgG group. Additionally, while CRS-associated cytokines (GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MIP-1β) were significantly elevated in the IgG group (p<0.05) vs. the untreated group, they were not in the IL-5 mAb group. In this model, all mice treated with CART19 cells were able to clear the tumor burden. However, in a follow-up challenge model generated by engrafting NSG mice with 1x106 luciferase+ JeKo-1 cells, mice treated with a combination of 1x106CART19 cells + IL-5 mAb showed reduced weight loss (p<0.0001) and enhanced overall survival (p<0.01) vs. mice treated with CART19 + IgG. Next, we evaluated IL-5 neutralization in an immunocompetent toxicity model. BALB/c mice were treated with 10×10⁶ murine untransduced T cells, CART19 + IL-5 mAb, or CART19 + IgG (10 mg/kg, weekly). Mice receiving IL-5 mAb exhibited significantly reduced weight loss (p<0.05, Day 1) and lower neuroscore (p<0.05, Days 1, 6, and 8) vs. those receiving IgG control, with a consistent trend observed on other days, supporting a protective role for IL-5 blockade in mitigating CART-associated toxicities. To explore the direct effects of IL-5 on CART19 cells, we disrupted either IL-5 (IL-5KO-CART19) or its receptor (IL-5RαKO-CART19) using CRISPR-Cas9. In NSG mice engrafted with 1×10⁶ luciferase+NALM6 cells, mice receiving 1×10⁶ IL-5KO-CART19 vs. IL-5WT-CART19 showed a trend toward reduced weight loss (p=0.08), significantly increased antitumor activity by Day 20 (p<0.05), and improved overall survival (p<0.05), indicating that IL-5 production can significantly impair CART19 cell efficacy. We next evaluated changes in IL-5Rα gRNA representation in a published genome-wide CRISPR screen (PMID: 39266501). CART19 cells with IL-5Rα-targeting gRNAs were enriched following chronic stimulation, indicating a protective effect for IL-5 pathway interruption. In subsequent studies, IL-5RαKO-CART19 cells showed enhanced killing of JeKo-1 cells following 48 hours of co-culture (p<0.05) and reduced co-expression of multiple inhibitory markers (p<0.01) following chronic stimulation with JeKo-1 cells for one week vs. IL-5RαWT-CART19 cells, suggesting an improvement in CART19 cell activity and phenotype following disruption of IL-5Rα. Conclusion: Our data identify IL-5 as a previously unrecognized mediator of CART–associated toxicities and show significant improvement of CART19 activity with disruption of IL-5 signaling either indirectly with an IL-5 neutralizing antibody or directly with CRISPR gene editing. Thus, IL-5 could serve as a dual-purpose target to improve both safety and efficacy of CART cell therapy.
Autologous Transplant or CAR‐T as Consolidation Options in MYC Rearranged Large B‐Cell Lymphoma Patients in Remission After Salvage Treatments
Furqan, Fateeha , Ahn, Kwang Woo , Kaur, Manmeet , Patel, Jinalben , Ansell, Stephen M. , Awan, Farrukh T. , Baird, John H. , Farooq, Umar , Fung, Henry C., Khurana, Arushi , Lekakis, Lazaros J. , Lutfi, Forat , McCarty, John M. , Mukherjee, Akash , Nath, Rajneesh , Winter, Allison , Sauter, Craig S. , Herrera, Alex F. , Smith, Melody , Ansell, Stephen M , Baird, John , Khurana, Arushi , Winter, Allison , Shadman, Mazyar , Herrera, Alex F , Awan, Farrukh T , Smith, Melody , Bezerra, Evandro D. , Farooq, Umar, Romancik, Jason T. , Schuster, Stephen J. , Smith, Melody , Turtle, Cameron J. , Shadman, Mazyar , Hamadani, Mehdi

American Journal of Hematology | April 15, 2025 | Volume: 100 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 1152-1162

