Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptors T cells for the treatment of relapsed or refractory E2A-PBX1 positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: report of three cases

Abstract

Patients with relapsed or refractory E2A-PBX1 positive acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) receiving anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) were retrospectively assessed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of disease burden on outcomes and to identify predictive variables. Of the three case patients, case 1 relapsed after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. After being treated with anti-CD19 CAR-T, the patient showed minimal residual disease (MRD), and his fusion genes turned negative. Case 2, who suffered refractory leukemia, received anti-CD19 CAR-T treatment in an attempt to remove the MRD before transplantation. She showed MRD, and her fusion genes turned negative. Case 3 received anti-CD19 CAR-T treatment because of relapse after allo-SCT at the molecular level. After infusion, she developed severe pneumonia accompanied with the indication that the leukemia had progressed. Our findings suggest that anti-CD19 CAR-T cells therapy with a remarkable MRD eradicating ability might be an effective option for patients with relapsed and refractory E2A-PBX1 positive B-ALL.

Keywords:

• Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells
• E2A-PBX1 fusion genes
• leukemia
• relapse
• refractory
• MRD eradicating

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Project of Invigorating Health Care through Science, Technology and Education, Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Center and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) [Grant No. YXZXA2016002]; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 81370626].