Dr. Park on Emerging CAR T-Cell Therapies in Hematologic Malignancies

Jae H. Park, MD, hematologic oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses emerging CAR T-cell therapies in hematologic malignancies.

Allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies are emerging for use in hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, as a potential strategy to shorten manufacturing time and increase accessibility to immune effector cell therapy, Park says. Further data are needed to determine if the off-the-shelf approach will yield similar rates of durable remission compared with autologous CAR T-cell therapies, Park adds. Additionally, some allogeneic products are utilizing modified or unmodified natural killer cells rather than T cells, Park explains.

Another emerging strategy is with dual-targeting CAR T-cell therapy, Park says. Particularly in leukemia, antigen escape has been observed as a driver of treatment resistance, Park explains. Dual-targeting therapies have the potential to overcome antigen escape, Park adds.

In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), cellular therapy has not demonstrated significant success because myeloid and leukemic cells do not express an exclusive target, Park says. As such, dual-targeted or armored CAR T-cell therapies could overcome tumor microenvironment resistance and effectively treat AML, other hematologic malignancies, and some solid tumors, Park concludes.