10.1002/ajh.27687 Get It

ABSTRACTAlthough recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell (CAR‐T) therapy in relapsed large B‐cell lymphoma (LBCL) with MYC rearrangement (R‐MYC), the data comparing CAR‐T to autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (auto‐HCT) in such patients who achieve a complete or partial response (CR/PR) after salvage therapies are limited. We compared the clinical outcomes of patients with R‐MYC LBCL (including double and triple hit lymphomas) who underwent CAR‐T or auto‐HCT after achieving a CR/PR with salvage therapies using the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research registry. Among the 252 patients (auto‐HCT = 98, CAR‐T = 154), relative to auto‐HCT, CAR‐T was associated with significantly lower overall survival (OS) (Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.09, 95% CI 1.38–3.15, p < 0.001) on multivariate analysis. There were no differences in progression‐free survival (PFS) (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.81–1.8 p = 0.36), risk of relapse (HR 1.1, 95% CI 0.71–1.69 p = 0.68), nonrelapse mortality (NRM) (HR 1.74, 95% CI 0.64–4.7 p = 0.28) while the post‐relapse survival was longer in auto‐HCT relative to CAR‐T (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.21–3.06 p = 0.01). On propensity score matched analysis accounting for differences in characteristics across the two cohorts, we detected no significant differences in OS (HR 1.72, 95% CI 0.92–3.21 p = 0.09), PFS (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.64–1.68 p = 0.88), NRM (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.35–4.2 p = 0.76), relapse (HR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.54–1.6 p = 0.8) and post‐relapse survival (HR 2.25, 95% CI 0.98–5.17, p = 0.06). These data, although retrospective, support consideration for auto‐HCT in patients with R‐MYC LBCL who achieve a CR/PR after salvage therapies, particularly in regions with no or limited access to CAR‐T.
Lisocabtagene Maraleucel (liso-cel) Combined with Ibrutinib (ibr) for Patients (pts) with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL): Primary Results from the Open-Label, Phase 1/2 Transcend CLL 004 Stu
Wierda, William G. , Dorritie, Kathleen , Nath, Rajneesh , Eradat, Herbert, Kharfan‐Dabaja, Mohamed A. , Shah, Nirav N. , Solomon, Scott R. , Arnason, Jon , Deol, Abhinav , Feldman, Tatyana , Ghosh, Monalisa , Soumerai, Jacob D. , Tuazon, Sherilyn A. , Perna, Serena , Ou, San San, Rane, Neha, Chen, Yizhe , Soumerai, Jacob D , Wierda, William G. , Gauthier, Jordan , Kipps, Thomas J. , Riedell, Peter A. , Kenderian, Saad S. , Ermann, Daniel A. , Andreadis, Charalambos Babis , Ma, Shuo , Schuster, Stephen J. , Gergis, Usama , Vose, Julie M. , Besien, Koen van , Ou, San‐San , Papp, Eniko , Siddiqi, Tanya

