title: Improving therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with chimeric antigen receptor T cells.
abstract: Adoptive cell immunotherapy for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has heralded a new era of synthetic biology. The infusion of genetically engineered, autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells directed against CD19 expressed by normal and malignant B cells represents a novel approach to cancer therapy. The results of recent clinical trials of CAR T cells in relapsed and refractory CLL have demonstrated long-term disease-free remissions, underscoring the power of harnessing and redirecting the immune system against cancer. This review will briefly summarize T-cell therapies in development for CLL disease. We discuss the role of T-cell function and phenotype, T-cell culture optimization, CAR design, and approaches to potentiate the survival and anti-tumor effects of infused lymphocytes. Future efforts will focus on improving the efficacy of CAR T cells for the treatment of CLL and incorporating adoptive cell immunotherapy into standard medical management of CLL.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cellular Immunotherapy, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fraietta
authors.affiliation: Center for Cellular Immunotherapy, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: mvmaus@mgh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Marcela V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Maus
mesh_terms: D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins
keywords: CAR; CLL; Immunotherapy; Leukemia; T cell