Novel and effective tandem CD38 and CD19 targeting CAR-T cells inhibit hematological tumor immune escape

Abstract

Targeting CD19 with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells is clinically effective, but tumor immune escape and tumor recurrence still occur. Designing CAR-T cells that target multiple antigens simultaneously is a viable approach for inhibiting tumor immune escape, and promising findings have been reported. In this study, we designed new CD19 and CD38 dual-target CAR-T cells that are strongly cytotoxic to target cells expressing CD19 or CD38. In vitro studies, compared with single-target CAR-T cells or CD19/CD38 tandem (Tan) CAR-T cells, CD38/CD19 Tan CAR-T cells presented similar CAR expression, superior cytotoxicity and antigen-stimulated T-cell proliferation. In vivo studies, CD38/CD19 Tan CAR-T cells demonstrated the same efficacy and safety as single-target CAR-T. These CD19/CD38 Tan CAR-T cells are fully compatible with existing clinical-grade T-cell manufacturing procedures and can be implemented using current clinical protocols. In summary, our findings provide an effective solution to the challenge of tumor immune escape in anti-CD19 CAR-T-cell therapy.