Blood | December 5, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 887-887

10.1182/blood-2024-200339 Get It

Background: In TRANSCEND CLL 004 (NCT03331198),monotherapy with liso-cel, an autologous, CD19-directed CAR T cell product (100 × 106 CAR+ T cells [dose level (DL) 2]), resulted in 43% ORR and 18% CR/CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi) rate per IRC in pts with third-line or later R/R CLL/SLL who had PD on Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) and failed venetoclax (Siddiqi T, et al. Lancet 2023). Ibr + other CAR T cell therapies has shown high ORR and reduced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) severity in pts with R/R CLL/SLL. In the phase 1 dose-escalation ibr combination cohort, DL2 was the recommended dose of liso-cel for expansion (Wierda WG, et al. Blood 2020). Here, we report results of liso-cel + ibr in pts with R/R CLL/SLL from TRANSCEND CLL 004. Methods: Eligible pts ≥ 18 y of age with CLL/SLL had ≥ 1 of the following: 1) receiving BTKi with PD at entry, 2) high-risk disease and &lt; CR after ≥ 6 mo on BTKi, 3) BTK/PLCγ2 mutation ± ibr PD, 4) prior BTKi with no contraindications to ibr, and 5) (per amendment) PD on BTKi and received prior venetoclax. At enrollment, pts started or continued ibr (420 mg daily or less for toxicity) through leukapheresis and for up to 90 d (or longer per investigator [inv]) after liso-cel (target dose of 50 × 106 CAR+ T cells [DL1] or DL2). Response was per inv by 2018 iwCLL criteria. Primary endpoint was CR/CRi rate at DL2; secondary endpoints included safety, ORR, duration of response (DOR), duration of CR/CRi (DOCR), time to response, time to CR/CRi, PFS, OS, and undetectable MRD (uMRD) rate in blood. Cellular kinetics was exploratory. Efficacy analyses were at DL2 and safety at DL1 + DL2. Treatment-emergent AEs (TEAE) occurred the latter of ≤ 90 days after liso-cel or ≤ 30 days of ibr completion. Liso-cel-treated pts who completed or withdrew from study could enroll in a separate long-term follow-up (LTFU) study (NCT03435796) for safety and OS ≤ 15 y after liso-cel. Results: A total of 65 pts underwent leukapheresis; 56 received ibr + liso-cel (DL1, n = 5; DL2, n = 51). At data cutoff (01/12/2024), 28 of 56 (50%) pts had discontinued the study, 11 (20%) completed the study, and 17 (30%) were ongoing; 5 of 28 (18%) eligible pts enrolled in LTFU. Median (IQR) on-study follow-up (including LTFU) was 24.8 mo (14.2-34.6). Median (range) age was 65 y (44-77); 55 (98%) pts had high-risk cytogenetics, such as del(17p) (n = 25), TP53 mutation (n = 24), and unmutated IGHV (n = 39); 43% had LDH ≥ ULN; and median (range) SPD was 27 cm2 (1-218). Pts had a