Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells directed against the B-cell marker CD19 are currently changing the landscape for treatment of patients with refractory and/or relapsed B-cell malignancies such as pediatric and adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Due to the nature of CAR T cells as living drugs, they display a unique toxicity profile. As CAR T-cell therapy is extending towards other diseases and being more broadly employed in hematology and oncology, optimal management strategies of side-effects associated with CAR T-cell therapy are of high relevance. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and cytopenias constitute challenges in the treatment of patients with CAR T cells.
Read more