median (range) of 5 (1-13) prior therapies (≤ 2, n = 13 [23%]). Median (range) time from leukapheresis to liso-cel availability was 25 d (17-79). Median (range) ibr exposure was 34 d (15-188) before and 94.5 d (6-1517) after liso-cel. At DL2, ORR (95% CI) was 86% (73.7-94.3), median (range) time to first response was 1.0 mo (0.9-6.0), and median (95% CI) DOR was 41.4 mo (23.3-not reached [NR]). CR/CRi rate (95% CI; primary endpoint) was 45% (31.1-59.7), median (range) time to first CR/CRi was 3.1 mo (0.9-12.1), and median (95% CI) DOCR was NR (26.6-NR). Median (95% CI) PFS and OS was 31.4 mo (20.1-NR) and NR (27.5-NR), respectively. uMRD rate (95% CI) in blood and marrow was 86% (73.7-94.3) and 84% (71.4-93.0), respectively. Grade (gr) ≥ 3 TEAEs occurred in 48 (86%) pts (most commonly neutropenia [52%] and anemia [41%]) with no gr 5 TEAEs. Liso-cel-related gr ≥ 3 TEAEs occurred in 32 (57%) pts and ibr-related gr ≥ 3 TEAEs in 24 (43%) pts including cardiovascular events of hypertension (7%) and atrial fibrillation (2%). Any-gr CRS occurred in 45 (80%) pts (gr ≥ 3, n = 2 [4%]) and any-gr neurological events (NE) in 23 (41%) pts (gr ≥ 3, n = 6 [11%]). Eight (14%) pts had gr ≥ 3 infections and 5 (9%) had second primary malignancies. Twenty-five (45%) pts had prolonged cytopenias (gr ≥ 3 at D30); most recovered to gr ≤ 2 by D90. Sixteen pts died after infusion (PD, n = 6; unknown, n = 6; COVID-19, n = 3; mixed septic/cardiogenic shock, n = 1). Liso-cel showed rapid expansion (median tmax, 10 d) and was detected up to 42 mo after infusion. Conclusions: Combined liso-cel + ibr demonstrated substantial efficacy with deep remissions (86% ORR, 45% CR rate, and 86% blood uMRD rate) and manageable safety in pts with R/R CLL/SLL. Though comparisons should be made with caution and there were differences in disease characteristics between cohorts, liso-cel + ibr showed a numerically higher ORR/CR rate and lower gr ≥ 3 CRS/NE rates vs liso-cel monotherapy, supporting the combination as a promising new therapeutic strategy for pts with R/R CLL/SLL.
Lisocabtagene Maraleucel (liso-cel) in Patients (pts) with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL): Updated Follow-up of Transcend CLL 004
Brander, Danielle M. , Dorritie, Kathleen , Soumerai, Jacob D. , Shah, Nirav N. , Nath, Rajneesh , Feldman, Tatyana , Solomon, Scott R. , Tuazon, Sherilyn A. , Perna, Serena , Ou, San-San, Rane, Neha, Papp, Eniko , Chen, Yizhe , Wierda, William G. , Soumerai, Jacob D , Siddiqi, Tanya , Gauthier, Jordan , Kenderian, Saad S. , Riedell, Peter A. , Andreadis, Charalambos Babis , Ermann, Daniel A. , Ma, Shuo , Schuster, Stephen J. , Ou, San‐San , Papp, Eniko , Wierda, William G.

Blood | December 5, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4633-4633

10.1182/blood-2024-200840 Get It

Background: The primary analysis of the phase 1/2, single-arm, multicenter TRANSCEND CLL 004 (NCT03331198) study with a median follow-up of 21.1 mo showed that a single administration of liso-cel achieved rapid, deep, and durable responses and a manageable safety profile in pts with heavily pretreated, high-risk R/R CLL/SLL, including those with progression on a previous Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) and venetoclax failure (primary efficacy analysis set [PEAS]; Siddiqi T, et al. Lancet 2023). With 5 mo of additional follow-up (median of 23.5 mo), liso-cel continued to demonstrate durable CR/CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi) and high undetectable MRD (uMRD; 10−4 by next-generation sequencing) rates with no new safety signals. Median duration of response (DOR) was 35.3 mo (95% CI, 12.4-not reached [NR]), and median OS was 30.3 mo (95% CI, 15.0-NR) (Siddiqi T, et al. Blood 2023). Here, we report updated results from TRANSCEND CLL 004 with 16 mo of additional follow-up since primary analysis and a median on-study follow-up of 23.8 mo (range, 0.4-59.6). Methods: Pts must have received ≥ 2 prior lines of therapy (LOTs), including a BTKi (full population). Eligible pts received liso-cel at a target dose of either 50 × 106 (dose level [DL] 1) or 100 × 106 (DL2) CAR+ T cells after lymphodepleting chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was CR/CRi per independent review committee in the PEAS at DL2. Key secondary endpoints were ORR and blood uMRD rate. All pts who received liso-cel and completed or discontinued early from the study were asked to enroll in a separate long-term follow-up (LTFU) study (NCT03435796) assessing safety and OS for up to 15 y after liso-cel. Results: As of the data cutoff (01/12/2024), 118 of 137 leukapheresed pts received liso-cel (safety set), 97 (DL1, n = 9; DL2, n = 88) were efficacy evaluable, and 54 (DL1, n = 4; DL2, n = 50) were in the PEAS. A total of 22 pts were ongoing in TRANSCEND CLL 004, and 19 of 60 eligible pts enrolled to the LTFU study. In the safety set, pts had a median age of 65 y (range, 49-82), and 83% had high-risk cytogenetic markers (del[17p], 42%; TP53 mutation, 47%; unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable gene, 47%). Median prior LOTs was 5 (range, 2-14); 86% of pts had prior chemoimmunotherapy. In the PEAS at DL2, CR/CRi rate remained at 20%, ORR at 44%, blood uMRD rate at 64%, and marrow uMRD rate at 60%. Median DOR was NR (95% CI, 12.4-NR), with a median follow-up of 31.7 mo (95% CI, 21.3-35.5). Estimated 36-mo DOR rate was 61% (95% CI, 30-81). Median (95% CI) DOR was NR in pts with CR/CRi. Median (95% CI) PFS was 11.9 mo (5.7-26.2) overall, 26.2 mo (11.9-NR) in pts with blood uMRD, and 2.8 mo (0.8-3.2) in pts with detectable blood MRD. Median OS, including 19 pts in the LTFU, was 43.2 mo (95% CI, 14.5-NR). Efficacy outcomes were similar in the full population at DL2. A subgroup of 23 pts who had only prior BTKi exposure and were venetoclax naïve was less heavily pretreated, with a median of 3 prior LOTs (range, 2-11); all pts had prior chemoimmunotherapy. In the efficacy-evaluable pts of this subgroup at DL2 (n = 18), the CR/CRi rate was 22%; ORR was 61%; and median (95% CI) DOR was NR (17.1-NR), PFS was NR (18.0-NR), and OS was 52.2 mo (26.9-NR). In the safety set, rates of any-grade/grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (85%/8%), any-grade/grade ≥ 3 neurological events (45%/19%), prolonged cytopenia (grade ≥ 3 at Day 30 after liso-cel infusion [54%]), grade ≥ 3 infections (18%), and second primary malignancy (9%) remained the same as previously reported (Siddiqi T, et al. Blood 2023); most pts with prolonged cytopenia had resolution to grade ≤ 2 by Month 3. Forty-six (34%) of 137 leukapheresed pts died after CAR T cell infusion, including 1 additional pt since the previous report with an unknown cause of death at ~14.5 mo after infusion. Persistence of the liso-cel transgene was detected up to 48 months after liso-cel infusion (2/5 evaluable pts at DL2 at Month 48). Conclusions: In this updated follow-up, liso-cel continued to demonstrate durable responses with an extended median OS of 43.2 mo in pts with R/R CLL/SLL. The safety results were similar to those previously reported with no new safety signals. These data confirm the sustained clinical benefit and favorable benefit-to-risk profile of a single treatment of liso-cel in pts with R/R CLL/SLL.
Cancer Surveillance in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients With a Pretransplant History of Malignancy: Multidisciplinary Collaborative Expert Opinion
Watt, Kymberly D., Rolak, Stacey , Foley, David P. , Plichta, Jennifer K. , Pruthi, Sandhya , Farr, Deborah , Zwald, Fiona O. , Sanger, Cristina B. , Ricciardi, Rocco , Chang, George J. , Dizon, Don S. , Teoh, Deanna , Al‐Qaoud, Talal , Eggener, Scott E. , Kennedy, Cassie C. , D’Cunha, Jonathan, Mohindra, Nisha , Stewart, Shelby , Habermann, Thomas, Lunning, Matthew A. , Shah, Nirav N. , Mehta, Jayesh, Verna, Elizabeth C. , Hammel, Laura L., Al‐Adra, David , D'Cunha, Jonathan, Habermann, Thomas H, Kennedy, Cassie C , Plichta, Jennifer K , Carvajal, Richard D. , Dudek, Arkadiusz Z. , Langstraat, Carrie , Agarwal, Piyush Kumar , Schuster, Stephen J. , Gertz, Morie A. , Suvannasankha, Attaya , Farr, Maryjane , Blosser, Christopher D.

Transplantation | May 21, 2024 | Volume: 108 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 2336-2350

10.1097/tp.0000000000005056 Get It

With improved medical treatments, the prognosis for many malignancies has improved, and more patients are presenting for transplant evaluation with a history of treated cancer. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with a prior malignancy are at higher risk of posttransplant recurrence or de novo malignancy, and they may require a cancer surveillance program that is individualized to their specific needs. There is a dearth of literature on optimal surveillance strategies specific to SOT recipients. A working group of transplant physicians and cancer-specific specialists met to provide expert opinion recommendations on optimal cancer surveillance after transplantation for patients with a history of malignancy. Surveillance strategies provided are mainly based on general population recurrence risk data, immunosuppression effects, and limited transplant-specific data and should be considered expert opinion based on current knowledge. Prospective studies of cancer-specific surveillance models in SOT recipients should be supported to inform posttransplant management of this high-risk population.
The CNS relapse in T-cell lymphoma index predicts CNS relapse in patients with T- and NK-cell lymphomas
Bhansali, Rahul S. , Ellin, Fredrik , Relander, Thomas, Cao, Miao , Li, Wenrui , Long, Qi , Ganesan, Nivetha , Stuver, Robert , Wudhikarn, Kitsada, Sokol, Lubomir, Duan, Frank, Pullarkat, Priyanka, Mehta–Shah, Neha , Ruiz, Miguel , Brammer, Jonathan E. , Prakash, Rishab, Iyer, Swaminathan P. , Major, Ajay , Smith, Sonali M. , Goldin, Caroline, Haverkos, Bradley M. , Zhuang, Tony , Allen, Pamela B. , Toama, Wael , Janakiram, Murali , Brooks, Taylor , Jagadeesh, Deepa, Hariharan, Nisha , Goodman, Aaron M. , Hartman, Gabrielle, Fayyaz, Fatima , Gerson, James N. , Svoboda, Jakub , Long, Qi , Wudhikarn, Kitsada , Hwang, Steven R , Bennani, N Nora , Saeed, Hayder , Porcu, Pierluigi , Mehta-Shah, Neha , Zain, Jasmine , Olszewski, Adam J , Smith, Sonali M , Haverkos, Bradley M , Hu, Bei , Zhuang, Tony Z , Allen, Pamela Blair , Toama, Wael , Brooks, Taylor R , Ghione, Paola , Fayyaz, Fatima , Rhodes, Joanna , Chong, Elise A , Barta, Stefan K , Major, Ajay , Janakiram, Murali , Bhansali, Rahul S , Stuver, Robert , Horwitz, Steven M. , Hwang, Steven R. , Bennani, N. Nora , Chavez, Julio C , Olszewski, Adam J. , Riedell, Peter A. , Hu, Bei , Jagadeesh, Deepa , Hariharan, Nisha, Ghione, Paola , Rhodes, Joanna , Chong, Elise A. , Landsburg, Daniel J. , Nasta, Sunita , Schuster, Stephen J. , Jerkeman, Mats

Blood Advances | May 13, 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 13 | Pages: 3507-3518

10.1182/bloodadvances.2024012800 Get It

Abstract Little is known about risk factors for central nervous system (CNS) relapse in mature T-cell and natural killer cell neoplasms (MTNKNs). We aimed to describe the clinical epidemiology of CNS relapse in patients with MTNKN and developed the CNS relapse In T-cell lymphoma Index (CITI) to predict patients at the highest risk of CNS relapse. We reviewed data from 135 patients with MTNKN and CNS relapse from 19 North American institutions. After exclusion of leukemic and most cutaneous forms of MTNKNs, patients were pooled with non-CNS relapse control patients from a single institution to create a CNS relapse–enriched training set. Using a complete case analysis (n = 182), including 91 with CNS relapse, we applied a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression model to select weighted clinicopathologic variables for the CITI score, which we validated in an external cohort from the Swedish Lymphoma Registry (n = 566). CNS relapse was most frequently observed in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (25%). Median time to CNS relapse and median overall survival after CNS relapse were 8.0 and 4.7 months, respectively. We calculated unique CITI risk scores for individual training set patients and stratified them into risk terciles. Validation set patients with low-risk (n = 158) and high-risk (n = 188) CITI scores had a 10-year cumulative risk of CNS relapse of 2.2% and 13.4%, respectively (hazard ratio, 5.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.50-18.26; P = .018). We developed an open-access web-based CITI calculator (https://redcap.link/citicalc) to provide an easy tool for clinical practice. The CITI score is a validated model to predict patients with MTNKN at the highest risk of developing CNS relapse.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma, Version 2.2024
Wierda, William G. , Brown, Jennifer R. , Bilgrami, S, Bociek, Greg, Brander, Danielle M. , Cortese, Matthew J , Cripe, Larry D., Davis, Randall S. , Eradat, Herbert, Fakhri, Bita , Fletcher, Christopher D.�M. , Gaballa, Sameh , Hamid, Muhammad Saad , Hill, Brian T. , Kaesberg, Paul, Kamdar, Manali , Ma, Shuo , Mosse, Claudio A. , Nakhoda, Shazia , Schorr, Andrew, Seshadri, Madhav , Stephens, Deborah M. , Ujjani, Chaitra S. , Valdez, Riccardo, Wagner‐Johnston, Nina D. , Woyach, Jennifer A. , Sundar, Hema, Dwyer, Mary A., Stephens, Deborah M , Kamdar, Manali , Ma, Shuo , Fakhri, Bita , Wierda, William G. , Abramson, Jeremy S. , Awan, Farrukh T. , Kahl, Brad S. , Kipps, Thomas J. , Parikh, Sameer A. , Schuster, Stephen J. , Siddiqi, Tanya , Thompson, Meghan C

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network | April 16, 2024 | Volume: 22 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 175-204

10.6004/jnccn.2024.0018 Get It

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are essentially different manifestations of the same disease that are similarly managed. A number of molecular and cytogenetic variables with prognostic implications have been identified. Undetectable minimal residual disease at the end of treatment with chemoimmunotherapy or venetoclax-based combination regimens is an independent predictor of improved survival among patients with previously untreated or relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL. The selection of treatment is based on the disease stage, presence or absence of del(17p) or TP53 mutation, immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region mutation status, patient age, performance status, comorbid conditions, and the agent’s toxicity profile. This manuscript discusses the recommendations outlined in the NCCN Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with CLL/SLL.
Long-Term Follow-Up of the RESORT Study (E4402): A Randomized Phase III Comparison of Two Different Rituximab Dosing Strategies for Low–Tumor Burden Follicular Lymphoma
Kahl, Brad S. , Jegede, Opeyemi A. , Peterson, Christopher G., Swinnen, Lode J., Weiss, Matthias , Fishkin, Paul A. S., Fenske, Timothy S. , Williams, Michael E. , Weiss, Matthias , Fenske, Timothy S , Williams, Michael E , Jagede, Opeyemi A. , Kahl, Brad S , Peterson, Christopher, Habermann, Thomas M. , Schuster, Stephen J.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | January 9, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 774-778

10.1200/jco.23.01912 Get It

Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical trial updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. In 2003, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group initiated a randomized phase III clinical trial (E4402) comparing two different rituximab dosing strategies for patients with previously untreated low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma. Rituximab-responsive patients (n = 299) were randomly assigned to either a retreatment rituximab (RR) strategy or a maintenance rituximab (MR) strategy. Each dosing strategy was continued until treatment failure. The primary end point of the study was time to treatment failure (TTF). In the original report, there was no difference in TTF between the two dosing strategies. Here, we report on the long-term outcomes for secondary end points of time to first cytotoxic therapy, duration of response, and overall survival (OS). At 7 years, 83% of MR patients had not required first chemotherapy compared with 63% of RR patients (hazard ratio, 2.37 [95% CI, 1.5 to 3.76]). At 7 years, 71% of MR remained in their first remission compared with 37% of RR patients. Despite the improved first remission length with MR, there was no difference in OS at 10 years (83% v 84%). With mature long-term data, we confirm that prolonged maintenance rituximab does not confer an OS advantage in low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma.